The German Association of Foreign Trade and Wholesalers warned about changes in German industrial policy and the "Chinese phobia" (also known as "China phobia") issue, according to Moral Media on April 1. "We must not expand Europe into a siege," said Bingman, president of the association in Berlin on March 28. "It is a misunderstanding that if we close our country and Europe, we can create jobs and achieve prosperity."

Voice of Germany website reported on March 31 that while some European politicians are worried about the impact of Chinese capital, Germany's foreign trade sector has voiced a different voice, saying that it should be vigilant against Europe's current "China phobia" and fear of competition.

Reported that for some time, the EU has had a lot of discussions on the issue of relations with China. Germany and France proposed to enhance the role of the country in industrial policy. The two countries hoped to promote the creation of a "European champion" in order to deal with competition from the United States and China. In addition, the two countries also said that they should promote core innovation and protect key industries.

But these proposals have also been contested within the EU. Bergman, president of the German Association of Foreign Trade and Wholesalers, mentioned the current "anti-competitive tone" in Europe. He said this would not make Europe stronger, but weaken it. "We can't become neurotic," he said. "There is no reason for the current Chinese phobia to exist." He also said that Germany was not a victim of China's economic rise, but a beneficiary.

Bingman also said that we should not close ourselves up, but strengthen the competitiveness of enterprises. This includes strengthening investment in digital construction, transport facilities and basic research areas. Germany's exports are currently functioning well, but growth has declined, he said. The German Association of Foreign Trade and Wholesalers expects Germany's export growth to remain at 3% in 2019.