Welcome
New German Co-Chair of the German-Chinese Dialogue Forum
A Spokesperson of the Federal Foreign Office issued the following statement today (7 September) on the appointment of Dr Sabine Stricker-Kellerer as German Co-Chair of the German-Chinese Dialogue Forum:
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has appointed Dr Sabine Stricker-Kellerer as new German Co-Chair of the German-Chinese Dialogue Forum. Former Chinese Science Minister Wan Gang has been Co-Chair on the Chinese side since March 2018. The appointment of Dr Stricker-Kellerer means the important work of the Dialogue Forum can be continued and new impetus injected. We are convinced that the Dialogue Forum will benefit enormously from her long-standing commitment to German-Chinese relations. This is an important signal, particularly after the restrictions caused by the COVID pandemic which largely brought civil society dialogue to a halt. The Federal Government recently underscored the importance of the Forum as an important element in bilateral cooperation in the Strategy on China adopted in July.
Dr Sabine Stricker-Kellerer is a corporate lawyer with decades of experience in China. Prior to her appointment as Co-Chair, Dr Sabine Stricker-Kellerer has been a long-serving and dedicated member of the German-Chinese Dialogue Forum, actively feeding in her comprehensive experience of China and her deep understanding of Chinese culture. As Co-Chair, Dr Stricker-Kellerer is following in the footsteps of Annette Schavan, former Federal Minister and former German Ambassador to the Holy See, who performed the role between 2018 and 2022.
Background
The German-Chinese Dialogue Forum (GCDF) was set up in 2005. It aims to fulfil an advisory function on developing Sino-German cooperation in all spheres and draws on the broad experience of its members representing politics, business, society, science and technology, education, culture and the media. The two Co-Chairs are appointed by the Federal Foreign Office and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs respectively. The Forum meets annually alternating between Germany and China drawing up recommendations for both Governments.