On March 26, 2019 local time, President Xi Jinping met with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany in Paris, who made a special trip for the closing ceremony of the China-France Global Governance Forum.

Xi Jinping pointed out that China-Germany practical cooperation has maintained a stable momentum of development despite an increase of volatility and uncertainty in the current international situation. China was Germany's largest trading partner for the third consecutive year in 2018, with a nearly 140 percent increase in German companies' actual investment in China. China has set its goals and ideas that it would continue to deepen reform, expand opening-up and promote high-quality economic development. China stands firm in sticking to opening-up, and is also sincere in advancing and expanding its cooperation with Germany and with the European Union (EU). The Chinese side is willing to join efforts with the German side to continue to expand and consolidate the basis of China-Germany cooperation, so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Xi Jinping stressed that Madam Chancellor has repeatedly expressed her firm belief in win-win cooperation. The Chinese side also considers joint cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win results the only right choice in resolving various global problems. Under the current circumstances, the significance of strengthening China-Germany and China-EU cooperation is beyond the bilateral scope. Xi Jinping put forward a three-point proposal on the next-stage development of China-Germany relations.

Firstly, the two countries should deepen their bilateral cooperation to set an example of win-win cooperation for the world. China and Germany are neither rivals nor adversaries. Seeking win-win results through cooperation is the main thread in China-Germany relations. Both sides could boost cooperation in such fields as artificial intelligence, automatic driving, new materials, new energy, life sciences and smart city. It is hoped that the German side would create a friendly and open policy environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and develop in Germany.

Secondly, the two countries should take the lead in China-EU cooperation to inject more stability into the world. China sees Europe as an important force in promoting world multipolarization, and has always been a staunch supporter for Europe's path of unity and self-improvement. With China and Europe being the world's two major forces of stability and two major economies, the steady growth of their relations conforms to the common interests of both sides, and is conducive to increasing stability in the complex and ever-changing world today. China hopes that the German side would exert an important and positive influence on helping the EU to focus on cooperation and avoid disturbance while developing its relations with China.

Thirdly, the two countries should jointly advance global governance to safeguard multilateralism. The Chinese side is willing to work with the German side to uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core. The two sides should enhance coordination within the framework of the G20 to make greater contributions to improving global economic governance. The Belt and Road Initiative is conducive to promoting international economic cooperation and building an open world economy. The Chinese side is ready to expand third-party cooperation with the German side.

Angela Merkel said that Germany and China share broad common interests, with sound development of bilateral relations in recent years, and close communication and cooperation at all levels and in various fields. The German side hopes to deepen its economic and trade relations with the Chinese side in the digital age, and is willing to actively participate in the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. The German side is looking forward to fully utilizing the market opportunities brought by China's further opening-up, and will provide a fair and favorable market environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and start business in Germany. The German side is committed to promoting EU-China cooperative relations and stands for joint efforts of the EU and China in safeguarding multilateralism.

Ding Xuexiang, Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, He Lifeng and others attended the meeting.