Sino-German Centre
About Us
The Sino-German Center of Finance and Economics (SGC) at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management is a registered association since 2015. It emerged from the RMB initiative of the Government of Hessen to position the financial center of Frankfurt as RMB offshore hub. The Center conducts independent and relevant research in the field of economic and financial affairs between Germany respectively Europa and China and serves as a forum for dialogue among academics and professionals of both countries
PAST EVENTS
Virtual Roundtable
Central Bank Digital Currencies: China and Europe in Comparison
May 21st, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CEST
Speakers:
MU, Changchun, Director, Digital Currency Research Institute, Peoples Bank of China, Beijing
Dr. Jens Reich, Deputy Director, Department Digital Euro, Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt
Moderator: Prof. Horst Löchel, Sino-German Centre
News
Virtual Roundtables
Virtual Roundtable
Central Bank Digital Currencies: China and Europe in Comparison
March 17, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CET.
Speakers:
- MU, Changchun, Director, Digital Currency Research Institute, Peoples Bank of China, Beijing
- Dr. Jens Reich, Deputy Director, Department Digital Euro, Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt
Moderator: Prof. Horst Löchel, SGC at Frankfurt School
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual Roundtable
CHINA’S 15TH FIVE-YEAR PLAN AND THE IMPACT FOR BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY
March 17, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CET.
Speakers:
- Prof. Ben Shenglin, Dean, Zhejiang University International Business School (ZIBS), Hangzhou
- Prof. Klaus Mühlhahn, Institute for China Studies, FU Berlin
Moderator: Prof. Horst Löchel, SGC at Frankfurt School
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual Roundtable
THE OUTLOOK FOR CHINA’S ECONOMY IN 2026 AND THE 15TH FIVE-YEAR PLAN
February 5th, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CET.
Speakers:
- Dr. Julia Haes, Managing Director, China Institut für die deutsche Wirtschaft (CIDW)
- Dr. Yi Xiong, Chief Economist, China at Deutsche Bank AG
Moderator: Prof. Horst Löchel, SGC at Frankfurt School
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual Roundtable
What China Policy Does Germany Need?
Speakers:
- Frank Sieren, renowned China expert and best-selling author
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual Roundtable
DeepSeek and the Race to the Technological Frontier
Speakers:
- Dr. Thomas Asikis, Deep Learning Engineer at Aisot Technologies and Postdoc at University Zurich
- Prof. Shenglin Ben, Dean, Zhejiang University International Business School (ZIBS)
- Prof. Lucas Böttcher, Assistant Professor of Computational Science at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management
- Moderators: Prof. Horst Löchel, Prof. Rüdiger von Rosen
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual Roundtable
Perspectives of Germany’s China Policy After the Election
Speakers:
- Maximilian Butek, Chief Representative of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce Shanghai
- Christian Sommer, CEO & Chairman at German Centre Shanghai
- Moderators: Prof. Horst Löchel, Prof. Rüdiger von Rosen
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual Roundtable
Outlook for China’s Economy in the Year of the Snake
Speakers:
- Dr Julia Haes, Executive Director of the China Institute of the German Economy (CIDW
- Dr Yi Xiong, Chief Economist of Deutsche Bank in China
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual Roundtable
Extra Duty on Chinese EV Imports – Right or Wrong Decision by the EU?
Speakers:
- Dr. Cora Francisca Jungbluth, Senior Expert China and Asia-Pacific, Bertelsmann Stiftung
- Bernhard Weber, Member of the Board of Directors, China-Network Baden-Württemberg
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual Roundtable
The US Presidential Election and the Future of the US-China Relations
Speakers:
- Thomas Heck, Partner, PWC, New York
- Prof. Klaus Mühlhahn, President Zeppelin University
- Dr. Michael Schaefer, former German ambassador in China (ret)
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual Roundtable
The Development and Future of China’s CVC Industry
Speakers:
- Dr. Min Zhou, Managing Partner of CM Venture Capital, a hard-tech VC backed by multi corporates based in Shanghai
- Dr. Hongquan Jiang, Managing Director of Boyuan Capital & Investment Partner Robert Bosch VC (RBVC)
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual Roundtable
RESULTS OF THE 3rd PLENUM: progress ahead for the economy?
July 29th, 11.00 am to 12.00 pm
Speakers:
- Klaus Mühlhan, President of Zeppelin University
- Jörg Wuttke, former President of European Chamber of Commerce in China
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual RoundtablE
EU and China’s Approach to Economic Security
May 29th, 11.00 am to 12.00 pm
Speakers:
- Markus Herrmann Chen, Co-Founder, China Macro Group
- Thomas Weck, Associate Professor of Public Law, Regulatory Law, and Comparative Law at Frankfurt School
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual Roundtable
The Two Sessions Meeting: What Does it Mean for the Economy?
Speakers:
- Prof. Shenglin Ben, Dean, Zhejiang University International Business School
- Jens Hildebrandt, Delegate, Chief Representative and Managing Director of the German Chamber of Commerce in North China
Watch video on Youtube
Virtual Roundtable
Outlook for China’s Economy 2024
Speakers:
- Volkmar Baur, China Economist at Union Investment
- Dr. Yi Xiong, Chief Economist at Deutsche Bank China
Watch video on Youtube
WEBINAR
The Financial Centres of Hong Kong and Frankfurt
November 14, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CET Speakers:
- Dr. King Au, Executive Director, HK Financial Services Development Council
- Andreas Glänzel, Managing Director, Frankfurt Main Finance e.V.
