German executives hail Shanghai's business environment
The "Sino-German Industrial Matchmaking Roundtable" was held in Yangpu District on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ongoing 6th China international Import Expo in Shanghai.
Executives from German companies in Shanghai expressed appreciation for the city's business environment and praised the local government's support during a meeting on the sidelines of the 6th China International Import Expo.
Delegations from the German Chamber of Commerce in China and about 100 representatives from key German and Chinese enterprises in the automotive, machinery, electronics, software and consulting sectors attended the "Sino-German Industrial Matchmaking Roundtable" in downtown Yangpu District on Wednesday.
"The business environment in China and Shanghai is very dynamic," said Martin Klose, executive director for the South and Southwest China of the chamber.
"It is essential to stay informed about current trends and developments and explore new business opportunities."
He noted that Yangpu is an important foreign investment destination for German companies. The chamber currently has over 2,100 member companies in China, with more than half of them located in the Yangtze River Delta region.
Thomas Meurers, CTO of Continental Investment (China), said the company chose to operate in Yangpu due to its "excellent business environment, outstanding service, strong support and in-time suggestions".
Continental currently has 23 production locations and 28 research and development centers with a workforce of more than 17,000 employees in China. Many of them are in Yangpu, he revealed.
The company signed a cooperation agreement with Tongji University and the Yangpu government on the sidelines of the CIIE with the aim to further cooperate on innovation.
"From here we will master the undergoing transition from traditional vehicles to electrical, shared and intelligent & connected vehicles," he told the meeting.
Yangpu has a long history of collaboration with Germany, with deep economic and trade ties. Several leading German companies, including Siemens, Henkel, Continental, Vitesco and ThyssenKrupp, have established a strong presence in Yangpu, Shi Fang, deputy director of the district, pointed out.
Shi said that Yangpu will strive to create three US$100-billion industrial clusters for the new online economy, intelligent manufacturing and creative design sectors, respectively. It will also focus on fields, such as artificial intelligence, life and health, green and low-carbon and technology services.
