Germany expects stronger trade ties with China at Berlin forum

Germany is looking to strengthen cooperation with China as officials and business leaders from both sides met at a forum in Berlin on Thursday to discuss expanding trade and investment ties.

The forum, hosted by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry alongside a promotion event for the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE), focused on ways to keep the trading relationship relevant and to explore new areas of cooperation ahead of the next edition of expo scheduled in Shanghai in November.

“The [bilateral] trading relationship, first and foremost, is essential. And it has been for decades. And you know, our event today is all about also figuring out how we can keep it relevant and how we also can develop new areas of cooperation. This event is also all about exporting more to China again,” said Thomas Konig, director China at the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK).

Germany and China have maintained strong trade ties for decades, with Germany remaining one of China’s key economic partners in Europe.

Officials at the forum said expanding imports from Germany could create new opportunities for cooperation in sectors including aviation, automotive manufacturing, healthcare and industrial equipment.

Ling Ji, vice minister of commerce of China and deputy China international trade representative, said China is willing to increase imports of high-quality German products, technologies and services as part of efforts to promote more balanced bilateral trade.

China, home to the world’s largest middle-income population and the world’s second-largest consumer market, launched its “Export to China” initiative last year to help foreign companies access the Chinese market, Ling said.

The discussions come at a time of global economic uncertainty, trade tensions and concerns over trade imbalances.

German officials stressed that cooperation must continue, but future growth depends on balance.

“In the end, there cannot be winners on only one side. We must make sure there are winners on all sides,” said Thomas Steffen, state secretary with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

He stressed the need to make the cake bigger for everyone.

Industry groups pointed to opportunities in medical technology, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and the green transition.

“Just look into the future, med-tech. You have the waste management, you have the circular economy, you have AI, you have quantum technology, you have smart manufacturing. German innovators are ready to do their part and to contribute,” said Konig.

According to the organizers, the CIIE will once again bring together thousands of companies from around the world, all hoping to turn today’s conversations into tomorrow’s contracts.

By leveraging the Shanghai Science and Technology Film City, Shanghai is forging a full-chain AI film ecosystem that covers computing power, data, models, and application scenarios, thus driving the integrated development of “film plus technology.”

At a workshop during this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), staff showed how a green screen and virtual studio can create a video of someone flying on a sword in only 10 minutes, a process that once took hours or even days.

“Our new AI workflow can bypass the tedious process of creating 3D assets. We only need a simple white model to position the actor within the scene. Then, AI takes care of everything, including integration of lights and shadows, computer-generated visual effects, and traditional manual production, dramatically improving efficiency,” said Wang Yi, marketing director of a Shanghai-based virtual production technology company.

Technological innovation, continuous upgrades, and the pursuit of quality have become industry standards for filmmakers and television producers.

“What we’re working on now is using a full AI workflow to adapt a classic black-and-white movie into a short drama series of 60 episodes, each about two to three minutes long. With the rapid improvement of large language model capabilities, on the production side, we can complete a short drama project of over 100 minutes in just about two months,” said Yu Xin, a person in charge of a company based at the Shanghai Science and Technology Film City AI Creation Ecosystem Center.

Located in Songjiang District, the Shanghai Science and Technology Film City houses over 8,000 film and TV enterprises, forming a full-chain AI ecosystem that covers computing power, data, models, and application scenarios.

“The AI Creation Ecosystem Center has attracted more than 50 companies over the past year and secured over 50 million yuan in commercial commissions. Moving forward, we will provide support not only in terms of computing power and funding but also through talent-related policies,” said Zhao Huiying, director of the Songjiang District Culture and Tourism Bureau.