China wants to make its financial markets more solid with the 14th Five-Year Plan and bring the regional governments and the economy down from high debt levels. It also aims to reduce the risk of bubbles. Can this be achieved without slowing down the momentum on the markets?
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The European draft for a supply chain law goes further than the German approach – but some questions of detail are still open. Some MEPs are calling for an additional import ban on products from forced labor. For goods from the Chinese province of Xinjiang, the control of the specifications could become problematic.
By Amelie Richter
The leadership in Beijing has set growth at a relatively low six percent. Apparently, it fears overheating and stresses that it is aiming for "qualitative" growth. The IMF expects growth of over eight percent. Exports, in particular, have been booming for several months.
By Felix Lee
China's official military budget is growing by 6.8 percent. This means that the increase is in line with previous years. In any case, experts assume that the actual expenditure is higher. For example, pensions, construction projects, and the military police are booked in other budgets. Beijing wants to have modern, technologically powerful armed forces by 2027 – and thus also protect its own investments abroad.
By Christiane Kuehl
In his annual press conference, Foreign Minister Wang Yi raised controversial issues – and made China's positions clear: In Hong Kong, the politicians there must "love their motherland", and the accusations of genocide in Xinjiang are "rumors". He called for more cooperation with the USA but, at the same time, forbade Washington to interfere in internal affairs. With regard to the ILO's forced labor requirements, he promised "efforts". However, there were no concrete announcements.
By Frank Sieren
