It would be an ironic turn of events if Germany supported greater protectionism against China’s economic expansion in the European Union. After all, it was Germany that very generously rolled out the red carpet to the People’s Republic for decades.
A new Rhodium study does indeed predict this development, writes Julia Fiedler. The reasons are obvious: German products are no longer as popular in China as in the past. The Chinese now make many things themselves – often with German know-how. And now, China sets out to rival Germany in the EU with these products.
Not on our watch. After all, the roles were completely different for a long time. China was never supposed to turn the tables at some point. But could we have foreseen it? In all honesty, yes. It was figuratively written in the contracts that forced German companies to give up many of their business secrets.
However, the performance of the Chinese stock markets in recent months shows that Chinese companies looking to conquer the EU market are not necessarily thriving. The stock markets are not picking up momentum, writes Joern Petring. Not even at the beginning of the Year of the Dragon, in which – according to astrology – imperial powers are supposed to turn things around.
Let’s wait and see, the year is only a few days old. The dragon may breathe fire yet.
For a long time, the roles were clearly defined. Germany: the successful industrial nation. China: the low-wage country with virtually unlimited production capacities. But this division, from which German companies have long benefited, is changing. High-quality Chinese industrial goods now compete with German products – not only in China, but also on the global market.
One of the most prominent examples is the automotive industry. This may have far-reaching consequences for Germany as an industrial country, as well as for political relations with China. In the study “Tipping Point? Germany and China in an Era of Zero-Sum Competition” by the think tank Rhodium Group, the authors predict a trend reversal in Germany’s relationship with China.
Apart from a more robust industrial policy, the study’s authors expect that Germany could also favor protectionist trade measures at the EU level in the future. This has three main reasons:
In the 1990s and 2000s, German exports to China gained considerable momentum and brought the former’s economy full order books – even in times of crisis. However, growth slowed in the past decade and peaked in 2022. The turning point came in 2023: German exports to China dropped. By nine percent.
The authors of the Rhodium study write that the downward trend reflects a structural decline. China’s industrial landscape is fundamentally restructuring, particularly in the automotive industry, a key sector for Germany. The automotive supply industry is already clearly feeling the decline. It ranks second in China’s imports from Germany. But between 2021 and 2023, China imported 22 percent fewer car parts from Germany.
One reason for this is the change in demand: the assembly of electric cars requires fewer and different parts. But it is also due to strong players such as BYD, who not only manufacture batteries themselves, but also the control elements and semiconductors for their cars – meaning they no longer import them from companies such as Infineon.
However, not all sectors are equally affected. Manufacturers of measuring equipment or pharmaceutical companies may continue to benefit from stable exports in the coming years, the authors say, as China still lags behind in these fields.
The second reason also becomes clear in retrospect. Strong growth, low competition from domestic companies and a strong demand for German expertise and technologies – this is how the situation of German companies in China could be described for a long time. But that has changed, too.
The market share of German manufacturers in the automotive industry has shrunk by four percent since 2018, with a particular downturn for volume manufacturer Volkswagen: VW’s sales figures in China in 2023 were even lower than in 2013 – despite the Chinese automotive market growing by 5.6 percent in 2023.
On the one hand, the technological know-how of Chinese companies has caught up considerably, and they benefit from favorable production conditions and government subsidies. At the same time, there is production overcapacity, as demand in China remains weak. The result is increasing competitive pressure. And globally, too.
Be it in Latin America, the Middle East or South East Asia – while German mechanical engineering companies, car manufacturers or the chemical industry used to dominate in many countries, car manufacturers such as BYD and Chery are now hot on their heels. And in some areas, China has already overtaken Germany, for instance, in the export of specialized and industrial machinery to third markets or electrical appliances.
The EU has launched an anti-subsidy investigation into car exports to Europe, which could potentially result in higher import tariffs. However, EU protectionism does not work outside Europe. This is the biggest challenge for German industry, says Gregor Sebastian, co-author of the study: “This is where the solutions are most complicated. We can’t simply say: tariffs up. That may help in the short term in Europe, but many German companies are globally focused.”
All of this has grave consequences for Germany. Many jobs in Germany depend on exports to China. According to OECD figures from 2020, 450,000 jobs are linked to the manufacturing industry alone. “Many people are still thinking in the pattern: Profits from China help secure jobs here in Germany. That may have been the case in the past, but things have changed rapidly over the last two or three years,” Gregor Sebastian warns.
