苏州制造与德国制造已携手走过近三十个年头，在双向开放中，惺惺相惜，共同成长。
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz led a delegation of 12 German industry titans to China on November 4. To Suzhou, most of the 12 companies like Siemens, BASF and Merck are old friends.
German-style Street in Taicang
Ai Ruidong, the GM of Hainbuch, who has participated in China International Import Expo (CIIE) for five consecutive years, said, "(Since our company settled down in Taicang) the local government has been encouraging and organizing us to participate in various activities. Our headquarters in Germany also attaches great importance to the China market, and is set to launch more products and localize productions in China, which is expected to become our largest overseas market."
Hainbuch at the 5th CIIE
Since strip and wire parts maker Kern-Liebers became the first German company in Taicang in 1993, Suzhou and German companies have been working hand in hand for nearly 30 years. In 1993, Dr. Hans-Jochem Steim, the president of Kern-Liebers, decided to build a factory in Taicang for the city had the flavor similar to that of the Black Forest in German. In 1998, the company established a training center together with Jiangsu Taicang Secondary Vocational School. Today, with 453 German enterprises, 50 "hidden champions" and an annual output value of 60 billion yuan, Taicang is becoming more and more famous as the "hometown of German enterprises." In the first nine months of this year, Suzhou's total import and export volume to Germany reached $10.85 billion, a year-on-year growth of 4.5%. Suzhou has invested 16 projects in Germany with the China's contracted foreign investment totaling $45.2023 million.
Taicang Day held in Germany
Taicang is not the sole cluster of German companies in Suzhou. There are over 100 German companies in Kunshan, and multiple German industry titans have set up businesses in SIP and SND. "Made in Suzhou" has provided a model that the globe followed.
Siemens Electrical Products China & East Asia Headquarters and SND sign an agreement on deepening strategic cooperation.
German baker Erwin in Taicang
While deepening two-way opening-up, Suzhou and Germany have also witnessed common development and progress. Thirty years is just a new starting point.
