Anticipation builds up in Hamburg for G20 and China's voice

Leaders of the world's 20 largest economies are preparing to gather in Germany's northern city of Hamburg this Friday and Saturday for the annual G20 summit, with a focus this year on climate change, economics and crisis response.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a speech, which is expected to focus on the global economic situation and international economic cooperation.

Ferry boats pass the container ship 'ThalassaTyhi' of China at the container terminal of the harbor of Hamburg, Germany, Saturday, July 1, 2017. [Photo: AP/Matthias Schrader]

Expectations are already said to be running high in Hamburg, particularly around what Chinese President Xi Jinping will have to say at the sessions.

Liu Guosheng, President of the Germany-China Exchange Association, said the Chinese community in Germany is going to be paying particularly close attention to the Chinese president's speech.

"Germany's relationship with China has been getting closer since the G20 Summit last year in Hangzhou. The relationship among Angela Merkel, Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang is solid. Germany has already been highlighting its ties with China, so a lot of people are keenly interested to hear what China will initiate during the meeting," said Liu.

Corinna Nienstedt, Executive Vice President at Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, said China and Germany are likely to have very strong voices at the sessions.

"The EU is losing a crucial market with the UK's Brexit, while Donald Trump has issued trade protectionist policies since he took office. This means other big countries will have to take more responsibility for global free trade and economic cooperation. I think China and Germany will play a significant role during the process. Through the G20, people will see who will push forward and support globalization," said Nienstedt.

Apart from economics, there are calls being made for China and Germany to use the G20 to put pressure on countries who might be hesitant to combat climate change. Beyond that, the G20 is also expected to shine a spotlight on a number of other issues.

Hendrik Fischer, Brandenburg State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Energy, is now in Beijing for a visit.

He said the Chinese government's Belt and Road initiative is a vehicle G20 members can use to advance a number of different areas.

"I believe the Belt and Road initiative is a good way to connect Europe with Asia. It will not only promote economic and trade development but also deepen cooperation in culture, education and sci-tech. The State of Brandenburg also fully supports the initiative."

The city of Hamburg is Germany's second largest. It is also a major port city and is considered one of Germany's hubs for the services sector, media, logistics and industry.