24th November 2025 – (Johannesburg) Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday called for Germany to maintain a rational and pragmatic approach to China, urging both governments to strengthen dialogue, address respective concerns and focus on shared interests to consolidate cooperation.
Li made the remarks during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the sidelines of the 20th G20 Summit. He noted that China and Germany have been major economic and trading partners for decades, with 53 years of diplomatic relations marked by sustained dialogue and collaboration that has supported mutual development.
Recalling President Xi Jinping’s phone conversation with Merz in May, Li said mutual respect remains the guiding principle of bilateral ties, while mutually beneficial cooperation is their defining hallmark. He added that building a stable, sustainable and high‑quality all‑round strategic partnership serves the fundamental interests of both peoples.
Li said China is ready to enhance strategic communication with Germany, uphold respect for each other’s core interests and major concerns, and reinforce the political foundations of the relationship. He encouraged expanded practical cooperation across sectors, proposing joint work in emerging fields including new energy, intelligent manufacturing, biomedicine, hydrogen technologies and autonomous driving to drive industrial transformation and inject fresh momentum into collaboration.
Marking the 50th anniversary of China–EU diplomatic relations this year, Li expressed hope that Germany would help the European Union adopt a longer-term, broader and more open perspective on China–EU ties, maintain the EU’s positioning of China as a partner, and promote deeper dialogue and cooperation to advance shared development and prosperity.
Li added that China is prepared to work with Germany to strengthen coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the G20, improve global governance, uphold multilateralism and free trade, and act as a constructive and stabilising force for peace and development.