German president lauds China's vitality, seeks closer cooperation

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R) looks at a new energy vehicle at the test track of Volkswagen China Technology Company (VCTC) in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Oct. 27, 2026. Steinmeier paid a state visit to China from Oct. 27 to 31. Besides Beijing, Steinmeier also visited Anhui Province. (Photo: Xinhua)

BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on a state visit to China from Tuesday to Saturday, hailed China's dynamism in technological innovation, green growth and traditional culture, and called for deeper bilateral engagement.

On Tuesday, Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, visited the Volkswagen Group China Technology Company in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, where they were briefed on the company's strategy and R&D in China and test-drove a new energy vehicle.

The company is Volkswagen's largest R&D center outside Germany. Steinmeier said he was glad to see German and Chinese engineers developing automotive software together, and expressed his hope for closer cooperation between businesses of the two countries.

On Wednesday, the presidential couple visited Hongcun Village, a world cultural heritage site, and later climbed Huangshan Mountain, both in Anhui. Steinmeier said he had visited China eight times over the past 25 years, traveled to many parts of the country, and always followed China's development with sincere respect.

Speaking on Thursday morning during a field visit to a 325-meter meteorological observation tower in Beijing, Steinmeier said climate change is one of the most severe challenges facing the world today. "Only by working together can we cope with this challenge," he said, adding that Germany is ready to continue working with China as strong partners.

Later that afternoon, Steinmeier delivered a speech at Peking University, where he reflected on what he had seen and learned during the five-day visit. "Since reform and opening up, China's economy has grown remarkably, unprecedented in world history in both speed and scale, and I deeply admire this," he said.

He noted that China is now one of the world's most innovative economies and leads in many future-oriented markets.

Steinmeier praised China's achievements in green development. Citing the rapid spread of electric vehicles and quieter urban traffic, he noted that these developments are closely linked to China's modernization and sustainable development agenda.

The visit also resonated with the business community. "Continued high-level exchanges between Germany and China have fostered a more stable and predictable framework for business cooperation," said Ralf Brandstätter, chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, adding that sound bilateral relations will create more favorable conditions for technological synergy and industrial chain collaboration.

"Although our two countries have differences, close exchanges and cooperation will help us understand each other better," Steinmeier said, expressing the hope that more people in Germany and China will meet and get to know one another, deepening mutual understanding through candid and open dialogue.