On January 15, 2010, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with German Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Guido Westerwelle in Ziguangge, Zhongnanhai.

Wen said China and Germany had maintained a positive and upward momentum of relations, citing both countries' joint efforts to tackle the global financial crisis, enhanced communication at all levels and deepened mutually beneficial cooperation.

With complicated international situation and grim challenges ahead, Wen called on both countries to keep the big picture in mind, take a long-term view, enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation to bring bilateral partnership with global responsibility to a new high.

Wen emphasized that it is of great significance to make China-EU ties more strategic, comprehensive and stable. Wen pledged more dialogue and cooperation with Europe to ensure shared interests of Chinese, Europeans and the world people.

Calling China an important cooperative partner of Germany, Westerwelle said his country attaches great importance to relations with China and would like to maintain exchanges at all levels, deepen bilateral cooperation in politics, economy, humanities and other fields and jointly address global issues and challenges. Enhanced EU-China cooperation is crucial to promoting world peace and prosperity and Germany will continue to actively commit to pushing forward EU-China relations.

Both sides also exchanged views on climate change.

In a brief address to business executives who accompanied Westerwelle, Wen said China has steadfastly pursued its opening-up policy. "China will create a more open and favorable environment for investment and encourage foreign businesses to invest in high-end manufacturing, high and new technology, modern services, new energies, energy saving and environmental protection," Wen said. Wen appealed for more foreign investment in China's central and western regions and vowed to protect the legitimate rights of foreign investors. "You are welcome to invest and run businesses in China," Wen told the German executives.