A delegation led by Zhanjiang Mayor Jiang Jianjun is on its way to visit Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland at the invitation of two world-famous companies, BASF Group and Hilti Corporation, to discuss economic and trade cooperation.

BASF Group is a world-renowned chemical company which produces chemicals and plastics for the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries. [Photo/basf.com]

BASF Group, hailed as "the most admired chemical company in the world" by Fortune magazine, is one of the largest chemical producers around the globe. In 2017, the company reportedly made €64.5 billion ($79.9 billion) in revenue and had over 115,000 employees worldwide.

In order to enhance its presence in Asia, BASF Group invested €5.6 billion in the region between 1990 and 2005. Zhanjiang, being home to an array of heavy-weight petrochemical projects such as the Sino-Kuwait petrochemical refinery, presents itself as an ideal investment destination.

During their trip to Germany, the Zhanjiang delegates will tour the headquarters of BASF Group in Ludwigshafen. Discussions afterwards will revolve around the company's investment in an integrated project designed to assist in the development of Zhanjiang's petrochemical industrial park.

Hilti Corporation is a Liechtenstein multinational company that provides cutting-edge technologies, software, products and services for the construction industry. The company has branches in over 120 countries with its global sales reaching 33.6 billion yuan ($5.4 billion) last year.

Hilti Corporation offers comprehensive services ranging from cutting-edge technologies to software, products and services for the construction industry. [Photo/hilti.cn]

Delegates will have discussions with business representatives from Hilti Corporation on topics such as the construction of an innovation base in Zhanjiang and the introduction of innovative products from Hilti. A talk will also be held with the Liechtenstein government to establish a mechanism for economic and trade exchange.

In its journey to Switzerland, the delegation will negotiate the details of an Asia-Pacific sales network in Zhanjiang with Hilti Switzerland.