Hildegard Müller, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry, has urged deeper cooperation between China and Germany, warning that traditional European automakers are confronting a profound industry shift in which Chinese carmakers have seized the lead, and that working together is the only way to win.
Müller's remarks with China Global Television Network (CGTN) came after the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference (WICV) which wrapped up in Beijing last week, where officials and business leaders from both countries gathered to discuss technology coordination, standards alignment and market access.
With electrification, digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping the global auto sector, the question of how China and Germany can leverage their complementary strengths to broaden cooperation has become a pressing one for both industries.
Müller said that the two countries can offer complementary experience for the industry's transformation.
She noted that Germany has long experience in building cars and has repeatedly managed to keep innovating.
"What is important, and I find this interesting for both sides, is to bring together the strengths that we have. China has tremendous speed and expertise in the use of data based business models and other areas, and we of course bring our experience in safety, efficiency and the like. So the future could be interesting for both sides if, while we compete with each other, we continue to learn from one another," she said.
Müller said she believes that transformation is advancing so radically and rapidly all over the world that carmakers must learn from each other, noting that the best approach is to bring together the best of all sides.
"Everyone is challenged to constantly question themselves, to invest in innovation, and to achieve rapid implementation of model policies. Speed has certainly been an incentive in the past, and I believe we will manage this together in the future as well," she said.
German auto industry chief urges China-Germany cooperation, mutual learning to navigate industry shift