Many large German companies are trying to salvage their business in China by increasing investment in the People’s Republic. The problem: While investments are being made in China, jobs are disappearing in Germany.
In 2019, BASF founded its Verbund project in Guangdong, which is set to receive a total of ten billion euros by 2030. Meanwhile, it announced that 2,600 jobs will be slashed in Germany in 2023. Volkswagen plans to cut costs in Germany, which could result in up to 6,000 layoffs.
This is offset by several major investments in China, such as a new development center in Hefei. And ZF Friedrichshafen will probably cut 12,000 jobs in Germany by 2028, investing heavily in Wuhan, Shenyang, Shanghai and Guangzhou instead.
The study’s authors expect a broader debate to develop in German society. Works councils, in particular, are currently relatively quiet. The first protests already started: The workers’ association IG BCE criticized BASF for expanding in China without giving a strategic perspective for European sites. The ZF works council criticized its company’s plans to relocate jobs to low-wage countries.
China’s stock markets have gotten off to a restrained start into the Year of the Dragon. On the first day of trading in the new lunar year, Chinese mainland markets gained slightly. The Shanghai benchmark index, CSI 300, rose by 1.2 percent on Monday, while the Shenzhen Component Index climbed by 0.9 percent.
However, analysts expressed disappointment at this development. They had expected a much stronger rally at the beginning of the year. Share prices even turned negative shortly after the opening in the morning.
The result disappointed and marked a weak start to the Dragon Year. While the Chinese stock exchanges were closed for a week for the New Year celebrations, the market in Hong Kong and Chinese shares traded in the USA demonstrated strength. Hong Kong’s leading index, the Hang Seng, gained a good five percent during this period, while the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index rose by 4.3 percent.
In China, on the other hand, similar price gains remained a distant prospect. However, the government refuses to stand idly by and watch the stock market develop. Two weeks ago, Beijing replaced the head of its powerful securities regulator. The personnel decision is supposed to bring about a turnaround. However, it failed to materialize on Monday at least.
The performance in Hong Kong and the USA were not the only reasons for optimism about a good start to the stock market year. Data on the number of travelers during the New Year celebrations also gave reason for hope. Both the travel activity and Chinese spending during the New Year holidays exceeded pre-pandemic levels. This indicates a rebound in consumption.
During the public holidays, which began on 10 February and ended on Saturday, some 474 million tourist trips were made nationwide. This is 19 percent more than in 2019, the year before the pandemic. This was announced by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
Total tourism spending over the holidays rose by almost eight percent year-on-year to 633 billion yuan (88 billion US dollars). “These are strong numbers,” Hui Shan, chief China economist at Goldman Sachs Inc. wrote in a note. The robust data is an “encouraging” sign, she added.
The cinema box office also saw new record revenues. However, the positive consumer sentiment during the holiday season was not enough to distract investors from their fundamental concerns about the state of the Chinese economy on Monday.
Premier Li Qiang conceded that the second-largest economy is still stuttering at the first State Council meeting after the public holiday break. At Sunday’s meeting, Li called for “pragmatic and energetic” measures to strengthen the nation’s confidence in the economy.
In doing so, he underlined the government’s concern about the economic and stock market downturn. Li called for “actions to boost society-wide confidence.” He also urged “efforts to maintain the consistency of policies.” Various departments are to focus on solving practical problems. However, the news agency Xinhua did not mention any specific measures.
In parallel, the central bank apparently also considers lowering interest rates. The newspaper “Financial News,” associated with the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), reports without naming specific sources that the Loan Prime Rate (LPR) could fall in the next few days. The LPR is usually granted to the banks’ best customers and is an important interest rate. It is set on a monthly basis.
The markets now anticipate that the central bank will lower the loan prime rate on Tuesday. “Lowering five-year LPR will help stabilize confidence, promote investment and consumption, and also help support the stable and healthy development of the real estate market,” the newspaper said on its official WeChat account.
Before the holidays, the authorities were already trying to contain the equity crisis by increasing share purchases by state actors, introducing a series of regulatory changes and replacing the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
However, despite these measures, investors remain in a wait-and-see position. They are now likely to keep a close eye on the decisions that will be made at the upcoming People’s Congress in early March. If Beijing sends compelling signals to the economy at the most important political meeting of the year, the stock market could finally receive a boost.
China wishes to deepen security co-operation with EU and NATO member state Hungary. In addition to economic exchange, China also hopes to expand law enforcement and security relations with Hungary, the state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday. China’s Minister of Public Security, Wang Xiaohong, met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán last week.
