Germany’s Bundestag will next week vote on a motion—tabled and published on 8 November—that creates a permanent parliamentary committee to scrutinise trade and investment ties with China whenever “national-security or critical-infrastructure interests” are involved. While framed as an export-control measure, the initiative also covers the movement of people: managers on assignment, technical specialists dispatched to German plants, and Chinese investors seeking multi-entry visas will all face tighter background checks.
The 12-member panel will include academics, industry groups, labour unions and think-tank analysts and must issue public reports twice a year. Its remit spans energy projects, raw-material supply chains, advanced manufacturing and data centres. Any deal deemed sensitive could trigger licensing conditions—such as mandatory local data storage—or an outright prohibition. Crucially for mobility teams, the Interior Ministry confirmed to Reuters that visa applications linked to affected projects will be routed through a new “Security Coordination Office” for additional vetting, adding “at least four weeks” to normal processing times.
![Germany sets up expert panel to vet ‘security-relevant’ China links—a new hurdle for corporate assignments]()
Chancellor Friedrich Merz argues the step is needed after China restricted rare-earth exports, disrupting German electric-vehicle production this summer. Business federations warn that blanket security reviews could deter R&D cooperation and complicate short-term travel. A survey by the German Chamber of Commerce in China shows 43 % of member firms already delaying staff rotations because of uncertainty over residence-permit renewals.
Practical implications for global-mobility managers:
• Factor in longer lead times for A1 certificates and local registrations for China-linked assignees.
• Expect more document requests on dual-use technology, end-user certificates and cybersecurity plans.
• Re-evaluate assignment contracts to reflect possible delays or travel-ban clauses should a project be flagged.
The committee’s first meeting is scheduled for January 2026, but retroactive reviews of big-ticket deals signed since July 2025 cannot be ruled out. Companies with ongoing China collaborations should launch internal audits now to map staff movements and compliance exposures.
The 12-member panel will include academics, industry groups, labour unions and think-tank analysts and must issue public reports twice a year. Its remit spans energy projects, raw-material supply chains, advanced manufacturing and data centres. Any deal deemed sensitive could trigger licensing conditions—such as mandatory local data storage—or an outright prohibition. Crucially for mobility teams, the Interior Ministry confirmed to Reuters that visa applications linked to affected projects will be routed through a new “Security Coordination Office” for additional vetting, adding “at least four weeks” to normal processing times.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz argues the step is needed after China restricted rare-earth exports, disrupting German electric-vehicle production this summer. Business federations warn that blanket security reviews could deter R&D cooperation and complicate short-term travel. A survey by the German Chamber of Commerce in China shows 43 % of member firms already delaying staff rotations because of uncertainty over residence-permit renewals.
Practical implications for global-mobility managers:
• Factor in longer lead times for A1 certificates and local registrations for China-linked assignees.
• Expect more document requests on dual-use technology, end-user certificates and cybersecurity plans.
• Re-evaluate assignment contracts to reflect possible delays or travel-ban clauses should a project be flagged.
The committee’s first meeting is scheduled for January 2026, but retroactive reviews of big-ticket deals signed since July 2025 cannot be ruled out. Companies with ongoing China collaborations should launch internal audits now to map staff movements and compliance exposures.
