China, Germany seek stronger co-operation as Merkel visits

BEIJING - China and Germany have agreed to step up “win-win” co-operation, especially in emerging industries such as artificial intelligence and new energy vehicles, China’s State newsagency, Xinhua, reported. It said the agreement was made between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Li welcomed German companies to invest in China, and expected Germany to offer a fair and open environment as well as stable institution guarantee for Chinese investment in Germany and Europe.

Xinhua said Li called for stronger China-Germany co-operation in digitalisation and innovation, proposing to cement co-operation in emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, new energy vehicles, vehicle networking and autopilot, in a bid to foster a new engine of bilateral c-ooperation.

Merkel, who is on her 11th China visit as German Chancellor, said her Government highly valued relations with China, and that Germany was ready to enhance co-operation with China

She said Germany hoped to contribute to stronger EU-China ties, and supported speeding up of negotiations for anEU-China investment treaty, Xinhua reported.

Earlier, President Xi Jinping told the German Chancellor that China would work with Germany to push bilateral ties to a higher level. Xi said China and Germany must set an example of win-win co-operation, take the lead in promoting China-Europe ties, and override the ideological differences for co-operation. www.webershandwick.cn (ATI).