Senior Chinese, German lawmakers exchange views on bilateral ties

Vice President of the German Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, Gerda Haselfeldt met with vice-Chairman of China's top advisory body on Thursday to exchange views on boosting bilateral ties.

Zhang Siqing, vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, spoke highly of the development of relations between China and Germany.

He said that frequent high-level visits have enhanced bilateral trade, and broadened and deepened cooperation and communications in the fields of culture, technology and science and so on.

Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit to Germany last year and German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to China last month especially further prompted Sino-German ties, Zhang said.

The Chinese government has attached great importance to relations with Germany and been willing to work jointly with the German government to push forward all-roundly their partnership by keeping high-level contacts and strengthening political dialogue, the Chinese lawmaker noted.

Zhang expressed his appreciation that the German government has always stuck to the one-China policy.

He briefed Haselfeldt on China's 11th Five-Year Plan and the achievements China has made in the past 20 years since it opened up to the outside world.

For her part, Haselfeldt said she shared opinions with Zhang on bilateral ties, noting that the German government put great emphasis on German-Chinese relations.

The German people have watched closely with an admiring eye China's rapid development in economy, politics, culture and other areas.

Frequent exchanges of opinions and developing experiences were necessary and beneficial to both nations, she noted.

Both officials expressed the willingness to deepen bilateral ties by augmenting communications and exchanges between parliaments of the two countries.

Source: Xinhua