China
China loses appeal + Hong Kong election
Dear reader,
For years, even decades, business in China was almost too good to be true for German managers. In recent decades, the People's Republic has become the prime sales market and production location for Germany's manufacturing companies. Without the rich profits from the Far East, their balance sheets would often look meager.
But the China dream could turn into a China nightmare. The zero-covid policy in particular gives companies a hard time. For three out of four companies surveyed, China's investment appeal has waned, Christiane Kuehl reports on a new survey by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China. One in four companies reportedly considers withdrawing investments from China. But is a major exodus really realistic when in some cases 30 to 40 percent of revenue is generated in the People's Republic?
A new head of government will be elected in Hong Kong this weekend. The victory of the pro-Beijing candidate John Lee is considered certain. After all, there is no other candidate and the citizens are not allowed to vote. Marcel Grzanna profiles the former police officer: He is considered an "emotionless machine," a technocrat who wants to create efficiency and will further transform Hong Kong into a police state.
