Two of Germany's most prominent industrialists have attacked the business and investment climate in China during a meeting with Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier.

The criticism from the businessmen, the chief executives of Siemensand BASF, comes against a backdrop of rising discontent among foreign businesses operating in China.

The German executives' comments are all the more striking as they were made directly to the Chinese premier, and in public, as part of chancellor Angela Merkel's four-day state visit to the country.

Jürgen Hambrecht, chief executive of BASF, the chemical producer, hit out at restrictions on foreign business and complained of foreign companies being forced to transfer business and technological know-how to Chinese companies in exchange for market access.

“That does not exactly correspond to our views of a partnership,” Mr Hambrecht told Mr Wen at the weekend meeting in the city of Xi'an.

Addressing government procurement practices, a recent area of complaint by foreign executives and governments, Peter Loescher, chief executive of Siemens, the industrial conglomerate, said foreign companies operating in China “expect to find equal conditions in the fields of public tenders”.

Mr Loescher, who is also chairman of the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business, called on Beijing to quickly lift trade and investment restrictions in sectors such as automobiles and financial services.

BASF and Siemens had combined sales in greater China of more than €9bn ($11.6bn) last year and employ more than 36,000 people in the area.

Mr Wen responded to the criticism by telling Mr Hambrecht to calm down, insisting that China remained open to foreign investment and did not discriminate against foreign companies. “Currently there is an allegation that China's investment environment is worsening. I think it is untrue,” Mr Wen said.