On the afternoon of July 24, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council attended the China-EU Entrepreneurs Dialogue together with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Nearly 60 representatives from Chinese and European business chambers and enterprises participated in the event. Business leaders from both sides expressed strong confidence in China-EU trade and investment cooperation and offered suggestions for deepening economic and commercial ties.
According to footage from CCTV, notable Chinese entrepreneurs in attendance included: Robin Zeng, Chairman of CATL; Gao Haichun, Co-Chairman of Trina Solar; Wu Gang, Chairman of Goldwind; Zhang Chuanwei, Founder and Chairman of Mingyang Group; Nan Cunhui, Chairman of Chint Group; Richard Liu, Founder of JD.com; Liu Qingfeng, Chairman of iFlytek; Liu Xunfeng, Chairman of SMIC; and Liu Weiping, Chairman and Party Secretary of China Three Gorges Corporation.
After listening to the remarks of entrepreneurs from both sides, Premier Li stated that over the past 50 years since the establishment of China-EU diplomatic relations, cooperation has proven to be the only right choice. Reviewing this half-century journey, China-EU economic and trade cooperation has demonstrated strong endogenous momentum. Bilateral trade and two-way investment have grown rapidly overall, bringing tangible benefits to enterprises and people on both sides. As long as China and the EU adhere to the principles of openness and free trade, strengthen market connectivity and industrial linkages, both sides can better leverage their comparative advantages for mutual benefit.
Li emphasized that in the face of major disruptions to the international economic and trade order, China-EU cooperation has gained greater strategic significance. Amid slowing global economic momentum and weaker trade activity, continued expansion of bilateral trade and investment can generate powerful synergies, enhancing the resilience and vitality of both economies and helping them better navigate external uncertainties. In response to rising protectionism and unilateralism, China and the EU must jointly uphold free trade and multilateralism. By deepening economic and trade cooperation, they can serve as a stabilizing force for economic globalization and global industrial and supply chain security, injecting more positive energy into the world.
Li suggested that China and the EU should further leverage their economic complementarity, focusing on areas such as services trade, technological innovation, green economy, and third-party market cooperation to foster new growth drivers. He called for the two sides to develop a healthy competitive-cooperative relationship, pursue higher-level alignment and coordination, build a more stable and efficient industrial ecosystem, and jointly seize future opportunities. Li noted that entrepreneurs are key contributors to China-EU economic cooperation. He encouraged businesses from both sides to adopt an open mindset, closely align with market needs, and deepen collaboration in industrial investment, joint R&D, and market expansion, thereby contributing more to shared development.
China, he said, will continue to open up at a high level, further shorten the negative list for foreign investment, strengthen intellectual property protection and fair competition guarantees, and welcomes more European companies to invest and deepen their presence in China. He also called on the EU to provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies investing in Europe.
In her remarks, von der Leyen said the recent EU-China leaders’ meeting was fruitful, yielding important consensus on strengthening cooperation and addressing shared challenges. She affirmed that the EU and China are vital economic partners. China is not only a major industrial power but also a leader in innovation. She said the EU is willing to use the 50th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic ties as an opportunity to deepen a long-term, stable, and mutually beneficial partnership with China. This includes enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, and ensuring supply chain stability, while properly managing differences and fostering a favorable business climate. She emphasized that the EU has no intention of “decoupling” from China and welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in Europe.
On the same day, a Joint Statement on Climate Action was also released by China and the EU leaders, stating that the green partnership is a key component of the broader China-EU relationship. Green cooperation is a distinctive hallmark of their collaboration, with solid foundations and vast potential in green transition. The two sides aim to accelerate global deployment of renewable energy and promote the flow of high-quality green technologies and products, ensuring that all countries—including developing ones—can access, afford, and effectively utilize these solutions.
The EU remains one of the world’s core markets for energy storage and a strategic destination for Chinese energy storage enterprises going global.
In 2024, CATL partnered strategically with Rolls-Royce to introduce its TENER energy storage system to the EU and UK markets. In 2025, CATL unveiled the world’s first mass-producible 9MWh ultra-large capacity storage solution in Munich, Germany. As of the end of November last year, CATL’s energy storage products had been deployed in over 1,700 projects across all climate zones and operating conditions worldwide.
Trina Solar has also built a strong presence in the European market, with large-scale solar and energy storage projects in operation. As Europe enters a pivotal phase in energy storage transformation, Trina Solar is collaborating with leading inverter manufacturer Power Electronics (PE) to explore the application of grid-forming technology, aiming to overcome transition bottlenecks. By 2024, Trina Storage had shipped 10GWh of battery containers and systems globally, with over 2GWh delivered to the European market. Looking ahead, Trina Storage will continue to provide safe and efficient energy solutions, contributing to the energy transition in Europe and beyond.
Source：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/lYuCnqFEShqkRKRX8z_DCA
