The China Festival, the major event during the Asia-Pacific Week, will highlight through some 30 programs the country’s culture, economy and the friendly relations between Beijing and Berlin. The cultural presentations feature exhibitions, art performances and movies, including an exhibition of stone carvings from Qingzhou in east China’s Shandong Province, an exhibition of modern arts, a movie week, a cappella by performance from Inner Mongolia, modern dancing from Guangdong, and displays of Chinese ethnic garments and costumes from different eras.

The economic programs will be set within the framework of the Sino-European Conference on Economic Development, including lectures and workshops on Sino-European economic and trade relations, western China development and environmental protection. Activities celebrating the friendship relations between Beijing and Berlin will include decorating the street of Unter den Linden with Chinese ornaments and a celebration at the Deyue Garden.

The event is expected to help Germans understand China and enhance friendship and cooperation between the two countries. In honor of the event, China.org.cn recently interviewed Zhao Qizheng and Li Bing, minister and vice-minister respectively of the State Council Information Office as well as chairman and vice chairman of the Asia-Pacific Week China Organizing Committee.

China.org.cn: Could you please say something about the economic and cultural exchanges between China and Germany?

Zhao Qizheng: At a similar event in the United States last year, I gave a speech titled “America and Her People as Seen by Chinese.” At the coming Berlin event, however, I’ll talk on a different topic, “China during the Course of Reform,” for Sino-German relations are different from Sino-US relations. While people in both countries lack an adequate understanding of China, because the media’s misunderstanding of China is greater in the United States, the American people have been more misled. Compared with Americans, German people have fewer misunderstandings about China, and they show greater interest in both a changing China and bilateral relations between China and German.

Germany used to be the largest investor in China, but today ranks second having been overtaken by Britain. German investors have rivals in China. For instance, its auto manufacturing industry is challenged by Japanese and US counterparts; its subway business faces competition from France and its airplane business is challenged by US business. As a result, the Germans are eager to learn more about China’s development so they can learn about more business opportunities. In terms of international affairs, China and Germany share much common grounds in the areas of world order, multi-polarization and international trade law.

China.org.cn: What is the current state of Sino-German economic cooperation and trade?

Zhao Qizheng: Influenced by German culture, German investment in China is varied and strong. Germany’s largest single investment project almost doubles or triples that of any single project investment from the United States or Japan. Volkswagen and Siemens have invested heavily in China. Germany’s investment in railway construction in China, ranging from rails to management system to vehicles, is also wide-scale and systematic involving design, production, marketing and operations. In addition, Germany’s investment has a high high-tech content.

I was once asked by a German native what advantages Germany and Japan respectively had in competing in the Chinese market. I said that Japan has the advantage over German by being geologically and culturally close to China. But why have both China and Germany made such great achievements in trade? The credit rests with the technology transfer involved in German projects. For instance, while observing German standards, the Santana sedan is almost 97 percent produced on-site in China, and all spare parts are tested in Germany. As a result, the sedan’s quality is assured. So China and Germany have reached great achievements in trade cooperation, and the prospects in this field are even greater. Therefore, I will tell German people about the changes in China and opportunities in China to deepen their understanding of China.

China.org.cn: Why was China chosen as the major guest nation of this year’s “Asia-Pacific Week?”

Zhao Qizheng: I think because we offer certain conditions that support the honor. First, China can offer fairly rich cultural products, especially those appreciated by the Germans. Second, China has the ability to organize big events. The Information Office of the State Council is responsible for organizing and coordinating the work surrounding the event. Other contributors to the preparatory work include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Culture, State Environmental Protection Administration, State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, State Administration of Cultural Heritage; Beijing Municipal Government, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Government.

China.org.cn: Could you tell us something about the major economic and cultural programs at the coming “Asia-Pacific Week” and the reasons the government to chose them?

Zhao Qizheng: Germany is a country with great culture. It seems that no other country has more great scientists, musicians and philosophers than Germany has. It’s therefore not easy to stage a cultural exhibition in Germany because the Germans have exquisite taste. During the preparation process, Germany set out strict requirements in order to assimilate Chinese culture and to find out what they don’t know. To this end, we have selected 30 programs. I don’t know which of the programs will be well received and which not. But I’m sure German audiences will appreciate the stone carvings and sculptures from Qingzhou.

Li Bing: We hope that through the event we can introduce our traditional culture including Peking Opera and Chinese folklore as well as modern Chinese culture to the German people. To be specific, we will show our innovations based on traditional Chinese culture as well as cultural blending, such as modern dance and Wang Yong’s rock’ n’ roll.

China.org.cn: It is obvious that the Chinese government has given great attention to the event and has taken painstaking efforts to make it a success. What effect does the Chinese government expect to produce?

Zhao Qizheng: When we introduce Chinese culture to the outside world, we do not take an arrogant posture; we are ready to communicate and learn. We appreciate comments from Germans and other Europeans, which are valuable for us to develop advanced culture. An advanced culture is built on a superior traditional basis and has some creative modern characteristics. And an advanced culture is capable of accepting and assimilating other cultures. Chinese culture is not xenophobic. China wishes to inspire the world with its paintings, photos, and music. We would like to hear German experts’ comments after a comparison between Buddha sculptures from Qingzhou and those from elsewhere in the world. We also welcome the exhibition of German culture in China.

(www.china.org.cn by Zheng Wenhua, Li Yafang 09/07/2001)