A renowned business leader and expert on Europe-China trade, Joerg Wuttke’s insights on the country are hard to rival. His career history includes being Chief Representative of BASF in China for 27 years - he led the company’s investment strategies for China, negotiating large projects and leading the company’s government relations. Joerg has also served as President of the EU Chamber of Commerce three times.
We recently hosted Joerg in our London office, where he met with one of our in-house China experts, Co-head of Emerging Markets Corporate Debt Alan Siow. In a recording of this fascinating discussion, you can hear their thoughts on a range of topical issues, with Joerg sharing insights gained since he first visited the country in the 1980s.
They discuss:
- How DeepSeek has injected a renewed sense of optimism in the country
- The implications of US tariffs, and misconceptions around the importance of exports to China’s economy
- How an abundance of bright young engineers is a gamechanger for the economy, while also making China a “fitness centre” where international firms can hone their innovation skills
- Compelling investment opportunities for bottom-up investors
Joerg Wuttke – biography
Joerg Wuttke is a Partner at DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group, a founding member of DGA Group, and is based in Washington, D.C. He is a renowned business leader and expert on the Europe-China trade and investment corridor.
Previously, Mr. Wuttke served as the Chief Representative of BASF in China for 27 years, where he was responsible for guiding the company’s investment strategies for China, negotiating large projects and leading the company’s government relations. Before BASF, Mr. Wuttke worked with ABB, a multinational power and automation technologies company, for 11 years on the development and financing of large projects in China, Southeast Asia, Africa and Russia.
During his time in China, Mr. Wuttke has served on several boards and as a member of many professional associations, including as President of the EU Chamber of Commerce three times, most recently between 2019 and 2023. In June 2023, he joined the Robert Bosch Internationale Beteiligungen AG Verwaltungsrat (Supervisory Board). Since its founding in 2013, he has also been a member of the Mercator Institute for China Studies, the Advisory Board of Germany’s foremost think tank on China.
Mr. Wuttke has been awarded the Order of Leopold II by King Albert II of Belgium in 2014, Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by President Emmanuel Macron of France, the Order of Italian Star from President Sergio Mattarella of Italy and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Verdienstorden) from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany.