During his visit to Budapest, Wang said he hoped such efforts would be “a new highlight of bilateral relations” in areas such as combating terrorism and transnational crimes. Hungary and China celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year.
Wang also met with Interior Minister Sándor Pintér and signed documents on law enforcement and security cooperation, according to the report. Details were not made public. If the cooperation also includes the exchange of law enforcement data, there is also a risk that China could gain access to European databases through cooperation with Hungary. ari
The Czech National Cyber and Information Security Bureau (NUKIB) has launched an investigation into the Chinese online shop Temu and the associated internet application. There are concerns that Temu could collect a significant amount of sensitive personal data and therefore pose a risk, Czech news website Lupa reported.
NUKIB had already issued a security warning about TikTok and WeChat in the past. According to NUKIB spokesperson Eva Rajlichová, a comprehensive analysis is currently underway. Online clothing provider Shein is also being investigated in the process. Temu has also become the most downloaded app in Germany. ari
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also bringing back an agreement on Spanish beef exports from his trip to Europe. At a meeting with his counterpart José Manuel Albares, both sides agreed to end an import ban introduced in 2000 in the wake of the outbreak of mad cow disease (BSE) in Europe. In return, Spain agreed on closer cooperation in areas such as electromobility, green energy and the digital economy.
“This is a measure which we have long been asking for and which benefits the entire countryside,” said Albares. In a statement on Monday, the Chinese side also emphasized its intention for both countries to offer each other “fair, just and non-discriminatory” business environments. grz
She can still remember the moment when her interest in China was first piqued, says Anja Ketels. It was when she was at primary school. The summer break was over, and her teacher asked the children what they had been up to. One of her classmates told her he had traveled to China with his parents.
It was “very, very foreign.” The people and food looked different from what he was used to in Germany. From then on, the image of a thrilling, exotic country was etched in Ketel’s childhood mind.
Her first real experience in China came after graduating from school. Ketels participated in a program called “Teach and Travel China” and taught English at an elementary school in Foshan in Guangdong province for six months. She then extended her stay for another six months and taught English at a sort of community college in Shaoxing in Zhejiang.
The images that Anja Ketels had imagined as a child were replaced by new images and impressions. “They certainly exist, the traditional old buildings, the tea gardens or angular bridges,” says Ketels, explaining that she had mainly had stereotypes in her head before her stay. At the same time, however, she was very open and curious, she says: “I never pretended to know what it was like there. I returned from a year in China with more questions than answers.”
After her time there, she kept returning to China. Ketels studied Sinology at the University of Bochum and completed her Master’s in Chinese Studies in Berlin. In between, she spent semesters abroad at the universities in Xi’an and Beijing. She then earned her PhD in political science with a focus on non-governmental organizations in China’s foreign policy at the University of Muenster.
While working on her PhD, the coronavirus pandemic swept the world. Sitting alone at her desk, Ketels wondered whether she could take on another job on the side. One that would bring her into some contact with people, where she could work with communication and cooperation in some way. That’s when she came across the job posting from her current Co-Managing Director Marianne Friese. Initially, Friese was only looking for a student who could work as a personal assistant. But Ketels had a different idea.
“I immediately made it clear in my application that I was primarily interested in getting to know a female entrepreneur and acquiring consulting knowledge,” says the now Managing Director of the company. Ketels had always imagined working as an independent consultant and clarifying questions about China. She was accepted and completely turned the company around after defending her dissertation. Together, they made a number of changes – including renaming the company from “Marianne Friese Consulting” to “MFC – China Insights & Solutions.” They expanded the team and adapted the service portfolio to reflect Friese’s and Ketels’ strengths.
Anja Ketels is living her dream. It will be a few years before she can fully take over MFC, but she enjoys working with Friese. Her job also allows her to travel to China several times a year. Usually, her stays are purely business-related, but she wants to “finally travel again and add a little vacation to it,” says Ketels. She hasn’t decided where to go yet – her job doesn’t make planning that easy. She remains flexible, but has her eye on Xiamen, because that’s where she really wants to go. Shoko Bethke
Cross-country skiing on synthetic snow: At the start of the 14th National Winter Games, Ulanqab (Inner Mongolia) lacks natural snowfall. But the competitions are still taking place. A total of 3,000 athletes are participating in 176 competitions in eight disciplines. The eleven-day event will provide important information about the Chinese Olympic team roster for the upcoming 2026 Winter Games.
