Volkswagen Group recently launched a full process research and development testing center in Hefei, achieving for the first time the full chain development of a new car platform outside of its headquarters in Germany, from concept to launch, shortening the vehicle development cycle by about 30% and helping it respond more quickly to the needs of the world's most dynamic automotive market. The landing of the core R&D chain in China not only conforms to the market, but also reflects a high recognition of China's technological advantages and industrial ecology. This trend is particularly prominent in German investment: since the beginning of this year, Siemens Healthineers has invested in establishing a new magnetic resonance imaging base in Shenzhen; Bosch Group has signed a contract with Suzhou Industrial Park, planning to invest 10 billion yuan in the next 5 years to build an innovative research and development project for the intelligent driving control industry; BASF's largest single investment project to date, the integrated base in Zhanjiang, has started production. Various layouts point to the same judgment: China's role is shifting towards a highly integrated global innovation platform for research and development, production, and application. Behind these investments is a systematic evaluation and recognition by German companies of China's long-term development opportunities. In recent years, China has continued to expand its high-level opening-up to the outside world, completely lifting restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector, expanding the construction of free trade zones and free ports, providing visa convenience, and strengthening intellectual property protection, providing a stable and predictable business environment for multinational enterprises. The 2024/25 Business Confidence Survey Report by the German Chamber of Commerce in China shows that over half of the surveyed German companies plan to increase their investment in China in the next two years, and 92% of the companies stated that they will continue to deepen their presence in the Chinese market and have no plans to withdraw. In China, German companies are not only seeking market share, but also resonating with the wave of new quality productivity in China. From developing locally and assembling and selling in China in the past, to now being the first to test new technologies and models in China, German car companies are accelerating the deep synergy between research and development, manufacturing, and market. Cooperation in the field of intelligent driving is particularly representative: Mercedes Benz and ByteDance cooperate to promote the application of artificial intelligence, BMW works with Alibaba and Deep Quest to promote the landing of technology, Audi's new car is equipped with Huawei Qiankun intelligent driving system... These German enterprises continue to accelerate technology iteration in the integration with China's innovation forces, and stabilize their positions in the global competition. The latest statistical data further confirms the resilience and potential of China Germany cooperation. In the first nine months of 2025, the total bilateral trade between China and Germany reached 185.9 billion euros, a year-on-year increase of 0.6%, and China once again became Germany's largest trading partner. The steady growth of trade scale between the two sides highlights the complementarity of economic and trade between China and Germany: Germany is known for its engineering technology and industrial foundation, while Chinese enterprises are known for their research and development speed and technological progress. The complementary advantages have opened up vast development space for enterprises. In the current context of profound adjustments in the global industrial landscape and intensifying geopolitical competition, German companies continue to strengthen their presence in the Chinese market, laying a solid foundation for China Europe cooperation through practical actions. Despite the ups and downs of political noise and the narrative of "risk reduction", the footsteps of German companies investing and developing in China indicate that rational judgments centered on economic benefits and technological innovation still dominate global decision-making, and complementary advantages and mutual benefit are still the solid foundation of China Europe cooperation. At the same time, Chinese companies are steadily advancing their investments in Germany. According to data from the German Federal Office for Foreign Trade and Investment, in 2024, Chinese enterprises launched 199 greenfield projects in Germany, with China firmly ranking as the third largest source of foreign investment in Germany. Among them, production and research and development projects accounted for 26%, higher than the average level of other major investment countries. Leading Chinese new energy companies such as CATL, Guoxuan High Tech, and NIO have established production or research and development bases in Germany to promote cooperation in green transformation and technological innovation to a higher level. Michael Schuman, President of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade, pointed out that cooperation between Germany and China has never been a one-way dependence, but a win-win relationship based on industrial complementarity, market demand, and common innovation. The two-way rush of Chinese and German enterprises is also a "rational vote" and "confidence vote" for China Europe cooperation. Through careful planning and collaborative innovation, enterprises can expand their competitive space and consolidate long-term advantages in turbulent environments. Relying on complementary industries, technologies, and markets, China Europe cooperation continues to deepen and forge a pragmatic, steady, and mutually beneficial path of development. (New Society)