Foreword by Helmut Schmidt, former Chancellor, Federal Republic of Germany
“China’s economy is booming. This lends the People’s Republic much more weight, both in the global economy and in global politics—with far-reaching implications for the balance of power between the most significant global players. The USA and Europe need to form positions and develop strategies of how they wish to work together with China in the future. This is one of the most important tasks in foreign policy and foreign trade for the coming years.
‘The Hamburg Summit: China meets Europe’ puts these questions up for discussion by internationally renowned businesses, politicians and academics. With a Chamber of Commerce well-practised in international trade and its China Network, unique in Europe in its diversity, my home town of Hamburg offers the ideal platform for this discussion. I thank the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce for their initiative in making our collective idea for a ‘Hamburg Summit: China meets Europe’ a reality – and wish us all a stimulating conference.”