Merkel urges closer tech ties with China

[xunzi]

March 16, 2015 -- 01:05 GMT (18:05 PDT)

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged closer high-tech cooperation with China as she opened major IT business fair CeBIT, for which China is the official partner country.


"German business values China, not just as our most important trade partner outside of Europe, but also as a partner in developing sophisticated technologies," Merkel said.

"Especially in the digital economy, German and Chinese companies have core strengths ... and that's why cooperation is a natural choice."

Merkel was speaking at the opening of the CeBIT fair in Hanover, Germany, where more than 600 Chinese companies will exhibit their tech marvels this week, showcasing the country's rise as an IT power.

China's information and communications technology has bucked the country's wider slowdown in economic growth, and is booming in what is now the world's biggest smartphone market with the highest number of internet users.

For Germany, Europe's top economy, the event aims to further cement business ties with fellow export power China as both seek to adapt to the sweeping digitisation of the world economy.

Germany is already by far the biggest European economic player in China; two-way trade in 2014 reached €150 billion. Both countries have declared 2015 the year of their "innovation partnership".

The almost three-decade-old CeBIT once dazzled consumers with gadgets, but has been overshadowed by big tech events in CES in Las Vegas and MWC in Barcelona, leading it to focus on business users. Last year, IT professionals made up more than 90 percent of the more than 200,000 visitors.

China's tech giants, including Huawei, Xiaomi, and Lenovo, filled more than 3,000 square metres of exhibition space.




AAP
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Germany + China will dominate the global tech market and rival the USA.

 

[JSCh]

China expresses willingness to deepen innovation cooperation with Germany
Source:Xinhua Published: 2015-3-16 11:21:28

Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai on Sunday expressed China's willingness to deepen cooperation in innovation, finance and manufacturing with Germany during a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Representing the official partner country of CeBIT 2015, Ma met with Merkel before the opening ceremony of the world's largest high-tech trade fair on Sunday evening.

He told Merkel that last year was the year of planning for Sino-German cooperation when leaders of the two countries set the new orientation of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

This year is the year of implementation for bilateral cooperation, Ma said, adding that the purpose of his visit is to implement the agreements reached by leaders of the two nations.

China is willing to work with Germany to keep on strengthening mutual trust, make good use of new mechanisms of dialogue and cooperation, and beef up practical cooperation in innovation, finance and manufacturing in order to inject sustained momentum to the development of bilateral ties, Ma added.

During the meeting, Merkel said that exchanges and cooperation between Germany and China have become increasingly closer in recent years.

She expressed confidence that the launch of the Year of Germany-China Innovation Cooperation will push bilateral cooperation to a new level.

The strong presence of Chinese exhibitors at this year's CeBIT shows the strength and importance of China in information and telecommunication technologies.

Both Merkel and Ma addressed the CeBIT opening ceremony afterward. Later on Sunday evening, Ma also held talks with German Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Sigmar Gabriel.

His visit will also take him to Berlin to preside over the first Sino-German High-Level Economic and Finance Dialogue.

CeBIT will be on show during March 16-20. More than 3,400 companies from 70 countries are to showcase thousands of innovations from the digital world.

China's presence as the partner country this year, themed "Innovation, Convergence, Cooperation," features a wide range of high-tech firms such as big names like Alibaba, Huawei, Xiaomi and ZTE.

On Monday, an IT summit between Germany and China will also be held.