On March 2, the 2026 “Nanjing-Tag” Economic and Trade Promotion Conference was successfully held in Stuttgart. The event was jointly hosted by the Nanjing Municipal People’s Government and the Consulate General of China in Frankfurt, gathering more than 400 political and business leaders from China and Germany.

The program featured a main forum alongside three specialized sessions focused on automotive, artificial intelligence and biomedicine, and smart cities, underscoring a forward-looking industrial agenda.

Mayor Li Zhongjun highlighted that since establishing sister-city relations with Stuttgart in 1995, cooperation has delivered tangible results. Germany has become Nanjing’s largest economic and trade partner in Europe. As Nanjing accelerates integration between advanced manufacturing and modern services, the city seeks deeper industrial chain alignment and expanded two-way investment.

Thomas Fuhrmann, Deputy Mayor of Stuttgart, noted that despite differences in scale, the two cities share strong similarities in industrial structure and innovation capability, providing a solid foundation for expanded collaboration.

Roland Bleinroth, President of Messe Stuttgart, emphasized Stuttgart’s role as a major European industrial and exhibition center. By leveraging international trade fair platforms, he stated, German and Chinese enterprises are able to strengthen dialogue, accelerate commercial matchmaking, and build long-term market linkages.

The event reinforced the strategic positioning of the sister-city partnership as a long-term platform for high-quality, mutually beneficial growth.