LUXEMBOURG, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese companies in emerging industries operating in Europe plan to step up investment over the next three years despite mounting regulatory pressure, according to a report released Tuesday.
The report, jointly published in Luxembourg by the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU, China Economic Information Service Shanghai Headquarters, and Xinhua News Agency's Europe Regional Bureau, was based on a survey and interviews with about 100 Chinese companies in Europe. It also called on the European Union (EU) to provide a more stable and predictable business environment.
Nearly 80 percent of respondents said they planned to expand investment in the bloc over the next three years, highlighting Europe's importance in their global strategies even as companies face tighter EU scrutinies in areas such as subsidies, data and national security.
The report said Chinese businesses increasingly viewed Europe as a key destination because of the strategic fit between the two sides and the opportunities created by the global shift toward green and digital industries.
Chinese companies in Europe have been advancing a "In Europe, for Europe" strategy, the report said, by creating local jobs, bringing in technology and integrating more deeply into regional supply chains, particularly in sectors such as electric vehicles and clean energy.
It said Chinese investment in Europe had become more diversified in recent years, spanning 18 industries, with companies seeing room for further cooperation in areas including renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, information and communications technology, and the digital economy.
China and the EU remain each other's second-largest trading partners. According to Chinese customs data, China's trade with the EU reached 5.93 trillion yuan (about 860 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up 6 percent from a year earlier, accounting for 13 percent of China's total foreign trade.
At the same time, policy uncertainty in the EU has become the biggest concern for many Chinese firms, outweighing challenges such as cultural differences, geopolitical risks and market access barriers, according to the report.
More than half of respondents identified uncertainty around EU policies as their top concern, while nearly three-quarters said policy stability and predictability were the improvements they most wanted to see.
The report said worries were especially pronounced in sectors such as new energy, information technology and healthcare, where companies feared policy shifts could reshape the competitive landscape.
It also said businesses wanted progress on tax policy, non-tariff barriers and market access, and some hoped the EU would restart the ratification process for the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment between China and the EU.
The report described China-EU economic ties as fundamentally complementary and mutually beneficial, arguing that the two sides could not only expand cooperation in each other's markets but also work together in third-country markets. ■