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Pressure from Beijing: Alibaba places services on Tencent's platform

They are arch-rivals and seal off their platforms from each other: China's tech giants Alibaba and Tencent. But now Beijing is getting serious about the fight against digital monopolies. For better or worse, the two will have to cooperate. Alibaba made the first step and now applied for a mini-program on Tencent's mega app WeChat for its online store Taobao Deals. What does Beijing's action mean for the private platform economy in the People's Republic?

By Christiane Kuehl

China's economic self-harm

Beijing is threatening to miss its targets in the current five-year plan if it continues to take a hard line against the West – not only against the US but also against other countries. The example of H M shows how interdependent China is on the West, especially when it comes to domestic jobs.

By Redaktion Table

EU as a savior in times of need? China wants its money back

The EU is not prepared to help Montenegro repay a Chinese loan. It's about almost €1 billion for the construction of a motorway, which Western institutions assessed early on as not worthwhile. Is Europe missing a great opportunity to strengthen pro-European forces in the Western Balkans and instead leaving the field to Beijing?

By Marcel Grzanna

Asia emancipates itself from the IMF

The latest update of the Asian financial safety net, CMIM, is another step toward greater Asian financial independence – away from the US dollar and the US-dominated IMF. The CMIM, in which China, Japan, and South Korea play a central role, is being strengthened just as the new US administration under President Joe Biden seeks to revive its influence in Asia. This also plays into China's long-term plans for the yuan.

By Frank Sieren

Taiwan: all sides gear up

Taiwan tensions between China and the US are rising rapidly. Both sides are increasing their military presence in the Taiwan Strait. Beijing is pushing into Taiwan's airspace with an ever-increasing military force. But Taipei is also arming itself. Next week Democrats and Republicans in the US Senate will debate a bill that could further strengthen the United States' ties with Taiwan.

By Felix Lee

Anta – the patriotic sports outfitter

The world's largest sportswear manufacturers Nike and Adidas are plagued by boycott concerns in their China business. Their Chinese competitor Anta Sports, meanwhile, is actively sourcing cotton from Xinjiang. A strategy that could become a problem internationally for the main supplier of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.

By Redaktion Table

Uniform CO2 prices in the EU and China

The introduction of emissions trading in China opens up the opportunity for joint certificate trading with the EU. The gains from such a link would be enormous, and border adjustment would be superfluous. Sonja Peterson and Malte Winkler, researchers at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, write about the political conditions that need to be created and the regulations that need to be put in place for the project to succeed.

By Antje Sirleschtov