German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made an official visit to China on February 25-26, 2026.
During the official visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to our country, the field of green hydrogen energy became a focus of attention for both sides. As an outstanding representative of the transition from "technology transfer" to "joint innovation" between the two countries, Bosch Hydrogen Systems (Chongqing) Co., Ltd. recently accepted an interview with CCTV, sharing its four-year development history in China and the vision of China and Germany working together to build a "hydrogen" clean future.
As the world moves towards carbon neutrality goals at full speed, cooperation between China and Germany in the field of chlorine energy is entering a critical period of development. The visit of Prime Minister Merz to China further highlights the strategic height of green transformation in the bilateral relations between China and Germany. The successful practice of Bosch hydrogen power is a vivid footnote to this trend.
From "Western Hydrogen Valley" to "Chinese Intelligent Manufacturing": A Model of Joint Innovation in Chengdu and Chongqing
Looking back to 2021, German industrial giant Bosch and China's leading Qingling Motors jointly established a joint venture in Chongqing, the core area of the Chengdu Chongqing economic circle. In just four years, a globally leading fuel cell system research and manufacturing base has emerged on this land known as the "Hydrogen Valley of Western China".
In an interview with CCTV, the person in charge of Bosch Hydrogen Power stated, "We have not only established Bosch's largest fuel cell system research and development center in China, but also achieved large-scale production of power modules. These products are driving commercial vehicles to shuttle across multiple provinces across the country, becoming the core driving force in China's commercial vehicle greening process.
The Chengdu Chongqing region, with its rich application scenarios and location advantages as an important hub of the "China Hydrogen Corridor," provides an excellent testing ground and broad market for Bosch's technological innovation. Previously, 41 hydrogen refueling stations have been built and over 2400 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have been deployed in the Chengdu Chongqing region. Bosch's hydrogen powertrain research and development center has launched multiple integrated and efficient solutions here, which not only promote the product iteration of downstream hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles, but also drive the cluster development of upstream core component industry clusters.
'Technical expertise' meets' application breadth ': redefining partnership
China's leading speed and diversity in the field of applications provide a strong driving force for joint innovation, "said a Bosch spokesperson to CCTV reporters. The rich application scenarios in China and the cutting-edge technological expertise in Germany are deeply integrated here, making the fuel cell systems and electrification products developed in China globally competitive, achieving the goal of "developing in China and leading the world".
This cooperation model marks a profound transformation in the relationship between the two countries' enterprises - from one-way technology introduction to localized joint research and development based on market demand. The Sino German engineering team collaborates closely, combining Germany's advantages in precision manufacturing and system integration with China's strengths in application scenarios, supply chain efficiency, and cost control, to jointly create efficient, reliable, and more cost competitive products.
Linking Global Markets: China and Germany Join Hands to Address Climate Challenges
Looking at the world, Germany expects to rely more on hydrogen energy imports in the future to meet its huge industrial and transportation needs. As the world's largest hydrogen producing country and with rapidly growing green hydrogen production capacity, China is continuously expanding the application of hydrogen energy in various fields such as transportation, chemical industry, metallurgy, and even shipping through strategic layouts such as the "China Hydrogen Corridor". The collaboration between China and Germany in this field is not only providing solutions for both markets, but also exploring new paths for global green development.
From hydrogen based chemical engineering to hydrogen metallurgy, and then to shipping fuels, the cooperation between China and Germany has penetrated into broader industrial fields. These collaborations will provide strong support for the green and low-carbon transformation of Chengdu Chongqing and even the whole country.
The growth story of Bosch Hydrogen Power is not only a commercial success for Chinese and German enterprises, but also a new starting point for the two countries to jointly define future cooperation based on advanced technology and mature markets in the face of global climate challenges. On the occasion of Prime Minister Mertz's visit to China, this "green sample" demonstrates to the world that when two major countries move towards each other and innovate together, it will provide more possibilities for addressing climate change and achieving sustainable development, and also open a hopeful window of opportunity for deeper cooperation between China and Germany in the future.
