Analysen Und Diskussionen Über China

This episode looks at the potential impact of the French EU Council Presidency on the bloc's China policy. We also delve into French China policy and wage a look ahead on what the outcome of the upcoming French presidential elections in April 2022 could mean for the country's engagement with China. To discuss these issues, we are joined by François Godement, a Senior Advisor for Asia at the Institut Montaigne in Paris, Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C., as well as an external consultant for the Policy Planning Staff of the French Ministry for Europe and International Affairs. In the past, François headed ECFR's Asia and China programme and lectured at Sciences Po and France's National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO). 

With the 24th Winter Olympic Games, Beijing has become the first city to host both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games – a source of national pride and a sign of China’s ambition to become a global superpower. The leadup to the games, however, has been mired by the decision of several liberal democracies not to send high level dignitaries to the games in protest over human rights violations in Xinjiang. In addition, the specter of the ongoing global COVID pandemic is having its effect on the games.What do the Winter Olympic Games 2022 mean for the Chinese leadership, how is COVID affecting this year’s games and what do the Chinese people think about them? We will discuss these questions with Valarie Tan, Analyst at MERICS. In her view, “both Olympic Games [2008 and 2022] are part of Xi Jinping’s legacy and a true reflection of Chinas expansion and ambition to become a global superpower.”

A sizeable part of the Chinese economy is still dominated by state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Due to their direct link to the government, they are often employed as spearheads for the roll-out of new policies. What role does the government envision for SOEs in the ongoing common prosperity push for a more equal China? How can Beijing mobilize SOEs and what actions will they take? This episode of our podcast features a discussion with Sarah Eaton and Nis Grünberg. Sarah Eaton is Professor of Transregional China Studies at Humboldt University Berlin and co-founder of the Berlin Contemporary China Network. Nis Grünberg is Lead Analyst at MERICS.More on the topic:Check out our other recent podcasts on China’s economic policies:China’s economic policies, with Barry Naughton and Max J. ZengleinCommon prosperity means closer alignment with CCP goals for private companies, with Isabella Weber and Jacob Gunther 

With the concept of “common prosperity” set as a key goal of the Communist Party, China´s economic model seems to be heading for a big shift in the coming years. Already Beijing is introducing policies aimed at aligning the market with the Party´s ideology and broader goals. Can we expect to see a shift away from the pragmatic economic state-planning of the last decades towards a more ideologically driven development? And what would that imply for the role of private companies in China?We will discuss these questions with Isabella Weber and Jacob Gunter. Isabella Weber is the Research Leader for China of the Asian Political Economy Program at the Political Economy Research Institute and an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts. She is the author of the book How China Escaped Shock Therapy: The Market Reform Debate, which was published in 2021. Jacob Gunter is a Senior Analyst focusing on China’s economy at MERICS.

Africa has longstanding and deep partnerships with Chinese technology companies—Huawei famously began developing its telecommunications networks in rural Kenya in the 1990s. Today, African governments are among the top customers for Chinese surveillance tools, from “smart cities” to media monitoring. These partnerships have come under increased scrutiny and criticism for two main reasons: domestic human rights abuses committed with the help of surveillance tech in China, and allegations of government spying (in 2018, Le Monde reported that the African Union headquarters communications network, built by Huawei, was leaking data to Shanghai). This raises the question: is China exporting its surveillance apparatus to Africa? It’s more complicated than that, according to Jili Bulelani, MERICS Futures Fellow and Harvard PhD candidate. In this conversation, he offers insights in how to conceptualize these issues, with emphasis on the motivations of local actors and the race to regulate surveillance technology.  

Despite the many challenges China’s economy is facing on several levels, the Chinese leadership seems determined to push for fundamental shifts of China’s economic system. Beijing seeks to tackle long-term structural issues and rebalance the economy in line with broader policy goals. The latest buzzword spread is “common prosperity”, seeking to narrow the yawning wealth gap in the country. What does Beijing hope to achieve and why is it rolled out right now? In this episode of our podcast, we discuss with Barry Naughton and Max J. Zenglein. Barry Naughton is the So Kwan Lok Chair of Chinese International Affairs at UC San Diego and one of the most highly respected economists working on China. He is also a member of MERICS’ International Scientific Council. Max J. Zenglein is Chief Economist at MERICS .

In this episode of our EU-China podcast series, we look at how China spreads disinformation in Europe. We explore patterns in China’s disinformation and propaganda operations, evaluate how effective they are and what has the EU been doing to address this challenge. Ivana Karásková, is a European China policy fellow at MERICS and also the founder and coordinator of China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe network as well as of MapInfluence, a project that maps China’s and Russia’s influence in Central Europe. Ivana also works for Central European Digital Media Observatory, where she focuses on disinformation, propaganda and social resilience.

