China
'Lex China' + Digital monopolies + Western Balkans + Bosch + Jia Yueting + World Bank Group + Rheinmetall + Minxin Pei
Dear reader,
Both Democrats and Republicans in the US agree that China is a threat. Together, US senators have presented the "Lex China", as Felix Lee reports. Its goal is to curb the global influence of the People's Republic. To this end, Washington plans to spend a lot of money, emphasizing above all, its support for Taiwan and demanding clarification of the gender-specific violence against the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang.
When the market regulator calls, it's over with laissez-faire. Christiane Kühl examines how the two biggest tech platforms, Alibaba and Tencent, are settling their previous trench warfare to at least appear remorseful within the antitrust agency's grace period.
Montenegro can't repay its debt to China. But the cries for help from the small state in the Western Balkans are falling on deaf ears at the EU Commission. Marcel Grzanna has asked why Beijing has financed the cost of a motorway from the Adriatic coast to Serbia and how this could further divide the EU.
