Since the beginning of spring 2023, the visits of several European leaders to China have received a lot of attention.What kind of signals have they have sent? Jörg Wuttke, the president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, recently stated in an interview with the Yangcheng Evening News that there is a lot of room for dialogue in China-Europe cooperation in various fields, such as the economy, culture, and tourism.

Cooperation in new energy vehicles and green energy

In recent years, the trade volume between China and Europe has steadily increased. According to data released by Eurostat, China has become the European Union's second-largest trading partner, the largest source of imports, and the third-largest export market.

When discussing the future cooperation space between China and Europe, Wuttke mentioned that China is a leader in the research and development of new energy vehicles, car batteries, and car software. "I think that China and Europe are not only competitors in the automotive manufacturing industry but also partners in exploring the road from fuel cars to new energy vehicles," he said.

Wuttke also mentioned the prospects for cooperation between Chinese and European enterprises in the green energy-related industry. "China is a leader in the research and development and production of solar panels and wind turbines. Currently, European companies have purchased a considerable number of related equipment in China, and we are also considering producing them in Europe. We hope that more Chinese companies will invest in Europe."

Great potential of the GBA

Foreign political figures have been frequenting Guangdong since the beginning of this spring. According to Woodruff, one of the key attractions for them is the GBA. "Guangdong has a great business environment and foundation. In terms of population, Guangdong has over 100 million people. Its GDP is also amazing, with the GDP of just one city, Shenzhen, equivalent to that of South Africa."

As the Global Vice President of Germany's BASF Group and the Chief Representative of BASF (China), Woodruff also mentioned the BASF (Guangdong) integrated base project invested by the company in Zhanjiang, Guangdong last year. "Guangdong has long realized that industrialization requires establishing connections with reliable partners with the latest technology, such as ExxonMobil and BASF."

He said that companies like BASF can work with Chinese companies to help China achieve its carbon neutrality goal. According to Carbon Neutrality: The Role of European Companies in China's Race to 2060 released by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China in May 2022, over 75% of European companies in China believe that China can achieve the goal of "carbon peaking" before 2030 and "carbon neutrality" before 2060.

More civilization exchanges between China and the EU

In addition to business and investment, Woodruff said that more efforts could be made in cultural and tourism exchanges between China and Europe. He repeatedly mentioned the development of the tourism market and luxury consumption market in Hainan Island, which will bring opportunities for cooperation between China and Europe.

"Hainan Island (market) is a new benchmark for Europe's luxury industry. We hope to have more cooperation in this regard. In addition, when Chinese tourists go to Europe, we hope that they can feel the history and culture of European cities in addition to consumption. European tourists also have the same opportunities when they visit China. In this process, we have more opportunities to learn about each other's civilization."

中国欧盟商会主席伍德克：中欧合作还有更多对话空间

2023年开春以来，多位欧洲领导人的中国行备受关注，释放出怎样的信号？日前，中国欧盟商会主席伍德克（Jörg Wuttke）接受羊城晚报记者采访时表示，中欧在经济、文化、旅游等领域，还有更多合作与对话的空间。

展望新能源汽车、绿色能源等方面的合作

中欧贸易规模近年稳步增长。欧盟统计局发布的数据显示，中国已成为欧盟第二大贸易伙伴、第一大进口来源地、第三大出口市场。

谈及中欧双方未来的合作空间时，伍德克表示，中国在新能源汽车、汽车电池及汽车软件的研发方面处于领先地位。“我认为，中欧双方在汽车制造领域既是竞争对手，但在破解燃油车到新能源汽车这一难题的道路上，双方也是共同探索的伙伴。”

伍德克还提到了中欧企业在绿色能源相关产业的合作前景。“中国是太阳能电池板和风力涡轮机的研发与生产的佼佼者。目前欧洲企业在中国购买了为数不少的相关设备，我们同时也考虑在欧洲境内生产。希望有更多中国相关企业到欧洲进行投资。”

大湾区发展潜力无限

今年开春后，广东吸引外国政要频频来访，伍德克认为其中一个重要因素在于粤港澳大湾区。“广东有很好的商业氛围和基础。从人口数量上看，广东有超过1亿人口。广东的GDP也非常惊人，仅深圳一座城市的GDP就相当于南非的体量。”

同时，作为德国巴斯夫集团全球副总裁和巴斯夫（中国）有限公司首席代表，伍德克也提到了去年在广东湛江投资的巴斯夫（广东）一体化基地项目。“广东早就意识到要启动工业化，就需要与埃克森美孚、巴斯夫这些拥有最新技术的可靠伙伴建立联系。”

他表示，在此过程中，如巴斯夫这样的企业，能与中国企业一起助力中国达到碳中和的目标。根据中国欧盟商会2022年5月发布的《碳中和：欧洲企业助力中国实现2060愿景》报告，超过75%的在华欧洲企业认为中国能够实现2030年前“碳达峰”、2060年前“碳中和”的目标。

中欧有更多文明交流机会

除了商贸、投资，伍德克表示，中欧之间可以在文旅、交往上作更多的努力。其中，他多次谈到海南岛旅游市场与奢侈品消费市场的发展，将为中欧之间的合作带来机遇。

“中国的海南，对于欧洲的奢侈品行业而言，是一个新的指标。我们希望在这一方面有更多的合作。此外，当中国的游客去到欧洲，我们希望大家除了消费，也能在旅游中感受欧洲城市的历史与文化。欧洲游客来到中国旅游，也是同样的。在这一过程中，大家有更多了解对方文明的机会。”

文丨羊城晚报全媒体记者 谭铮
通讯员丨姚越梅
翻译丨刘佳慧