It would be an ironic turn of events if Germany supported greater protectionism against China’s economic expansion in the European Union. After all, it was Germany that very generously rolled out the red carpet to the People’s Republic for decades.
A new Rhodium study does indeed predict this development, writes Julia Fiedler. The reasons are obvious: German products are no longer as popular in China as in the past. The Chinese now make many things themselves – often with German know-how. And now, China sets out to rival Germany in the EU with these products.
Not on our watch. After all, the roles were completely different for a long time. China was never supposed to turn the tables at some point. But could we have foreseen it? In all honesty, yes. It was figuratively written in the contracts that forced German companies to give up many of their business secrets.
However, the performance of the Chinese stock markets in recent months shows that Chinese companies looking to conquer the EU market are not necessarily thriving. The stock markets are not picking up momentum, writes Joern Petring. Not even at the beginning of the Year of the Dragon, in which – according to astrology – imperial powers are supposed to turn things around.
Let’s wait and see, the year is only a few days old. The dragon may breathe fire yet.
For a long time, the roles were clearly defined. Germany: the successful industrial nation. China: the low-wage country with virtually unlimited production capacities. But this division, from which German companies have long benefited, is changing. High-quality Chinese industrial goods now compete with German products – not only in China, but also on the global market.
One of the most prominent examples is the automotive industry. This may have far-reaching consequences for Germany as an industrial country, as well as for political relations with China. In the study “Tipping Point? Germany and China in an Era of Zero-Sum Competition” by the think tank Rhodium Group, the authors predict a trend reversal in Germany’s relationship with China.
Apart from a more robust industrial policy, the study’s authors expect that Germany could also favor protectionist trade measures at the EU level in the future. This has three main reasons:
In the 1990s and 2000s, German exports to China gained considerable momentum and brought the former’s economy full order books – even in times of crisis. However, growth slowed in the past decade and peaked in 2022. The turning point came in 2023: German exports to China dropped. By nine percent.
The authors of the Rhodium study write that the downward trend reflects a structural decline. China’s industrial landscape is fundamentally restructuring, particularly in the automotive industry, a key sector for Germany. The automotive supply industry is already clearly feeling the decline. It ranks second in China’s imports from Germany. But between 2021 and 2023, China imported 22 percent fewer car parts from Germany.
One reason for this is the change in demand: the assembly of electric cars requires fewer and different parts. But it is also due to strong players such as BYD, who not only manufacture batteries themselves, but also the control elements and semiconductors for their cars – meaning they no longer import them from companies such as Infineon.
However, not all sectors are equally affected. Manufacturers of measuring equipment or pharmaceutical companies may continue to benefit from stable exports in the coming years, the authors say, as China still lags behind in these fields.
The second reason also becomes clear in retrospect. Strong growth, low competition from domestic companies and a strong demand for German expertise and technologies – this is how the situation of German companies in China could be described for a long time. But that has changed, too.
The market share of German manufacturers in the automotive industry has shrunk by four percent since 2018, with a particular downturn for volume manufacturer Volkswagen: VW’s sales figures in China in 2023 were even lower than in 2013 – despite the Chinese automotive market growing by 5.6 percent in 2023.
On the one hand, the technological know-how of Chinese companies has caught up considerably, and they benefit from favorable production conditions and government subsidies. At the same time, there is production overcapacity, as demand in China remains weak. The result is increasing competitive pressure. And globally, too.
Be it in Latin America, the Middle East or South East Asia – while German mechanical engineering companies, car manufacturers or the chemical industry used to dominate in many countries, car manufacturers such as BYD and Chery are now hot on their heels. And in some areas, China has already overtaken Germany, for instance, in the export of specialized and industrial machinery to third markets or electrical appliances.
The EU has launched an anti-subsidy investigation into car exports to Europe, which could potentially result in higher import tariffs. However, EU protectionism does not work outside Europe. This is the biggest challenge for German industry, says Gregor Sebastian, co-author of the study: “This is where the solutions are most complicated. We can’t simply say: tariffs up. That may help in the short term in Europe, but many German companies are globally focused.”
All of this has grave consequences for Germany. Many jobs in Germany depend on exports to China. According to OECD figures from 2020, 450,000 jobs are linked to the manufacturing industry alone. “Many people are still thinking in the pattern: Profits from China help secure jobs here in Germany. That may have been the case in the past, but things have changed rapidly over the last two or three years,” Gregor Sebastian warns.
