Chinese premier Li Keqiang’s Berlin visit in early July appears to have set a precedent. Germany’s big three automakers announced groundbreaking joint ventures with Chinese firms as well as major expansion plans. Siemens, Germany’s top capital goods provider, and chemical giant BASF also announced major projects in China, while BMW warned that the Trump tariffs might cause it to shift capacity from its South Carolina plants to China. This week, Japan’s largest automakers followed the German example. Toyota announced plans to increase Chinese capacity by 20% and Nissan slated a $900 million investment to raise ... (full story)