German minister warns Europe must speed up innovation to match China

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says Europe needs to increase its speed of technological innovation if it wants to catch up with China.

On a tour of the industrial metropolis of Guangzhou on Tuesday, Wadephul said that Germany and Europe risked losing out in the technology race.

“When it comes to future technologies, China is a pioneer and, it must be clearly stated, also our biggest competitor,’’ he said.

Germany does not always manage to develop practical solutions from cutting-edge research, he said, and needed to be more open to innovation. “Here, too, we have a real need to catch up,” he said.

Guangzhou was the last stop on Wadephul’s China visit, following political talks in Beijing.

He toured a factory belonging to German tunnelling company, Herrenknecht, where the firm assembles and maintains its machinery.

He also visited the start-up WeRide, which was founded in Guangzhou in 2017, and rode in a driverless minibus.

“If we don’t want to fall behind, we have to improve significantly in Germany and Europe,’’ he said.

He said earlier on Tuesday that he still saw opportunities for constructive cooperation with China following a period of significant tension.

“Overall, I had the impression during my trip that China, just like us, is very interested in a serious and concrete exchange,’’ Wadephul said.

“We will therefore continue this dialogue.”he added.

When asked what message he would give Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of the his trip to China in the first three months of 2026 , Wadephul said: “I believe the chancellor is well aware of how important the political and economic relationship with China is.”

There has been friction between the two sides over issues including trade and the Ukraine war.

Wadephul said that his trip, like that of Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, was a good preparation for the chancellor’s visit.