German president highlights China-Germany cooperation in Anhui visit

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has hailed China-Germany cooperation on his state visit to China, stressing that cooperation between the two countries is worthwhile.

During his visit to Hefei in east China's Anhui Province, Steinmeier visited the local research hub of Volkswagen, where he experienced locally developed intelligent electric vehicles and saw tangible outcomes of Sino-German cooperation.

Shortly after arriving in Hefei late at night and having only a few hours of rest, Steinmeier visited the Volkswagen Group China Technology Company (VCTC) on Tuesday morning. This site serves as Volkswagen's largest research and development center outside Germany.

Steinmeier took a close look at the next-generation intelligent vehicle computing platform co-developed by Chinese and German teams, and also learned how locally deployed robotic systems boost testing efficiency. The deep integration of German manufacturing standards and craftsmanship with China's innovative technologies and agile development speed captured his attention.

Leveraging China's mature industrial chains of batteries, smart cabins, autonomous driving solutions, local supply networks and rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), Volkswagen has ramped up research and development of electric vehicles in China in recent years. Through homegrown innovation in China, the automaker has cut its overall vehicle development cycle by roughly 30%.

Steinmeier and his wife took to the test track to experience the vehicle's advanced driver-assistance and automatic parking functions. The intelligent driving system was independently developed by Volkswagen's Chinese joint venture, drawing on China's innovation ecosystem.

"Volkswagen has invested here in a German-Chinese joint venture. It gets to take part in the rapid technological transformation unfolding in China, working with Chinese partners on mobility software, with a special focus on integrating AI into vehicles and advancing battery research and development," Steinmeier said. "Solutions developed here can later be rolled out for production in Germany and even in Europe."

Thomas Ulbrich, Chief Technology Officer of Volkswagen Group China, highlighted the transformed partnership model. "Under our 'In China, for China' strategy, we engage in far more equal collaboration on technical decision-making. It is no longer a one-way flow where engineering is finished in Germany and only manufactured in China. Cooperation between German manufacturers and Chinese tech partners matters more than ever, enabling high-quality research and development rooted in China," Ulbrich said.

Before touring the Volkswagen facility, he visited Luogang Park – a flagship "sponge city" ecological park built on a decommissioned airport site through a joint Chinese and German initiative, showcasing innovative sustainable urban planning.

"We are delighted to see such Sino-German projects come to fruition. This demonstrates that cooperation between Germany and China is worthwhile," Steinmeier said during the visit.

Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China, said the German president's visit provides a parallel channel for high-level communication between the two countries – one that is not contingent upon short-term trade maneuvering – thereby preventing China-Germany and China-EU relations from being defined solely by economic and trade frictions.

"The foundation of China-Germany relations is not merely a single business deal or a specific project. Rather, it is built upon decades of accumulated industrial ties and mutual learning between civilizations," Wang said.