China, Germany seek deeper economic cooperation at Guangzhou roundtable

Government officials and business leaders from China and Germany gathered in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on Thursday for an economic roundtable.

Germany's economy and energy minister Katherina Reiche said China has shown strong momentum in growth, investment, innovation and global market expansion, and Germany hopes to attract more Chinese companies to invest and deepen cooperation in digitalization and decarbonization.

As one of China's most open and economically vibrant regions, Guangdong is emerging as a key platform for economic and trade cooperation between China and Germany.

Guangdong Vice Governor Zhang Guozhi said trade between Guangdong and Germany rose from 217 billion yuan (about $31.8 billion) to 265.5 billion yuan during China's 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), representing an average annual growth of 6.4%.

At the economic roundtable, representatives from more than 30 German companies and 50 Chinese firms held discussions on advanced manufacturing, new energy, the digital economy and other industries.

Executives from German companies pointed to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a key center for innovation and future growth.

The Greater Bay Area is an innovation hub that continues to lead technological development, said Sabine Nitzsche, chief financial officer of TÜV SÜD AG. The company, which entered the Chinese market in 1991, is building an operations center in Guangzhou to facilitate technical cooperation and standards recognition between China and Germany.

Germany has remained China's largest trading partner and biggest source of foreign investment in Europe. The two countries have also achieved extensive industrial integration.

China's appeal to German companies continues to strengthen. Data from the German Economic Institute show that new German direct investment in China amounted to roughly 7 billion euros in 2025, well above the roughly 4.5 billion euros recorded a year earlier.

Economic and trade cooperation between China and Germany is not only a "stabilizing anchor" and a "driving force" for bilateral relations but also a strong boost to sound economic and trade ties between China and Europe, said Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Ling Ji.