"2021 Dialogue with Shandong: Conference on Germany-Shandong Industrial Cooperation and Exchange" opened in Jinan on the afternoon of October 28, bringing together all walks of life in Germany and Shandong for online discussions. The event aimed to build a long-acting cooperation mechanism between Shandong and Germany's local governments, industrial community and innovation platforms, deepen Germany-Shandong exchanges and seek common development.

Li Ganjie, Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, attended the Thematic Seminar and exchanged ideas with representatives of German enterprises by video link. Zhou Naixiang, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Governor of the Shandong Provincial People's Government, delivered an address. Yang Dongqi, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, was present.

During the video communication with Martin Wansleben, Executive President of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), Li said there is a broad prospect for the cooperation between German enterprises and Shandong that has an integral industrial system and an ever-improving development environment. DIHK is an influential chamber of commerce in Germany that plays a vital role in promoting Sino-German economic and trade cooperation. He hoped that the two sides would further deepen cooperation in innovative development and trade in services, and DIHK would take an active part in industrial park construction and make greater endeavors in planning, design and investment promotion. Shandong will fully support and serve the development of German enterprises in Shandong. Shandong is a preferred investment destination for many German enterprises and there is a solid foundation for Germany-Shandong cooperation, Wansleben said, expecting that DIHK and Shandong would strengthen cooperation in coping with climate change and developing green industries so as to jointly create a better environment.

During the video communication with Ansg Kryvett, President of Sales, Festo, Li said there is a solid foundation for cooperation between Shandong and Festo, a global leading automation solution provider. Festo's development plan for Shandong tallies with the direction of Shandong's industrial development, he noted, hoping that the two sides would further deepen industrial cooperation, improve the level of collaborative innovation and strengthen cooperation in education & training and other fields. Shandong will provide convenient and quality services for the development of Festo and other foreign-funded enterprises in Shandong. He welcomed German entrepreneurs to Shandong to discuss development and plan for the future. Since starting to invest in Shandong, Festo has kept expanding its production scale, AnsgKryvett said. They experienced "China speed" from the construction of Festo Jinan Base and were impressed by it. He hoped that the two sides would strengthen contacts in local market development, talent training and customer services, so as to open a new page for win-win cooperation.

Since the beginning of this year, Shandong has firmly implemented President Xi Jinping's important instruction for Shandong, grounded its efforts in the new development stage, applied the new development philosophy in an integral, precise and all-round manner, actively served and integrated itself into the new development pattern, and maintained a strong economic momentum, laying a solid foundation and crating favorable conditions for further deepening cooperation with German localities and enterprises, said Zhou in his address. There are longstanding relations and huge potential for cooperation between Shandong and Germany. In the future, Shandong will seize cooperation opportunities and work with Germany to cope with challenges and push forward Germany-Shandong cooperation steadily. First, Shandong will expand trade cooperation with Germany to enhance bilateral trade. Second, Shandong will deepen industrial cooperation with Germany to jointly create, improve, extend and strengthen chains of key superior industries; third, Shandong will advance green development cooperation with Germany, to promote the high-quality development of green low-carbon industries and clean energy industries; fourth, Shandong will step up sci-tech innovation with Germany, to promote the close and efficient integration of the innovation chain with the industry chain, the finance chain and the talent chain. Shandong will make persistent efforts to build a market-oriented and law-based international business environment, provide optimal services and create a favorable environment for the development of German enterprises in Shandong. He expected that the two sides would forge ahead together, share opportunities and achieve win-win.

The event is of positive significance to tapping the potential of Sino-German innovation cooperation and supporting Chinese and German business communities in jointly pushing forward the global economy, said Gao Yan, Chairperson of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) in an address. China and Germany are important economic and trade partners, Shandong has a tradition of cooperating with Germany and represents an epitome of China's economic and trade cooperation with Germany. With the construction of infrastructure in China and Europe, as well as the constant development of the system and mechanism of Sino-European trade connection, Germany's advanced technical capacity and Shandong's integral industrial system will further be integrated, showing a broad space for Germany-Shandong cooperation. She expected that the two sides would take the opportunity to foster new growth points for cooperation and create a sample for Germany-Shandong cooperation.

Stephan Weil, Minister President of Lower Saxony; Melanie Hummel, Deputy Minister President of Bavaria and Bavarian State Minister for European Affairs and International Relations; Frank Rückert, Charge d'Affaires ad interim at the German Embassy in China; and Shi Mingde, former Chinese Ambassador to Germany and President of the China-Germany Friendship Association delivered speeches.

Sun Licheng, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Jinan Municipal Committee; and Lu Zhiyuan, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee promoted respective cities. Zhou Lianhua, Director of the Shandong Development and Reform Commission, made a presentation on Shandong's major development strategy for the "fourteenth five-year" period.

Michael Dowling, Member of the National Academy of Science and Engineering of Germany and President of the Munich Society of Smart City, delivered a speech on Germany's innovation organizations and international cooperation. Sun Dianyi, Director of the Shandong Institutes of Industrial Technology, spoke on Sino-German innovation technology integration and industrial cooperation in the new situation. Clas Neumann, Senior Vice President of SAP and Head of SAP's Global Labs Network, introduced the prospect of SAP's digital cooperation with Shandong. Jiang Kui, General Manager of Shandong Heavy Industry Group Co., Ltd., shared the company's experience in cooperating with Germany.

"2021 Dialogue with Shandong: Conference on Germany-Shandong Industrial Cooperation and Exchange" was hosted by the Shandong Provincial People's Government, CCPIT and DIHK. With the theme "Deepening Innovation Cooperation, Seeking Industrial Development", the event included Thematic Seminar, Industrial Exchange Conference and Visits by German Enterprises.

Liu Qiang, Member of the Standing Committee and Secretary General of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, chaired the Thematic Seminar. Present were representatives of German governments, economic and trade institutions, research institutes and enterprises, heads of municipal and provincial departments in Shandong, as well as representatives of economic and trade institutions, research institutes and enterprises in Shandong.