50 Years of Diplomatic Relationship between Germany and China – What can we expect from the next 50 Years?
A couple of days ago, the GDCF-MRN (Gesellschaft für Deutsch-Chinesische Freundschaft Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar) held an event at the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museum in the city of Mannheim: to celebrate the 50 years anniversary of diplomatic relationship between Germany and China. In the year of 1972, the German Federal Foreign Minister Dr. Walter Scheel signed the contract with his Chinese colleague, starting the diplomatic relationship between both countries. The centre question for the evening surrounded the expectations we have from the relationship between both countries for the next half a century.
Being the Director of the Association GDCF-MRN, Felix Kurz gave an excellent welcoming speech, emphasizing on the differences of cultural acknowledgement between both countries and how everyone will profit from a potential opening of China. Furthermore, he raised the question on what has been discussed during the 20th National Party congress, for further discussion during the later evening.
General Consul SUN Congbin was the guest of honour of tonight, accentuating the closeness and friendship of Germany with China. The largest foreign group of university students in Germany are Chinese and there are more than 150 universities in China where German language is taught.
Most of China’s incoming direct investments are coming from Germany and both countries should work together for a stronger bond. Under the 20th national party congress, China will maintain their foreign affairs and invest more into environmental protection, also modernization will be a priority. Both countries should start shaping the future, by looking for similarities. Strengthening political trust and the bond between the people are key: “Mountain and valley cannot be connected, but the people”.
The highlight of the event was a discussion round between the General Consul, businessmen and legal expert Richard Hoffmann. He is an expert in Chinese law and taxes, lived in Beijing for 10 years and has experience in this field since already 20 years in total. In Beijing, he run a law firm in Tianjin and Beijing with over 70 employees. Now, he has built a law firm in Heidelberg, probably with the most percentage of Chinese employed. During the poll discussion, one of his asked questions was about the decreasing investments to China.
Entering China has been a hurdle during the pandemic and new investors were trying to hold back investments, whereas already existing investors knowing the market did not take a step back this drastically. Richard Hoffmann compared investing in a country to buying a house: “If there is no chance visiting it beforehand, you would not have a good feeling putting money in it.”
Another question coming from the audience was regarding the current tensions between China and Taiwan; if general consul SUN Congbin could give a statement here. Mr. SUN stated that there is no concrete plan for China to attack Taiwan; China does not have the desire to take other countries.
The speakers of the poll discussion stated an explicit urge to open China as soon as possible, to strengthen the economic and political cooperation of both countries. But Mr. SUN gave more insights regarding the current Covid changes in China:
- Only 5 days of quarantine at a hotel after arrival to China
- Only one PCR-test needed, 48h before arriving in China
- There will be more flights to China
- From now on, German businesspeople can get Visas with a length of over one year
But all in all, what are the expectations Germany and China have for their cooperation for the next half a decade? General Consul SUN gave an appealing speech regarding the German Chinese friendship and gave his word, that both countries need to continue and extend their friendship and relationship as equal trading partners, bringing peace to the world and an open world economy for fairness and equality.