Your contact for new licenses
The only way to prevent Sino-American relations from deteriorating further is for either US President Joe Biden or Chinese President Xi Jinping to offer a goodwill gesture, and then respond in kind to the other’s subsequent moves. And Xi appears better positioned to take the initiative.
By Antje Sirleschtov
Beijing wants to regulate the import and export of rare earths even more strictly. This is bad news for the EU, which imports almost 98 percent of its requirements of these metals from China. For years, China has systematically bought the market dry and hoarded the raw materials. The EU should have acted long ago but underestimated the issue. Now Brussels is frantically looking for alternatives.
By Frank Sieren
The strict travel restrictions are currently one of the biggest problems for German companies in China. It is difficult for new employees and their families to obtain visas. Expats are de facto unable to leave the country. There is little prospect of the situation changing any time soon – not least because the National People's Congress will meet in Beijing in March.
By Christiane Kuehl
China's President Xi Jinping spoke to 17 Central and Eastern European states at the virtual summit. The main results for observers: The format is not dead, but no great leaps were made. Six of 12 EU states sent lower-ranking representatives to the meeting. Xi made promises of billions in imports.
By Amelie Richter