BERLIN - China and Germany issued a joint press communique following the first round of China-Gernmany inter-governmental consultation on Tuesday and agreed to lift their strategic partnership to a new high.

The communique was issued during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Germany, the last leg of his three-nation Europe tour.

The communique said in the face of global challenges, further enhancing bilateral cooperation between China and Germany is in the interests of both sides, will boost the development of both countries and is conducive to world peace and development.

The two sides said in the communique that they agreed to accommodate each other's core interests and strengthen mutual understanding and political mutual trust in a bid to ensure a sustained and stable development of bilateral ties.

Governments of both countries spoke highly of the fruitful cooperation and exchanges in the field of law, and decided to further boost their cooperation in this regard.

With regard to bilateral economic cooperation, the communique said the two governments have deepened consultation on economic policy and strengthened macro-economic cooperation.

The two governments said they would enhance communication and coordination within the Group of 20 (G20) and promote reform in global economic governance, pledging to strengthen the role of G20 as a major platform for global economic and financial cooperation.

They agreed to expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation in the spirit of equality and mutual benefits so as to promote a sustainable development of both countries' economies.

They pledged to work together to strive to attain the goal of $280 billion in trade volume by the year 2015.

The two countries also stressed the importance of real economy, which, they said, has a great significance to the development of a country's economic growth.

The two governments believed that there is a broad prospect for bilateral agricultural cooperation, said the communique.

Describing China as an agricultural giant and Germany as a country with advanced agricultural technology, the document said both sides are willing to upgrade their long-term agricultural cooperation to a new high, so as to meet new global challenges.

The communique also mentioned bilateral cooperation in developing alternative power, saying that alternative power bears great significance to settling such issues as climate, environment and power in the 21st century.

On the cultural exchanges, it said the long-term and active cultural exchanges between the two cultural giants make an important contribution to the understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

The two governments agreed that dialogue in the field of media should be continuously enhanced, the communique said.