On December3,2024,local time,the X8083China-Europe Railway Express,which departed from the Chongqing Center Station of China Railway Container Transport,successfully arrived in Duisburg,Germany.This marks a milestone event in the development of this crucial transportation network under the Belt and Road Initiative,with the cumulative number of China-Europe freight train trips exceeding100,000.

As an important symbol of economic and trade exchanges between China and Europe,the China-Europe Railway Express has set a positive example for exchanges and cooperation in various fields between the two sides.How can China-Europe relations continue to deepen in areas such as economic and trade cooperation,cultural exchanges,and global governance?Otto Schily,former Federal Minister of the Interior of Germany,recently shared his insights in an exclusive interview with China News Service’s“West-East Talk”,addressing mutually understood issues,including the significance of the China-Europe Railway Express,the opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative,the necessity of restarting the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment,and deepening people-to-people exchanges to enhance mutual understanding.

He emphasized that China-Europe cooperation not only promotes mutual economic prosperity but also holds great significance for addressing global issues.He called on both sides to further strengthen their partnership on a fair and just basis,pushing international cooperation to a higher level.

Here are theexcerpts of the interview:

CNS:What changes do you think the operation of the China-Europe Railway Express has brought to cities along the route in Germany?From a broader perspective,how do you view the Belt and Road Initiative and the opportunities it brings to Europe?

Otto Schily:The railway line connecting the metropolis of Chongqing,China,with theport of theindustrial city ofDuisburg,Germany,traversesmultiple countries and serves as an economically significant lifeline.It represents an immeasurable benefit for all participating regions along the route,particularly for China and Europe.The Belt and Road Initiative,both literally and figuratively,opens up grand prospects for expanding and deepening international economic cooperation and trade.Historically,the ancient Silk Road indeed facilitated peaceful economic and cultural exchanges among many major nations.Today,driven by this Chinese initiative,a new Silk Road framework,far surpassing its predecessor in scale,is gradually taking shape.Therefore,it is only reasonable to welcome this development.

Departing from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality,the China-Europe freight train X8083arrives in Duisburg,Germany on Dec.3,2024,marking the100,000th trip of its kind. (Photo from CNS)

CNS:Germany and China have enormous potential for cooperation in the economic and trade fields,but there is ongoing political discussion about"de-risking".In your view,how should Germany balance economic interests with so-called political risks in its cooperation with China?

Otto Schily:Cooperation between Germany and China in the economic and trade fields has been and continues to be highly successful.Continuing,expanding,and deepening this cooperation aligns with our shared common interests.Naturally,close economic cooperation leads to interconnected ties.If the corresponding cooperative structures can be established fairly and without discrimination,I believe this contributes more to the stability of Germany's economic situation rather than posing a burden of risk.The fundamental principles for building trust,partnership,and fair economic cooperation between Germany and China must be that such cooperation equally serves the interests of both sides and the relevant enterprises.Experience shows that this kind of cooperation also has a positive impact on political dialogue.

The International Conference on Sustainable Intelligent Manufacturing and Sino-German High-End Manufacturing Summit opened in Shaoxing,east China’s Zhejiang province,Nov.7,2024.(Photo from CNS)

CNS:What benefits has the China-Central and Eastern European Countries(CEEC)Cooperation Mechanism brought to the development of Central and Eastern Europe(CEE)?In your opinion,what role can this mechanism play in promoting China-Europe cooperation?

Otto Schily:The model of partnership between China and Central and Eastern European countries has particularly helped the participating European nations implement large-scale infrastructure projects,including cross-border initiatives.These projects are of great significance for their economic development and have also made substantial contributions to economic growth in the region.

In principle,all forms of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between China and Europe or between Chinese and European enterprises are worthy of support.However,it must be noted that multilateral cooperation among certain EU member states should generally not conflict with the EU as a whole.

CNS:How do you view the necessity and significance of China and Europe discussing the restart oftheChina-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment?

Otto Schily:Unfortunately,the investment agreement between China and the EU,which was the result of years of difficult negotiations,was"frozen"by the European Parliament in2021and has not been approved to this day.This is particularly regrettable because,within the framework of China-Europe economic relations,investments by European enterprises in China and by Chinese enterprises in Europe are crucial factors for achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.The current obstacles hindering the approval of this agreement could be overcome if both sides demonstrate sincerity and a willingness to compromise.

Visitorstrybamboo products during the China-Europe-Africa Forum on Bamboo Technological Innovation and Green Industry Cooperation in Brussels, Oct.17,2024.(Photo from CNS)

CNS:How would you assess the overall current relationsbetween Germany and China?In your view,how can the two countries strengthen people-to-people exchanges and enhance mutual understanding?

Otto Schily:The best periods intherelationsbetween Chinaand Germanyoccurred during the tenures of Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.Overall,however,therelationshavealso developed reasonably well under Chancellor Olaf Scholz.Ideally,scientific and cultural exchanges could be significantly strengthened further,for example,through guest lectures by Chinese scholars at German universities or by German scholars at Chinese universities,as well as by encouraging and supporting relevant programs that enable more Chinese students to study at German universities while also encouraging more German students to study at Chinese universities.Furthermore,having young people from both countries undertake practical training in each other's enterprises would undoubtedly greatly enhance mutual understanding.It would be especially gratifying if our two countries could elevate their dialoguesin literature,philosophy,visual arts,and music to a new level.

CNS:Against the backdrop of intensified geopolitical competition and global challenges,how can China and Europe strengthen cooperation in areas such as climate change,technological innovation,and global governance?What role can Germany play in this process?

Otto Schily:Within the geopolitical framework,nations should not attempt to strengthen themselves by weakening others.Given the severity of global problems,such as famine,climate change,risks posed by modern technology,and environmental destruction,global cooperation is of vital importance for the survival of humanity.Global problems require global solutions,and we can only find these answers through global partnership and cooperation.

The prerequisite for global cooperation is that no country,no alliance of countries,and certainly no politician should aspire to dominate the world.Whether we like it or not,we now live in a multipolar world where the distribution of power is different from the past.As is well known,China has,in an admirable manner,achieved significant economic strength,not only creating vast possibilities for economic cooperation with European countries but,more importantly,offering broad prospects for international cooperation in addressing global issues.Therefore,Germany must prioritize efforts to ensure the success of global governance within international institutions and safeguard free and fair global trade under WTO rules from the threat of arbitrarily imposed tariff barriers.

About theInterviewee:

Otto Schily.(Photo provided by the interviewee)

Otto Schily,born in1932in Bochum,Germany,has been practicing as a lawyer since1963.He served asdeputy chair of the parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Party(SPD)of Germanyfrom1994to1998,and as Federal Minister of the Interior from1998to2005.He is a recipient of the GreatCross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.