This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Germany. Currently, China-Germany trade is steadily developing, and economic and trade relations are continuously deepening, with cooperation between the two countries becoming more robust, solid, and dynamic. According to statistics from the German Central Bank, in the first half of 2024, German investment in China reached a historical high of 7.3 billion euros.

Since the beginning of this year, several large German companies have announced the expansion of their investments in China and deepening of cooperation, casting a "vote of confidence" in the Chinese market with practical actions. In March, the joint venture established by Mercedes-Benz and BMW settled in Beijing, planning to build at least 1,000 super charging stations equipped with advanced technology in China by the end of 2026, and install about 7,000 super charging piles; Volkswagen announced in April that it would invest 2.5 billion euros to expand its production base and innovation center in Hefei, Anhui Province; Bayer announced in May that it would establish a health consumer goods supply center in Qidong City, Jiangsu Province, and plans to start production in 2028, with a first-phase investment of 600 million yuan...

At the recently held 8th China-Germany Automotive Conference in Munich, Germany, nearly 400 guests from the political, automotive industry, and business communities of China and Germany discussed the future development direction and cooperation opportunities of the global automotive industry under the macro background of green, low-carbon, and intelligence.

Participants expressed optimism about the development potential and investment prospects of China's economy, supported the deepening of economic cooperation between China and Germany, and looked forward to the two countries' automotive industries continuing to move forward together through mutual learning, promotion, and progress. They also called on the European Union to view cooperation with China's automotive industry rationally.

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Zhai Qian, Minister of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, pointed out that over the past 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Germany, economic and trade cooperation has been interwoven and collaborative. Looking back, cooperation in the automotive industry has always been a beautiful scene in China-Germany bilateral relations. In the future, both sides need to strengthen innovation cooperation in areas such as autonomous driving and intelligent networking. The industrial chains and supply chains of China and Germany are deeply intertwined, and the two countries' markets are highly interdependent. The prospects for cooperation in the automotive industry between China and Germany are bright, and China welcomes and looks forward to German companies continuing to be companions, participants, and beneficiaries in China's new round of opening up and development.

Yu Guangsheng, Deputy Director of the Investment Promotion Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce, said that the cooperation between the automotive industries of China and Germany has been fruitful and deeply integrated over the past 40 years, forming a cooperation pattern of "you have me, and I have you." In response to the deep integration of cooperation between the automotive industries of China and Germany, the Investment Promotion Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce has built the China-Germany Automotive Conference, an important platform dedicated to serving the cooperation between the two countries' automotive industries, helping Chinese and German automotive industry chains, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to obtain industry information and discuss investment cooperation more efficiently.

German guests generally believe that there is huge potential for future cooperation between China, Germany, and Europe in the automotive industry, and they support China, Germany, and Europe in playing their respective advantages and continuing to deepen cooperation in economic and trade fields represented by the automotive industry. In the view of Weidmann, Director of the International Division of the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy, Bavaria has maintained a long-term friendly cooperative relationship with China, especially in the automotive industry. In the process of the global automotive industry's transformation, Germany and China bear important responsibilities. It is believed that with the joint efforts of the two countries, various challenges faced by the automotive industry will be effectively resolved. Regarding the recent EU's imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Weidmann said that in order to find a long-term solution that meets the interests of both parties, he supports the EU institutions to continue constructive dialogue with China.

"German and European companies have rich experience in automobile manufacturing, brand building, and international development, while Chinese companies are leading the technological development of future automobiles, with more obvious advantages in new technology fields such as batteries, artificial intelligence, and automotive software," said Ferdinand Dudenhoefer, a German authoritative automotive economics expert and director of the Bochum Automotive Research Institute. If Europe and China can join forces, it will be a win-win situation for both parties.

In recent years, China-Germany relations have been steadily developing, with cooperation in various fields being continuously consolidated and deepened. Among them, Bavaria in Germany has taken the lead in local cooperation between China and Germany, and its friendly cooperation with China's Sichuan, Shandong, and Guangdong provinces has made an important contribution to deepening China-Germany relations.

To continue to strengthen local cooperation between China and Germany, promote bilateral enterprises to expand two-way investment, and further deepen the economic and trade relations between the two countries, the 10th Bavarian China Day, co-hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Munich and the German city of Ingolstadt, was recently held in Munich."The friendship between China and Bavaria is deeply rooted and has a long history, with Bavaria being a pioneer in promoting friendly cooperation between China and Germany at the local level," said Lin Kai, the acting Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Munich. Under the political guidance of both leaders, economic and trade cooperation between China and Bavaria has yielded fruitful results. China has been Bavaria's most important trading partner for several years, with trade volume accounting for more than one-tenth of Bavaria's total foreign trade.

Many German political figures at the meeting expressed their expectations for promoting exchanges between China and Bavaria to lead Sino-German local cooperation, hoping to deepen cooperation with China in fields such as hydrogen energy, artificial intelligence, and electric vehicles, and support both sides' enterprises in further expanding two-way investment.

"Bavaria's economic development is robust, and the numerous opportunities brought by the Chinese market are indispensable," said Gotthard, the Secretary of State for Economy, Regional Development, and Energy of Bavaria. "In 2023, Bavaria's bilateral trade volume with China reached 53 billion euros, a nearly 70% increase compared to 2020. To address future challenges and continue to innovate and develop, both sides must maintain close cooperation." Regarding the recent EU trade protection measures against Chinese electric vehicles, Gotthard believes that escalating conflicts is not beneficial to either side and looks forward to further dialogue and mediation between China and Europe to seek a win-win solution in line with WTO rules.

In the view of Mayor Schäpf of Ingolstadt, both Germany and China are major global economies, and their good cooperation will provide key support for global economic stability. "Trade wars have never been a good solution for people around the world; cooperation is the best choice," Schäpf said. Schäpf noted that Ingolstadt's cooperation with China mainly focuses on the automotive, mechanical engineering, and information technology sectors. Looking to the future, there is potential for further cooperation between the two countries in the fields of environmental and climate protection, as well as education.