China seeks greater imports from Europe

Under the program, China's Ministry of Commerce selects five to eight annual partner countries each year to organize more than 100 import-boosting activities.

Li Guoqing, deputy director-general of the China International Import Expo Bureau, noted that 151 countries, regions and international organizations have so far participated in the CIIE Country Exhibition, while Germany ranks first in Europe in terms of both exhibition space and the number of participating enterprises.

"The China-Germany relationship has always been strong and complementary, with significant long-term potential," said Thomas Koenig, a senior China affairs expert at the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"Despite global trade tensions and other challenges, there remains substantial room for cooperation. China's market continues to be highly attractive for German businesses and expanding German exports to China can contribute to a more balanced and resilient bilateral economic relationship. That is why I remain cautiously optimistic about the future of China-Germany cooperation," Koenig added.

Eberhard J. Trempel, director-general of the German Global Trade Forum Berlin, said he believes that the future holds enormous potential for deeper, synergistic cooperation in forward-looking industries such as infrastructure, green tech and decarbonization, autonomous driving, as well as artificial intelligence and industrial automation.

"In smart manufacturing, German expertise in hardware and mechanical engineering complements China's speed in applying AI and big data in an ideal way," he said.

Vice-Minister Ling also talked about China's trade surplus with Germany and the latter's call for balance.

"We fully understand Germany's concerns regarding trade imbalances, but shifts between surpluses and deficits are normal," he said. "Germany possesses advanced technologies, high-quality industrial products and premium consumer goods, and demand for German products in the Chinese market continues to grow. I believe that as long as both sides remain open to one another, achieving a balanced bilateral trade relationship is only a matter of time."

Stefan Oelrich, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and head of its pharmaceuticals division, said China is no longer viewed merely as a vast market, but as a critical source of innovation for multinationals seeking to remain globally competitive. Oelrich sees China "not only as one of our most important markets, but increasingly as an innovation engine feeding directly into our global pipeline.

"If we want to remain at the forefront of our industry, we need to be where innovation happens. China is clearly one of those places, and an increasingly important one," he said.