Chamber aids Chinese companies to enter EU markets

The author is executive director of Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Germany

China and Germany have long enjoyed sound trade relations and have maintained their status as each other's largest trade partner.

However, obstacles exist with Sino-German and Sino-European trade cooperation.

Thanks to economic globalization, trade liberalization and the multilateral trade talks under the framework of the World Trade Organization, traditional trade protection tools including tariffs, import licenses and export quotas have seen their existence reduced.

More and more countries have been adopting new trade protection methods including anti-dumping, anti-subsidies and green trade barriers, as well as intellectual property protection.

In recent years, trade frictions between China and European countries have occurred during anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations targeting China's photovoltaic and telecommunications industries.

However, German companies' attitudes toward their Chinese counterparts have changed significantly, and for the better.

They have become aware that Chinese enterprises could not only provide inexpensive textile products and toys, but that many high-tech enterprises are active in the country, including Huawei, Lenovo and Haier.

The hardworking, diligent, modest Chinese people who are keen to learn have impressed their German counterparts.

China and German enterprises have strong complementary advantages.

On one hand, China has embarked on the road to upgrade its industries, and the era when Chinese companies only manufactured cheap products is gone. During the industrial transformation, China needs to partner with countries like Germany that have strong high-tech prowess. On the other hand, for the growth of German companies, China is the world's largest consumer market with the fastest development speed. The huge Chinese market has huge allure for German companies.

During Chinese businesses' "go global" campaign, overseas Chinese chambers of commerce must play a key role in protecting the investment interests of Chinese enterprises.

In particular, in a country like Germany with strong and mature business associations, the chamber should play a responsible role in the country's political and economic development.

As the first Chinese chamber of commerce set up in Europe that has been recognized by the two countries' governments, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Germany will beef up its efforts to do the following work:

First, establish a public information service platform, helping Chinese enterprises expand overseas and aiding their foray into German and other European markets.

Second, establish a platform to sustain communications among Chinese businesses that have set up in Germany, help their exchanges with their German counterparts, accelerate their pace of integrating into local society, help their efforts in localized management and business development and build a real and positive image for Chinese enterprises in Germany's mainstream society.

Third, analyze the investment climate in the proposed destinations, acting as a representative between Chinese and German governments as well as business circles, aid Chinese enterprises to improve their investment environment and solve any difficulties, and partner them to tackle challenges in Germany.

(China Daily 03/24/2016 page6)