Chancellor Olaf Scholz Calls, President Xi Jinping Hopes Germany Can Stabilize China-EU Relations

President of China Xi Jinping. (Wikimedia Commons/Palácio do Planalto)

JAKARTA - Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on the phone with Germany's new Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday, during which the two leaders pledged to inherit and promote Sino-German friendship and cooperation, maintain close communication on strategic issues and jointly defend multilateralism in international affairs.

This is the first conversation between the two leaders after Scholz officially took office on December 8, marking the end of Angela Merkel's 16 years as leader.

President Xi stressed that China-Germany cooperation is the pioneer of China-EU cooperation and looking forward to the next 50 years, the two countries must take a global and long-term view, move forward, and strive for a new development of bilateral relations.

In addition, President Xi called on both sides to promote mutual cooperation in an active and pragmatic attitude, actively explore new areas of cooperation such as new energy, green and digital economy, and unleash the growth potential of trade in services.

"We welcome German companies to take advantage of their advantages and take advantage of the new opportunities brought by China's openness. We also hope that Germany will provide a fair business environment for Chinese companies in Germany," President Xi quoted the Global Times as saying Dec. 21.

"Germany is an important node in the China - Europe Railway Express. I believe increased cooperation between China and Germany within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will benefit countries along the route and promote connectivity of the Eurasian continent," he continued.

The Chinese president also called for resolving regional disputes through dialogue, and resolutely opposes hegemonic actions and the Cold War mentality in all its forms.

"It is hoped that Germany will continue to play a positive role in stabilizing China-EU relations, injecting stability and positive energy into China-EU relations," he hoped.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. (Wikimedia Commons/Michael Lucan)

Meanwhile, Chancellor Scholz said he had fresh memories of previous exchanges with Xi and was ready to continue the friendship and cooperation between Germany and China.

He also emphasized the three pillars of bilateral development, sound trade and investment relations, close cooperation in dealing with climate change and COVID-19, and smooth communication on regional issues such as the Afghanistan situation and the Iranian nuclear issue.

Germany wants to take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year as an opportunity to hold a new round of successful consultations between the two governments, strengthening practical cooperation in clean energy, digital economy, and services, Scholz said.

He added that Germany hopes that the EU-China Investment Agreement will be implemented earlier and that Germany is willing to cooperate with China to jointly defend multilateralism in international affairs.

To note, Chancellor Scholz first met President Xi Jinping in 2017 when the Chinese leader attended the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. As finance minister, he invited Vice Premier Liu He to the Hamburg Summit in November 2018. Scholz also visited China in early 2019.