Many large German companies are trying to salvage their business in China by increasing investment in the People’s Republic. The problem: While investments are being made in China, jobs are disappearing in Germany.
In 2019, BASF founded its Verbund project in Guangdong, which is set to receive a total of ten billion euros by 2030. Meanwhile, it announced that 2,600 jobs will be slashed in Germany in 2023. Volkswagen plans to cut costs in Germany, which could result in up to 6,000 layoffs.
This is offset by several major investments in China, such as a new development center in Hefei. And ZF Friedrichshafen will probably cut 12,000 jobs in Germany by 2028, investing heavily in Wuhan, Shenyang, Shanghai and Guangzhou instead.
The study’s authors expect a broader debate to develop in German society. Works councils, in particular, are currently relatively quiet. The first protests already started: The workers’ association IG BCE criticized BASF for expanding in China without giving a strategic perspective for European sites. The ZF works council criticized its company’s plans to relocate jobs to low-wage countries.
China’s stock markets have gotten off to a restrained start into the Year of the Dragon. On the first day of trading in the new lunar year, Chinese mainland markets gained slightly. The Shanghai benchmark index, CSI 300, rose by 1.2 percent on Monday, while the Shenzhen Component Index climbed by 0.9 percent.
However, analysts expressed disappointment at this development. They had expected a much stronger rally at the beginning of the year. Share prices even turned negative shortly after the opening in the morning.
The result disappointed and marked a weak start to the Dragon Year. While the Chinese stock exchanges were closed for a week for the New Year celebrations, the market in Hong Kong and Chinese shares traded in the USA demonstrated strength. Hong Kong’s leading index, the Hang Seng, gained a good five percent during this period, while the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index rose by 4.3 percent.
In China, on the other hand, similar price gains remained a distant prospect. However, the government refuses to stand idly by and watch the stock market develop. Two weeks ago, Beijing replaced the head of its powerful securities regulator. The personnel decision is supposed to bring about a turnaround. However, it failed to materialize on Monday at least.
The performance in Hong Kong and the USA were not the only reasons for optimism about a good start to the stock market year. Data on the number of travelers during the New Year celebrations also gave reason for hope. Both the travel activity and Chinese spending during the New Year holidays exceeded pre-pandemic levels. This indicates a rebound in consumption.
During the public holidays, which began on 10 February and ended on Saturday, some 474 million tourist trips were made nationwide. This is 19 percent more than in 2019, the year before the pandemic. This was announced by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
Total tourism spending over the holidays rose by almost eight percent year-on-year to 633 billion yuan (88 billion US dollars). “These are strong numbers,” Hui Shan, chief China economist at Goldman Sachs Inc. wrote in a note. The robust data is an “encouraging” sign, she added.
The cinema box office also saw new record revenues. However, the positive consumer sentiment during the holiday season was not enough to distract investors from their fundamental concerns about the state of the Chinese economy on Monday.
Premier Li Qiang conceded that the second-largest economy is still stuttering at the first State Council meeting after the public holiday break. At Sunday’s meeting, Li called for “pragmatic and energetic” measures to strengthen the nation’s confidence in the economy.
In doing so, he underlined the government’s concern about the economic and stock market downturn. Li called for “actions to boost society-wide confidence.” He also urged “efforts to maintain the consistency of policies.” Various departments are to focus on solving practical problems. However, the news agency Xinhua did not mention any specific measures.
In parallel, the central bank apparently also considers lowering interest rates. The newspaper “Financial News,” associated with the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), reports without naming specific sources that the Loan Prime Rate (LPR) could fall in the next few days. The LPR is usually granted to the banks’ best customers and is an important interest rate. It is set on a monthly basis.
The markets now anticipate that the central bank will lower the loan prime rate on Tuesday. “Lowering five-year LPR will help stabilize confidence, promote investment and consumption, and also help support the stable and healthy development of the real estate market,” the newspaper said on its official WeChat account.
Before the holidays, the authorities were already trying to contain the equity crisis by increasing share purchases by state actors, introducing a series of regulatory changes and replacing the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
However, despite these measures, investors remain in a wait-and-see position. They are now likely to keep a close eye on the decisions that will be made at the upcoming People’s Congress in early March. If Beijing sends compelling signals to the economy at the most important political meeting of the year, the stock market could finally receive a boost.
China wishes to deepen security co-operation with EU and NATO member state Hungary. In addition to economic exchange, China also hopes to expand law enforcement and security relations with Hungary, the state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday. China’s Minister of Public Security, Wang Xiaohong, met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán last week.
