Germany’s most senior central banker has indicated Berlin’s scepticism on Chinese investment in German companies is exaggerated, calling on lawmakers to remain open to acquisitions that comply with international rules.
Jens Weidmann, president of the Bundesbank, said total German investment in China was sixteen times as high as Chinese investment in the eurozone’s largest economy — and that this fact should dampen concerns of a “takeover wave” by Chinese firms.
A string of acquisitions in German companies has led lawmakers in Berlin to question China’s intentions, with some lawmakers fearful that Beijing will exploit German technical expertise to ensure that, in the long term, China becomes the world’s dominant industrial power.