Baige Zhao: Promoting Practical Cooperation Between China and Germany through Congress Communication and Think Tank Exchanges

Dr. Zhao Baige meets with Germany Congress representatives. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

On the morning of 29 October 2015, Zhao Baige, Vice-Chair, NPC Foreign Affairs Committee; Member, NPC Standing Committee, and Chair, Advisory Committee of CASS-RDI Project (Research and Development International, Chinese Academy of Social Science) met with the delegation of German Congress members. The delegation includes: Christian Democratic Union Congressman Jurgen Hardt, Left-wing Party Congressman Stefan Liebich, Green Party Congresswoman Anja Hajduk and Social Party Congressman Bernhard Daldrup. They are important members of the delegation led by German chancellor Angela Merkel.

The two sides discussed matters related to international humanitarian work and development, the "One Belt One Road" initiative, introduction of technical standards, China-Germany cooperation, Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB), "South-North-South" international cooperation, etc. and reached a consensus on promoting congress communication and think tank cooperation.

Dr. Zhao reckoned that congress communication and think tank exchanges are important bridges for promoting practical cooperation between China and Germany. She illustrated China's "One Belt One Road" initiative, and summarized China's practices on comprehensively deepening reform and opening up with vivid cases of international cooperation in Shanghai and Jiangsu, etc. And on the basis of the CASS-RDI Project, both sides discussed the needs, models and entry points of think tank exchanges and cooperation between China and Germany.

In particular, Dr. Zhao expounded on the status of the AIIB. She commended the constructive role played by Germany and other major European countries in preparations for the AIIB, and expressed the hope that German side will accelerate its legal approval procedure to support the establishment and early operation of the AIIB at the end of the year, thus promoting the service function of this multilateral financial institution.

Dr. Zhao Baige meets with Germany Congress representatives. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

For years, Germany has been China's No. 1 trade partner in Europe. In 2002, China surpassed Japan as the No. 1 trade partner of Germany in Asia. In 2014, two-way trade between China and Germany amounted to USD 177.75 billion, up 10.1% year on year and accounting for nearly 30% of total China-EU trade. China's export to Germany totaled USD 72.71 billion, up 8% year on year; import from Germany totaled USD 105.04 billion, up 11.5% year on year and registering a trade deficit of USD 32.33 billion. At present, China-Germany trade amount is equivalent to the sum total of China-UK, China-France and China-Italy trade figures. China mainly imports electromechanical equipment, transport equipment such as railway trains, automobiles, ships, etc., chemicals, optical and medical instruments from Germany; and mainly exports electrical appliances, mechanical equipment, textile materials and products, chemicals and toys to the latter.

Both sides recognized that economic and trace cooperation is a very strong bond for China-Germany relation, and that economic and trade subject was one of the major subjects to be discussed during German chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to China. Congress communication and think tank exchanges will inject new vigor into the future cooperation between China and Germany. German guests said that in line with the outcomes of this dialogue, they will provide relevant needs and information as soon as possible, so as to actively promote the practical cooperation between Chinese and German enterprises in the context of the "One Belt One Road" Initiative.

Dr. Zhao Baige meets with Germany Congress representatives. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn