Sino-German Entwicklungskooperation
China and Germany look back on more than 35 years of successful and constructive bilateral development cooperation. At the same time China has developed rapidly over recent decades, enabling several hundred million people to be lifted out of poverty, while providing aid to developing countries in the framework of South-South cooperation. In parallel with China’s development, the focus of German- Chinese cooperation has shifted: Traditional bilateral development cooperation between Germany and China has been phased out. Today, both countries are jointly fostering sustainable development within a global context.
In 2017 the Chinese Minister of Commerce, Zhong Shan, and the German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dr. Gerd Müller, jointly established the Sino-German Center for Sustainable Development (CSD). It serves as a platform for Sino-German Development Cooperation which targets mainly four areas with different objectives, approaches and partners.
Protection and Provision of Global Public Goods
Safeguarding of global public goods such as clean air and water, biodiversity and climate change mitigation is one of the biggest challenges for the 21 st century. Global public goods are important for both rich and poor countries, for domestic and international development. China, due to its size and population, and its rapid development over the last decades, plays a crucial role in the protection and provision of those public goods.
China and Germany are long-term partners when it comes to environmental and climate protection as well as conservation of biodiversity and fighting illegal wildlife trade and poaching. This partnership includes government institutions, development and financial
agencies, and private sector actors. As a vital actor when it comes to reaching the Sustainable Development Goals, private sector participation is also mobilised through sustainable business initiatives to promote commercial activities that help foster the vital transformation to a sustainable and climate-friendly economy.
Please visit Protection and Provision of Global Public Goods between China and Germany for more details on the projects.
Sino-German Dialogue on Development Cooperation
A deeper understanding of their respective development policies, aid delivery systems, and the particular advantages of each other makes a prerequisite for Germany and China to develop synergies and act together in the field of Development Cooperation. To this end, China and Germany hold dialogues on development cooperation to promote learning and mutual understanding on the implementation of the Agenda 2030, both on policy, technical and academic levels.
As a result of mutual learning, both sides can adapt and improve the way how they are delivering their Development Cooperation. Moreover, complementarities can be utilized effectively by defining common goals and aligning projects, facilitating collaboration with third partners and creating synergies and additional possibilities to help develop and advance more sustainable ways of life.
For more details, please visit Sino-German Dialogue on Development Cooperation.
Triangular cooperation projects
China is among the most important contributors to South-South Cooperation worldwide. Germany has a long history of successful Development Cooperation. Combining the prowess of both partners to support third countries on their path towards a more sustainable future can increase the impact of development work.
By bringing together multiple partners, combining different expertise, perspectives and abilities, triangular cooperation widens the scope of projects and increases their impact. They allow to follow through the results and decisions made in the cooperation dialogue and thus to harmonise diverse approaches of project implementation. The experience and lessons learnt during project development and implementation are in return summarized and fed into the Sino-German Dialogue on Development Cooperation.
To understand more about the criteria of triangular cooperation projects, please visit here. To see the ongoing projects, please visit the project database.
Global and regional projects
Global and regional cooperation aims to bring together stakeholders, political leadership and technical know-how on a wide range of issues that are not confined to a single country but rather are of regional or global importance. It tries to develop joint solutions for balancing environmental conservation with economic integration based on principles of good governance. It is also echoed in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Germany works with China in Asia through regional networks to jointly promote sustainable economic development in the region, particularly in disadvantaged neighbouring countries. Emphasis is on agricultural trade, textile and garment investment and production through means of capacity development, knowledge sharing, and promotion of sustainable standards.
As one of the emerging economic powers globally, China is at the core of global challenges including sustainable business development, and financial stability. Global dialogue platforms and networks that foster knowledge exchange and creation between diverse actors from emerging actors including China and industrialized economies like Germany will contribute to the glob-al sustainability transition and sustainable development of the world economy.
Please visit the project database to see a list of the regional and global projects in which Germany and China are partnering.
