ISTANBUL 

China and Germany should work jointly to strengthen dialogue and communication and properly handle their respective concerns, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Sunday.

Li made the remarks during his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the sidelines of the G20 summit in South Africa, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Noting that China and Germany are important economic and trade partners for each other, Li said he expects the two sides to expand pragmatic cooperation in all fields.

“China is willing to enhance strategic communication with Germany, adhere to respecting each other's core interests and major concerns, and cement the political foundation for the development of bilateral relations,” he said.

He mentioned Beijing’s willingness to work with Berlin to enhance cooperation in emerging areas such as new energy, intelligent manufacturing, biomedicine, hydrogen energy technology and intelligent driving.

Stressing that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, Li expressed his hope for Germany to “help the EU to view China-EU ties from a longer-term perspective, with a broader vision and a more open mindset.”

“China stands ready to work with Germany to enhance communication and coordination in mechanisms such as the UN and the G20, promote the improvement of global governance, safeguard multilateralism and free trade, and be a constructive and certain force for promoting peace and development,” he said.

Merz meanwhile stressed Germany’s commitment to enhancing bilateral political, economic and trade relations, strengthening the bonds of cooperation, increasing dialogue and exchanges, and deepening the bonds of cooperation, according to Xinhua.

The meeting came after German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul had postponed a trip to China last month after Beijing failed to confirm meetings beyond the scheduled one with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Germany and China have maintained relations since 1972. In 2024, China was Germany's second-largest trading partner for goods, with a trade volume of nearly €246 billion ($283 billion).