The Symposium of the China-Germany Economic Advisory Committee took place on Feb 25 in Beijing, and Ge Haijiao, chairman of Bank of China (BOC), attended the event.

As part of the high-level German economic and trade delegation's visit to China, the German Chamber of Commerce in China and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Germany (Die Chinesische Handelskammer in Deutschland e. V., or CHKD) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at BOC's headquarters in Beijing. The signing marked another concrete step by BOC, as the chair of the CHKD, to advance China-Germany relations.

Ge held discussions with representatives from German companies, including Siemens Group and Leica Microsystems. The discussions explored ways to improve the quality and efficiency of cooperation in traditional industries such as automotive, chemical, and machinery manufacturing. They also discussed new ideas for unlocking cooperation potential in areas such as clean energy, embodied intelligence, and industrial digitalization. Furthermore, they shared views and suggestions on turning cooperation opportunities into tangible results through concrete actions to further deepen China-Germany economic and trade exchanges.

Bank of China was the first Chinese-funded financial institution to enter Germany and has the largest asset base, the most extensive branch network, and the widest range of services among its Chinese peers there. Its service network covers major German cities, including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Berlin, and Munich.

Over the years, BOC has provided financial services to over 1,500 Chinese enterprises operating in Germany. It has established cooperation with more than 75 percent of the German companies listed on the DAX index, becoming a key Chinese banking partner for several leading German firms. BOC has supported a number of landmark projects in China by German-funded enterprises in fields including new energy vehicles and energy chemicals. It has also supported the issuance of Panda Bonds by German-funded enterprises totaling more than 160 billion yuan ($23.26 billion).

BOC will seize new opportunities arising from China's high-level opening-up, firmly support German enterprises in establishing and expanding their presence in China, and provide comprehensive support for Chinese companies expanding into the German market. Through its financial services, BOC will provide stronger financial support for the two-way opening-up of financial markets and inject fresh momentum into practical cooperation between China and Germany, as well as between China and Europe.