Top trade partner, gateway to Europe

Investment partner

Most of China's foreign direct investment from EU countries comes from Germany.

According to data from China's Ministry of Commerce, there were a total of 8,193 projects from German enterprises in China by the end of 2013.

Actual utilized investment from Germany reached $21.8 billion in industries including automobiles, chemical engineering, power generating equipment, transportation, steel and telecommunications.

According to a report from German Chamber of Commerce in China released this year, German enterprises in China are generally satisfied with the country's overall business environment.

Ninety percent want to expand their business in the country, 45.3 percent plan to increase investment, 46.5 percent view China as one of their top-three overseas markets and one-sixth believe that the country is the most important market in the world.

Germany has become the gateway to Europe for many Chinese enterprises, especially in the manufacturing industry.

According to the data from the Ministry of Commerce, China's investment in Germany from 2010 to 2013 grew 28.4 percent.

By the end of 2013, the value of non-financial direct investment from China in Germany was $3.9 billion with more than 2,000 Chinese enterprises and organizations in Germany.

According to a report from Germany Trade and Invest -a governmental department responsible for trade and investment - there were 139 new direct investment projects from China in Germany merely in 2013 and China was the third-largest source of foreign investment. Industries in Germany that appeal to Chinese enterprises include machinery manufacturing, electronics and telecommunication technologies.

Since 2010, the range of major Chinese enterprises that expanded investment in Germany including the nation's largest machinery manufacturer SANY Group, Beijing No 1 Machine Tool Plant and Shanggong Group. China's telecommunication giants Huawei and ZTE will resettle their headquarters for Europe in Germany.

China, Germany sign trade pacts	Infographics: Sino-German ties stronger