China to send largest-ever delegation to Hamburg Summit

BEIJING - China will send its largest-ever delegation to the sixth meeting of the Hamburg Summit, scheduled to be held in Hamburg of Germany on Oct 10-11, according to a press briefing held in Beijing on Thursday.

This year's summit, titled "Hamburg Summit: China meets Europe", will draw a fleet of political, economic and academic leaders to discuss key topics in China-Europe economic relations, including the future of bilateral trade cooperation, China's economic trends and how to increase the popularity of Chinese brands.

The summit is considered the largest Sino-European business meeting.

Li Yizhong, chairman of the China Federation of Industrial Economics, will lead a 70-plus delegation to the meeting, including representatives of leading enterprises such as steelmaker Ansteel Group and Beijing Automobile Group.

It is the largest-ever Chinese delegation since the summit was founded in 2004.

European delegates include Prime Minister of Luxemburg Xavier Bettel, President of European Parliament Martin Schulz and EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, according to the briefing.

Lars Anke, chief representative of Hamburg Liaison Office in Shanghai, said Hamburg has become a door for Chinese companies to Germany and Europe. Over 500 Chinese companies have set up branches in the city.

The biennial "Hamburg Summit", initiated and organized by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce for the first time in 2004, serves as a platform for dialogues between China and Europe with an aim to enhance understanding and improve their economic relations.

Sino-German ties stronger	Top 10 German enterprises operating in China