On the morning of October 30, 2015, Premier Li Keqiang and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany jointly visited the Hefei University in Anhui Province.

It was October in the middle region of Anhui Province and autumn breeze rustled all around.

Their arrival excited the campus. Waving national flags of China and Germany, teachers and students whooped "Welcome, Premier!" with increasing cheers. Li Keqiang and Angela Merkel had warm handshakes and friendly talks with young students. Later, with great interest, they watched videos and photo exhibition for celebration of the 30th anniversary of China-Germany cooperation in co-building the Hefei University.

In 1984, the first pair of China-Germany province/state friendly and cooperative relations was established between China's Anhui province and Germany's Niedersachsen. The two sides decided to jointly build the Hefei University and conduct cooperation in application-oriented vocational higher education. Over 30 years, the Hefei University has carried out exchanges and cooperation with 17 German universities, with more than 1,700 Chinese teachers and students going to Germany for further study and over 300 German teachers and 600 German students coming to China for exchanges.

Over 30 years, the Hefei University has moved forward in the constantly expanded exchanges and increasingly deepened cooperation between China and Germany.

Over 30 years, China-Germany cooperation in vocational education was born in reform, developed in opening-up and progressed in innovation.

Li Keqiang and Angela Merkel interacted and communicated with Chinese and German experts, teachers, students and representatives of graduates present. They viewed products which are independently designed by students and have been put into market, and tasted the beer jointly brewed by Chinese and German students with great interest.

Li Keqiang said that a man should be steadfast at the age of thirty. The development and growth of the Hefei University over the 30 years is a successful model of China-Germany practical cooperation. China and Germany enjoy broad prospects in vocational education cooperation and a more brilliant future of promoting industrial upgrading and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation. Chancellor Angela Merkel and I have agreed to establish a China-Germany Education Cooperation Demonstration Base in the Hefei University and Education Cooperation Demonstration Bases in other universities that have long-term tradition of China-Germany cooperation, so as to cultivate more professional and technical talents for China-Germany business cooperation and greatly strengthen and expand China-Germany friendship and cooperation.

Li Keqiang said that China is now accelerating the development of modern vocational education. We are willing to learn from Germany's advanced experience in the field of vocational education and strive to make ideas of "advocating professional skills" and "relying more on capability than only academic qualification" become a fashion in the society, so as to provide support of high-level vocational education and professional and technical talents for China's implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy, promotion of mass entrepreneurship and innovation and strategic docking of "Made in China 2025" and Germany's "Industry 4.0", and to make greater contributions to domestic economic and social development.

Angela Merkel said that here she has personally experienced the passion, diligence and efforts of China's youth students, and has more confidence in the future of Germany-China youth exchange and education cooperation. Germany is willing to actively promote more local education authorities to carry out cooperation in China and encourage German companies to participate and support so as to make Germany-China cooperation more prosperous.

At the end of their visit, the teachers and students gathered around them for group pictures. Li Keqiang and Angela Merkel walked among the students several times to have friendly talks with them. The campus saw excited youth cheering sincerely one after another. It is the common aspiration that forges closer friendship between the two peoples.

State Councilor Yang Jing attended the event.