For the first time since the beginning of the Ukraine war, China's President has spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart on the phone. Will Beijing now become the great peace broker? Mikko Huotari urges to take Beijing's efforts seriously. In conversation with Michael Radunski, however, the Merics Director warns of the side effects of the Chinese initiative.
By Michael Radunski
With the innovative sodium-ion battery in large-scale production, the Chinese battery manufacturer CATL could decisively advance electric mobility in the small and compact segment. The batteries are cheaper, lighter and less susceptible to cold. Even electric aircraft are now within the realm of possibility.
By Christian Domke Seidel
The Chinese government is expanding its jurisdiction to foreign nationals who have not committed any offenses in China. The charges against a Taiwanese activist and the arrest of a publisher naturalized in Taiwan with roots in the mainland indicate that Beijing wants to protect its interests abroad through its domestic laws.
By Marcel Grzanna
The US cannot afford a real conflict with China. By importing a lot from Asia, they keep prices low and compensate for their own inadequate savings performance. Suspicions of bad intentions should not lead to economic missteps.
By Experts Table.Briefings
More than a year after Russian troops invaded Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy finally got a call from China's President Xi Jinping. The Ukrainian president continues to hold out hope that Beijing will press Russia to negotiate peace with Ukraine. He does not have many other options.
By Fabian Peltsch