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HAMBURG, Germany, July 8-- President Xi Jinping's state visit to Germany has promoted comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries to a higher level, and has driven further development of China-Europe relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday. During the July 4-6 visit, Xi met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin to review bilateral ties and discuss guidelines for the promotion of China-Germany comprehensive strategic partnership. The two sides set targets for the development of bilateral ties in the next five years, and reached new consensus on promoting political mutual trust, deepening pragmatic cooperation, enriching cultural exchange and strengthening international cooperation, said Wang. They also agreed to make a good use of bilateral communication mechanisms including government consultation, diplomacy, security, finance and economy, and culture, attend to each other's concerns and properly handle their differences, to further lift China-Germany relations to a higher level. The Chinese president called on both sides to synergize "Made in China 2025" and Germany's "Industry 4.0" so as to unleash potential for innovation when the two nations' manufacturing strengths are combined with the Internet, said Wang. Xi and Merkel agreed to step up bilateral cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative so as to share the enormous market opportunities brought about by inter-connectivity between Asia and Europe. | 
