Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People Republ : Li Keqiang Holds Telephone Talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany at Request

On the afternoon of January 21, 2106, Premier Li Keqiang held telephone talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany at request, exchanging views on China-Germany relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

The Chinese Primer and the German Chancellor exchanged new year greetings. Li Keqiang positively commented on the development of China-Germany relations in the past year, and said that China will, together with Germany, keep high-level exchanges and enhance all-round practical cooperation, ensure tangible results in the docking of 'Made in China 2015' and Germany's 'Industry 4.0' in particular, and actively carry out cooperation in the third-party market and intensify communication and coordination in international affairs. It is hoped that the fourth round of government negotiations between China and Germany will inject new impetus in the constant deepening of China-Germany relations and cooperation, and that Germany will continuously play a positive role in such aspects as pushing the EU to fulfill its relevant commitments made in the Protocol of the Accession of the People's Republic of China to the WTO as scheduled, properly addressing trade disputes between China and the EU as well as promoting the negotiations on China-EU investment agreement.

Angela Merkel expressed that Germany-China relations and all-round cooperation made positive progress in the last year. Germany hopes to, together with China, better dock development strategies and enhance all-round practical cooperation including cooperation in the third-party market. She is looking forward to co-chairing the fourth round of government negotiations between Germany and China with Premier Li Keqiang in China within this year. Germany will play its due role in advancing EU-China relations and cooperation.

When talking about the Syrian humanitarian situation, Li Keqiang stated that China pays high attention to the Syrian humanitarian issue and has offered humanitarian assistance within its capacity to Syria and relevant countries in the region. Easing the Syrian humanitarian situation is a common responsibility of the international community and should be achieved with a multi-pronged approach and multi-faceted and coordinated measures, and the fundamental way out is to politically solving the Syrian issue. We should support the UN's main mediating role and push all parties in Syria to hold peace talks as scheduled so as to cease fire and stop violence in Syria as soon as possible and make the Syrian refugees return to their homeland at an early date.

Angela Merkel said that the international community highly values and appreciate the efforts made by China in easing the Syrian humanitarian situation, and hopes China continuously play a constructive role to this end. Germany will enhance cooperation with China in solving the Syrian issue.