German president lauds China's vitality, seeks closer cooperation

BEIJING -- German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on a state visit to China from Tuesday to Saturday, hailed China's dynamism in technological innovation, green growth and traditional culture, and called for deeper bilateral engagement.

On Tuesday, Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Budenbender, visited the Volkswagen Group China Technology Company in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province, where they were briefed on the company's strategy and R&D in China and test-drove a new energy vehicle.

The company is Volkswagen's largest R&D center outside Germany. Steinmeier said he was glad to see German and Chinese engineers developing automotive software together, and expressed his hope for closer cooperation between businesses of the two countries.