In brief
The congress, held on 30 October in Lower Saxony, underscored the need for stronger collaboration amid rapid industry change. Leaders from Germany and China spoke on electrification, digitalisation, AI and autonomous driving, urging partnerships beyond vehicle production into batteries and connected‑car tech. The event followed an International Suppliers Fair that hosted 45 Chinese suppliers in Wolfsburg.
On Friday, 30 October, the 10th German‑Chinese Automotive Congress convened in Wolfsburg, drawing roughly 600 delegates from both countries to chart a roadmap for deeper collaboration as the auto industry accelerates its transformation.
Lower Saxony’s Minister‑President Olaf Lies opened the congress, stressing that the sector is undergoing “one of the biggest and most rapid transformation processes in its history.” He highlighted the twin forces of electrification and vehicle digitalisation, as well as artificial intelligence in manufacturing and autonomous driving, as the pillars pushing the industry forward.
Teaming up across the political divide, Volkswagen Group Technology chief executive Thomas Schmall urged that German and Chinese firms “must maintain dialogue and establish reliable and solid partnerships.” He praised the breadth of the event as a sign that cooperation could extend beyond the finished vehicle to the components that enable it.
Liu Minqiang, Director‑General of the Investment Promotion Agency of the Ministry of Commerce, took a slightly different angle. He noted that competition is not a detriment when transformation is at pace, arguing instead that it helps upgrade the industry. Liu urged participants to focus on improving technologies, product offerings and customer services, saying such competitive pressure ultimately delivers better products to motorists.
Lin Dong, Consul General of China in Hamburg, echoed the message of broader collaboration. He added that partnerships “have now gone beyond the conventional domain of complete vehicle production,” and that Chinese and German companies are working together on batteries, intelligent connectivity and other emerging technologies.
The congress followed the International Suppliers Fair that began on Tuesday in the same city. At that trade‑show, 45 Chinese automotive suppliers set up stalls in Wolfsburg, signalling a growing presence in the German supply chain. The two events together underscored the escalating importance of cross‑border linkages in a sector that is shifting from bodies to batteries, from analog to digital and from incremental to autonomous.
While the congress framed a positive relationship, open questions linger. For example, the degree to which existing patent regimes—particularly those around automotive electronics and battery chemistry—will accommodate joint ventures remains unclarified. Advanced driver‑assist systems, which are core to both nations’ parity ambitions, are still governed by a patchwork of national standards that could hamper interoperability.
Another point of debate concerns the supply‑chain resilience that will arise from deepened collaboration. As Chinese suppliers gain more footholds in Germany, questions about data protection, cyber‑security protocols and supply‑chain transparency will intensify, especially in light of growing scrutiny over technology theft concerns.
On the upside, both sides appear committed to expanding cooperation in emerging areas. The mention of battery technology partnership signals a strategic pivot aimed at balancing China’s dominant battery manufacturing capabilities with Germany’s expertise in high‑precision engineering and component integration.
Similarly, the accelerated integration of artificial intelligence—whether in production lines or as vehicle software—could foster a new generation of joint R&D initiatives, provided that intellectual‑property protections are mutually agreeable and that regulatory frameworks keep pace with technical advancement.
In the weeks to follow, the real test will be the conversion of these declarations into concrete deals. Whether the concessions announced at the congress translate into joint ventures, technology exchanges, or joint investment funds will influence the trajectory of the German‑Chinese automotive partnership in the next decade.
