Chinese President Hu Jintao (L, front) holds a welcome ceremony for visiting German President Horst Koehler (R, front) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 24, 2007. Hu hailed the rapid growth of China-German relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties 35 years ago, citing frequent high-level visits, the smooth launch of China-German strategic dialogue mechanism and strong growth of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.