(Bloomberg) -- China urged Germany's next government to continue outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's legacy to ensure the two countries work closely together, as prospective coalition partners in Berlin favor a tougher line toward the Asian giant.
Zhang Ming, China's ambassador to the European Union, noted during a European Policy Center event on Tuesday that next year will mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between his country and Germany.
“We hope the new German government can build on a political legacy of Chancellor Merkel and continue the pragmatic China policy which follows the expectations of our two peoples,” Zhang said.
Potential coalition partners for Olaf Scholz, Germany's likely next chancellor, in the Greens and the Free Democratic Party are more critical of Beijing than was Merkel, who drove through a now-stalled EU investment agreement with China last year in the face of U.S. opposition.
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“China and Germany are each other's comprehensive strategic partners and our bilateral relations have maintained a strong momentum over the years,” Zhang said.
Zhang underlined the two countries' strong economic ties and said that “major countries can work together, achieve a win-win result.” In future “China-Germany and China-EU relations should continue to follow this path,” he added.
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