There is no longer a single standout player in the global economy; internationally active companies and research institutes are experiencing a world with multiple centers of power. Moreover, geopolitical tensions or economic wars are causing once-reliable supply chains to become fragile. Against this backdrop, it makes sense to turn one's attention to China, as the country with its economy is one of the largest economic powers in the new world order in terms of geopolitical weight, size, and technological competence. It has long since developed from a former sales and manufacturing location into an economic region with high innovation and technological competence; Chinese companies are now considered leading in future-oriented industries such as battery, autonomous driving, or robotics technology, and the same applies to areas such as artificial intelligence, 5G, or digital platforms. With regard to the question of securing resources, China is also an attractive partner with its provision of rare earths and strategically important raw materials such as lithium or graphite. Entrepreneurial insights into these developments and possible cooperations with Chinese partners in these fields have strategic value for the companies involved.
The relations between Germany and Thuringia with China are already very intensive today. Currently, around 5,200 German companies with 1.1 million jobs are active in China, with 90 percent of them producing directly for the local market. In the People's Republic, numerous DAX corporations generate a third or more of their revenue. In addition to large corporations mainly from the automotive, mechanical engineering, and chemical sectors, many mid-sized companies are also active on site. For Thuringia, China is the most important trading partner, namely the most important supply market and the fourth most important export market. The delegation trip, which will be led by Thuringia's Minister of Economic Affairs Colette Boos-John, builds on this. In general, the aim of the trip is to expand and deepen relations between China and Thuringia at the economic, scientific, and political levels. Thuringia will present itself on site as an attractive location, representatives of the Free State will address Chinese investors and offer support for Chinese investments in Thuringia. The business delegation benefits from targeted company visits and business matchmaking with diverse Contacten with business representatives from the People's Republic. The focus is on the economic and technology fields of robotics and intelligent manufacturing, automotive, optics/optoelectronics/sensor technology, digital transformation/artificial intelligence, as well as green environmental technologies. According to the current planning status, the stops on the trip are Beijing with numerous Contacten to government representatives and companies such as Alibaba, Lenovo and Baidu, Shanghai with diverse Contact to innovative and globally significant companies as well as Ningde with a visit to the headquarters of the battery cell manufacturer CATL – this global corporation made the largest single investment by a company in Thuringia since reunification in recent years, and Economics Minister Boos-John and the delegation are very happy to accept the corporation's invitation. In addition, excursions to interesting business locations in Changzhou, Taicang and Suzhou are to be offered.
You can find information about the delegation trip to China here: Delegation trip to the People's Republic of China 2025.
