CRI听力:Xi Wraps up German Visit with Economic Highlights

President Xi Jinping concluded his German visit after touring the city of Duisburg and presenting a keynote speech at a gathering of German business leaders in Dusseldorf.

During his visit to Duisburg, the world's biggest inland harbor, Xi Jinping called on China and Germany to work together to build a modern-day Silk Road economic belt. The Silk Road refers to an ancient trade route connecting China and central Asia and Europe.

He said China's proposal to establish the Silk Road economic belt aims to better connect the Asian and European markets.

He noted that China and Germany, which are located at the opposite ends of the belt, are two major economies currently serving as the driving engines for economic growth in Asia and Europe respectively.

The two countries are now linked by the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe international railway with Duisburg acting as its European terminus.

The Chinese president witnessed the arrival of a cargo train at the railway station in Duisburg from the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing.

He expressed his hope that the Port of Duisburg would play a bigger role in both China-Germany and China-Europe cooperation.

While addressing a gathering of business people in Dusseldorf, Xi Jinping called on them to seize the opportunities arising from the envisaged greater Sino-German economic cooperation in the coming years.

"Economic and trade ties are the cornerstones and propellers of China-Germany relations. Multiple cooperation documents have been inked between Chinese and German authorities, which are a major positive signal to the enterprises of both countries. These deals will further promote economic cooperation, trade exchanges and mutual investment, and play an exemplary role in furthering economic and trade ties between China and Europe."

Xi Jinping said that the coming five to ten years will be a crucial period of reform and development for China and Germany, as the two countries seek to grow and achieve progress together.

The Chinese leader's remarks were echoed by Sigmar Gabriel, Vice German Chancellor and Minister of Economics and Energy.

"Let me make it clear, Germany and Europe are as open as ever to investment from Chinese enterprises. We are willing to try our best to help Chinese enterprises better position themselves in Germany."

During the Chinese leader's visit in Germany, the two nations signed a string of deals, including a memorandum of understanding for establishing an RMB clearing and settlement mechanism in Frankfurt.

Currently, Germany is China's largest trading partner in Europe, while China is Germany's largest partner in the Asia-Pacific region.

Official figures showed that bilateral trade between the two countries reached over $190 billion US dollars last year.

For CRI, I'm Yin Xiuqi.