"Eventually, if Germany decision-makers view such potential cooperation as an opportunity for mutual learning - leveraging China"s research & development speed and advanced technologies to upgrade German industry - a path exists and could even address the structural issue of weakened competitiveness faced by the German auto industry," Zheng said. "However, if such cooperation is viewed through a zero-sum lens, there is no solution."

　　China"s development has prompted a growing number of European companies to expand their presence in the Chinese market. Data show that in 2025, German investment in China surged by over 55 percent compared with 2024, while Swiss investment jumped by 66.8 percent and British investment up by 15.9 percent, respectively.

　　Zheng also suggested that Germany should guard against a psychological unease caused by a role reversal and abandon its cautious and guarded mindset and wholeheartedly embrace win-win cooperation with China to learn from China"s tech and speed in any such endeavor.

　　"In the two countries" decades-long history of automotive cooperation, Germany has gone from "coach" to "player," while China has done the reverse, and such a mental unease should be taken note so as not to erode cooperation," Zheng said.