China remains biggest investing country in Germany with new project number record

BERLIN - China retained its position as the biggest investing country in Germany in 2015 with a new record number of projects, an official report showed on Friday.

In 2015, China invested in 260 green field projects in Germany, 37 percent more than in 2014 and hitting a new record high, said Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), Germany's official investment promotion agency.

China thus became the biggest investing source country in Germany for the second consecutive year, followed by the United States with 252 projects and Switzerland with 203 projects.

"China is one of the most important investing source countries for Germany," said Achim Hartig, managing director of GTAI, "The fact that China became the biggest investing country in Germany regarding project numbers in 2015 again showed the attractiveness of Germany as an investing location for Chinese companies."

The world's second biggest economy is in a transformation towards higher quality levels. In recent years, an increasing number of Chinese companies are going overseas, expanding markets and hunting cutting-edge technology to upgrade their productions.

According to GTAI, mechanical engineering, electronics, automobile, information and communication technology are among the sectors which attracted most Chinese capital in 2015.

"Chinese investment is strategic and with long-term vision," Hartig said, adding that by creating new jobs in Germany, Chinese investment benefits both countries.