Chinese?Premier Wen Jiaobao and German Chancellor Angela Merkel co-chaired the first round of China-Germany inter-governmental consultation in Berlin on June 28, 2011. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

There is no doubt that 2011 was a fruitful year for Sino-German relations. First of all, the first round of the China-Germany Inter-governmental Consultation, co-chaired by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, was held in Germany in June. More than 20 ministers from both countries engaged in one-on-one talks with their foreign counterparts, discussing current levels of cooperation in their respective fields and their future work plans. This mechanism not only represents a new starting point for bilateral ties which will lift cooperation to a higher level; it is also central to and promotes relations between China and the EU. Premier Wen confirmed that the inter-governmental consultation will have a positive influence on the world in terms of form, scale, content and result.

Second, the high-level exchanges have enhanced mutual political trust between the two countries. President Hu Jintao had an in-depth exchange with Chancellor Merkel during the Cannes Summit of the Group of Twenty. Premier Wen embarked on his fifth visit to Germany and maintained close contact with Chancellor Merkel throughout 2011 via different forms of communication. There were also other official visits during the year: Jia Qinglin, chairman of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, finally visited Germany after 14 years; Vice Premier Li Keqiang visited Germany in January; and German Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle visited China in the first half of the year.

Third, economic cooperation and trade saw significant and innovative growth during 2011. The Sino-German trade volume totaled US$155.1 billion from January to November in 2011, accounting for almost one third of the China-EU trade volume and setting a record for bilateral trade. China and Germany have begun cooperating in new fields including electric cars and joint research and development. Mutual investments continued to accrue and Chinese companies made fresh progress with regard to investing in Germany.

Fourth, there was an increase in people-to-people and local exchanges over the course of the last year. China invited 200 German middle school students to attend a summer camp in China and the two countries signed agreements on vocational education cooperation and the joint education of high-level talents. In November, the 12th Confucius Institute was established in Thuringia state. Leaders from eight Chinese provinces and municipalities visited Germany and leading officials from Hamburg paid a reciprocal visit to China.

Fifth, strategic cooperation was upgraded, with the China-Germany Strategic Dialogue being elevated to ministerial level. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and his German counterpart Westerwelle held two dialogue sessions in 2011 in which they exchanged views on important matters of mutual international and regional concern. China and Germany also maintained close cooperation and communication at multilateral institutions such as the United Nations Security Council, United Nations Human Rights Council and Group of Twenty. Both countries also cooperated successfully on issues such as Iran, Afghanistan, environmental protection and global governance.

It is clear that both countries are satisfied with how bilateral ties between them have developed and believe that relations are currently at an all-time high. The fragile state of the global economy and tumultuous political scene mean that China and Germany are at an important phase of their cooperation. The real economies of both countries are considerable and both countries are also major exporters. They are not only playing increasingly important roles in their respective regions, but also bearing special responsibilities for global peace and development. An expanding range of common interests, views and responsibilities have highlighted the strategic perspective of Sino-German relations.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Germany and China. It is also an opportunity for both countries to review the development of bilateral ties and plan for the future. In order to bring mutual benefits to both countries and contribute to peace and development by further deepening ties, China will focus its efforts on the following areas in 2012: First, we will maintain frequent high-level exchanges in order to further enhance mutual trust. These exchanges will concentrate on summarizing the achievements of bilateral ties and map out the future for cooperation at the second round of inter-governmental consultations. Second, we will hold Chinese Culture Year in Germany to explore people-to-people communication and improve public perceptions of each other. Third, we will promote the "Made with China" brand at this year's Hanover Industrial Expo, at which China will be the partner country. Fourth, we will promote exchanges and dialogues between China and Germany and China and the EU through platforms such as the China-EU Hamburg Summit and further strengthen coordination and communication on important international and regional affairs.

I believe that the strategic partnership between China and Germany will enter a new phase in the year which marks 40 years of joint efforts between the two countries.

The author is Chinese Ambassador to Germany.

This post was first published in Chinese and translated by Li Shen.

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