Germany and East China's Shandong province have enjoyed close ties for many years, with both sides having deepened cooperation in various fields and frequently hosting high-level visits, said Clemens von Goetze, German ambassador to China.

The ambassador recalled that two years ago, within days of taking office in China, he had the chance of attending a presentation about Shandong's economic strength, natural scenery and culture at a promotional event organized by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Clemens von Goetze, German ambassador to China [Photo/dzwww.com]

"That's why I made Shandong my first stop outside Beijing and visited it in November 2018. During that trip, I not only had the opportunity to hold formal talks with top Shandong officials in Jinan, but also visited the coastal city of Qingdao," said Von Goetze.

Qingdao left an indelible impression on the ambassador.

"Not only did the city produce the world-renowned Tsingtao beer, which I love and drink a lot in China, but there are also many historical German-style buildings that are well-preserved and maintained. Qingdao is a model in this respect," he said.

Von Goetze added that Qingdao is an attractive city for German investors, pointing out that many German companies have settled in the city's Sino-German Ecopark. Among these companies is Volkswagen, which built an advanced factory in Qingdao that started operation in 2018.

"During a later visit, I had the chance to visit tourist attractions in Shandong. I especially remember Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, and the very pleasant hike from downtown Tai'an to Mount Tai," he said.

The German ambassador praised Shandong's efforts in combining its cultural and tourism sector with strong economic development.

"Shandong ranks third in China in terms of gross domestic product and is one of the most innovative provinces. Shandong and Germany are famous for machinery, cars and industrial manufacturing, which is one reason why trade between Shandong and Germany has been growing steadily and reached more than 2 billion euros in 2018. The record was broken again in the first nine months of 2019," he said.

Von Goetze then mentioned the close friendship between Shandong and the southern German state of Bavaria. The two sides established sister-province relations in 1987 and have made significant achievements in economic cooperation and cultural exchange over the past 33 years.

He also highlighted the joint vocational training system in Shandong and the FC Bayern Munich soccer school set up by Qingdao Sino-German Ecopark and FC Bayern Munich.