Germany’s Bavaria open to Chinese investment despite EU tensions, state minister says
Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria’s minister for economic affairs, says state hosts around 500 Chinese companies that have created thousands of jobs
Fifty years ago, Christian Social Union in Bavaria chairman Franz Josef Strauss visited Beijing, becoming the first West German politician to meet Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
According to German media reports, the late conservative politician sent a postcard to Helmut Schmidt, Germany’s chancellor at the time and head of the rival Social Democratic Party, saying “Beijing is worth a trip.” Schmidt became the first German leader to visit China later that year.
A half-century later, the roles have been reversed; China has come to Bavaria.
While acknowledging the need for Europe to build greater economic resilience and self-sufficiency, Aiwanger said protectionism and isolationism were not the answer.
“This applies to China just as it does to other major economies with which we maintain close relations, such as the USA or Japan … we continue to welcome the many Chinese companies that invest in Bavaria,” he said.