(ECNS) -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Chongqing on his second trip to China since assuming office, on Sunday morning.
German political and business figures expressed to China News Service their hopes that Scholz’s visit could further deepen German-China relations, injecting new momentum into bilateral cooperation.
Hans-Peter Friedrich, chairman of the German-Chinese parliamentary group and former vice president of German Bundestag, said he hopes Scholz could once again clearly express how much interest Germany has in good cooperation with China. He believes Germany's exchanges and cooperation with China should not be disturbed by external factors. The prosperity of Germany or even Europe depends largely on whether it can further develop good relations with China.
Michael Schumann, chairman of the Board of the Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade, believes the large delegation and high-level representatives from the economic sector accompanying the visit indicate that the two sides hope to engage in serious dialogue, which is encouraging.
Schumann pointed out that since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has been steadfastly opening up to the world, while Europe and Germany have been moving in the opposite direction, becoming more closed, which is unfavorable. He believes Germany must break free from this situation and return to more constructive communication.
Walter Döring, chairman of the Association of German Hidden Champions and deputy prime minister of Baden-Württemberg said that the achievements in poverty alleviation driven by China's economic development, along with its increased openness to the Western world, are impressive. He opposes the so-called "decoupling" theory, believing it would harm both Germany and China.
He said at present, development of the German economy is inseparable from the support of the Chinese market. In his view, Scholz will make an effort to further consolidate and deepen German-Chinese relations. From the perspective of the German business community, everyone hopes to establish very close cooperative relationships with Chinese enterprises, to which they believe Scholz will contribute.
Thomas, a German automotive industry expert, stated that some politicians in the German government have formulated policies toward China without fully understanding the domestic situation, which is not the correct approach. He believes China is an open country, and Germany must take cooperation with China seriously. Currently, the German economy lacks momentum and progress in areas such as ecological protection, which could benefit from greater cooperation with China.
In his view, the global economy is closely interconnected, and economic development depends on a peaceful international environment. China plays an increasingly important role in mediating international conflicts, and Germany and China can exchange views on this matter. He hopes that through this visit, Germany and China could further strengthen bilateral technical cooperation, and talent exchange, and inject new impetus into cooperation, including the automotive industry, while also contributing to the international community.
Matthias Müller, general manager of MM China Link, thinks that China has been Germany's largest trading partner for many years, and strengthening exchanges and cooperation between the two countries is the right choice. He looks forward to a clear signal from Scholz's visit that cooperation between Germany and China will continue to expand.
