Brighter outlook for stronger China-Germany partnership

German voters will go to the polls on Sunday to decide the future of their country for the next four years.

There is no exaggeration to say the federal elections of Germany, an economic heavyweight in Europe, will play a decisive role in the development trajectory of the whole European Union (EU).

Under the leadership of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is expected to secure a third term, Germany survived the chilly 2009 financial storm and has maintained a strong growth momentum amid the sweeping European debt crisis.

In a letter sent to German households ahead of Sunday's vote, Merkel said Germany has had four good years. Meanwhile, the past four years also witnessed the booming, stronger ties between China and the pivotal anchor in central Europe.

On his maiden foreign tour since taking office in March, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang chose Germany as his last stop, a move that testified importance attached by China to the bilateral relationship. And Merkel was the first foreign leader to congratulate Li over the phone after Li assumed office.

Increasingly frequent visits between leaders of the two countries in recent years have been a proof of the burgeoning China-Germany partnership.

Li's predecessor, former Premier Wen Jiabao, paid six visits to Germany during his two five-year terms. Merkel, in return, had also made six visits to China by last summer since she came to power in 2005.

Regardless of what outcome of the polls would be, China will make renewed efforts to bolster its strategic partnership with Germany and other European countries. The China-EU relations can only be strengthened in any scenarios, rather than the other way round.

The China-Germany relationship has been in the vanguard of ties between China and Europe. The high level of mutual trust and respect, rarely seen between big powers, is also exemplary to the rest of the world.

Still, on the road toward an enhanced partnership of strategic importance between China and Europe, frictions and disputes are inevitable.

But so long as the two sides can act in good faith and show sincerity in tackling problems, nothing could stand in the way to attaining their common objectives.

A good case in point is the negotiated settlement of a dispute over exports of Chinese-made solar panels to the EU this summer, in which Germany played an active role.

There are plenty of reasons to believe the two large economies, both of which are advocates and propellers of multilateralism, will enjoy shining prospects should they continue to treasure the partnership and cherish the goodwill.

Last decade of thriving cooperation only marks a threshold, with a more promising outlook yet to unfold.

It is much hoped that the new German leadership will build on the past achievement and elevate the bilateral strategic partnership and China-EU relations to a new high.