The partial sale of the Hamburg port terminal marked a tipping point in the perception of China by the German public. Concerns about growing dependence now reached segments of the population for whom Beijing's industrial policy previously meant nothing more than boring news in the business section. Olaf Scholz also takes this baggage with him on his first trip to China as German Chancellor.
By Marcel Grzanna
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is under domestic political pressure over his approval of the Cosco deal in Hamburg. On a visit to Beijing, on the other hand, he has considerable room for maneuver. Here, his support for Cosco will actually be to his advantage. After all, in the run-up to the G20 summit, Scholz is dependent on cooperation with Beijing to make progress on major issues such as climate protection and ending the war in Ukraine.
By Frank Sieren
The EU Commission wants to address gaps in knowledge about China. To this end, Europe's most renowned scientists and think tanks are developing new ways of dealing with the Far East in several projects. The China competence initiative will begin in November.
By Amelie Richter
At the end of the Party Congress, former General Secretary Hu Jintao was escorted out of the hall. No public statements have been made since. So a debate rages: Is Hu ill or suffering from dementia? Or did Xi demonstratively have his ill-favored predecessor and his supporters publicly eliminated?
By Christiane Kuehl
While the Chancellor's visit to Beijing fuels the debate in Germany, China's media are downright euphoric. Scholz is portrayed here as a good friend of the country. Meanwhile, criticism from the German governing coalition is growing louder and louder.
By Redaktion Table
Joerg Wuttke, President of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, considers Xi Jinping's new leadership team an echo chamber without any objections. For Xi, security and stability are now more important than market economy and innovation. For this very reason, he believes it is now more important than ever to speak with China. He considers Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit to Beijing, as well as the sale of shares in the Port of Hamburg, to be sensible and important. Frank Sieren spoke with Wuttke.
By Frank Sieren
After the debate is before the debate: The next stake by a Chinese investor in Germany already sparks debates. According to reports, the government wants to approve the acquisition of a factory owned by Dortmund chip manufacturer Elmos. Since the Ukraine invasion and Cosco's entry, deals that previously would have flown under the radar are now attracting public interest.
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The Chinese authorities operate illegal police stations around the world. The primary aim is to persuade criminals to return home. But even regime critics are put under massive pressure by security forces – including in Germany, where the police have so far watched on powerlessly.
By Marcel Grzanna
China's President Xi Jinping is about to serve a third term as head of state. Under him, climate policy became important in the country with the highest carbon emissions. Emissions have been curbed and renewables greatly expanded. But experts doubt that the green transformation will happen faster in the future. Both growth pressure and the coal lobby are too strong, and internal and international crises are too dominant.
By Nico Beckert
Against all odds, Scholz pushed through the port deal with Cosco in Hamburg. This cost him significant political capital in the governing coalition and the federal states. He even angered the city's sinologists, who are usually rather reserved on political issues. Meanwhile, business representatives warn against "China-bashing".
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