Billionaire Dalio, head of the world's largest hedge fund, is considered a global authority on investing in China. The bank was the first to set up a wholly foreign-owned securities firm in China when the country lifted foreign ownership caps in the sector in 2020.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called on global business leaders to push back against protectionism, seeking to take advantage of growing backlash to rising US tariffs to promote his country as a reliable partner.

German investment in China’s auto industry has been one of the few bright spots as foreign investment has slowed to a crawl.