On the morning of May 24, 2018, Premier Li Keqiang and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany jointly met the press and answered questions after their talks at the Great Hall of the People.

Premier Li Keqiang and Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke positively of the outcomes from their talks. Both sides agreed to continue to maintain high-level exchanges and institutional dialogues and consultations, expand future-oriented mutually beneficial cooperation, and enlarge two-way opening up, so as to promote China-Germany relations to higher levels.

When answering a question about the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (“16+1 cooperation”), Li Keqiang expressed that the “16+1 cooperation” is a cooperation platform jointly established by China and the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC), as well as an important component of and beneficial complement to China-Europe relations. The “16+1 cooperation” is conducive to promoting the common development of China and the CEEC, narrowing the gap within the European Union (EU), and realizing balanced development as well as the European integration process.

Li Keqiang pointed out that both China and the EU are supporters for world multipolarization, vindicators of peace and stability, as well as advocators of free trade. China has always firmly supported the European integration, and believes that a united, stable and prosperous EU and a strong euro conform to the fundamental interests of China. The “16+1 cooperation” has always been carried out within the framework of China-EU relations and relevant EU laws and regulations, and it is open and transparent. China and Germany can combine the two countries’ economic complementary advantages with the development demands of the CEEC, and expand cooperation in the third-party market, so as to form a favorable situation featuring mutual benefit and multi-win results.

Angela Merkel expressed that the “16+1 cooperation” is a beneficial platform for cooperation, and conducive to facilitating the infrastructure construction in the CEEC. Enjoying advantage complementarities, the CEEC and China could carry out cooperation, which is a beneficial supplement to the internal construction of the EU, instead of splitting the EU. Most countries involved in the “16+1 cooperation” are EU members. The German side supports that relevant cooperation should abide by EU laws and regulations so as to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.