German Chancellor Angela Merkel made an official visit to China from February 25 to 26, marking her first trip to the country since taking office. According to a report by Germany’s Handelsblatt, the business community showed strong enthusiasm for the visit, with the number of applicants far exceeding the available slots. The final delegation included executives from approximately 30 leading companies in Germany’s competitive sectors, such as automotive, chemicals, biopharmaceuticals, machinery manufacturing, and circular economy. Amid growing uncertainties in the global economic outlook, this “high-profile” delegation vividly demonstrated the German business community’s keen interest and firm confidence in the Chinese market. This confidence is rooted first and foremost in the pragmatic logic of market selection. Economic and trade cooperation has long served as the “ballast stone” of Sino-German relations. In recent years, bilateral trade between China and Germany has remained stable at over $200 billion, while two-way investment has exceeded $65 billion, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total scale of China and the EU. Trade with China supports around 1 million jobs in Germany, with more than 5,000 German companies investing and operating in this thriving market. Whether in automotive manufacturing, machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, or consumer goods, the Chinese market is not only a crucial sales destination but also a stable and reliable growth space for German enterprises. Its vast scale and high stability provide irreplaceable support, enabling German companies to maintain confidence in their complex and ever-changing global strategies. At the 8th China International Import Expo, over 130 German companies participated, ranking first among EU countries—a concrete “vote of confidence” in China.
Further, the enthusiasm of German companies for cooperation with China stems not only from the attraction of the market size but also from China’s broad-mindedness in adhering to openness and inclusiveness, as well as its willingness to share the fruits of technological development with the world. The economic ties between China and Germany have long transcended simple trade exchanges, reflecting more deeply the integration and mutual learning of technologies, standards, and innovation systems, jointly painting a picture of mutually beneficial industrial cooperation. In recent years, German companies have continuously increased their R&D and innovation investments in China, from intelligent driving and electrification transformation to digital upgrades, with a series of high-level R&D and innovation platforms being established. This marks China’s rapid growth from a mere sales market to a crucial innovation hub driving global technological iteration and the transformation of achievements, effectively boosting German companies’ global competitiveness.
At the same time, China also actively encourages domestic enterprises to bring advanced technologies and solutions in fields such as new energy batteries, photovoltaic power generation, and industrial robots to Germany, helping the local manufacturing industry achieve green and digital transformation. This two-way flow and integration of technology is a vivid embodiment of China’s commitment to open innovation. China firmly believes that the development of science and technology should not be a “zero-sum game,” but rather a common wealth for all humanity. By proactively building international exchange platforms such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), China is committed to eliminating technical barriers and promoting the free flow of innovative elements worldwide, enabling countries around the world, including Germany, to benefit from China’s high-quality development and technological progress. As Stefan Hartung, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Germany’s Bosch Group, commented, “China is one of the most dynamic innovation markets we have seen and has become an important innovation base for us in new fields such as assisted driving and software.”
Against the backdrop of current global geopolitical tensions, the institutional stability provided by China has brought a certain degree of predictability to multinational corporations, including those from Germany. Unlike the “America First” trade protectionist approach adopted by the United States, when some countries such as the U.S. take measures like “building walls” and “decoupling,” affecting the stability of global industrial and supply chains, China persists in high-level opening-up, striving to create a stable, fair, transparent, and predictable business environment for global investors through institutional openness.
In recent years, China has continuously reduced the negative list for foreign investment access, fully implemented the pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list management system, and firmly protected the legitimate rights and interests of foreign-invested enterprises with laws and regulations such as the Foreign Investment Law as the foundation. The core of this openness, which is guaranteed by institutional safeguards, lies in providing predictability—a precious resource that is extremely scarce in today’s turbulent world.
The survey shows that as high as 93% of German companies in China are willing to continue deepening their presence in the China market. One important reason is that China’s continuous release of innovative vitality, domestic demand potential, and invaluable policy stability provide solid support for their global layout. Clear development direction and stable policy guidance are themselves the greatest source of corporate confidence. When some markets face significantly increased risks due to erratic policies, China represents rules, order, and long-term commitments.
The resolute decision of executives from about 30 leading companies to accompany the German Chancellor was itself a rational choice of voting with their feet, clearly demonstrating that in an uncertain world, deepening cooperation with China, a stable and dynamic partner, is a wise move to grasp and shape the future. As Mertz emphasized before his visit to China, “We have strategic interests in seeking partners around the world who share our ideas and ways of doing things, and most importantly, who are willing to work with us to shape the future.” For the German business community, taking concrete actions to “choose China” is a vivid footnote to this future.