'Invest in China' roundtable meeting held in Munich, Germany

China places significant emphasis on its economic and trade relations with Germany, its top trading partner in Europe for nearly half a century, said a senior Chinese government official.

During an "invest in China"-themed roundtable meeting held in Munich, Germany, on Saturday, Ling Ji, vice-minister of commerce and China's deputy international trade representative, said that trade between China and Germany accounts for one-third of the total trade between China, Europe and German investment in China accounts for one-third of the European Union's investment in China, according to an online statement released by the Ministry of Commerce.

The economic and trade relationship between China and Germany has formed a mutually beneficial situation. Investing in China has become a common need for the development of both Chinese and German enterprises and helps enhance the global competitiveness of German companies, said Ling during his meeting with senior executives of German companies including Siemens AG and BMW Group.

China hopes that German businesses will seize the opportunities presented by the development of China's digital economy and green transformation, and strengthen cooperation in fields such as electric vehicles, clean energy, biopharmaceuticals and artificial intelligence to promote greater development in Sino-German economic and trade relations, Ling added.

The leaders of German businesses said that China is one of the most important markets globally and plays a key role in the world's industrial and supply chains. German companies have grown in the context of economic globalization, adhere to free trade, welcome competition from emerging markets, and oppose protectionism and the "decoupling" from China.