Opposite poles of the China debate + How the Chinese see the election in Germany

Dear reader,

How do we as a society want to interact with the autocratic People’s Republic in the future? This question will also occupy the coming German government intensively – a balancing act. After all, the China debate in Germany is polarized like few other political arenas.

That is why China.Table has asked two opposing poles of this China debate to put their positions in a nutshell: four questions to Michael Schumann from “China-Brücke” and political scientist Andreas Fulda. While Schumann sees cooperation with China more as an opportunity, Fulda warns against the People’s Republic’s strategic intentions.

After weeks of election campaign discussions and candidate TV debates, we also ask ourselves: How do people in China view the German federal election and its implications? Our Chinese author asked people this question in today’s “China Perspective” column. “European countries are quite fragmented and have limited impact on China,” says one businessman from Hangzhou, for example, and certainly echoes the sentiments of many Chinese for whom Europe is a distant place, after all. Others, better-informed contemporaries, wish for more economic cooperation. And the strict positions on migration by Chancellor candidates Weidel and Merz at least worry some of those who have closer ties to Germany and want to keep them that way.

On a separate note: Starting Monday, we will appear in a new look. In times of a flood of information, we present ourselves even more compact and focused – in-depth analyses and essential news about China that get straight to the point. Please let us know what you think of our new look. We would love to hear your feedback at redaktion@table.media.

The editorial will then also be a thing of the past. But the strong voices of our editors won’t go away. You will find them in our articles, at background events, or our events, such as next Wednesday’s China.Table Live Briefing on the German federal elections hosted by Julia Fiedler.

Your
Fabian Peltsch

Debate: What kind of China policy does Germany need?

Michael Schumann from “China-Brücke e.V.” and political scientist Andreas Fulda.

By

Julia Fiedler

How will Germany approach China in the future? This question will be of great importance to the next German government. In the constantly escalating geopolitical landscape, shaping political and economic relations with Beijing is like walking a tightrope. And so the China debate is polarized like few other political arenas.

We want to present the debate in all its breadth. We have therefore asked two opinion leaders to summarize their often very different positions: four to-the-point questions to Michael Schumann from China Bridge and political scientist Andreas Fulda.

‘Restoring the strategic ability to act’

Germany’s China policy: business as usual or full stop?

Michael Schumann: Neither. The next German government should pursue a pragmatic and strategic approach that is neither based on ideological demarcation nor unreflective rapprochement. As an economic and innovation partner, China is vital to Germany. Further disentanglement would not only further jeopardize German companies and jobs in an already difficult economic environment, but would also exacerbate geopolitical tensions. Instead, we need a realistic dialogue that takes equal consideration of opportunities and risks. We also need more in-depth competence on China, based on actual on-site visits and discussions, and less on superficial analyses from afar. Alarmingly few German politicians have first-hand knowledge of China.

Andreas Fulda: Neither ‘business as usual’ nor an abrupt end are the solution. Instead, we need a paradigm shift: an end to our self-delusion when dealing with the PRC. We need to reduce dependencies. And those who advocate dialogue and cooperation must explain how to safeguard our educated interests and values. Interest groups will defame this policy shift as hard decoupling. But in reality, it is about restoring Germany’s strategic capabilities.

‘Talk frankly about successes and failures’

How should the next German government portray China to the German public?

Fulda: The image of China in Germany should clearly reflect our evolved experiences with the PRC: growing power asymmetries, the increasing ideologization under Xi, censorship and self-censorship must not be taboos. Politicians, diplomats, entrepreneurs and academics should speak frankly about successes and failures. This happens far too rarely. Yet honesty is the only way to gain a realistic picture of China’s role and our limited scope for action.

Schumann: A differentiated one – one that is not based solely on criticism or fear, but one that acknowledges China’s economic and technological dynamism as well as the existing challenges. While China is undeniably a geopolitical player with its own interests, it is an advocate of multilateralism, something that is important to us in Germany and Europe. In light of America’s new priorities, the EU will probably have no choice but to reconnect with China. China has become a global driver of innovation, for example, in the fields of artificial intelligence, energy and pharmaceuticals. This calls for a level-headed, pragmatic policy that retains Germany’s ability to act and avoids ideological blocs – and the same applies to the image of China. In this context, it is crucial that the media also live up to their responsibility to portray what is going on. Right now, public perception is dominated by one-sidedness and alarmism.

‘Europe’s strategic autonomy is overdue’

Germany’s future positioning: king Trump or dictator Xi?

Schumann: That is not the question. This supposed dilemma is a misrepresentation of the debate. Germany’s future lies neither in unconditional allegiance to the US nor a one-sided turn towards China. Over the past few days, we have seen how Europe’s and US interests are increasingly diverging. The US is and will remain an important partner, but the focus of its policy is shifting. Europe’s strategic autonomy, which puts its own interests first, is therefore long overdue.

