The Sino-German Ecopark on the west bank of Jiaozhou Bay in Qingdao of Shandong province is China's first bilateral demonstration park focusing on ecology.（PHOTO: VCG）

By Tang Zhexiao

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of all-round strategic partnership between China and Germany.

Over the past decade, Sino-Germany relations have grown significantly and there is huge potential for win-win cooperation in both traditional sectors such as machinery and automobiles, and new areas such as low-carbon transition, digitalization and artificial intelligence.

In 2023, German direct invest in China was 11.9 billion euros (about 12.82 billion USD), reaching a 10-year high, while China has been Germany’s largest trading partner for eight consecutive years.

A business confidence survey carried by the German Chamber of Commerce in China indicates that more than half of the respondents intend to increase their investments over the next two years.

It is obvious that mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Germany is not a "risk," but the guarantee for a stable bilateral relationship and an opportunity for the future.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's recent trip to China, during which he visited a number of German firms in the areas of renewable energy and materials, also indicates that the two sides have great potential in green technology cooperation. Scholz said the two sides will hold a dialogue on climate change and green transition.

Yang Chengyu, an associate research fellow at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that green energy cooperation may be one of the most important focuses in the future, given the energy crisis in Europe over the past two years.

Both Beijing and Berlin would focus on strengthening the circular economy, making industrial processes more climate-friendly.

In March, Zheng Shanjie, chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission  and German minister for economy affairs and climate action Robert Habeck officially launched the Sino-Germany intergovernmental dialogue and cooperation mechanism on climate change and green transition.

As part of the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal government, GIZ East Asia hosted a "Networking Workshop for Climate & Environment Cooperation with China" in December 2023 after COP28, bringing together climate and environment community actors in Beijing to foster exchange.

Sino-German Ecopark, located in east China’s Qingdao, is an exemplary Sino-German cooperation project for sustainable development. According to Wang Li, deputy director of the park's management committee, they learned from Germany’s experience of constructing ecological cities.

Since its establishment in 2013, the park has won more than 20 honors in low-carbon development and has been selected as a national green and ecological demonstration zone.

Cooperation benefits both sides. To achieve a green transition in the future, China and Germany should strengthen collaboration and draw upon each other's advantages.