CDF Voice | Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Innovation and technology can provide a solution for many of the challenges we face today. At BMW, innovation is in our DNA. And the importance of China for our innovation activities has grown tremendously over the last years.

From promoting New Energy Vehicles and Intelligent Connected Vehicles, to the pioneering of smart cities and breakthroughs in AI: In China, innovation thrives and benefits greatly from collaboration.

For more than three decades, China has been more than a market for the BMW Group: we feel at home in China. Not only do we produce and develop vehicles locally, but we also actively take part in Chinese society.

Today, China’s technological and industrial advancements set global benchmarks. Together with our partners in China, BMW will seize this momentum to further drive high-quality development.

Allow me to provide three thoughts here:

First, on international relations. Economic growth thrives through opening, not closing. We notice with concern the increase of protectionist behavior worldwide. This will not create winners, but will result in a situation where everyone is going to lose prosperity. At BMW, we strongly oppose tariffs or other trade barriers. We believe that the best answer to de-coupling or de-risking is more cooperation - not less.

This brings me to my second thought: cross-sectoral partnerships. Our cooperation with Chinese battery cell manufacturers is one of the best examples of successful Sino-German cooperation. We are sourcing our Gen6 battery cells from CATL and EVE in Hungary. Our partnership with CATL goes back to the very early days of electrification in China. BMW’s supply chain is a bridge between China and Europe - a bridge we are strengthening.

My final thought: our growing development footprint in China. BMW’s R&D network in China is our largest outside of Germany, spanning Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Nanjing. Our next-generation electric vehicle platform, the NEUE KLASSE, is a manifesto of our “At Home in China” strategy: The Shanghai design team has led the development of NEUE KLASSE’s China specific models, integrating localized aesthetics and functionalities that resonate with Chinese consumers. These solutions are born in China, tested here, and perfected for here.

Ladies and Gentlemen, BMW’s story in China is simple. We grow when China grows; we innovate when China pushes the boundaries; and we succeed when China thrives. To us, being “at home” in China means more than building factories or selling cars. It means sharing a goal to drive progress, together.

I am looking forward to the China Development Forum 2025.

Thank you.

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