Premier Li urges closer partnership with Berlin

Premier Li Qiang called on Wednesday for closer cooperation between China and Germany amid growing instability and uncertainty in the global economy, highlighting that the partnership of the two major world economies will not only promote their own development, but also inject momentum into world economic growth.

Li made the remarks when addressing a symposium of the China-Germany economic advisory committee in Beijing, together with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Li noted that the world economy faces significant challenges, with unilateralism and protectionism on the rise and even prevailing in some countries and regions, and said this has severely disrupted the international economic and trade order.

The more severe the situation is, the more important it is for China and Germany to strengthen their cooperation, Li said, adding that cooperation is the optimal solution for them to address risks, and development is the essential choice to ensure security.

Li highlighted that economic and trade cooperation between the two countries will have even broader prospects during China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period.

Noting that China and Germany enjoy strong complementarities in economy and industry, he said that cooperation between them outweighs competition, and a positive competitive-cooperative relationship can be fostered to achieve joint development.

Li underlined the need for both countries to strengthen the foundation of traditional cooperation in sectors such as machinery, equipment and chemicals, seize new opportunities for future development, and create a favorable environment for investment and business.

China will unwaveringly expand high-level opening-up and actively address reasonable concerns of German and other foreign enterprises, he said, and it is hoped that the German government will provide an open, fair and nondiscriminatory business environment to allow enterprises from both countries to cooperate and compete following market principles.

Merz said that Germany and China are important economic and trade partners for each other.

Germany supports German companies in investing and deepening their presence in the Chinese market, and it is ready to continuously improve the business environment and welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in Germany, he said.

In recent years, bilateral trade has consistently exceeded $200 billion, while two-way investment stock has surpassed $65 billion, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Merz's visit comes at a pivotal moment as Germany seeks to rebalance its economic ties with China amid an evolving geopolitical landscape. He is accompanied by a significant delegation of Germany's most influential business leaders.

DHL Express Global CEO John Pearson said that economic cooperation between Germany and China remains a cornerstone of global trade stability.

Both nations are manufacturing powerhouses with complementary strengths — German engineering and innovation paired with China's huge consumption market, industrial scale, digital transformation and green development momentum — and this synergy fosters supply chain diversification, technological collaboration and joint efforts toward decarbonization, he said.

"We see China not only as an indispensable market, but also as a dynamic engine for innovation and sustainable growth. China holds immense strategic significance for our global network, serving as a critical hub in global trade flows and a key driver of cross-border e-commerce and supply chain resilience," he said.

Anna An, president of Henkel Greater China, said that China has been a key market for Henkel for 55 years and plays an increasingly important role in its global business.

"With China's strong market resilience, steadily improving market environment and focus on high-quality development, we remain confident in its long-term potential. We also see China-Germany cooperation as an important platform to promote innovation and support the sustainable growth of industrial and consumer markets," An said.

Oliver Blume, CEO of Europe's largest carmaker, Volkswagen Group, said: "Our 'In China for China' strategy continues to gain momentum. At our development center in Hefei, Anhui province, we have now created all the conditions necessary to develop, test and locally manufacture the next generation of intelligently connected vehicles."

Contact the writers at caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn