Since 20 years China has developed into one of the most interesting and strategically conspicuous markets for German enterprises. How important the Chinese-German trading has become was obvious for the German public at least since the Dalai Lama has visited the German chancellor Angela Merkel on September 2007. Then, not only the Chinese government levelled harsh criticism but also German companies seemed to care more about the relations to China than to give a statement against the repression of the human rights in Tibet. A reason for us to regard the German-Chinese relation in more detail.

Upheaval in 30 years
In the last 30 years the most populous country of the world has become to an important country of exportation for Germany. 1978 the former state president „Deng Xiaopeng" proclaimed the „Revolution of economic opening". The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Aiffairs declared somes towns like „Zhuhai" oder „Shantou" to „Economic special Zones". These towns have economic eclusive rights making a substantial contribution to the economic development and therefore to the Chinese living standard.

In a next step 14 towns (e.g. „Qingdao", „Shanghai", „Dalian" und „Yantai") were granted the status of „opened towns" in 1984. The result was a slowly establishng market economy. Finally in 2001, China joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Inside and outside of China this was seen as a big step leading to a further economic impulse in China and worldwide. Meanwhile foreign enterprises in China are producing 6,7 percent of the goods in the whole world.

Since 1978 the country of the dragon has developed into the sixth largest national economy and fourth largest trading nation with an economic growth of 9,4 % per annum. Big German car groups or chemistry groups like VW, Daimler, BASF oder Bayer have been already present in the Chinese market. Formelly placed 32 on the world trade list China comes now sixth. Since 2002, the Middle Kingdom has grown to Germany’s most important asiatic trade partner.

Also the further development in the Chinese-German relationship is seen serene by the German economy despite the actual irritation because of the Dalai Lama’s Visitation. As Joerg Wuttke, the chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Beijing mentioned: "I am not afraid that the meeting between the German chancellor and the Dalai Lama would disturb the very good Chinese-German relationship in the long term."

 If China is an interesting topic for you, too, here are further information and market data about China: 
www.markt-studie.de/china