Xi and Merkel vow close G20 cooperation, “new phase” of bilateral partnership
Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have vowed to work together closely at the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg to further shared goals and overcome diplomatic difficulties with third countries. During a visit in Berlin, Xi said China was going to support the German presidency in making “positive progress” at this year’s summit and ensure that issues figuring prominently at last year’s G20 in China, such as climate protection and economic modernisation, were also given priority in Hamburg. Merkel said “we cooperated closely last year” and this partnership was set to continue. The Chancellor said Argentina, which hosts the summit in 2018, would join China and Germany in a “troika” meant to ensure continuity in the international top-level forum. Both countries also signed a number of important economic cooperation agreements, for instance in digitalisation, aviation, hydropower and electric vehicles. “We don’t just exchange goods but also have increasingly deep cooperation in technology research,” Merkel added. Xi stressed that in the 45th year of official diplomatic ties between Germany and the People’s Republic, “new breakthroughs” were needed as the countries’ partnership entered a “new phase”. He added that Beijing and Berlin would also ramp up efforts to develop joint projects in third countries, for example in Africa, and work towards “bringing Europe and Asia closer together.”
See the CLEW interview with G20 Research Group founder John J. Kirton for more on Merkel's summit diplomacy.
The Clean Energy Wire will publish an analysis of German-Chinese climate policy cooperation on Thursday.