China's plans to become an "industrial superpower" have received much attention. Beijing wants to move into new sectors – for example, AI, robots, new mobility – and make the economy more innovative. But education levels threaten to stifle growth, as Scott Rozelle, a development economist at Stanford University, reports in his new book, Invisible China.
By Nico Beckert
At the beginning of March, the People's Republic of China briefly banned the import of pineapples from Taiwan. The Taiwanese feel that they are being picked on by Beijing and launch a successful counter-campaign.
By Marcel Grzanna
No lockdown, hardly any tests, and no vaccination campaign: Yet hardly any other country has managed to contain the pandemic as successfully as Taiwan. Unlike the authoritarian People's Republic, the island republic used democratic means.
By Felix Lee
Around ten percent of global GDP is located in tax havens. This is according to international studies. This money hinders the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The international community must increase its efforts to combat corruption and tax evasion.
By Redaktion Table
When the cameras pan to President Xi Jinping at the National People's Congress, six men are visible to his left and right. They are between sixty and seventy years old and belong to the most powerful body in the state: the Standing Committee of the Communist Party's Politburo. The concentration of power on Xi makes their appearance fade somewhat, but nevertheless: Everyone in this exclusive circle plays a clear role in steering the party, developing its ideology, and thus ensuring its hold on power.
By Redaktion Table
China is to be further digitized – even underground. The first innovation laboratory in the coal-rich province of Shanxi shows how this can be done: Fully automated mines could not only prevent mining accidents but also increase productivity – and thus make China less dependent on raw material imports. In addition, the technology could also supply the countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), whose mining sector is mostly still backward.
By Frank Sieren
