China Germany Photo:VCG

A Chinese business delegation has departed for Germany on a three-day business trip,MK sports aiming to strengthen communication and exchanges and deepen practical cooperation with the German business community, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the organizer of the visit, said on Monday on its WeChat account.

This visit will focus on automotive industry cooperation. The Chinese delegation will meet with corporate leaders from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, as well as key automotive suppliers like Bosch, which play a crucial role in the industry's supply chain, CCTV News reported, citing a person in charge at the CCPIT.

According to Yuyuantantian, a social media account affiliated with China Media Group, the visit comes amid recent US tariff threats against European automakers, particularly targeting German auto manufacturers, which made up 73 percent of Europe's car exports to the US in 2024.

US President Donald Trump announced last Tuesday a plan to impose tariffs of about 25 percent on automobile imports, along with semiconductors and pharmaceuticals bound for the US, as early as April 2, according to a CNN report.

For EU automakers, the threatened 25-percent punitive tariffs would be 10 times higher than the current passenger car tariff rate of 2.5 percent, according to a report from Reuters.

Chinese enterprises have always sought to strengthen practical cooperation with companies from other countries, relying on dialogue to address concerns and uncertainties, the CCPIT person in charge said.

The ongoing visit of Chinese enterprises to Germany aims to deepen cooperation, aligning with the interests of both parties and positively contributing to the certainty of global supply chains and international trade, Ding Chun, director of the Center for European Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Monday.

"China and Germany, whose industrial chains are deeply connected, are advised to strengthen communication to avoid trade conflicts and forge win-win solutions amid uncertainties brought by evolving international dynamics, such as policy changes from the Trump administration," said Ding.

There are many examples of German companies' deep-rooted presence in China. For instance, more than 550 German enterprises had settled in Taicang, a county-level city in East China's Jiangsu Province as of the end of 2024, having generated three German-funded industrial chains: auto parts, industrial machinery and aerospace, according to media reports.

According to the CCPIT, Ren Hongbin, chairman of the council, will lead the Chinese entrepreneurs in high-level discussions with officials from Germany's state governments of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, including top executives from Bosch, Daimler, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Wacker Chemie.

The delegation consists of about 30 Chinese enterprises and industry associations, including CRRC Corp, CITIC Group, and China General Technology Group, representing industries including finance, transportation, vehicles, agriculture, machinery manufacturing, intelligent logistics equipment, energy and minerals, information and communications, new energy and healthcare, according to the CCPIT. 

In recent years, China-Germany relations have maintained positive momentum, with cooperation deepening across various fields. During this delegation's visit to Germany, both sides will explore development potential in trade, vehicles, machinery manufacturing, new energy and digital technology, to promote deeper integration of their industrial and supply chains and better benefit the people of both countries, according to the CCPIT.

"China and Germany serve as pivotal economic and trade partners between China and Europe, particularly in industrial chains, supply chains, automotive manufacturing, and many other sectors. Their cooperation in industries, technology, supply chains, and trade is and will be mutually beneficial," Ding said, adding that the potential remains huge.

According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs, China's trade with Germany accounted for 25.7 percent of its trade with the EU, and it also accounted for 16.5 percent of its trade with Europe. Germany remains China's biggest trade partner in the EU.

Some Chinese enterprises voiced their intent to forge deeper ties with their German counterparts during the visit, while seeking new market opportunities, according to a report from the Xinhua News Agency.

For example, Zhu Guangmei, deputy general manager at Beijing Tegene Robots Co, who is among the delegation, said that "Germany's high-end manufacturing and R&D are highly complementary to our company's equipment technology advantages," according to Xinhua.

It is hoped that through this visit, the all-round and deep-level cooperation with German enterprises in the financial and industrial fields can be strengthened, said delegation member Su Guoxin, chairman of CITIC Europe Holdings a.s., a subsidy of CITIC Group, according to a Xinhua report.