Germany to strengthen exchanges, cooperation with China: Scholz

MUNICH - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to enhance exchanges, dialogue and cooperation with China during his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Saturday.

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, conveyed cordial greetings from the Chinese leadership to Scholz.

Wang said that high-level interactions between China and Germany have been frequent and bilateral pragmatic cooperation has maintained good momentum and yielded positive results, which served the fundamental and long-term interests of both peoples.

He stressed that as strategic partners, China and Germany, as well as China and the European Union (EU), should further strengthen unity, coordination and cooperation to uphold free trade, practice multilateralism, and safeguard the authority of the United Nations.

China is pleased to see Germany playing a significant role in a multipolar world and is willing to deepen comprehensive cooperation with Germany to advance bilateral relations in a positive direction, safeguard global peace and stability, and provide greater certainty to an increasingly turbulent world, he added.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic ties, Wang said, adding that the two sides should enhance complementary advantages and deepen pragmatic cooperation to jointly usher in the next 50 years of even stronger China-EU relations.

Wang said that China appreciates Germany's rational and pragmatic stance on the EU's tariff issue concerning Chinese electric vehicles and hopes Germany to continue to play a constructive role in promptly resolving China-EU trade frictions at an early date.

Scholz asked Wang to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to the Chinese leadership, stating that Germany highly values its relations with China. He said Germany is willing to enhance exchanges and dialogue at all levels with China and deepen bilateral and multilateral strategic cooperation with China.

Germany opposes protectionism and does not support a tariff war, he said, calling on the EU and China to take a constructive approach to promptly and properly resolve frictions as soon as possible, including those related to electric vehicles, and jointly uphold the free trade system.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis.

During his visit to Germany, Wang also met with Friedrich Merz, chairman of Germany's Christian Democratic Union, among others.