Suzhou Attracts Over 700 German-Funded Businesses, Signifying Stronger China-Germany Ties
NANJING, China, Sept. 24, 2025 — The 12th China-Germany Economic Cooperation Dialogue, under the Belt and Road Initiative, recently took place in Taicang. Chinese and German political and business leaders met to discuss the achievements of over 30 years of collaboration between Suzhou and Germany, and to plan for future growth.
From the establishment of the first German company in 1993 to the current 731 German-funded enterprises, Suzhou, known for its beauty and manufacturing prowess, has cultivated a strong partnership with Germany for over three decades. Impressive figures demonstrate the strength of Suzhou-Germany economic ties: bilateral trade reached $13.774 billion last year and exceeded $8.164 billion in the first seven months of this year.
Taicang, Suzhou’s key hub for German cooperation, is home to over 560 German companies, representing 10% of all German manufacturing firms in China. According to Christian Sommer, CEO of the German Centre Shanghai, Taicang’s positive reputation in Germany is a crucial factor in Suzhou’s successful collaboration, inspiring trust and preference among entrepreneurs.
Suzhou has emerged as a prime destination for German investment in China. By July of this year, Suzhou had received a cumulative $3.622 billion in actual German investment. Prominent German corporations like Bosch, Siemens, and Voith have established global R&D and production centers in Suzhou, with some generating annual revenues exceeding tens of billions of RMB and transforming their Suzhou facilities into key hubs for the Asia-Pacific region.
Two-way investment is flourishing. In recent years, Suzhou-based companies have actively pursued international expansion, establishing 133 investment projects in Germany with a total Chinese contractual investment of $1.76 billion. They are engaged in extensive collaboration with German companies across diverse sectors, including chemical raw materials, power generation, and supply. Furthermore, cooperation is expanding into high-tech areas such as new materials, new energy, artificial intelligence, and robotics.
Beyond economic connections, cultural integration between Suzhou and Germany is deepening. Christoph Ahlhaus, President of the German Federal Association of Small and Medium-sized Businesses, noted during his first visit that “The cheerful atmosphere of the Beer Carnival and the beautiful choir performances make Taicang feel like a second home for German companies.” He expressed his admiration for the Rothenburg-style German Street along Haiyundi, which blends Bavarian architecture with Jiangnan’s water town charm, symbolizing Suzhou’s people-to-people exchanges with Germany. The presence of German-brand restaurants and promotional materials for the FC Bayern Munich partnership project creates a sense of home for German employees. The partnership between Germany and Suzhou extends beyond economics, yielding positive outcomes in industrial synergy, talent development, and cultural exchange.
The Belt and Road China-Germany Economic Cooperation Dialogue serves as a platform for communication and practical collaboration between Chinese and German political and business leaders, facilitated through inter-party exchange channels. Since its inception in 2014, the event has been held 12 times in both China and Germany. Over the past decade, the Dialogue has become a well-regarded forum with significant influence in both countries, actively promoting economic and trade dialogue, enhancing mutual understanding and trust, fostering mutually beneficial cooperation, and supporting regional high-quality development and high-standard opening up.
Source: The 12th Belt and Road China-Germany Economic Cooperation Dialogue
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