Watch video on Youtube
WEBINAR
The New Normal: Changing Business Conditions for German Companies in China:
September 20, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CEST Speakers:
- Maximilian Butek, Executive Director & Board Member, German Chamber of Commerce in China, Shanghai
- Christian Sommer, CEO & Chairman, German Centre for Industry and Trade Shanghai and Taicang
Watch video on Youtube
WEBINAR
Germany’s New China Strategy: What to Expect?
July 31, 2023, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST. Speakers:
- Prof. Klaus Mühlhahn, President, Zeppelin University
- Dr. Michael Schaefer, former German Ambassador in China (retired)
Moderator: Prof. Horst Löchel, Co-Chairman, Sino-German Center at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management
Watch video on Youtube
Webinar
(Corporate) Venture Capital in China as a Tool for Driving Innovation
- Robby Xu, Senior Vice President Marketing at MojiaBio, former MD Richland Capital and former Head of Open Innovation & CVC, APAC at Covestro
- Yang Zhong, Head of Asia Open Innovation at British American Tobacco
Tuesday 13 June 2023, 11:00 to 12:00 CEST
Watch video on Youtube
Webinar
AIIB: A Multilateral Development Bank
With Ludger Schuknecht, Vice President and Corporate Secretary, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
Tuesday 2 May 2023, 11:00 CEST
Watch video on Youtube
Webinar
14th National People’s Congress: Government change will impact on the Economy
Wednesday, 1 March 2023, 11:00 a.m. CET With Jörg Wuttke, President of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China
Watch video on Youtube
Webinar | How Dependent is German Business on China? (18 January 2023)
Watch video on Youtube
Webinar | China Outlook 2023 : Economy and Markets (06 December 2022)
Webinar | Decoding the 20th Congress of China’s Communist Party – What Does it Mean for Business? (20 October 2022)
Webinar | China’s Zero Covid-19 Policy and the Future of European Business in China (31 May 2022)
Webinar | Business Under Lockdown Conditions in the Greater Area of Shanghai (26 April 2022)
Webinar | Asset Management in China (29 March 2022)
Webinar | The Year of the Tiger: What to Expect from China’s Economy and Financial Markets (15 Feb 2022)
MOU Signatur Ceremony | Sino German Center and Zhejiang University International Business School (16 Feb 2022)
Research and Projects
December 2024
New Working Paper: Great Power Rivalry in the 21st century: China vs. the United States: A Game-Theoretic Analysis of the Thucydides Trap
December 2024
Working Paper: Great Power Rivalry in the 21st century: China vs. the United States: A Game-Theoretic Analysis of the Thucydides Trap
September 2023
Working Paper: Germany’s Import Dependency on China
December 2022
Working Paper: The Impact of Population Ageing on China’s Growth
White Paper: CVC As A aTool for Global Technological Leadership in China
December 2021
Working Paper: The Long-Term Development of the Business Conditions for European Companies in China
December 2020
Working Paper: The Benefits of China Depository Receipts – Evidence from Developed Economies
February 2020
Working Paper: Features of Chinese Financial Investors in Europe – Peer-Group Analysis
Research and Projects
December 2024
New Working Paper: Great Power Rivalry in the 21st century: China vs. the United States: A Game-Theoretic Analysis of the Thucydides Trap
December 2024
Working Paper: Great Power Rivalry in the 21st century: China vs. the United States: A Game-Theoretic Analysis of the Thucydides Trap
September 2023
Working Paper: Germany’s Import Dependency on China
December 2022
Working Paper: The Impact of Population Ageing on China’s Growth
White Paper: CVC As A aTool for Global Technological Leadership in China
December 2021
Working Paper: The Long-Term Development of the Business Conditions for European Companies in China
December 2020
Working Paper: The Benefits of China Depository Receipts – Evidence from Developed Economies
February 2020
Working Paper: Features of Chinese Financial Investors in Europe – Peer-Group Analysis
Executive Board
In the Executive Board are representitives of the State of Hessen, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, J. W.Goethe-University and others elected by General Assembly.
- Prof. Dr. Horst Löchel, Co-Chairman, Professor of Economics, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, Frankfurt
- Thorsten Giehler, Head of the Economy, Employment & Social Development Department, Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
- Prof. Dr. Phillipp Böing, Goethe University and ZEW
- Marco Kreuter, Director General Economic Sector, Financial Services, Exchanges, Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport and Housing of the State of Hessen, Wiesbaden
- Prof. Dr. Rüdiger von Rosen, Honorary Professor of J. W. Goethe University
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees comprises of the Ministry of Economics of the State of Hessen, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, J. W. Goethe University as well as the International Business School & Academy of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou.
- Prof. Dr. Ben Shenglin, Dean, International Business School & Academy of Internet Finance, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou
- Prof. Dr. Rainer Klump, Executive Director of the House of Finance, J. W. Goethe University, Frankfurt
- Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel, Spokesman of the Board, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Eschborn
- Prof. Dr. Nils Stieglitz, President, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Frankfurt
Our Partners
Past Research Projects
Our Team
Prof. Dr. Horst Löchel
Dr. Horst Löchel is Professor of Economics at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, and MBA Programme Director. He is also a Visiting Professor at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) and member of the board of directors at the Shanghai International Banking and Finance Institute (SIBFI). Professor Löchel teaches and researches with a focus on China.
Thorsten Giehler
Thorsten Giehler is Head of the Economy, Employment & Social Development Department in the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). He has worked for 15 years in Beijing as GIZ Chief Representative in East Asia and as programme manager of the Sino-German financial sector reform programme. He is an agricultural and development economist by training and has published various books on East-West relations and rural finance.
Nisa Ödül Topcu
Nisa Topcu holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Middle East Technical University (METU) and is supporting the SGC in its various activities.
Contact us
Frankfurt School of Finance & Management Adickesalle 32 – 34, 60322 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
+49 69 154008 741
+49 69 154008 4741
