2023.10.20
On October 20th, the 2nd Sino-German Youth Salon was jointly organized by GVI and Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) at Kempinski Hotel, Beijing, which centered on the "China Strategy" issued by Germany this July. Marian Gordzielik, Deputy Director of the Political Section of the German Embassy in Beijing; Gu Wenbing, Deputy Director of the German Division of the European Department of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Jens Hildebrandt, Delegate and Chief Representative of AHK Greater China; Wu Jiang, Director of the School of German at the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU); and Mao Mingchao, Deputy Director of the German Department, Peking University were among the participants of the salon. Johann Fuhrmann, Chief Representative of KAS’s Beijing Office, and Ren Libo, GVI’s President delivered speeches for the event.
The German participants think that their government's "China Strategy" has established a broad framework and raised some pointed questions, but nonetheless, it highlights the need for cooperation with China. "Although China is Germany’s competitor in many areas, the two countries share common interests. For example, when it comes to handling issues like climate change and global health, we can hardly succeed without China's cooperation."
The German attendees pointed out that the "China Strategy" is a guiding paper drawn up by the German government out of a highly complicated situation, as each of its departments is studying China-related affairs and making measures suited to their own priorities. Taking the case of Germany’s economic sector, its investment in China remains robust; and more localized rather than de-risked, it allows itself more deeply entwined in the regional economic life. Therefore, much effort is actually made towards regionalization or localization, because the Chinese market, whether from the structure, supply chain, scale, or growth potential, is the most pivotal for Germany.
Attendees from the Chinese side said that although themed on Sino-German relations, the "China Strategy" is also about Germany's repositioning itself in this changing world, which includes not only the reapproaching to China, but also its relationship with the EU, the US, and NATO. "Much of Germany's anxiety cannot be relieved by merely putting out a China Strategy. Only if Germany straightens its relations with the allies, its relations with the US and its relations within Europe can its security anxiety be truly allayed."
The Chinese participants believe that the "China Strategy" should provide more impetus to Sino-German relations rather than the other way around. The interests of the two countries are deeply intertwined, and the prospects are very promising. China would like to see the mainstream positioning of China and Germany as partners, rather than competitors.
The Chinese attendees called on the young people not to be without a historical perspective and not to be unaware of what China and Germany have gone through to get to where they are today after more than 50 years of diplomatic relations, even though the times are turning. China attaches great importance to Germany and Europe as well. We would be happy to see Europe develop peacefully and stably and play a positive role in the world's peace and stability. "Lasting peace calls for a high degree of courage, wisdom and determination from the political circle, business, the media, the academic community, and from all young people. Indeed, it cannot be achieved by ideological struggling and slogan-shouting."