We saw only few exchange and mutual understanding between the two countries some 30 years ago. But today, namely 30 year afterwards, the diplomatic relations between Germany and China have not only stood out very prominently between China and a developed country but also turned out a paragon for peaceful co-existence and friendly cooperation between the countries with different social systems.

Numerals are dull and tasteless on the one hand but are eloquent on the other. In 1972 when the relations between the two countries were just set up the bilateral trade valued only 272 million in the US dollars. However, by the year of 2001, it shot up to 23.5 billion US dollars, an increase of nearly 90 times.

Germany is one of the countries from which China introduced most of its technologies. Up to the end of last year China approved to introduce many such technological contracts as more than 5,400 from Germany with a contract value amounting to 23.8 billion US dollars, next only to that China did from the USA.

The projects directly invested from Germany to China came to 2,701 units with an actual investment of 7 billion US dollars, standing out the most from among the European countries. The world-renowned Volskwagen automobile company is not only the earliest one coming to invest in China but also the most effective one in economic value from among the joint-ventures in China. Up to now it has sold out 1.9 million cars, accounting for half the auto-market in China. What is worth of special mentioning is that the bilateral cooperation in scientific and technological field has also borne some fruit, namely the commercial operation of the German magnetic levitation rail is going to be realized for the first time in Shanghai. In 1972 when the diplomatic relations between the two countries were just founded the Chinese postgraduate student in Germany was zero but now they've come to some 10,000 in all.

Judging from the numbers and facts, one is by no means difficult to know the extensiveness and depth of the Sino-German friendly cooperation, nor is it hard to see such a fact that the benefits brought to, and new opportunities created for the peoples of the two countries by the Sino-German cooperation during the past 30 years. This is also the fundamental motive force that spurred on the friendly cooperation for a ceaseless development in the past 30 years between the two countries.

In view of the course the Sino-German cooperation traversed over in the past 30 years, it boils down to the following features. First of all, it finds no fluctuation due to the changes of governments of the two countries. Since the first visit to China realized by Helmut Schmidt, former chancellor of the Federal Germany in 1975 there have been changes of the state leaders of the two countries but a continuity of the policy has been carried on and on by the leaders of the governments of the two countries. In the meantime, there have been mutual and frequent visits by the state leaders of the two countries and a partner cooperation has also been built between the two state congresses and government departments. Political relationship is the prerequisite for other relations. Along with the development of the political relations the political dialogue between the two countries has been further extended into the field of international events transcending the bilateral relations.

Secondly, it does not vacillate and waver due to the differences in social systems and basic viewpoints of value. As one of the obvious symbols of "being steadfast at the age of thirty", the two countries do not avoid the differences between the two yet are clearly conscious of the needs for increasing mutual understanding and common views with the stress laid on the principle of not to affect the cooperation because of the differences. Under the advocacy of Gerhard Schroeder, German Chancellor, the dialogue mechanism built up by the two sides on the judicial construction for cooperation proves to be one of the fine examples.

The 30 years steady development of the Sino-German ties is resulted from a sufficient and scientific analysis on the strategic significance of the ties between the two countries. For China, Germany is a country with the strongest economy and of great importance among the EU countries while for Germany, China is a country witnessing an ever-increasing political status in international affairs and a country of great potential for development. Both countries share a subjective wish to make joint efforts for maintaining the world peace and seeking for common development and face an objective reality of mutual needs to bring ceaselessly the ties of the two countries to a new height.

After overstepping the threshold of "being steadfast at the age of thirty" one ushers in a period "at 40, one begins to understand the world". We have every reason to believe that the daily-maturing Sino-German ties are sure to surge forward continuously and steadfastly.

( People's Daily October 18, 2002)