Xi-Scholz talk highlights pragmatic cooperation

(Global Times) – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday held a video meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during which he noted that China and Germany, both responsible major countries, should not only develop bilateral relations and serve as examples of win-win cooperation, but also defend the international order and multilateralism, and work together to address global challenges.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz via video link.

Noting China-Germany relations have entered the second 50 years, Xi said that China and Germany, as all-round strategic partners, had worked together in the spirit of mutual benefit and grown together in the spirit of mutual learning and exchange.
“This is the valuable experience of the smooth development of China-Germany relations over the past decades, which should be cherished and passed on by both sides,” Xi said, describing China-Germany cooperation as open and pragmatic, which has been continuously enriched and developed.
He said that more than 130 German companies will participate in the sixth China International Import Expo, which has shown the confidence of German companies in China’s development.
It is hoped that the German side will also adhere to a high level of openness toward Chinese enterprises seeking cooperation opportunities in Germany, Xi said.
The same day, Xi met with visiting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Beijing.
Hailing the past half century, during which the relationship between China and Greece has always been healthy and constantly renewed, Xi expressed willingness to enhance bilateral cooperation on a wide range of sectors.
China is willing to work together with the EU to maintain correct mutual understanding, focus on consensus, and grasp the direction, in order to fully activate mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields. “We hope that Greece will continue to play a constructive role in this regard,” Xi said.
The meetings and frequent China-Europe interactions, have well demonstrated that China attaches great importance to the EU relationship, and this has not changed. We want to continue the momentum of bilateral stabilisation and warming up, Cui Hongjian, a professor with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Friday.
Cui also mentioned Germany’s overall opposition to the EU’s so-called anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric vehicles, which also jeopardises Germany, as the two countries are cooperating closely in this field. Germany is reasonably expressing the hope of enhancing trade cooperation, and judging from recent interactions between China and Europe, both sides not only want to maintain a stable bilateral relationship, but also seek more cooperation on the basis of stability. Cui interpreted this as expanding and accumulating positivity in China-Europe relations, which can offset the negative factors.
Scholz introduced the views of the German side on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Ukraine crisis, and expressed the hope to keep close communication with China.
Xi pointed out that to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Ukraine crisis, it is necessary to think more deeply about security issues, adhere to the vision of what common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and promote the building of a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture.
Squeezing the security space of other countries and supporting one side while ignoring the legitimate demands of the other side will lead to regional imbalance and the expansion and escalation of conflicts, said Xi.
He said both China and the European side should work together to mediate conflicts, ease tensions and play a positive role in promoting regional peace and development.
In terms of the Israel-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, experts said Germany hopes that China can play a bigger and positive role in regional and global security, but the US wants to take advantage of the two crises while the EU is directly suffering. 

(Latest Update November 6, 2023)