Siemens President and CEO Roland Busch underlined the importance of the vast and innovative Chinese market and high-caliber personnel for the German industrial giant's fully-embedded and expanded presence in China during an interview with the China Central Television (CCTV) aired on Friday.
Siemens was once under increasing pressure to diversify away from China as Germany seeks to reduce its dependence on the world's second largest economy. Busch, however, said that it was "not an option" to pull out of the market.
"Number one, it's one of our largest market. Number two, it's developing into the most innovative markets. So you have to play there in order to stay competitive. Last but not least it's the people. It's amazing the people which we have here in the company, their passion, their dedication, but also their competence in developing products in absolute, super-fast speed. That's amazing. Why wouldn't I not tap on this potential?" he said. Siemens has been operating in China for over 150 years with the original partnership starting in the 1870s. With 30,000 employees working in China, the German tech giant is deeply rooted in the Chinese market.
"So therefore and it was from the very beginning as a focus on the Chinese market as well. And we kept on going. For me, the point is if you are in a country for 150 years, I believe you are part of it. This is how we at Siemens feel that we are part of this economy, of the society, deeply embedded and rooted. It's another dimension which goes beyond the sheer size of a market, which goes beyond the growth potentials or the profitability expectations you make. It's really being part of a society, fully embedded, and that's something what makes, I believe also, the Chinese market for Siemens in particular very different," Busch said.
Siemens president cites potential behind company's fully-embedded presence in China
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
