BEIJING — Premier Li Keqiang on Nov 11 sent a message of condolences to his German counterpart, Angela Merkel, over the death of Helmut Schmidt, a former chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. In the message, Premier Li, on behalf of the Chinese government and people and in his own name, mourned the death of Schmidt and extended sympathies to Schmidt’s family.

Hailing Schmidt as an outstanding statesman and leader, the Premier said he was also a staunch supporter for and an active facilitator of China-Germany relations. China will never forget Schmidt’s contributions to promoting friendship and cooperation between China and Germany.

Noting that Germany is an important cooperative partner of China in Europe, Premier Li expressed the hope that friendly cooperation between China and Germany will achieve even greater development.