Hui Zhang of NIO Europe + Gas Supply + Xinjiang Sanctions

Annalena Baerbock has to jump into the deep end. She is taking on the post of Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs in a situation with great uncertainties and shifts in global politics. But while Russia’s interest in Ukraine seems downright threatening, the situation with China is more complex than dangerous. Like Germany, Beijing’s primary interest is stability.

Baerbock now initially played it safe at the meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Liverpool on the weekend. This was, after all, her first appearance on the international stage in her new role. China is a partner, competitor, and rival. She repeated the same formula the EU uses to frame its relationship with the Asian superpower. The G7 foreign ministers debated China intensively and expressed “concern” about “coercive economic measures” by China. This refers to measures such as the embargo against Lithuania. This, in turn, is what the EU foreign ministers want to discuss today.

Baerbock’s tasks now also include avoiding a new spiral toward new trade restrictions. This is where the interests of the German and Chinese economies meet. The car brand NIO is a good example of this. It is currently working on its entry into the German market. The time when Germany sold vehicles in China and not vice versa is slowly coming to an end. In today’s interview, Hui Zhang, Vice President of NIO Europe, explains how he plans to overcome the biggest obstacle to market entry: the lack of an established brand.

It’s not just global politics that are rapidly getting colder. Meteorologists are also predicting a cold winter. There is a connection between the two issues. Anyone who heats with imported gas is dependent on their suppliers. This has is also caused repeated debates in connection with Russia’s pipelines. China faces a similar dilemma, analyzes Christiane Kuehl. In an effort to consume less coal, the share of natural gas as a fuel is increasing. And with it, import dependency. China’s solution? More gas from its partner Russia instead of its rival, the USA.

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Finn Mayer-Kuckuk