Starting from October 31, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will
pay a visit to China. Germany, the largest country among the
European Union countries, is also the largest trade partner of
China in Europe. It is widely expected that Schroeder's visit to
China will promote the bilateral relations to a greater extent.
Since the mid-1990s, Germany has been seen strengthening its
relationship with Asian countries. The Sino-German relations in
economy, politics, science and technology and culture have, in
particular, developed in full swing. In January, 1994, the Foreign
Ministry of Germany held a special conference, which was devoted to
promoting the partnership relations with Asian countries so as to
guarantee that German enterprises might benefit from the prosperity
of Asian-Pacific economies. Participants of the meeting also
pointed out that Germany paid respect to the Asian culture and its
ways of economic development.
Thanks to joint efforts of both the Chinese and German sides, the
bilateral relations and, in particular, economic and trade ties,
have achieved tremendous progress. Now Germany is China's biggest
trading partner in Europe. In 1972 when the two countries
established diplomatic relations, the trade volume between the two
countries was only US$270 million, but now the trade volume between
the two countries accounts for one third of the total trade volume
between China and the 15 countries of the EU, exceeding the total
sum between China and Britain and France. In 2000, the trade volume
between China and Germany made a historical high coming to US$19.7
billion.
Germany is also the No.1 country in Europe from which China
imported the largest sum of high-tech projects. By now German
enterprises have invested in 2,583 projects in China, with the
contractual volume hitting US$12.9 billion. The large-scale
projects with German investment are those relating to
transportation, industrial equipments, telecommunications, chemical
and energy industries. Among the big projects are the Shanghai
maglev train project, the subways in Shanghai and Guangzhou,
Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd, the Changchun-based
FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd, Yangzhou Asia Star Benz Co. In
the mean time, China has purchased over 30 German-made ships by
using German loan on liberal terms. Most of the large German
companies have so far found a niche in the Chinese market and the
small and medium companies in Germany are trying their best to go
to China and find business opportunities.
The German business circle has shared it in common that China's
eventual entry of the WTO will produce more business opportunities
for both Chinese and foreign investors, and this, as a result, will
exert profound influence on the global economy. Five big German
companies, including Siemens,
BASF AG and Volkswagen,
have worked out new strategy in their development in China.
According to the plan, these business giants will invest over 20
billion Marks (US$ 9.24 billion) in China, making China their
manufacturing bases. Last March, the German chamber of commerce
organized 12 high-ranking officials from several Sino-Germany joint
ventures in China to tour four major industrial cities in Germany,
introducing Chinese market and encouraging more German investment
in China. During the "Asia-Pacific Week" in Berlin in middle
September, some German enterprises sponsored a Sino-Europe Economic
Forum especially discussing China's western development drive.
Great improvements have been achieved in Sino-German exchange in
the fields of science, technology, education, and culture. Ever
since the signing of the Agreement on Science and Technology
Cooperation by the two governments in 1978, the two countries have
benefited a lot from their scientific and technological cooperation
through governmental and non-governmental channels. Education
exchanges between Germany and China have also witnessed great
improvement and development. Germany attracts the greatest number
of Chinese students among the European countries. Eight German
universities have established close relations with nearly 200
colleges and universities in China. The cultural exchange between
the two countries came to its climax when the Asia-Pacific Week was
held in Berlin, capital of Germany, this autumn.
Soon after the "September 11 terrorist attack" happening in the
United States, Chancellor Schroeder and Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji
exchanged views on the phone and the two leaders agreed to make
more efforts in the international cooperation against terrorism.
Germany shares wide consensus with China regarding the issue of
anti-terrorism. Both countries stress that military actions should
not play a key role in solving terrorism problem and that, instead,
political, diplomatic and economic methods should be used to solve
the problem. The two sides agree that UN should strengthen its role
in working out long-term anti-terrorism plan and establishing a
fair international rule so as to root out terrorism.
With the steady development of economic and trade relations between
the two countries and German's firm stance on "one China"
principle, the two countries will see a close and fruitful
political cooperation in the foreseeable future.
(The author is a research fellow with China Institute of
Contemporary International Relations)
(china.org.cn October 31, 2001)