CRI听力:China trade helps German trade surplus soar to highest since WWII

German government figures show Germany's total exports rose 1.2 percent last year, while imports increased by just 0.6 percent.

Germany's exports to non-EU countries decreased by 0.2 percent in 2016, with Germany's standing as Europe's largest exporter being bolstered by trade outside the European Union, in particular with China.

Figures show exports to China last year almost doubled that of South Korea, Japan and India put together.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Sun Jiwen said the strategic partnership between China and Germany has deepened in recent years.

"The political mutual trust is increasing, and the two countries have established intergovernmental consultation mechanisms between the prime ministers of both sides. As the important cornerstone of the bilateral relationship, trade and economic cooperation has been growing in a multi-level and wide-ranging way."

Both the German and Chinese governments have agreed to align their respective growth strategies to help complement each other.

This move is promoting a surge of German interest in China in areas such as intelligent manufacturing, the digital economy and regional development.

German firms also contracted almost 9,000 investment projects in China last year, worth US$28.18 billion.

Non-financial investment worth US$8.83 billion flowed into Germany last year from Chinese companies, mostly in the form of mergers and acquisitions.