China
Interview Klaus Muehlhahn + Food from abroad
Dear reader,
It is the most important day in China's calendar: On October 16, the 20th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party will convene. Xi Jinping will be elected General Secretary for the third time and abolish term limits. A historic step. But what happens behind the scenes in the Communist Party? As in every political party, the struggle over positions and influence is fierce. Michael Radunski spoke with sinologist Klaus Mühlhahn about the different movements in the CCP, the steep path to the top, and why Xi Jinping has lost political influence, but remains very popular with the public.
After two terms in office, Xi Jinping's China is at a crossroads. Geopolitical tensions are on the rise, zero-Covid policies and problems in the real estate sector are severely curbing growth and could put the president in a tough spot. In this regard, Xi does not look good, Muehlhahn said. A strategy on how to deal with fundamental problems is not discernible. Nevertheless, the China expert expects the country to open up after the CP congress.
Feeding 1.4 billion people is no small task. A stable food supply has always been a sensitive issue in China. The country has very little agricultural land in relation to its population, and climate change exacerbates the situation even further. Heat waves and droughts threaten this year's harvests. The state is going on a global shopping spree to feed its population. China already owns food processing plants, land and grain silos in numerous countries. Christiane Kuehl explains how China operates and what implications this has for other countries.
