A leading German logistics company executive emphasized the continued growing significance of the Chinese market for the future, noting that the U.S. tariff policy adjustment will not affect his company's globalizing efforts.
Matthias Magnor, chief operating officer of the BLG, told CGTN in an interview that his company has expanded its partnerships with Chinese logistics firms, such as Shanghai Haitong International Automotive Terminal and China COSCO Shipping Corp., since last year. And BLG will move beyond reliance on U.S. trade.
"Last year, we signed a friendly agreement with Shanghai Haitong International Automotive Terminal. Since then, we have maintained very close business communication. Recently, we also signed an agreement with China COSCO Shipping Corp., Ltd., making them an important partner. They now regularly call at ports in Bremen. Therefore, we believe that having a 'multi-legged approach' is a good thing. We can no longer solely rely on trade with the U.S., and we have naturally recognized the importance of the Chinese market for the coming decades," said Magnor.
The BLG Logistics Group, headquartered in the port city of Bremen in northern Germany, currently operates over 100 sites worldwide, with over 10,000 employees. Its terminal in Bremen is Germany's largest automobile loading and unloading terminal.
Over the past two decades, many companies in Bremen have progressively expanded their footprint in the Chinese market, reinforcing their trade ties with China. The Chinese market's scale, potential, and business environment have become key sources of their confidence in strengthening cooperation with China, added Magnor.
German logistics firm BLG to deepen business ties with China despite US tariff policy changes
Zhou Hongyi, founder of Chinese cybersecurity giant Qihoo 360 and a member of China’s top political advisory body, has stressed the need to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to confront mounting security threats in a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN).
As a member to the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Zhou placed "AI plus” security at the core of his proposals to this year's "two sessions," which convene this week, framing it as China's frontline strategy for strengthening cybersecurity.
The "two sessions" are the yearly meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the CPPCC, which serve five-year terms and convene each March. The fourth session of the 14th NPC and the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC kicked off on Thursday and Wednesday, respectively.
Expanding on the "AI plus" security agenda, Zhou said it would enable China to simulate cyberattacks, uncover weaknesses, and deploy digital agents across industries, measures he sees as vital to safeguarding enterprises in the AI era.
"This year I would like to first focus on 'AI plus' security, which means we must use AI's abilities to solve traditional security issues. For example we can simulate an attack to an enterprise's network, identifying its vulnerabilities and then fix them. Secondly, I think AI agents would be a key factor for 'AI plus' to be truly implemented into various industries, because large models have their own limits. Only by transforming large models into AI agents, and into digital experts and digital interns, can it be integrated with the business of enterprises," Zhou said.
Turning to the humanoid robots showcased at this year's Spring Festival Gala, Zhou said their appearance highlighted China's rapid progress in robotics and signaled that the era of intelligent machines is approaching.
"I am not surprised. I feel quite lucky I didn't do boxing with those robots on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala, because I don't think I can hit them. I think China's robots manufacturing industry has seen huge progress over the past year. On the other hand, I think that show also reflects our country's industrial strategy, which is sending us a signal that an era of robots is coming. How shall we empower our enterprises through AI? That's a question our entrepreneurs and investors need to think about," he said.
As China embarks on its 15th Five-Year Plan in 2026, Zhou projects that the continued development of AI will drive substantial demand in key sectors, such as energy, raw materials, and chips.
"First I think energy, as well as some of the raw materials that can align with the development of computing power would see huge progress. The chips industry will also be developed. I think China needs more inference chips. And there would also be a huge demand for electricity," he said.
This year marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period, spanning from 2026 to 2030, a period widely seen as pivotal for the country's long-term development. The plan is expected to be formally endorsed by the NPC during the "two sessions" with more detailed targets released later.
CPPCC member calls for AI-driven defenses to safeguard enterprises amid rising cyber threats
