Felix Lee

Felix Lee has been working as a journalist for over 20 years. He reported from Beijing as China correspondent for many years for the taz, Funke Medien, Die Presse, Luxemburger Wort, the Weser Kurier and many other German-language publications. He was also responsible for the China Blog of Zeit Online. Felix Lee now lives in Berlin and writes for China.Table Professional Briefing. Lee's focus is on Germany's relationship with the People's Republic as well as China's foreign and global economic policy.

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China is expected to fall back into old habits at this weekend's People's Congress and fire up the real estate market to create growth. But investing in even more concrete will only add to the mountains of debt. continue reading →

Despite strict Covid policies, China's activities in the Belt and Road Initiative 2022 have continued to grow. According to Germany Trade and Invest, Russia in particular has stood out – as a supplier of cheap oil and gas. continue reading →

Although he was not there from the beginning – the first contact between Wolfsburg and the People’s Republic came about back in 1978. When Carl H. Hahn took the helm of the Volkswagen Group in 1982, he made business in China a top priority and played a key role in driving the company’s entry into […] continue reading →

With its four-day visit to Taipei, the high-ranking FDP delegation wanted to express its solidarity with democratic Taiwan and send a clear signal to the communist leadership in Beijing: the delegation would neither be blackmailed nor intimidated. In an interview with Felix Lee, political scientist and Taiwan expert Eberhard Sandschneider declares such trips as reckless and irresponsible. continue reading →

One visit to Taiwan by German MPs follows the next – politicians from the Greens, SPD, FDP and CDU outdo each other with declarations of solidarity for the island nation. This intensity is new. Admittedly, this is by no means a formal Zeitenwende for dealing with the status quo. But MPs are already pushing it so far that experts are downright alarmed. continue reading →

The new Supply Chain Act came into force at the turn of the year. Large companies will be under greater obligation to comply with human rights and environmental requirements. This primarily affects German companies that do business in and with China. But most of them are prepared. continue reading →

Chinese exports saw a massive drop in November, worse than at any point since the beginning of the Covid pandemic in February 2020. The numerous lockdowns, but also a weak global economy caused by Russia's war of aggression, have played a role here. The massive decline also hits the German economy hard. continue reading →

China is more important than ever for the German electronics industry. Nevertheless, the Association of the Electrical and Digital Industry is also in favor of a tougher stance toward Beijing – and is currently involved in the German government's China strategy. This is because the Chinese government is taking an increasingly aggressive stance. However, Oliver Blank, who is in charge of global affairs at the ZVEI, says that politicians in Germany and Europe should not impose too many requirements. Felix Lee spoke with Blank. continue reading →

Annette Schavan has been involved in diplomatic talks with China for more than two decades. 50 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and China, she sees mutual relations in troubled waters. At the same time, she observes that China knows more about Germany and Europe than vice versa. This is something that needs to be dealt with, she urges in an interview with Felix Lee. continue reading →

In his campaign against Ukraine, Russia's President Putin can now apparently no longer rely on China's support. After the partial mobilization, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urges Moscow to find a swift solution at the negotiating table. Beijing has made it clear that it has no interest in extending the conflict. continue reading →

Since US top leader Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, China’s People’s Liberation Army has held multiple military maneuvers in waters dangerously close to the island, including launching missiles. Now Taiwan’s army is returning the threads. If Chinese aircraft and ships were to enter the twelve-mile zone off Taiwan’s coast, Taiwan had a “right to self-defense” […] continue reading →

Hong Kong's film industry was once the third largest in the world. Even before the suppression of the democracy movement, the industry suffered from censorship and self-censorship. A few continued courageously with critical documentary films. That, too, is now over. continue reading →

After weeks of continuing heat, temperatures in China have dropped slightly. For Wednesday, the national weather service recorded more than 40 degrees only in the region near Chongqing, in parts of Sichuan, and along the Yangtze River. In the rest of the southwest, temperatures dropped below 40 or 35 degrees. For the coming days, a […] continue reading →

China’s real estate sector faced significant problems for months. Now the authorities are also taking legal and party disciplinary action. On Wednesday, several local authorities and the Communist Party’s disciplinary commission announced that they started investigations against four high-ranking managers in state-owned real estate companies. They were suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law,” […] continue reading →

China is taking advantage of the discounted commodity prices offered by Russia and has further increased imports of coal and oil from its big neighbor. According to Beijing Customs data, Russian oil imports increased by 7.6 percent in July compared to the same month last year. Coal imports from Russia rose by as much as […] continue reading →

China’s car market has regained momentum, but German automakers have lost market share. China is once again the “locomotive,” industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer of the Duisburg-based Center Automotive Research (CAR) wrote Wednesday in an analysis quoted by news agency dpa. Although global car sales are expected to decline by 3.2 percent this year, the market […] continue reading →

Five Chinese state-owned companies have announced their withdrawal from the New York Stock Exchange. Life insurer China Life, oil giants Sinopec and PetroChina, aluminum group Chalco, and chemical company Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical on Friday announced requests to delist their American depositary shares (ADS) before the end of August. They are among nearly 270 Chinese companies […] continue reading →

Shortly after the controversial Taiwan visit by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, another US delegation arrived on the island republic on Sunday. Members of the US Congress would visit Taiwan from Sunday to Monday, the US representation in Taiwan announced. The visit is said to be part of a trip […] continue reading →