Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, met separately with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Beijing on Friday, according to People's Daily. The talks came as President Xi Jinping was also scheduled to hold discussions with Steinmeier, a meeting the outlet said would set out the next stage of bilateral relations.
According to People's Daily, Li told Steinmeier that cooperation between the two countries has expanded through joint effort and delivered concrete benefits to both publics. He described mutual respect, the setting aside of differences, and a focus on shared gains as the central lessons of how the relationship has developed.
Why it matters
The meetings place economic and trade ties at the center of a visit that both sides are using to signal continuity. Li's remarks, as reported by People's Daily, framed China and Germany as partners that should shoulder more responsibility at a time when unilateralism and protectionism are gaining ground. He called for the two countries to defend free trade and push open cooperation, and said Beijing wants to keep advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership.
Cooperation areas and market access
Li said the two governments should make full use of consultation and dialogue mechanisms and combine their respective strengths in automobiles, chemicals, artificial intelligence, digital industries and green development. He said China is prepared to import more high-quality German goods and encouraged German companies to expand in the Chinese market, while supporting more Chinese firms to invest in Germany. He also asked Berlin to provide a fair, stable and predictable business environment for those investors.
Beyond commerce, Li called for more two-way travel and deeper exchanges in culture, education, youth affairs, sports and ties between local regions, describing these as the foundation of public support for the relationship. He noted Germany's weight within the European Union and expressed the hope that Berlin would play a constructive role in China-EU relations.
Steinmeier, according to People's Daily, said China's economic and social development and its technological progress are impressive and changing rapidly. He said Germany and China have maintained a strong partnership over many years and that their trade and economic cooperation has been successful and mutually beneficial. Cooperation between German and Chinese companies, he added, serves not only the two countries but also the wider world.
The German president said his country is committed to deepening cooperation with China in a spirit of respect, trust and mutual benefit, and supports companies from both sides learning from one another. He also said differences should be resolved properly through dialogue. Separately, Xinhua reported Steinmeier saying he deeply admires China's development achievements.
Parliamentary and people-to-people channels
In his meeting with Steinmeier, Zhao said China and Germany have consistently upheld mutual respect and trust, accommodated differences and pursued mutually beneficial cooperation, producing a mature and resilient relationship, People's Daily reported. Zhao said China is ready to work with Germany to implement the understandings reached by the two heads of state and to share development opportunities, promote open cooperation and safeguard peace.
Zhao said the National People's Congress is willing to strengthen exchanges with the German parliament and provide legal backing for practical cooperation. He invited members of the German Bundestag and the European Parliament to visit China more often, saying such trips would help them see a real and developing country.
Coverage of the visit also extended beyond the official meetings. China Daily reported that Steinmeier played table tennis with the president of Peking University and that his speech there drew discussion among German students in China.
The visit reflects a pattern in which Beijing and Berlin keep high-level channels open even where their positions differ. People's Daily's account gives no details on the specific disagreements raised in the meetings, beyond Steinmeier's stated preference for resolving them through dialogue.
What to watch is how the commitments voiced in Beijing translate into practice, particularly on market access for German firms and the investment climate Chinese companies encounter in Germany.
