AFCDUD · China Business Mission 2025 · Executive Report
In the autumn of 2025, AFCDUD — in partnership with China's Ministry of Commerce Investment Promotion Agency — organised a high-level nine-day industrial study tour for senior executives from 12 French and German companies.
Timed to coincide with the 25th China International Investment and Trade Fair (CIFIT) in Xiamen, the mission spanned six cities and covered the full arc of China's most dynamic economic regions: the Pearl River Delta innovation cluster, the Haixi open-economy gateway, the capital's premium industrial zones, and Shandong's emerging green manufacturing corridor.
AFCDUD, founded in Paris in 2008 with the support of France's Ministry of Ecological Transition, has for over 15 years served as the leading platform for advancing sustainable urban development cooperation between France, Europe, and China.
| Date | City | Key Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 7 | Shenzhen (Baoan) | Site visit: Wo'an Robotics; Sino-European Smart Manufacturing Innovation Forum (~50 participants) |
| Sept. 8 | Xiamen / Quanzhou | Official participation in CIFIT; Quanzhou Taiwanese Investment Zone foreign capital roadshow |
| Sept. 9 | Xiamen / Taizhou | "Digital Drive · Green Manufacturing" — Taizhou-Europe Innovation Enterprise Cooperation Forum |
| Sept. 10 | Beijing (Shunyi) | Li Auto green flagship factory; Beijing Sino-German Industrial Park; strategic roundtable (Deputy Mayor Li Xin) |
| Sept. 11 | Beijing | Participation in CIFTIS (China International Fair for Trade in Services) |
| Sept. 12 | Rongcheng (Weihai) | Sino-German Low-Carbon Eco Model City cooperation forum (China Society for Urban Studies) |
| Sept. 13 | Rongcheng | Enterprise visits: Goertek (precision electronics), Campas (new-energy RVs) |
The delegation's first stop was Wo'an Robotics — a national "Specialised, Sophisticated, Distinctive and Innovative" (SSDI) champion with the world's No. 1 market share in household AI embodied robots for three consecutive years, demonstrating mastery of AI machine-vision control and distributed neural control networks.
The Sino-European Smart Manufacturing Innovation Forum brought together nearly 50 representatives. Renault (Fortune 500) presented procurement requirements for steel, aluminium and copper wire; NEBULA's aluminium waste recovery solution and Emiotech's industrial AR platform attracted strong interest from Chinese manufacturers.
On 8 September the delegation formally participated in CIFIT under the theme "Partner with China · Invest in the Future," attending main sessions and engaging with exhibitors and government representatives from across China. CIFIT remains China's leading investment promotion platform for bilateral deal-making and policy announcements.
The Quanzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau and Quanzhou Taiwanese Investment Zone Management Committee hosted a targeted foreign-investment roadshow in Xiamen. The Zone's Director General personally presented investment incentives across four priority sectors: intelligent manufacturing, new materials, electronic information, and biopharma. Follow-on discussions focused on data analytics, new-energy materials, and industrial automation.
The delegation participated in the "Digital Drive · Green Manufacturing — Taizhou & European Innovation Enterprise Cooperation Forum." Taizhou's Executive Deputy Mayor addressed attendees; AFCDUD President Liu Kaisheng moderated discussions with Bayer, Tomra and other European companies on digital technology adoption and green low-carbon transition. Taizhou extended a formal invitation for deeper long-term cooperation.
The delegation visited Li Auto's Beijing Flagship Green Factory, observing China's end-to-end EV development and mass-production capabilities. A tour of the Beijing Sino-German Industrial Park provided a detailed picture of bilateral exchange channels and the international services ecosystem.
A strategic roundtable hosted by Deputy District Mayor Li Xin presented Shunyi's investment environment across four dimensions: openness, industrial support, quality of life, and business services. Representatives from ECS, Renault, and Trendeo presented their cooperation intentions; relevant bureaux responded on-site in a focused and productive session.
The "Sino-German Low-Carbon Eco Model City Cooperation Forum" was attended by Rongcheng's Party Secretary, Mayor, and senior national experts — including the former Deputy Director of MoHURD's Science & Technology Department and the Head of Energy Efficiency at Germany's dena — who commended the mid-term results of the city's low-carbon urban development plan.
Twenty European companies and five Rongcheng enterprises addressed the forum, expressing unanimous confidence in the city's industrial positioning. Enterprise visits included Goertek (global precision electronics supplier to Apple, Meta) and Campas RV (new-energy recreational vehicles).
The 2025 delegation brought together 12 French and German companies representing the breadth of European advanced industry:
| Sector | Partnership Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Automotive | Procurement of steel, aluminium & copper wire | |
| New Energy Materials | High-value aluminium waste recovery; Chinese supply-chain partners | |
| Economic Data & Analytics | Partnerships with government bodies and corporate strategy teams | |
| AI Facial Recognition | Collaboration with media and advertising companies | |
| Industrial Vision AI | B2B partnerships for industrial quality-control systems | |
| Digital Health / AI | Market access to Chinese healthcare; AI dermatology expansion | |
| Industrial AR | Local manufacturing partners and investors for AR platform | |
| Environmental Technology | Green energy and sustainability solutions | |
| Financial Investment (M&A) | Understanding China's foreign M&A approval process | |
| Agri-Forestry Circular Economy | Fine-powder packaging and agricultural processing partners | |
| ESG / Sustainability | ESG compliance and corporate carbon-neutrality solutions |
The five-city route was purposefully designed to integrate China's premier trade fair platforms with targeted local industrial ecosystems — enabling a "platform as gateway, city as anchor" model of engagement.
AFCDUD mobilised its network to secure access to China's Ministry of Commerce Investment Promotion Agency, the China Society for Urban Studies, and municipal commerce bureaux — channels that take years for individual companies to build independently.
Prior to departure, each company's sector profile and partnership objectives were mapped in detail, ensuring every meeting was purpose-designed rather than generic.
Post-mission, AFCDUD continues to track each company's follow-up initiatives, providing bilingual (French-Chinese) legal, cultural, and regulatory support to convert initial contacts into investable partnerships.
What we build is not a business card or a conference — it is long-term trust founded on genuine mutual understanding. Through this mission, we opened five distinct windows onto China for our European partners, allowing them to witness the systemic capacity of Chinese manufacturing and the genuine openness of the Chinese market.
— Liu Kaisheng, President, AFCDUDIn nine days, six cities, five high-level forums and hundreds of B2B meetings, the 2025 mission delivered results on three levels that transcend a conventional trade visit:
Looking ahead, AFCDUD will use this mission as a template to deepen strategic partnerships with China's Ministry of Commerce and local governments, organising further bilateral study tours focused on green low-carbon transition, digital economy, and intelligent manufacturing.
Bonne Année du Cheval 2026 ! 🧧🐎 Que cette année soit synonyme d’énergie verte et de progrès technologique au service du bien commun. Un futur intelligent et durable se dessine ensemble ! 🇫🇷🇨🇳#BonneAnnee #HappyNewYear2026 #YearOfTheHorse #EcoFriendly #DigitalTwin #SmartCity pic.twitter.com/fXt03iG4ZW
— afcdud (@afcdud) February 17, 2026
