A view of port of Hamburg, Germany, on July 29, 2025 File photo: VCG

　　German companies" investment in China reached a four-year high from January to November 2025, according to data compiled by Reuters, as Chinese experts said rising US protectionism and mounting geopolitical pressures have eroded German and European investors" confidence in the US market, prompting part of the capital to shift toward China.

　　Data from IW German Economic Institute (IW Institute) showed that Germany"s investments in China climbed to over 7 billion euros ($8.32 billion) between January and November last year, up 55.5 percent from the 4.5 billion euros in 2024 and 2023, Reuters reported on Tuesday, noting that US" aggressive trade policies including levying tariffs on EU imports to the US pushed the bloc"s firms to shift their focus to China.

　　It came amid Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo"s visit to China from Sunday to Wednesday, the upcoming UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer"s visit from Wednesday to Saturday, and Canada"s push to expand trade deals with China.

　　Under pressure from the US, Germany and Europe are pursuing more diversified economic strategies to mitigate risks, Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University"s Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday, noting that the increased investment in China reflected not a single shift in focus but a broader push by European companies to diversify risk.