German entrepreneurs accompanying Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz on a visit to China say they are expecting more opportunities to expand business development in China, eyeing more cooperation for sustainable development and integration of scientific and technological innovation.
Scholz is visiting China from Sunday to Tuesday at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang. He is being accompanied by senior representatives of a number of renowned German companies, including Siemens, Bayer, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Zeiss.
In southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the first stop of Scholz's current China visit, the business executives talked about their expectations from the visit in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV).
"It's a lot of conversations about just different opportunities we have to expand both our development, product development and manufacturing and sales," said Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer, a German pharmaceutical and agribusiness giant.
"We have been very focused on analyzing the situation of the environment, how can we collaborate in order to be able to get some…, how can we bring together common priorities like sustainability, digitalization, integration of new technologies like artificial intelligence," said Belen Garijo Lopez, chairwoman of the Executive Board and CEO of Germany's leading science and technology group Merck.
Markus Kamieth, chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of German chemical giant BASF SE shared the three topics that he expects to talk about with Chinese entrepreneurs and government officials: growth, green development and innovation.
Some German entrepreneurs see China's market as a "gym" where multinational companies can experience rapid growth through both competition and cooperation. They expressed the belief that foreign-invested companies can expedite their transformation and upgrading while achieving localized development.
The business delegation toured a Chongqing-based hydrogen power system plant of Germany's leading technology and service company Bosch Group, witnessing rapid growth of a joint venture in the municipality.
The factory, which was put into operation in November last year, is now capable of manufacturing hydrogen-powered engines for 32 car models.
"We have invested in the development and production of hydrogen fuel cells in both Germany and China, and China has taken the lead in many aspects of new energy vehicles in recent years," said Xiao Haodong, general manager of the factory.
"Chinese industry also matches quite well [with the business of our company]. It is a quite long-term perspective for this green vehicle transportation," Dehn Johannes, vice-president for Research and Development of Bosch Automotive Diesel Systems Co., Ltd.
More than 5,000 German companies are operating in China -- which has been Germany's largest trading partner for decades.
German entrepreneurs expect more opportunities for cooperation in China
The year 2024 celebrates the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties, and it also heralds the China-France Year of Cultural Tourism, a celebration aimed at bolstering cultural and people-to-people exchanges through a series of enriching events.
During a special episode focused on this milestone, cultural experts and influencers from both nations shared insights into the depth of Sino-French cultural interactions.
The discussion, livestreamed from Shanghai on April 22, began with a historical overview, notably when then-Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai introduced President Georges Pompidou to the Yungang Grottoes, a renowned Buddhist cave site in north China's Shanxi. These caves feature intricate carvings that reflect religious and cultural syntheses from the 5th and 6th centuries.
David Gosset, founder of the China-Europe-America Global Initiative, commented on the geopolitical context of the initial outreach.
"People have to remember that we were in the middle of the Cold War, therefore, the world was divided. For a Western country like France to reach out to China, and of course vice versa, it's a beautiful moment, historical diplomatic breakthroughs, means that despite all the geopolitical difficulties, a spirit of cooperation and friendship can prevail," said Gosset.
Xie Dingwei, executive director of the Bund One Art Museum, emphasized the importance of preserving cultural heritage.
"We need to preserve these cultural heritages. We not [just] preserve the sculptures or the buildings itself, but also, it gives us a chance to see hundreds of years ago, how our craftsmanship, our architecture, our human beings, we have reached [such] high levels, which brings us to the present time these treasures, these values. This is something we really cannot afford to lose. Culture is a common language; it doesn't matter you're Eastern art or Western art, somehow they can be connected. So this is something I think it creates a communication channel between the nations," said Xie.
The cultural connection was recently demonstrated during a meeting last April between French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they enjoyed the performance of "Flowing Water" played on the Guqin by a Chinese artist, symbolizing the flowing friendship between the two nations.
"This communication on art subjects between the nations and different peoples are really, really important. It goes beyond politics, beyond the differences between the nations. But you all go to getting closer to understanding each other," said Xie.
Gosset also supported the notion of fostering unity through cultural platforms, aligning with President Xi Jinping's idea of building a community with a shared future.
"I am completely aligned with this idea. We are on the same boat. Our world is frightened by too many divisions. And I think, what is important is to support the forces that can unite us, so it can be music, and certainly museums, and you need leaders with a vision that does not separate us," said Gosset.
Six decades of China-France diplomatic relations highlighted by cultural exchange
