New horizon for China-Germany ties

Editor's note: Premier Li Keqiang wrote a signed article, titled "Open Up New Horizon for China-Germany Relations", in German-language newspaper Zeit on Thursday. Following is the full text of its English translation.

I will soon be visiting Germany again to boost China's cooperation with Germany on all fronts. People may want to learn more about the visit, and I believe that one can find answers in both the historical evolution of and current necessity for China-Germany cooperation as well as in China's ongoing reform and opening up.

Why are China and Germany getting closer?

The reason is simple: Both our common interests and mutual need are growing. In recent years, we have enjoyed rapid growth in bilateral cooperation across the board, and we regard each other as one of our most important business partners. This bond has been enhanced by our joint response to the international financial crisis. Today, cooperation between our two countries has become the engine driving China-EU cooperation, with China-Germany trade taking up roughly 30 percent of China's total trade with Europe. According to statistics of China's Ministry of Commerce, German paid-in investment last year in China increased by 28.5 percent to reach $1.45 billion, and China became the third largest foreign investor in Germany in terms of project number, next only to the United States and Switzerland. This is remarkable in a sluggish global economy.

China-Germany cooperation has contributed to our respective growth. China has a large market, which is our strength. But we have learnt a lot from Germany in terms of research and development, corporate governance and technologies. Germany is China's long-term partner in its pursuit of modernization. Cooperation with China has also simulated Germany's growth. The Chinese market accounts for 30 percent of Volkswagen's global sales and is the largest market for BMW. China is also the third largest market for Siemens and BASF.