The coalition treaty of the Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats was sealed in November after almost two months of negotiations. It contains several references to China. For the first time ever, sensitive issues like the human rights situation in Xinjiang, the erosion of rights in Hong Kong, and the tensions involving Taiwan are mentioned explicitely. In this podcast, Claudia Wessling, Director Communications and Publications at MERICS, is joined by MERICS' Executive Director Mikko Huotari to discuss implications of the coalition treaty for Germany’s future China policy. 

China and European countries entertain relations with each other not only at the state level. During past decades, a close network of partnerships between Chinese provinces, European regions or federal states and also cities and municipalities has emerged. On subnational channels, there are a lot of oftentimes mutually beneficial exchanges - in business and politics, but also at the level of civil society. It is very challenging for a federally organized country like Germany, but also other European regions, to deal with actors from China who are following strategies prescribed by a centralized party state.  MERICS Senior Analyst Roderick Kefferpütz has been studying China's sub-national diplomacy in Germany and Europe in detail in his research at MERICS. He has just published the results of his research in two MERICS reports. In this episode of the MERICS Experts podcast, he discusses his findings and recommendations for subnational actors in Europe with Claudia Wessling, Director of Communications and

Seit Jahrzehnten gibt es ein enges Partnerschaftsgeflecht zwischen chinesischen Provinzen, deutschen Bundesländern und auch Kommunen und Städten. Es ist lebhafter Austausch entstanden in Wirtschaft und Politik, aber auch auf zivilgesellschaftlicher Ebene. Unter der Regierung von Xi Jinping folgt allerdings auch Chinas subnationale Diplomatie immer stärker den Vorgaben des Zentralstaats - für ein föderal organisiertes Land wie Deutschland ist das sehr herausfordernd.  Das hat auch Roderick Kefferpütz, wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter bei MERICS, in einer Umfrage unter Vertreterinnen und Vertretern in sechs Bundesländern erfahren. Die Ergebnisse seiner Recherche hat er in zwei neuen MERICS-Studien veröffentlicht.  Mit Claudia Wessling, Leiterin Kommunikation und Publikationen am MERICS, diskutiert er im Podcast über Handlungsmöglichkeiten für hiesige Akteure. Mehr zum Thema: Die Studie „Stadt, Land, Fluss im Blick Beijings: Chinas subnationale Diplomatie in Deutschland" finden Sie auf der MERICS Website. Les

Just hours after China’s president Xi Jinping met virtually with US president Joe Biden on November 16th, Chinese state media released the text of the Chinese Communist Party’s  new “Resolution on History”. In the week prior, top leaders in the party convened to approve the document - only the third of its kind - elevating Xi to the stature of former leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Nothing will stand in his way should he seek a third five-year term at next year’s party congress. MERICS Analyst Valarie Tan offers a first-look interpretation of the document’s wording. What themes are prominent in this resolution? Why did its timing coincide with the Xi-Biden summit?  Also, check out Valarie Tan’s short analysis about the resolution. 

In October 2021, Chinese tech giant Alibaba unveiled its most advanced cloud server chip yet. Semiconductors, or chips, are the foundation for many of the electronics that we use daily. You will find them in computers, cars, household appliances, phones and many other devices. The semiconductor value chain is characterized by a high degree of transnational interdependence, and Alibaba’s “Yitian 710” is no exception: it relies heavily on foreign technology. The US-China technology rivalry, the Covid-19 pandemic and global shortages in semiconductors have led many governments to scrutinize these interdependencies. What risks does this pose to the international system? How is China’s share of the semiconductor ecosystem structured? In this episode, we discuss these questions with John Lee, Senior Analyst at MERICS, and Jan-Peter Kleinhans, head of the Technology and Geopolitics topic area at Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (SNV).Recommended reading: Mapping China’s semiconductor ecosystem in global context: Strategi

France, as an Indo-Pacific power, plays a unique role in EU discussions on engagement with the region. Paris’ security-minded approach to the Indo-Pacific region distinguishes it from other European capitals. But, as AUKUS controversy shows, France’s ambitions in the region are being challenged, as its partners prioritize capabilities to respond to China’s growing military prowess over relations with Paris. The resulting Franco-American tensions have implications for all EU member states and some of them are concerned.In this episode, we talk with Mathieu Duchâtel, Director of the Asia Program at Institut Montaigne, and one of the leading voices in China debates in France.The conversation covers France’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific, the dynamics of Franco-Chinese interactions in the region, the AUKUS debacle and China topics in light of the upcoming French EU presidency.---If you are interested in our research on EU-China topics why not subscribe to our biweekly MERICS Europe China 360° Brief?

