Foreign minister: Trade cooperation 'anchor' of ties with Germany

China on Friday called trade cooperation the "anchor" of its ties with Germany, saying that the two countries are partners rather than rivals.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, addressing a joint news conference with his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, said artificially putting the brakes on normal economic and trade cooperation would be counterproductive.

The two foreign ministers held the sixth round of China-Germany Strategic Dialogue on Diplomacy and Security in Beijing during Baerbock's first official visit to the country.

Integration between China and Germany on the industrial chain is an inevitable result of globalization, and the best option under market rules, Qin said.

"As long as both sides remain open, there is no need to worry about so-called overreliance," he said.

China has been Germany's biggest trading partner for seven years, while Germany remains China's top trading partner in Europe.

Bilateral trade has accounted for nearly 30 percent of the total trade volume between China and the European Union for a long time, Qin said, adding that the two countries should focus on cooperation and avoid confrontation.

He added that the key to developing good bilateral relations is to carry out communication on all fronts, strengthen strategic mutual trust and avoid misjudgments.

In response, Baerbock said Germany is not willing to decouple from China as trade between China and Germany had increased almost 50 times since the end of the Cold War.

She also called for more cooperation in green technology and dealing with the climate change crisis.

As Baerbock expressed concerns on the Taiwan question, Qin said the fundamental cause of tension in the Taiwan Strait lies in the separatists activities by "Taiwan independence" forces and external forces that support them, and "'Taiwan independence' and peace cannot coexist".

Qin also reiterated China's consistent willingness to help find a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, adding that China will never do anything to add fuel to the fire.

He said that the country is not supplying any weapons to the parties in the conflict and won't do so in the future.

Cui Hongjian, director of Beijing-based China Institute of International Studies' European Studies Department, said the visit and the face-to-face meeting are necessary and important for Germany to understand trade cooperation between the two countries and how they achieve mutual benefits, and help the European country to form a more comprehensive understanding of China.

As the largest economy in the European Union, a stable trade relationship between China and Germany will also help stabilize China-Europe trade cooperation, Cui said.

In addition to Baerbock's visit, Beijing has welcomed a number of European leaders in recent weeks, which Cui said is a sign of the full resumption of China-Europe exchanges.

The recent intensive contacts showed the solid foundation as well as the increasing demand for China-Europe cooperation, Cui said.

China's stability and sustainable development helps Europe restore its confidence and the two sides reached many consensus in such areas as trade, security and global governance, he said.

Frequent communication also shows that Europe is pursuing strategic autonomy and avoiding choosing sides between China and the United States, he added.

Earlier on Friday, Qin and Baerbock visited a German electrical mobility company based in the port city of Tianjin.