After China and Germany recently agreed to relaunch the China-Germany Joint Economic Committee, the two sides are intensifying relevant efforts, aiming to hold the next meeting of the mechanism in early 2027, co-chaired by ministers of the two countries, He Yadong, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said on Thursday.

On June 28, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao met with German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche in Brussels, during which the two sides exchanged views on China-Germany economic and trade relations in a candid and in-depth manner, He said at a press conference when asked about the meeting.

Both sides agreed that, amid the current turbulent international landscape, China and Germany should strengthen dialogue and communication, deepen practical cooperation, and develop their bilateral economic and trade relations in accordance with eight basic principles, including mutual benefit, fairness and openness, and stability and reliability, He noted.

On mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, China and Germany share close industrial linkages and deeply integrated interests, with broad space for cooperation, the spokesperson said, noting that China has an ultra-large market and is willing to further expand imports from Germany and welcomes German enterprises to invest in China.

The MOFCOM spokesperson said that both sides will leverage their complementary advantages to promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, tap into cooperation potential in emerging fields, and support enterprises from both countries in achieving mutual success and shared development.

In the face of rising unilateralism and protectionism, both sides should firmly support free trade, expand two-way market access, and promote innovation through orderly competition. Both sides should also work to create a fair, open, and non-discriminatory business environment for corporate cooperation, said the spokesperson.

Regarding stability and reliability, as unstable and unpredictable factors in the world are increasing, certainty has become the scarcest resource for enterprises, He said, adding that China and Germany should strive to become trustworthy and predictable partners for each other, resolve differences through dialogue and consultation, and jointly safeguard the stability and smooth functioning of global industrial and supply chains, thereby providing greater certainty for business cooperation.

To this end, the two sides agreed to restart the China-Germany Joint Economic Committee, innovate cooperation mechanisms, and establish two working groups on trade and investment and industrial cooperation. Both sides will adhere to a problem-oriented and results-oriented approach, and carry out policy exchanges and government-business dialogues on economic and trade issues, according to the MOFCOM spokesperson.