China's special envoy Li Hui has arrived in Kyiv on a two-day visit. Behind closed doors, he now wants to start mediating in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Numerous signs point to more serious efforts toward peace. However, skepticism remains high in the West.
By Felix Lee
German mechanical engineering companies in China are increasingly pessimistic. After the lifting of all Covid restrictions, access to raw materials has improved, but new orders are scarce. The latest survey by the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) reveals lower capacity utilization.
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The hype surrounding ChatGPT has also reached Chinese companies. But the AI language models from Alibaba and Baidu disappoint across the board. They are said to be up to three years behind US competitors. The reason: China has hardly any access to powerful chips due to the US technology embargo.
By Jörn Petring
A China expert and journalist in the Netherlands has become the target of an intimidation campaign believed to be backed by Beijing. Authorities and experts are alarmed. There is a call to send China a clear message.
By Redaktion Table
Wu Nai-teh has been studying the question of what defines Taiwanese identity for 40 years. The political scientist from Academia Sinica explains in an interview with Fabian Peltsch why the Taiwanese government needs to commit to national defense more explicitly and why more young Chinese from the Mainland should come to Taiwan.
By Redaktion Table
The defense company Rheinmetall is aiming to enter the heat pump market and is investing in the production of important components. So far, there is a great dependence on Asia and China in this sector. However, experts do not expect China to dominate the global market in the same way as it does in the solar sector
By Nico Beckert
China tightens its anti-espionage law. There is great concern in the West: Is even more legal arbitrariness now possible in China? Because the law remains vague about what exactly constitutes state secrets. The law amendment envisages more counter-intelligence.
By Frank Sieren
Protests against Volkswagen's involvement in Xinjiang are intensifying. During the annual general meeting, a pie is thrown towards the podium and an activist tears off her clothing from her upper body. The company responds with stubborn PR clichés. Whether this is enough to appease the critics is questionable.
By Marcel Grzanna
China is pushing for the development of solar and wind energy. After a dip in expansion statistics in the last two years, wind power is now set to take off again. The expansion targets are ambitious; provinces provide subsidies and companies focus on scale. However, power grids and power markets need to improve to make renewable energy efficient.
By Christiane Kuehl
On Wednesday, Volkswagen's executive board will have to defend its China operations to shareholders: Loss of market leadership, the shortfall in the electric segment, and, above all, many unanswered questions about Chinese human rights violations in Xinjiang.
By Marcel Grzanna
