Xinhua Quotes Helga Zepp-LaRouche on Importance of China-European Economic Relations
June 29, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)—Schiller Institute Chairwoman Helga Zepp-LaRouche was quoted by China’s Xinhua on the importance of Chinese-European economic cooperation. The article by Breaking Latest website, datelined Paris, June 28, is entitled “Deepen Mutual Trust and Cooperation To Promote Solutions to Global Issues—People from Many European Countries Positively Comment on China-EU Cooperation.” The article quotes seven Europeans who spoke to Xinhua on the importance of China’s relations for Europe.
Xinhua first quotes German Bundestag member Sevim Dadelen, who said that Germany and China need to strengthen political, economic, scientific and cultural cooperation. “This cooperation also means hundreds of thousands of jobs in Germany.”
Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of BMW Group automaker, told Xinhua that “the companies of both sides have a common pursuit of promoting innovation and progress in the fields of electric mobility, circular sustainability, and intelligent connected vehicles. The BMW Group has a deep and long-standing relationship with China, and a strong partnership will enable BMW and its Chinese partners to continue to achieve win-win results in the transformation of the automotive industry.”
Mentioned third, Xinhua writes that Helga Zepp-LaRouche, the “founder and chairman of the German think-tank Schiller Institute, said that people in German industry have made it clear that decoupling from China will harm Germany’s own interests. At present, Germany is facing the threat of ‘de-industrialization,’ and cooperation with China is very important.”
Volker Chapke, honorary chairman of the Berlin Prussian Association, told Xinhua, “Germany and China need each other.”
Xinhua then cited three others: Leia Bessie, a French expert on China; a writer, Lyazid Benhami, vice-chairman of the Paris Association of French-Chinese Friendship; and Julio Rios, a well-known Spanish expert on China.
A Xinhua article datelined Berlin on June 30, took its lead from Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Germany and France as his first overseas trip since becoming prime minister this year saying his visits “have received a wide range of positive responses from industries, institutes and political groups.” It also quotes BASF president Jeffrey Lou, who said, “Accounting for half of the global chemical market, China is a strategic market and growth engine for BASF,” and Ludovic Weber, the Asia-Pacific CEO of the French multinational Saint Gobain, who “told Xinhua that the Chinese market is growing very fast and there are many ongoing investments, especially in the EV [electric vehicle] industry.” Weber said nobody wants to see rising tensions. “The decoupling is kind of impossible,” he said, expressing expectations of strengthening the link between countries through infrastructure, businesses and mutual investments.”