During his visit to Budapest, Wang said he hoped such efforts would be “a new highlight of bilateral relations” in areas such as combating terrorism and transnational crimes. Hungary and China celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year.
Wang also met with Interior Minister Sándor Pintér and signed documents on law enforcement and security cooperation, according to the report. Details were not made public. If the cooperation also includes the exchange of law enforcement data, there is also a risk that China could gain access to European databases through cooperation with Hungary. ari
The Czech National Cyber and Information Security Bureau (NUKIB) has launched an investigation into the Chinese online shop Temu and the associated internet application. There are concerns that Temu could collect a significant amount of sensitive personal data and therefore pose a risk, Czech news website Lupa reported.
NUKIB had already issued a security warning about TikTok and WeChat in the past. According to NUKIB spokesperson Eva Rajlichová, a comprehensive analysis is currently underway. Online clothing provider Shein is also being investigated in the process. Temu has also become the most downloaded app in Germany. ari
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also bringing back an agreement on Spanish beef exports from his trip to Europe. At a meeting with his counterpart José Manuel Albares, both sides agreed to end an import ban introduced in 2000 in the wake of the outbreak of mad cow disease (BSE) in Europe. In return, Spain agreed on closer cooperation in areas such as electromobility, green energy and the digital economy.
“This is a measure which we have long been asking for and which benefits the entire countryside,” said Albares. In a statement on Monday, the Chinese side also emphasized its intention for both countries to offer each other “fair, just and non-discriminatory” business environments. grz
She can still remember the moment when her interest in China was first piqued, says Anja Ketels. It was when she was at primary school. The summer break was over, and her teacher asked the children what they had been up to. One of her classmates told her he had traveled to China with his parents.
It was “very, very foreign.” The people and food looked different from what he was used to in Germany. From then on, the image of a thrilling, exotic country was etched in Ketel’s childhood mind.
Her first real experience in China came after graduating from school. Ketels participated in a program called “Teach and Travel China” and taught English at an elementary school in Foshan in Guangdong province for six months. She then extended her stay for another six months and taught English at a sort of community college in Shaoxing in Zhejiang.
The images that Anja Ketels had imagined as a child were replaced by new images and impressions. “They certainly exist, the traditional old buildings, the tea gardens or angular bridges,” says Ketels, explaining that she had mainly had stereotypes in her head before her stay. At the same time, however, she was very open and curious, she says: “I never pretended to know what it was like there. I returned from a year in China with more questions than answers.”
After her time there, she kept returning to China. Ketels studied Sinology at the University of Bochum and completed her Master’s in Chinese Studies in Berlin. In between, she spent semesters abroad at the universities in Xi’an and Beijing. She then earned her PhD in political science with a focus on non-governmental organizations in China’s foreign policy at the University of Muenster.
While working on her PhD, the coronavirus pandemic swept the world. Sitting alone at her desk, Ketels wondered whether she could take on another job on the side. One that would bring her into some contact with people, where she could work with communication and cooperation in some way. That’s when she came across the job posting from her current Co-Managing Director Marianne Friese. Initially, Friese was only looking for a student who could work as a personal assistant. But Ketels had a different idea.
“I immediately made it clear in my application that I was primarily interested in getting to know a female entrepreneur and acquiring consulting knowledge,” says the now Managing Director of the company. Ketels had always imagined working as an independent consultant and clarifying questions about China. She was accepted and completely turned the company around after defending her dissertation. Together, they made a number of changes – including renaming the company from “Marianne Friese Consulting” to “MFC – China Insights & Solutions.” They expanded the team and adapted the service portfolio to reflect Friese’s and Ketels’ strengths.
Anja Ketels is living her dream. It will be a few years before she can fully take over MFC, but she enjoys working with Friese. Her job also allows her to travel to China several times a year. Usually, her stays are purely business-related, but she wants to “finally travel again and add a little vacation to it,” says Ketels. She hasn’t decided where to go yet – her job doesn’t make planning that easy. She remains flexible, but has her eye on Xiamen, because that’s where she really wants to go. Shoko Bethke
Cross-country skiing on synthetic snow: At the start of the 14th National Winter Games, Ulanqab (Inner Mongolia) lacks natural snowfall. But the competitions are still taking place. A total of 3,000 athletes are participating in 176 competitions in eight disciplines. The eleven-day event will provide important information about the Chinese Olympic team roster for the upcoming 2026 Winter Games.
