The first half of 2023 has witnessed signs of recovery in China's economy with a positive trend in many areas. After nearly 30 years of engagement in the Chinese market, the BMW Group remains committed to investing here. What are the current development trend and business environment in China? Jochen Goller, President and CEO of BMW China, gave his answers as followed.

China has become a vanguard market for global innovation

The development of China's automotive industry mirrors the country's economic transformation. Over 20 years ago, the Chinese auto market was nothing more than a big sale market for foreign-funded automakers, which mainly sold or assembled imported models, Goller said. Similar to some other industries, the Chinese auto market was also developed from a big sales market.

Up to today, China's auto industry has been successfully transformed and upgraded. As Goller noted, China has made it a leader in some key technical areas. At present, it is not only the world's largest market for new energy vehicles but also a leading market in fields like battery manufacturing and electric vehicle parts, as well as a vanguard market for innovation. In 2022, more than half of the world's top 10 power battery enterprises were from China.

China provides opportunities for foreign-funded enterprises

In Jochen Goller's opinion, the Chinese government's adherence to the policy of opening-up has provided good opportunities for foreign-funded enterprises to develop in China. In recent years, a series of policies have been implemented to further liberate the auto industry, such as the reduction of import tariffs and the liberalization of the share ratio of joint ventures. As a result, many enterprises, including the BMW Group, have obtained important opportunities to continue investment and expand business layout.

According to Goller, the BMW Group is full of confidence in the medium-to-long-term development of the Chinese market. From 2010 to date, the BMW Shenyang Production Base has received a cumulative investment of nearly 100 billion RMB, while the contract with its joint venture has been extended until 2040.

To boost development through China's advantages

All of these days, BMW has brought a large amount of advanced technologies to China, while joining hands with local suppliers to boost the development of industrial clusters. On the other hand, BMW has also been striving to promote its own technological innovation and high-end smart manufacturing with the help of China's advantages in electrification and digitalization.

Presently, the BMW Group has established the largest R&D and digital system outside of its Germany base in China, with four innovation bases in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Shenyang.

Jochen Goller said, there is still much to do for enterprises in sustainable development and circular economy, with such large commercial space in the Chinese market. It is obvious that high-quality development will give rise to a number of new development areas, bringing more opportunities for cooperation between China and Germany, as well as between Chinese and German enterprises.

宝马集团大中华区总裁兼首席执行官高乐：宝马集团对于中国市场的中长期发展充满信心

今年上半年，中国经济整体呈恢复态势，国民经济在多个领域呈向好态势。扎根中国市场近30年的宝马集团持续投资中国。中国当前的发展态势和营商环境水平如何？宝马集团大中华区总裁兼首席执行官高乐给出了这样的答案。

中国已成全球创新的先锋市场

中国汽车行业的发展，映射了中国经济转型的进程。高乐说，20多年前于外资车企来讲，中国汽车市场只是一个庞大的销售市场，主要是销售进口车型，或在国内组装部分车型。与其他一些行业类似，中国汽车市场也是从大的销售市场成长起来的。

发展至今，中国的汽车行业已成功实现转型升级。高乐认为，在一些关键技术领域，中国成为了领导者。目前，中国不仅是全球最大的新能源车市场，在电池制造、电动车零部件等领域，同样是全球的领先市场，也是创新的先锋市场。2022年全球排名前十的动力电池企业中，有一半以上是来自中国。

中国为外资企业发展提供了良好机遇　

高乐认为，中国政府坚持对外开放的政策，为外资企业在华发展提供了良好机遇。近几年来，中国政府实施了一系列政策，汽车行业的开放程度也在持续扩大，比如说进口税率降低、放开合资企业股比等等。这样一来，包括宝马集团在内的很多企业持续投资、拓展业务布局就获得了重要机会。

高乐表示，宝马集团对于中国市场的中长期发展充满信心，宝马沈阳生产基地自2010年起累计获得投资近1000亿元人民币。合资企业的合同已延长到2040年。

借助中国优势促进企业发展

一直以来，宝马将大量先进技术带到中国，与本土供应商共同促进产业集群发展；另一方面，宝马集团也借助中国在电动化、数字化等领域的优势，推动自身技术创新和高端智能制造。

目前，宝马集团已在中国建立了德国之外最大的研发和数字化体系，在北京、上海、南京、沈阳等地建立了四个创新基地。

高乐表示，企业在可持续发展和循环经济方面还大有可为，在中国市场有非常大的商业空间。可以看到，高质量发展会催生很多新的发展领域，这将为中德国家之间、中德企业之间的合作带来更多的机遇。

文｜羊城晚报全媒体记者 戚耀琪 
图｜受访者提供
翻译｜洪婷
责编｜王瑜瑛