26th November 2025: January-October FDI

This episode contains segments on: • EU anti-dumping investigation into robotic lawnmowers from China; • China January-October FDI; • Chinese-German meeting at G20 Summit; and • COP30 Concluded. Listeners are also invited to attend the European Chamber’s 25th anniversary celebration dinner on 12th December in Beijing. Contact: We’d love to hear your feedback. Contact us at [email protected]. Follow the European Chamber on LinkedIn, Twitter, WeChat (europeanchamber), and sign up for our newsletter here, to get notified on new episodes. Read more: EU anti-dumping investigation into robotic lawnmowers from China https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-conte... https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/20251... January – October FDI https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/xwfb/rcxwfb... Chinese-German Meeting at G20 Summit https://www.gov.cn/yaowen/liebiao/202... https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xw/zyxw/... COP30 Concludes https://commission.europa.eu/topics/c... https://english.www.gov.cn/news/20251... https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/11/... European Chamber 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner https://www.europeanchamber.com.cn/en... Transcript: RUI: Hello and welcome to China ShortCuts, XINHE: the European Chamber’s weekly catchup on China’s business landscape. RUI: This episode was recorded on 26th November 2025.  (Music) XINHE: On 19th November, the European Commission announced the launch of an anti-dumping investigation into robotic lawnmowers from China, marking a further escalation of trade tensions between the two markets. RUI: Theprobe was launched in response to a complaint that dumping of robotic lawnmowers from China is causing injury to EU industry. The EU’s investigation notice noted that robotic lawnmowers are directly promoted by the Made in China 2025 plan, among other top-level Chinese policies. The development is a further evidence that strategic sectors covered by the Made in China 2025 plan are likely to continue exacerbating EU-China trade tensions, as outlined in the Chamber’s April 2025 report: Made in China 2025: The Cost of Technological Leadership.The Chinese lawnmower industry relies heavily on exports to the EU, with the market making up over 40 per cent of robotic lawnmower exports according to Chinese customs data, meaning that any measures adopted as a result of the investigation could have significant ramifications for Chinese companies. (Music) XINHE: Data released by China’s Ministry of Commerce on 21st November indicated a year-on-year decline in actual use of foreign direct investment—or FDI—for the January to October period. RUI: FDI utilisation amounted to 621 billion yuan for the first 10 months of the year, down 10.3 per cent from the same period last year. By sector, manufacturing utilised nearly 162 billion yuan in FDI, services close to 446 billion yuan, and high-tech industries close to 193 billion yuan. Notably, FDI utilisation in the e-commerce services sector surged by 173.1 per cent, while investment in medical instruments and equipment manufacturing jumped by 41.4 per cent. The ongoing decline in FDI is likely driven by a number of factors, from long-standing grievances about the China market held by foreign companies such as unequal treatment in procurement, to complex geopolitical factors, all of which have made it increasingly challenging for some companies to justify further investment in China. (Music) XINHE: On 23rd November, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with German Chancelor Friedrich Merz on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in South Africa. RUI: In addition to calling for deeper Germany-China cooperation on key economic and environmental issues, Premier Li Qiang—who noted that 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of EU-China diplomatic relations—asked for Germany to push the EU to view relations with China “from a longer-term perspective, with a broader vision and a more open mindset.” According to China’s statement on the meeting, Chancellor Friedrich Merz noted Germany’s willingness to play a “constructive role in promoting EU-China dialogue”. The meeting marks an improvement in Germany-China bilateral ties, with Merz expected to visit China in 2026. However, overall EU-China relations are likely to remain contentious in the face of growing trade imbalances and heightened economic and national security concerns in the EU, spurred by recent developments like China’s export controls on rare earth elements. (Music) XINHE: The 30th United Nations Climate Cha...