BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to visit China from Oct. 29 to 30 at the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang. It will be the fourth meeting between both leaders since Li became premier in March 2013.
Germany is China's biggest partner in Europe in terms of trade, investment and technology cooperation. The Sino-German partnership has also played a leading role in China-EU relations.
The following is a review of the two visits Li paid to Germany in May 2013 and October 2014, respectively, as well as Merkel's visit to China in July 2014.
October 2014, Li Visits Germany
In Brief:
Li's visit to Germany, the only country he has visited twice since taking office in March 2013, featured intensive talks and multiple agreements, focusing specifically on innovation.
Highlights:
* Li and Merkel co-chaired a China-Germany governmental consultation and agreed to lift the all-around strategic partnership between both countries to a higher level.
* They endorsed a comprehensive program of action for strengthening bilateral cooperation, which Li said lays out a strategic blueprint for the two countries to deepen their cooperation in various fields in the next five to ten years.
* During Li's visit, China and Germany inked agreements in trade, investment and technological cooperation worth 18.1 billion U.S. dollars.
* A document on innovation was issued to set the main areas of China-Germany innovation cooperation, including a strategic high-tech project "industry 4.0," a German initiative, and urbanization, industrialization, informatization and agricultural modernization.
* The two decided to launch an annual strategic dialogue on diplomatic and security affairs to enhance coordination on foreign policy and security. They also agreed to hold regular consultations on cyber issues to promote mutual trust and cooperation in cyber security.
What Li said:
* China-Germany relationship is not a simple buyer-seller one, but a high-level, win-win cooperative relationship with bright prospects. More new ideas are needed to lift bilateral relations to even higher levels.
* Germany should increase high-tech exports to China, support the inauguration of feasibility studies on a China-EU free trade zone, and help ease the EU's high-tech export restrictions on China.
* The two countries should continue cooperation in electric vehicles, aerospace technology and other manufacturing industries, enhance coordination on macro-economic policies and promote offshore Renminbi business in Europe.
* The two countries should tap into the potential of China-Europe rail freight transport, rev up cultural communication, and roll out measures such as easing visa procedures to encourage people-to-people exchanges.
What Merkel said:
* Prioritizing innovation cooperation will vigorously push forward the development of bilateral ties in the future.
* Germany supports the signing of a China-EU investment agreement as soon as possible and further expansion of cooperation, as China-EU cooperation is mutually beneficial.
* Germany is a reliable investment destination for Chinese enterprises and will offer Chinese companies a good investment environment.
* The two countries should strengthen coordination on international and regional affairs, and jointly maintain and promote world peace, stability and prosperity.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a joint press conference after the third round of bilateral governmental consultations in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 10, 2014. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) presents a burr puzzle to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they attend a China-Germany economic and technological cooperation forum in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 10, 2014. According to Li, the burr puzzle, a kind of traditional Chinese toy bricks, made by students and teachers from China's Tianjin Sino-German Vocational Technical College, represents his best wishes for the future cooperation between the two countries. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)
July 2014 Merkel Visits China
In Brief:
This was Merkel's 7th visit to China as German Chancellor, during which time she met with both President Xi Jinping and Premier Li. The two sides agreed to establish a high-level fiscal and financial dialogue mechanism, as well as strengthen cooperation in innovation, sustainable development and environmental protection.
Highlights:
* An 80 billion yuan (13 billion U.S. dollars) investment quota was granted to Germany under the RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (RQFII) program.
* Chinese and German companies signed a number of agreements for deals including buying helicopters from Germany and setting up a new automobile manufacturing base in China. Merkel and Li witnessed the signing of several contracts.
* Both sides agreed to establish a new manufacturing base for FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd, as well as to build an eco park in Qingdao that will showcase energy-efficient buildings.
What Li said:
* China and Germany enjoy broad common ground in safeguarding world peace, developing a win-win partnership and advocating global free trade.
* China hopes to cement understanding and trust with Germany, and the two countries should respect each other's core interests and major concerns.
* China will give full play to consultation mechanism between the two governments and speed up formulation of a medium-to-long-term cooperation plan.
* China hopes Germany will play a positive and constructive role in China-Europe ties and properly settle trade disputes through dialogue.
What Merkel said:
* Germany hopes to build an innovative partnership with China and expand bilateral cooperation in finance, technology, agriculture and culture.
* German companies would like to expand investment in China and participate in the development of central and western China.
* Germany welcomes Chinese investment and will make efforts to streamline visa processes to facilitate personnel exchanges.
* Germany is willing to make full use of intergovernmental consultations with China to deepen cooperation in the fields of innovation, joint research, market access, new urbanization, energy conservation, climate change and health services.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) holds a welcoming ceremony for visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing, China, July 7, 2014. (Xinhua/Li Tao)
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel meet with youngsters attending the closing ceremony of "the Year of Languages" program between China and Germany, an initiative meant to encourage the two peoples to study each other's language, at the Temple of Heaven, a famous scenic spot in Beijing, capital of China, July 7, 2014. (Xinhua/Li Tao)
May 2013, Li Visits Germany
In Brief:
This was Li Keqiang's first official visit to Germany as China's premier. The visit was intended to speed up the development of Sino-German relations and boost cooperation between China and Europe at large. The two premiers charted a course for future bilateral cooperation and reached a consensus on deepening their countries' strategic partnership.
Highlights:
* Li and Merkel vowed to advance bilateral cooperation in fields of economy, trade, agriculture, urbanization and people-to-people exchanges. They agreed that each side should provide national treatment for the other's companies based on its soil.
* They agreed to keep strategic communication by maintaining the current mechanism of annual leaders' meetings and enhance consultations and communication at all levels.
* Li slammed the EU for pursuing anti-dumping cases against Chinese solar panels and mobile telecommunication equipment.
What Li said:
* China will stick firmly to the policy of reform and opening-up. China welcomes more investment from German enterprises and also encourages Chinese companies to scale up their business in the European economic powerhouse.
* The Chinese government treats equally all companies registered in China, whether they are Chinese or foreign enterprises, and provides them with a level playing field.
* It is China's strategic decision to pursue innovation-driven economic development. Combining China's market with Germany's technologies will create huge impetus for both countries' development.
* China firmly opposes EU's plans to probe Chinese-made wireless telecom devices and impose punitive duties on Chinese-made solar panels. China hopes to properly settle the disputes through dialogue and consultation, instead of engaging in a trade war.
What Merkel said:
* The two countries should tap further into their cooperation potential, and build a more favorable environment for bilateral business cooperation, so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples.
* Germany is ready to join efforts with the Chinese side to exert the leading role of the inter-governmental consultations and other bilateral mechanisms to guide the two-way cooperation, in a bid for the Germany-China relationship to achieve fresh progress in the new era.
* Germany firmly opposes a trade probe initiated by the European Commission into imports of Chinese mobile telecommunications products.
* Germany maintains that the EU-China disputes over solar panels and other issues should be solved via dialogue and negotiation. The EU's permanent import duties imposed on related products would be unhelpful and should be avoided with relevant measures.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) attends a welcoming ceremony held by German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) in Berlin, capital of Germany, May 26, 2013. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a joint press conference after their talks in Berlin, capital of Germany, May 26, 2013. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
