Interview with the Managing Director of SME Groups Germany + EV subsidies

China is one of the largest export markets for German SMEs. This makes the concern about the rise of competition from the Far East all the greater. “We still give our technology a foster parent treatment,” says the managing director of SME Groups Germany, Ludwig Veltmann, in an interview with China.Table. Marcel Grzanna spoke with him about China’s ambitions for tech leadership.

Medium-sized companies should not sell their technical know-how lightly to competitors from the People’s Republic, says Veltmann. The German economy must become stronger in digitalization and data analysis. In the globalization race, Veltmann advocates a united Europe and globally defined environmental and social standards. However, he remains critical of the Supply Chain Act.

Competition between China and Germany is also the subject of Frank Sieren’s analysis of EV prices. This issue is currently hitting a nerve in Germany: electric vehicles are too expensive. This was one of the statements in the truel for the chancellorship. A nurse can’t afford an EV, so a ban on combustion cars is anti-social. China proves the opposite. Here, average prices for electric cars have dropped by almost 50 percent in the last ten years – while they have risen in Europe and the USA. The billions in subsidies made available by the central government are also a reason for this. The expansion plans of the Chinese competition could now hit European manufacturers on the wrong foot.

In the chaotic final days of the Trump presidency, US General Mark Milley called a senior Chinese military officer, General Li Zuocheng. His message: Don’t worry about a surprise US attack – I’d give you a heads-up. Milley wanted to prevent an accidental war between the superpowers. Who is the general to whom the Milley call was directed? Finn Mayer-Kuckuk has been looking for clues: General Li is a member of the CCP Central Committee and, as one of the most important military officers, enjoys the trust of President Xi – and a high international reputation.

Have a pleasant week!

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Nico Beckert