Q+A | Oliver Regner

In an interview with China Daily reporter Li Wenfang, Oliver Regner, executive director and member of the board at German Chamber of Commerce South and Southwest China, talked about the business potential of Zhanjiang and interest in investment by German companies.

What is the prospect for economic and trade cooperation between Germany and Zhanjiang?

Zhanjiang is profiting from a unique geographical and economic location. Situated at the crossroads of three Chinese provinces and as a deepwater port heading directly to the South China Sea and Southeast Asia, it offers a wide range of opportunities.

Are the giant steel, petrochemical and papermaking projects under construction in Zhanjiang creating the potential for cooperation?

German business relies greatly on quality and precision. So it may be less the pure size of the projects but rather Zhanjiang's strong will to implement technologically advanced and sustainable structures. There is an abundance of potential areas of cooperation like environmental technologies and chemical industries as well as modern industrial services.

Zhanjiang intends to develop a circular economic park involving the steel and petrochemical projects. Does Germany possess such technology for Zhanjiang to draw on?

Germany started circular economic and ecological initiatives decades ago. The lack of natural resources and space in the midst of the Europe, as well as innovative ways of thinking, pushed such developments. Zhanjiang has explicitly asked the Germans to provide such technologies.

What is your assessment of the investment environment in Zhanjiang?

We will see how far Zhanjiang is prepared to go in providing investment incentives. For sure, the preconditions are excellent.

Have you been to Zhanjiang?

As the German Chamber of Commerce for the south and southwest of China we have to cover not only Guangdong province but also locations like Sichuan or Chongqing. So I have not had the chance to visit all the important localities in the region. But colleagues of mine have been there and were deeply impressed.

Do you see any change in the way local Chinese governments try to attract foreign investment in the past few years?

Local governments are more professional. For a long time I have suggested that Germany should not only serve as a benchmark for China but could focus more on learning from China. Numerous Chinese success stories in attracting foreign investment speak for themselves. German investors would be interested in investment incentives, preferential treatment, administrative efficiency, the quality of the infrastructure and the availability of qualified workforce.

What has your organization done in bridging businesses in Germany and China?

We are a facilitator and accelerator for Sino-German business relations. The German chamber approach in every target market is a bilateral one. So, we are not only working for German business - we also support partners and clients in our host countries.