Xi Pens Article for German Newspaper

On July 5, 2017, the German newspaper Die Welt published a signed article by Xi Jinping (習近平) called “To Make the World a Better Place” (共同促進世界更加美好) ahead of the Chinese leader’s state visit to Germany. The article coincided with the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations established in 1972 between the two countries. Xi framed the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations as a success story, highlighting the elevation to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” during his 2014 visit. He emphasized expanding cooperation mechanisms (including over 70 dialogue platforms), growing bilateral trade (170 billion Euros in 2016, with China becoming Germany’s largest trading partner for the first time), and deepening people-to-people exchanges.