Xi messages gathering on benefits of exchanges

President: Sino-German meeting enriches nations' communication

President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that he hopes people-to-people exchanges between China and Germany will advance bilateral ties and China-Europe relations.

Xi made the remark in a congratulatory message to the first meeting of the China-Germany people-to-people exchange dialogue in Beijing on Wednesday.

Hailing the long-lasting friendship and the deepened pragmatic cooperation since the two countries established diplomatic relations 45 years ago, Xi noted that the bilateral ties had entered a mature development phase.

"Cooperation in people-to-people exchanges in recent years has pulled the hearts of the two peoples closer," Xi said.

The president hopes that the China-Germany people-to-people exchange dialogue will help enrich communication, widen exchanges and deepen cooperation between the two countries.

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong, Chinese chairwoman of the exchange dialogue, said that the relationship between the two countries is having its best days and people-to-people exchanges are a bridge and a bond boosting friendship between the two countries peoples.

To further increase mutual knowledge and understanding between the two peoples and nurture talent, the Chinese government will provide scholarships to 6,000 Chinese students studying in Germany in the following three years.

The Chinese Government Scholarship program will offer 1,000 places to young, Germans studying in China during the three years.

According to the Ministry of Education, 130,000 Chinese have studied in Germany in the past 45 years, and 80,000 Germans have studied in China.

The establishment of the exchange dialogue will lay a solid foundation for the two countries to expand their cooperation, Liu said.

German Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, who is the German chairman of the exchange dialogue, said Germany and China are indispensable partners to each other, and people-to-people exchanges, which are instrumental in boosting mutual understanding, trust and cooperation, are a crucial part of the bilateral relationship.

The German government will work with the Chinese government to deepen collaboration in people-to-people exchanges, he said.

China and Germany have worked closely with each other in the past 45 years, not only in politics and economy, but also in many other fields, such as education, culture and sports.

Xinhua contributed to this story.