On June 25, 2025, the “China-Europe Home Furnishing Industry-Innovative Sunshade Products and Technologies Exhibition and Cooperation Conference” was held in Duisburg, Germany. Counselor Xia Yang and Consul Zhang Zhimiao from the Chinese Consulate General in Düsseldorf, Representative for Chinese Affairs of the City of Duisburg Markus Teuber, Head of the Office of Chinese Affairs of the City of Duisburg Johannes Grünhage, and Head of Business Unit | Settlements China of NRW. Global Business Frank Weidtmann, along with other representatives from enterprises, research institutions, and industry associations from both China and Europe attended the event. This conference was hosted by the China-Europe (Duisburg) Innovation Center and Guangdong Yongfeng Lihua Industrial Co., Ltd., and co-hosted by the China-Europe Science and Technology Cooperation Association and Guangdong Home Textile and Home Decoration Association.
Counselor Xia Yang emphasized in his speech that economic and trade cooperation has always been a cornerstone of Sino-German relations. In 2024, bilateral trade between China and Germany exceeded €240 billion, representing nearly 30% of the total trade between China and the EU. As Chinese enterprises continue to expand rapidly overseas, Germany, as Europe’s largest economy and a key center for innovation, offers great potential for collaboration between Chinese and German companies, particularly in technological innovation and green development. From a province-state perspective, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), as Germany’s most populous and economically developed state, serves not only as a key hub for the China-Europe Railway Express in Western Europe, but also as an important window for China to understand Germany. In the first quarter of 2025, China has become NRW’s largest trading partner. Meanwhile, Guangdong Province stands as one of the most dynamic and innovation-driven regions in China. Serving as a bridge for economic and trade cooperation between Guangdong and NRW, the China-Europe (Duisburg) Innovation Center has become a key gateway for Guangdong enterprises to access the European market. Counselor Xia Yang extended a warm welcome to all the guests from Guangdong enterprises, expressing his hope for more fruitful collaborations between Chinese and European enterprises.
In his speech, Markus Teuber highlighted that Duisburg, as a major logistics hub in Europe, has made significant progress in politics, economy, technology, and culture. It also plays a crucial role as a gateway for China-Europe cooperation. President Xi Jinping’s visit to Duisburg in 2014 laid a solid foundation for deepening ties between the city and China. He expressed his hope that both sides will continue to strengthen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, guided by the principles of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and further solidify a long-term and effective partnership. He was pleased to see the China-Europe (Duisburg) Innovation Center increasingly serve as a key platform for attracting Chinese innovative enterprises and institutions to Europe. He looked forward to welcoming more innovation-driven and sustainable Chinese companies and projects to Duisburg, injecting new momentum into China-Europe economic, trade, and technological collaboration.
Chairman of the China-Europe (Duisburg) Innovation Center and Board Member of CEST Zheng Yongqiang, extended a sincere welcome and heartfelt thanks to all the guests. He noted that in November 2024, the "China-Europe Home Furnishing Industry Innovation Center" was established at the China-Europe (Duisburg) Innovation Center, marking a new chapter in China-Europe cooperation in the home furnishing sector. The "China-Europe Home Furnishing Industry Innovation Center" focuses on key areas such as green building materials, smart home technologies, and energy conservation and environmental protection. By bridging technological resources and market demands between China and Europe, it aims to foster deeper integration across the home furnishing industry value chain and establish a new model for international cooperation in the sector. This event will serve as a high-quality platform for matchmaking and cooperation between Chinese and European home furnishing enterprises with advanced technologies, innovative products, and a strong willingness to cooperate.
President of Guangdong Yongfeng Lihua Industrial Co., Ltd. Liang Yongxiong introduced the company’s history and future development strategy. He noted that over the past 30 years, the company’s aluminum production base has grown from 2,000 m² to 200,000 m² with 28 specialized production lines. Throughout this journey, the increasing demands for more eco-friendly, intelligent, and high-performance products, along with the industry's pursuit of efficient, reliable, and cutting-edge solutions, have been a constant driving force behind Yongfeng’s continuous innovation and growth. 2025 is the first year of the establishment of Yongfeng Lihua Industry Group. The establishment of Yongfeng Lihua Industry (Germany) R&D and Innovation Center in Duisburg represents a significant and strategic step in the Group’s global expansion and innovation-driven development.
Director of International Sales of Guangdong Yongfeng Lihua Industrial Co., Ltd. Mike Liang introduced the company’s products, including sunshade roller blinds, outdoor wind-resistant shutters, aluminum louver pergolas, aluminum sunshade panels for buildings, as well as sunshade carports and outdoor leisure pergolas integrated with green energy technologies. He also shared insights into the evolution of eco-friendly design concepts in outdoor sunshade solutions and presented the latest advancements in combining these products with innovative green energy technologies.
Additionally, a representative from the China-Europe (Duisburg) Innovation Center shared the latest cases on the integration of outdoor products with innovative green energy solutions.
Vice President of China Home Textile Association and President of Guangdong Home Textile and Home Decoration Association Deng Yuanjin delivered a presentation on the development of Chinese home furnishing industry in Europe. He emphasized that as globalization continues, forward-looking enterprises will inevitably confront and actively embrace the trend of international expansion. He expressed confidence that more companies will leverage the China-Europe (Duisburg) Innovation Center’s strengths in resource integration and market connectivity to enter the European market. Effective approaches may include establishing European subsidiaries, forming partnerships with local distributors, and launching B2B showrooms, B2C flagship stores, and lifestyle centers in key cities across Europe.
During the conference, representatives from Chinese and German enterprises, architectural firms, and industry experts engaged in dynamic discussions and exchanges on innovative green sunshade products and their applications. Together, they explored opportunities for bilateral cooperation in the field of green and smart home solutions.
The event also featured the signing and unveiling ceremony for the Yongfeng Lihua Industry (Germany) R&D and Innovation Center. Witnessed by the guests, representatives from Guangdong Yongfeng Lihua Industrial Co., Ltd. and the China-Europe (Duisburg) Innovation Center signed an agreement for the company’s official entry. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in deepening cooperation and pursuing mutual development between Yongfeng Lihua Industry Group and its partners in Europe.
