Stefan Schaible, global managing director and global senior partner of Roland Berger, in an exclusive interview with China Daily on Oct 19 during his trip to the Qingdao Multinationals Summit held in Qingdao, Shandong province [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn ]

Editor's note: In an exclusive interview with China Daily at the Qingdao Multinationals Summit, Stefan Schaible, global managing director of Roland Berger, a global strategy consulting firm headquartered in Munich, said he thinks it's a very good message from the Chinese government to commit to free trade.

Q: What impact will China's new round of high-level opening-up have on the economic development of China and the world at large?

A: I think it's a very good message from the Chinese government to commit to free trade because global growth will strongly depend on free trade, because then you can lift up productivity and competition and better products for anybody. So it's a good signal that in times of putting free trade under pressure China is strongly committed to do so. I hope Chinese European interaction will further strengthen in doing so and standing for open markets.

Q: What's your opinions and suggestions on China's upcoming foreign investment law?

A: Looking back the 51 percent rule and such things let's say some elements where free trade could have pushed further with the new law passed in March. I think there is a big big window of opportunity to take the stands as a European, somebody being from a foreign country, I think it strongly depends how you will implement it in the next year. If it's really, let's say, in practice as attractive as it sounds on paper so far. But feeling the spirit of that conference I'm confident that it will go to. It depends a lot on building trust and the Europeans being less afraid of the former sleeping giant China now being a real giant on the other side, the understanding of the Chinese that Europeans are multicentric and how to handle that also culture-wise and if that trust and cultural alignment is built, I'm pretty sure that trade will further increase and the foreign investment law will be a successful practice. 

Q: Would you please talk about how the summit will benefit Shandong's development?

A: It helped. Shandong took, in the last decades, very successful past being one of the powerhouses in China and being the third strongest region in China. On that side they strongly depend on productive industries so where it's not so easy to develop further growth, you see it in the original growth rates. I think in international technology cooperation, in opening up markets, in bringing China to the next-level as an export nation of all. I think they are big prospective for the local original economy, so I think some like that are really key to broaden the network, bring companies together to create new ideas of cooperation to open up new markets to develop perhaps together. To get new technologies like you see with members with the members of the podium, with the companies like Bosch and Weichai so this I think something that is really important. So I like a lot to be part of that process. 

Q: Would you please talk about shandong's efforts in promoting high-quality development?

A: I think, you know, it's a strong success for the Shandong government to be one of the new six free trade zones to lift it up but I think they have proven in China to be really a recipe for success. They are oriented more into new technology segments the region can go to. So I think the government is going in the right direction and I keep the fingers crossed that it will work out.