BERLIN, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Officials and business representatives from China and Germany called for deeper trade and investment ties at a business forum on Thursday, highlighting opportunities in China's vast consumer market and the potential for more balanced bilateral trade.
The forum, held in Berlin, was hosted by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry alongside a promotion event for the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Ling Ji, vice minister of commerce of China and deputy China international trade representative, said China is willing to increase imports of high-quality German products, technologies and services as part of efforts to promote more balanced bilateral trade.
China, home to the world's largest middle-income population and the world's second-largest consumer market, launched its "Export to China" initiative last year to help foreign companies access the Chinese market, Ling said.
"Germany-China economic and trade cooperation has served as a stabilizing force in bilateral relations and has also contributed to economic ties between China and the European Union," he said.
Thomas Steffen, state secretary at Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, said China remains an important trading partner for Germany.
Germany and China face common challenges, including demographic change, digital transformation and the transition to a low-carbon economy. As export-oriented economies, the two countries also share broad economic interests, he said.
Steffen added that Germany supports institutionalized dialogue based on reliability, mutual respect, trust and reciprocity, and backs efforts by both sides to maintain stable supply chains and an open trading system.
Li Guoqing, deputy director-general of the China International Import Expo Bureau, said the CIIE has become an important platform for foreign companies seeking to expand their presence in China.
More than 1,200 German company participations have been recorded over the past eight editions of the expo, Li said, making Germany the largest participant among European Union member states in terms of both exhibition scale and participation.
He encouraged more German firms to deepen their participation and strengthen links between exhibition activities and business opportunities in China.
"We achieved double-digit growth in the Chinese market in the first quarter of this year. This further strengthened our confidence in China," said Manuel Pauser, vice president of Adidas Group, which has participated in the CIIE for several consecutive years.
For Adidas, China remains a key market, Pauser said, adding that the company will continue to expand its local presence and that China's improving business environment has strengthened its confidence in long-term growth in the country. Enditem
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