Good morning.
It is a great pleasure to join you at the Sixth Sino-German Forum on Sustainable Development and the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Partnership Between Zhejiang University and RWTH Aachen University. On behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Düsseldorf, I extend warm congratulations on the four decades of fruitful cooperation between the two universities .
As a classical Chinese saying goes, "At forty, one is free from doubts." Over the past 40 years, Zhejiang University and RWTH Aachen University have walked hand in hand, transcending ordinary inter-university exchanges to become a model of deep mutual trust and long-term win-win cooperation between top science and engineering universities of China and Germany. As world-class universities with profound influence in engineering, technology and natural sciences in their respective countries, the two universities have cultivated a large number of outstanding talents for scientific and technological progress and industrial development in China and Germany through deep engagement in talent cultivation, joint research and academic innovation. They have set a benchmark for China-Germany cooperation in education, science and technology, and provided valuable practices for global higher education and innovation cooperation .
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Not long ago, President Xi Jinping of China and Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany held a meeting in Beijing, reaching important consensus on deepening China-Germany all-around cooperation. Both sides stressed the need to strengthen educational, cultural and youth exchanges, and deepen cooperation between universities and research institutions, so as to consolidate the social and public support for China-Germany relations. This has pointed out the direction for expanding and deepening practical cooperation between universities of the two countries, and provided strong support for Zhejiang University and RWTH Aachen University to write a new chapter of cooperation in the future .
In a world undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, humanity faces severe global challenges such as climate change, energy transition, digitalization and artificial intelligence. As top universities of China and Germany, Zhejiang University and RWTH Aachen University should shoulder their responsibilities and join forces to make breakthroughs in sustainable development, green technologies, high-end equipment, artificial intelligence and other fields. They should contribute more to addressing common challenges of humanity and promoting global sustainable development, and inject greater stability and positive energy into the China-Germany all-around strategic partnership.
The Chinese Consulate General in Düsseldorf will continue to play a bridging role, and fully support the two universities in deepening cooperation at a higher level and in broader fields. It is my hope that the two universities will take the 40th anniversary as a new starting point, uphold openness and inclusiveness, academic independence and research integrity, strengthen exchanges between young scholars and researchers, and promote the application of scientific and technological achievements for the benefit of society, so as to make new and greater contributions to the sustained and sound development of China-Germany relations .
Finally, I wish the Forum a complete success, and may the friendship and cooperation between Zhejiang University and RWTH Aachen University endure and thrive forever!
Thank you!