First overseas destination of the Minister-President of Lower Saxony: China

According to NDR (North German Broadcasting), Olaf Lies, Minister-President of Lower Saxony (Social Democratic Party of Germany), embarked on a trip to China on Saturday to promote economic ties between the state and China. Lies will visit several Volkswagen (Volkswagen) production facilities in China and plans to discuss battery production, autonomous driving, and so-called "range extender technology" (Range Extender).

Volkswagen Group is headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. Range extender vehicles use an auxiliary engine to extend the range of electric vehicles. While this technology currently plays almost no role in Europe, it has become a growing trend in China. Volkswagen recently launched its first range-extender model in China. Lies aims to gain deeper insights into this development. Before his trip, he stated: "The question is whether the path we are currently taking in Europe is correct, or whether adjustments are needed in certain areas."

Volkswagen has already begun producing battery cells in Germany, at Salzgitter. Lies will also focus on this area during his visit to China. He emphasized: "We must not only produce battery cells in Lower Saxony, but also drive forward research into new battery technologies." Furthermore, discussions will cover topics such as digital platforms and autonomous driving. "The focus is on exploring new business models in the field of mobility."

Lies’ visit is accompanied by representatives from both labor and management. Unions are calling for strengthening industrial foundations. The union IG Metall stated that it is necessary to "closely monitor technological developments and enhance the competitiveness of Lower Saxony’s industry." The Unternehmerverbände Niedersachsen (Association of Entrepreneurs in Lower Saxony) also participated in the visit. The organization pointed out: "International cooperation remains crucial for Lower Saxony's economy, especially under current circumstances. Isolation would only harm our regional advantages."

This trip to China also aims to boost the development of Lower Saxony’s port economy. Lies plans to meet with Chinese logistics companies in hopes of "building more bridges" to increase port utilization. The focus will be on Wilhelmshaven’s JadeWeserPort. Although the port recently achieved a new record in throughput—partly due to strong cooperation with Chinese shipping companies—its long-term development has still fallen short of initial expectations.

This visit marks Lies’ first foreign trip since taking office as Minister-President in May 2025. He also plans to visit France and India later this year.

When German Chancellor Merz visited China at the end of February this year, he no longer referred to China as a systemic rival, but instead emphasized that China is a strategic partner. While the EU seeks to de-risk its economic engagement with China, Germany’s economic dependence on China has not diminished amid unpredictable political factors such as those associated with Trump.

Source: rfi

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862305735625728/

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