China to expand mutually beneficial cooperation with Germany: senior diplomat

MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to fully restart exchanges with Germany and Europe in various fields, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and enhance mutual understanding, a senior Chinese diplomat said here on Friday.

Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remark when meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the 59th Munich Security Conference, which opened here on Friday.

Wang conveyed cordial greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping at the meeting with Scholz, and said that China has overcome the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and shown a robust economic recovery.

China and Germany can actively prepare for a new round of inter-governmental consultations and chart the course for the development of bilateral relations to keep China-Germany cooperation at world-leading levels, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said.

He added that both sides should support multilateralism and free trade, reject practices of decoupling and severing supply chains, and safeguard the stability of global production and supply chains.

Scholz said at the meeting that he was glad to learn that China has overcome the pandemic and agreed to restart cooperation in various fields and launch the next round of inter-governmental consultations as soon as possible.

The German Chancellor said that Germany would firmly develop economic and trade relations with China and oppose any form of decoupling, adding that strong Germany-China ties and mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation conduce to global stability and prosperity.

The two also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue.

Wang said that China and Germany, both independent major countries, shoulder common responsibility for maintaining world peace and addressing global challenges.

China has always stood on the side of peace and committed itself to promoting peace talks and calling for an early ceasefire, the Chinese diplomat said, adding that he hoped Germany would play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation.

Wang also met with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday.

Wang arrived in Munich on Friday after his visits to France and Italy earlier this week and is expected to deliver a speech at the China session of this year's Munich Security Conference. He will continue his visits to Hungary and Russia after the stop in Germany.