Premier Li Keqiang said the Chinese government treats foreign and domestic enterprises equally, and welcomes foreign enterprises to expand investment in China.

He made the remarks as he visited a factory of Bosch Automotive Products in Changsha, Central China’s Hunan province on June 11.

The factory is an integral part of a smart manufacturing project by Germany’s Bosch Group.

Premier Li said Germany has set up a smart manufacturing strategy, as have other countries including the US, Japan, France and South Korea. “China is open to all smart strategies.”

The Chinese government treats foreign and domestic enterprises equally, and they are both a foreign-invested company and a Chinese one, Premier Li told the employees. “China will keep its promise to protect intellectual property rights.”

At the factory, the person in charge from the German side showed the Premier the company’s research in autopilot technology.

The Premier said German Chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed many times her will to develop self-driving technology with China.

He asked accompanying officials from relevant departments to promote cooperation between China and Germany on the matter.