As tensions are increasing in the Indo-Pacific, the EU is exploring ways to contribute to the security framework in the region. In doing so, the bloc has to navigate the complex dynamics between its ambitions and capabilities as well as reactions from both China and like-minded partners. But what exactly is the EU’s objective in the security realm and can it achieve it?In this episode, we talk to Helena Legarda Senior Analyst at MERICS, who is an expert on Chinas defense and foreign policy and its geopolitical impact. She is also the lead author of MERICS China Security and Risk Tracker.The conversation covers a range of security issues including the EU’s capability to project power in the Indo-Pacific, China’s reactions to French and German military operations in the region and much more.---If you are interested in our research on EU-China topics subscribe to our biweekly MERICS Europe China 360° brief.

Over the course of the past weeks, the EU’s agenda was filled with Indo-Pacific related developments ranging from the successful release of the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy to shock linked to the cancellation of the French military sale to Australia and the announcement of the AUKUS alliance.In this episode, we talk with Mr. Gunnar Wiegand, the Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service, an institute at the forefront of the EU’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific region and China.The conversation touches on a range of strategic issues related to the EU’s ambitions and capabilities in the region, EU-China relations in the Indo-Pacific, EU-Taiwan ties and transatlantic cooperation.---If you are interested in our research on EU-China topics you may want to subscribe to our biweekly MERICS Europe China 360° Brief.

China’s real estate giant Evergrande has been making headlines for a while now. Having accumulated more than 300 billion USD in debt, Evergrande – one of the largest property developers on earth – is at the brink of collapse. On Monday, trading of Evergrande’s shares was suspended on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The week before, it missed a key bond interest payment. What has caused this pressure on Evergrande? What consequences would an insolvency entail for China’s real estate and financial markets? What kind of toolkit does the Chinese government now have at its disposal to manage the situation? In this podcast, MERICS Director Communications and Publications Claudia Wessling talks with Victor Shih of UC San Diego. He is an expert on Chinese banking and fiscal policies and has recently published an edited book titled “Economic Shocks and Authoritarian Stability.”  

On September 26, Germany held its first election in 16 years without Angela Merkel. Her party, the Christian Democratic (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) suffered great losses, receiving only 24.1 percent of the votes. The center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) won by a small margin with 25.7 percent. The Green Party (14.8 percent) and the Liberals (FDP, 11.5 percent) will now play a crucial role in forming a coalition. Both, an SPD-led government under chancellor Olaf Scholz, and a CDU/CSU government with Armin Laschet as chancellor, are theoretically possible.While the parties are beginning to explore common ground to build a coalition, our MERICS podcast takes a first look at how the new German government might shape its China policy. Both the FDP and the Greens adopt more critical approaches to China than those of the outgoing chancellor Merkel, who mainly focused on fostering economic collaboration between the two countries. MERICS Senior Fellow Ariane Reimers, a Ge

Deutschland hat gewählt. Unter einer neuen Bundesregierung könnte sich auch in der deutschen China-Politik einiges ändern. Angela Merkel verfolgte einen vor allem auf Kooperation gerichteten Ansatz. Doch wie stehen die Parteien, die bald über Koalitionsoptionen verhandeln, zu China? FDP und Grüne, die vermutlich Juniorpartner in der künftigen Regierung sein werden, stehen durchaus für kritischere Ansätze. Doch werden sie sich durchsetzen? Und wie wirkt sich das alles auf die China-Politik der EU aus, auch im Verhältnis zu den USA? Zu Gast im MERICS Podcast ist MERICS Senior Policy Fellow Ariane Reimers, ehemals ARD-Korrespondentin in China und im Hauptstadtstudio. Mit Reimers sprach Claudia Wessling, Leiterin Kommunikation und Publikationen bei MERICS.  

While the importance of politics over economics has always been a key feature of China's economic system, many observers say that there has been a paradigm shift in how the CCP governs China’s economy today. This new model is often described as party-state capitalism.   To get a clearer picture of this new form of economic governance that is emerging in China, Johannes Heller-John is joined by Nis Grünberg, Senior Analyst at MERICS. Nis is the editor and one of the authors of the MERICS Paper on China on the “CCP’s next century”. Read his chapter on "Party-state capitalism under Xi: integrating political control and economic efficiency".

The dire situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover continues to make headlines, and the question has emerged whether China is the big winner of the US withdrawal from the country. In this episode of the MERICS China podcast Raffaello Pantucci, Singapore-based Senior Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), explains that narratives of China winning in Afghanistan are exaggerated but that an outcome of the US withdrawal is increasing Beijing’s influence across the Central Asian region, where countries see China as an important, preeminent partner. Yet, he concludes, if Western actors work together there is still leeway for them to engage in the region.