Chinese and German Premiers Discuss New Era of Competition and Cooperation, Joined by Auto Giants Including Geely, NIO, and Xiaomi

On February 25, 2026, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz jointly attended the China-Germany Economic Advisory Committee Symposium at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. This marked Merz’s first visit to China since taking office and made him the first foreign leader to visit China in the Year of the Horse. Over 60 business leaders participated in the event—on the Chinese side, including Li Shufu of Geely, Li Bin of NIO, and Lei Jun of Xiaomi; on the German side, representatives from 30 leading companies such as Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Siemens. Amid rising global protectionism, China-Germany trade reached RMB 1.51 trillion in 2025, restoring China’s position as Germany’s largest trading partner. Premier Li emphasized that “cooperation is the best solution to managing risks” and outlined three key directions: deepening traditional collaboration, promoting two-way innovation flows, and optimizing the investment environment. Chancellor Merz responded positively, expressing support for strengthening cooperation in areas such as automotive manufacturing and renewable energy. With China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) market penetration exceeding 50%, Sino-German automotive collaboration is shifting from the old model of “market access in exchange for technology” toward joint R&D, co-built platforms, and shared outcomes, continuously deepening bilateral cooperation.