Beijing (ANTARA) - The meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping\nand German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Beijing on Wednesday (February\n25) resulted in an agreement to continue defending the sustainability of\nfree trade.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina and Germany must uphold the central position of the UN,\nreaffirm its leadership role, and lead in maintaining multilateralism,\npracticing international law, defending free trade, and advocating for\nsolidarity and coordination,\u201d said President Xi Jinping in a written\nstatement on the website of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs,\naccessed in Beijing on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Merz visited China from February 25-26, bringing 30 top executives\nfrom leading German companies in an effort to strengthen bilateral\ncooperation. He met with Xi Jinping at the Diaoyutai State\nGuesthouse.<\/p>\n
President Xi emphasized that China and Germany are the second and\nthird largest economies in the world, and bilateral relations not only\naffect the interests of both countries, but also have a significant\nimpact on Europe and the world.<\/p>\n
He also put forward three proposals for further developing\nChina-Germany relations, namely, first, the two countries must become\nreliable and mutually supportive partners.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina will continue to share development opportunities with Germany\nand the wider world. We hope that Germany can objectively and rationally\nview China\u2019s growth, pursue a positive and pragmatic policy towards\nChina, and work with China for stable and sustainable bilateral\nrelations,\u201d added President Xi.<\/p>\n
The second proposal is that the two countries should become\ninnovative partners that uphold openness and mutually beneficial\noutcomes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe German government has proposed a new development strategy in the\nfields of technology, innovation and digital development, and this\nstrategy is very much in line with China\u2019s goal of pursuing smart, green\nand integrated development during the 15th Five-Year Plan,\u201d said Xi.<\/p>\n
The third proposal is that the two countries should become partners\nthat understand each other and share close ties through cultural and\npeople-to-people exchanges.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina and Germany, as major countries with deep cultural heritage,\nshould strengthen mutual learning in the field of culture and enhance\npeople-to-people exchanges, thereby strengthening the foundation of\nChina-Germany friendship,\u201d added Xi.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Chancellor Merz said that Germany values its relationship\nwith China and firmly upholds the \u201cOne China\u201d policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cGermany is ready to work with China to continue traditional\nfriendship, remain committed to mutual respect and open cooperation, and\ncontinue to deepen comprehensive strategic partnership,\u201d said Chancellor\nMerz.<\/p>\n
The German business community, said Merz, highly prioritizes the\nChinese market and hopes to further deepen cooperation with China for\nmutual benefit and common growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cGermany hopes to work with China to enhance coordination, jointly\nadhere to free trade and reject protectionism,\u201d added Merz.<\/p>\n
Xi and Merz also discussed the Ukraine crisis.<\/p>\n
President Xi explained China\u2019s position and pointed out that the key\nto finding a solution lies in consistent dialogue and negotiation, as\nwell as ensuring equal participation from all parties and building a\nsolid foundation for peace.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is necessary to accommodate the concerns of all parties and\nincrease the desire for peace, as well as realize common security and\nbuild a lasting peace architecture,\u201d said Xi.<\/p>\n
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning, in a\nroutine press conference, said that there are successful practices of\nhealthy competition and integrated development between China and\nGermany.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe two countries should uphold the principles of mutual respect,\nequality, and mutual benefit, achieve greater progress in China-Germany\nrelations, and jointly make a greater contribution to world peace and\nprosperity,\u201d said Mao Ning.<\/p>\n
Before starting his visit, Merz put forward five main principles in\nBerlin\u2019s approach to Beijing, one of which mentions fair economic\ncompetition, as reported by Deutsche Welle.<\/p>\n
The visit of Merz to China adds to the list of US allies approaching\nChina after Trump returns as US president in 2025 with his protectionist\nagenda.<\/p>\n
Before Merz, the President of France visited China in December 2025,\nfollowed by the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Canada in\nJanuary 2026.<\/p>\n
In 2025, China surpassed the US as Germany\u2019s largest trading partner\nwith a value of 251.8 billion euros (approximately 4.280 trillion\nrupiah).<\/p>\n
However, Germany experienced a trade deficit with China, estimated at\n90 billion euros (approximately 1.530 trillion rupiah), an increase of\n30 billion euros (approximately 510 billion rupiah) from 2024.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/china-and-germany-agree-to-defend-free-trade-1772051019", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }