Speech at bauma China 2008 and GCMT Press Conference

Zhuo Ran, Department of European Affairs, Ministry of Commerce of People’s Republic of China

Sino-Germany bilateral trade has been on a rapid increase lately. Germany has become China’s largest trade partner in Europe and the sixth largest in the world. According to China’s Customs, bilateral trade reached US$94.1 billion in 2007, 26% of China’s total trade volume with 27 EU countries, in which China’s export amounts US$48.7 billion and import US$45.4 billion, making a surplus of US$3.33 billion.  On the other hand, Germany Customs say bilateral trade in 2007 accumulates to 84.6 billion Euros with an export of 54.7 billion and import of 29.9 billion, shaping a deficit of 24.8 billion. Germany has communicated on several occasions that they hope to see bigger exports to China.

Though variations exist in the data, China is fully aware of the attention Germany holds towards the deficit. As a matter of fact, China is not seeking big surpluses in bilateral trading and hope a balance could be reached. For that purpose, the Ministry of Commerce of China is organizing the 2008 Import Show on German Construction Machinery&Technology (GCMT) to increase import.

 Germany is the world’s biggest exporter and the third largest economic body. It holds excellent reputation in construction machinery manufacturing and is a main source of machinery products for China. bauma China is a leading international construction machinery trade show congregating world renowned construction machinery manufacturers and state-of-the-art technology.

Co-hosted by both the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, 2008 Import Show on German Construction Machinery & Technology (GCMT2008) will be held in New International Expo Center in Shanghai from November 25th to 28th, 2008, simultaneously with bauma China 2008 – International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Construction Vehicles and Equipment. China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products is acting as the exhibition undertaker and VDMA and MMI (Shanghai) the co-organizers. Covering an area of nearly 5,000 square meters, 2008 Import Show on German Construction Machinery & Technology (GCMT2008) has attracted nearly 150 leading German manufacturers of construction machinery. Officials from the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology of Germany will attend the Opening Ceremony and the Seminar on Sino-Germany Engineering Machinery and Technical Cooperation held concurrently with the show. Furthermore, matchmaking initiatives between German Exhibitors and Chinese Purchasers will also be held to enhance bilateral trade. We hope exhibitors and visitors from both countries will take part in the show and accompanying programs actively.

Beijing, Oct. 20, 2008