Li, Merkel discuss businesses with representatives from two nations

Premier Li Keqiang has called for heightened China-Germany cooperation in the digital economy, smart manufacturing, new energy, finance and insurance, saying that the two economies must jointly respond to challenges and work toward win-win outcomes.

In a videoconference on Monday with business leaders from the two nations together with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Li extended a message of welcome to German businesses to invest in China and expressed hope that Germany can open wider to Chinese businesses.

The two leaders held exchanges with leaders from Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Huawei Technologies Co and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd, as well as German businesses Siemens AG, Robert Bosch GmbH and Allianz SE, all of which are members of the China-Germany Economic Advisory Committee.

The session followed a meeting between Li and Merkel via video link.

Merkel, who is set to retire after 16 years in office, also met with President Xi Jinping via video link last week, during which the Chinese president lauded her contributions to ties between the two nations and between China and the European Union.

Li explained that the session with business leaders was intended to take bilateral pragmatic cooperation to a higher level, saying that the foundation for bilateral cooperation lies in drawing upon each other's strength, with people from both nations being direct beneficiaries.

The two sides should adhere to a direction of bilateral opening-up, and the Chinese market will only open wider, he said.

The premier said Beijing is willing to scale up imports in cutting-edge technologies and products, and the nation will continue to offer a level playing field for all businesses, including foreign companies.

The nation will play an active part in the drawing up of international standards and ensure consistency between Chinese and foreign standards, he said.

Li pledged measures to enable more convenient personnel exchanges between the nations while putting in place sound epidemic prevention measures.

Merkel reassured the Chinese side that Berlin will continue to enhance dialogue and communication with Beijing, step up coordination in terms of drawing up standards and offer a fair market environment for investors from both sides.

Win-win cooperation

She highlighted the importance of injecting strong impetus into bilateral cooperation in information, telecommunications, the digital economy and renewable energy in order to attain win-win outcomes.

The China-Germany Economic Advisory Committee, established in May 2013, is the first bilateral economic advisory body established between China and a major economy in the world, which is intended to establish a channel that enables direct dialogue between government leaders and representatives from business sectors.