President Xi Jinping has called on China and Germany to build a new model of cooperation based on equality, mutual benefit and strategic stability, saying that the world's second- and third-largest economies should send a clear signal in favor of openness over closure and cooperation over confrontation amid growing global turbulence.
When meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday in Beijing, Xi urged the two countries to strengthen communication and coordination, citing their responsibilities for the development of relations between China and the European Union and stable growth of the global economy.
China has always viewed the EU as a partner and has developed ties with it in a spirit of sincerity and goodwill, Xi said, adding that cooperation outweighs competition and consensus outweighs differences in China-EU relations.
Xi noted that China-EU economic and trade ties are rooted in complementary strengths and mutual benefit.
Mutual respect, understanding and accommodation pave the way to shared success, he said, emphasizing that seeking common ground amid differences and breaking new ground while upholding sound principles are key to advancing their development together.
Problems arising from cooperation are part of the development of China-EU relations, Xi said. As long as China and the EU remain committed to their partnership and engage in dialogue on an equal footing, differences can be resolved without impeding the relations, he said.
Xi expressed hope that the EU would work with China to advance an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.
In terms of bilateral relationship, Xi emphasized that China's policy toward Germany remains consistent, stable and predictable. China attaches great importance to Germany's role as a major country, has long supported German unity and development, and welcomes a greater German role in European and international affairs, he said.
Xi voiced hope that Germany would view cooperation with China and China's development with an open and positive mind, pursue a rational, pragmatic and friendly policy toward China, and uphold mutual respect and equal treatment.
Complementary strengths
Noting that Germany is known for advanced manufacturing and high-quality products, while China is pursuing modernization through high-quality development, Xi said their development strategies are well aligned, leaving broad scope for cooperation.
China will continue to expand its high-level opening-up and improve its business environment, welcoming German and other foreign companies to deepen their presence in its vast market, Xi said. He also expressed the hope that Germany would provide Chinese companies with a fair, transparent and nondiscriminatory business environment.
Xi identified artificial intelligence, green and low-carbon development, trade in services and the digital economy as areas where the two countries could work together and strengthen their future competitiveness.
He called for more exchanges in culture, education and the arts, as well as easier travel between the two countries, in order to build closer ties between the two peoples ahead of the 55th anniversary of China-Germany diplomatic relations next year.
Xi also briefed Steinmeier on the fifth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee. He said that sustained efforts to exercise full and rigorous Party self-governance would win broad public support, and expressed the CPC's willingness to exchange experience in governance with major political parties in Germany and other countries.
Steinmeier said he had visited China eight times over the past 25 years and had seen a country transformed on each trip.
Germany firmly adheres to the one-China policy and is confident about the future of bilateral relations, Steinmeier said. The two countries can handle trade differences through dialogue and consultation and pursue mutual benefit, setting an example for the world, he added.
Germany is ready to work with China to defend the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and the authority of international law, support free trade and World Trade Organization rules, and oppose protectionism and trade wars, Steinmeier said.
Germany has long been China's largest trading partner in the EU, while China was Germany's largest trading partner worldwide in 2025. The value of bilateral trade reached $211.11 billion last year, up 4.6 percent year-on-year.
Speaking on Thursday at the German ambassador's residence in Beijing, Steinmeier cautioned against viewing China through simple binaries. "China is far too important for such simplifications — both economically and geopolitically," he said, calling for greater knowledge of China in Germany.
Steinmeier's five-day state visit, which concludes on Saturday, follows German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit in February.
Steinmeier began his trip in Anhui province, where he toured the former residence of Li Hongzhang, a leading statesman during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), who visited Germany in 1896.
The German president visited Volkswagen Group China Technology Co in Anhui province, the group's largest research and development center outside Germany. He also visited Huangshan Mountain, a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site.
Zhao Jizhou, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of European Studies, said the itinerary reflects Germany's interest in sustaining its historical, economic and cultural ties with China.
Amid growing global uncertainty, Germany and Europe have a larger stake than ever in building stronger ties with China, which could bring greater stability to Europe and the wider world, Zhao said. Berlin's handling of trade frictions through dialogue with Beijing could help shape the course of China-EU relations, he added.
Editor：Zhou Jinmiao