Fulda: Germany is currently experiencing a geopolitical storm: the United States is disappearing as a security guarantor, Russia is no longer an energy supplier and China has become a systematic rival. Strengthening Europe is the logical response. But how can this be achieved if Germany and France are no longer the driving force behind European integration? Foreign Minister Baerbock is correct: ‘America First’ should not be followed by ‘Germany First,’ but by a resolute ‘Europe United.’ In this respect, the federal elections will set the course.

‘Strike a balance between interests and values’

What will the best government coalition of the next four years look like?

Fulda: I see a black-green coalition (CDU/CSU and Green Party) as the best option. Habeck has often been attacked for the Heating Act but has made clever decisions on China policy. With the European approach ‘protect, promote, partner’, he strengthened the resilience of our economy against the People’s Republic of China. Together with Merz, he could initiate the necessary paradigm shift in China policy and strategically reposition Germany. Black-green would also be the proper response to Putin and the US under Trump.

Schumann: The best government constellation is one that pursues a sober, economic and future-oriented policy. It is crucial that it recognizes Germany’s economic realities and should not fall into a confrontational or naive stance towards China. It must strike a new balance between our values and interests, because we also have interests, not just values. Such a government must pursue a policy that is coordinated with our European partners – but also with the courage to represent and promote an independent position on China among these European partners. Germany continues to enjoy a high reputation in China. This reputation must be used to build bridges – in the interests of Germany and Europe.

Foreign policy: Wang Yi reportedly plans Moscow visit

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly wants to travel to Moscow soon for talks. This was announced by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the Russian state news agency Tass. Lavrov said: “We have agreed on your visit to Moscow. So our next contact will already be in the Russian Federation.”

Lavrov met with his Chinese counterpart for talks on the sidelines of the G20 ministerial meeting in South Africa. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the topics discussed included relations with the United States and the Ukraine conflict. According to the statement, both ministers praised the development of political dialogue and practical interaction between Russia and China “as a stabilizing factor amid the continuing turbulence of the global system.” rtr

Export: Russian energy remains lucrative

China, India, Turkey, South Korea and Brazil were the five most important buyers of Russian oil, gas and coal last year. They purchased a total of 76 percent of all exports of these fossil fuels. Although significantly less oil is flowing to Europe, demand for Russian LNG has risen massively. This is revealed by data from the Finnish organization Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

Energy exports account for just under 30 percent of the Russian state budget. This makes them essential for funding the war against Ukraine. The 16th package of sanctions against Russia, which the EU intends to adopt next Monday, is intended to target more than 70 additional tankers belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet. However, the West has yet to permanently weaken Moscow’s fossil fuel revenues.

“Russia’s main trading partners are now India, China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. They pursue their own interests and are quite indifferent to how the war ends,” Sergey Vakulenko told Table.Briefings. He has worked for over 25 years in top positions in the Russian oil and gas industry and is now an analyst for the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. “The West has practically no economic relations with Russia anymore, so it no longer has much leverage to influence Moscow,” says the expert. vf/ari

Corruption: Former ICBC executive sentenced to death

A Chinese court has sentenced former ICBC executive Zhang Hongli to death. Zhang is accused of using his former position as the bank’s vice president to collect bribes in the form of trips, gifts and real estate. In return, he is said to have helped companies and individuals obtain loans. This was reported by the South China Morning Post, citing the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

The court justified the death penalty on the grounds of the “particularly huge bribery amount, serious criminal circumstances, and detrimental social impact” of the crime. Zhang is believed to have received over 24 million US dollars in bribes during his tenure. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) ‘s top anti-corruption authority launched an investigation into Zhang in November 2023.

By cooperating with the authorities, Zhang was granted a two-year stay of execution. The court stated that he had returned a significant amount of the bribe money, confessed to his crimes and provided information on previously unknown bribery cases.

The Communist Party leadership has launched an anti-corruption campaign in the domestic financial sector. According to calculations by the financial service Bloomberg, at least 130 financial officials and executives were investigated or punished in 2023 alone. In May last year, the CCDI spoke of investigations into around 90 executives in the financial sector, including the former vice presidents of China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China and China Development Bank. niw

Insider: TikTok lays off content moderators

Just weeks after Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta announced that it would discontinue fact-checking in the US, TikTok has also scaled back its content moderation, according to insiders. Several people familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency on Thursday that jobs in the trust and security department would be cut as part of a restructuring program. It initially remained unclear how many jobs would be affected. TikTok claims to employ around 40,000 content moderation staff worldwide. It is unknown what impact the cuts could have, for example, on the political influence exerted on users. According to Reuters, the short video platform and its Chinese parent company ByteDance were unavailable for comment.

Last year, the US Congress summoned the CEOs of numerous technology companies for what it saw as neglecting the protection of minors. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew stressed at the time that his company was spending several billion dollars on content moderation. Last October, the company had already laid off around 700 employees and increasingly handed over the monitoring of the online platform to AI. rtr

Delivery services: Meituan couriers to receive social benefits

The Chinese delivery service group Meituan plans to pay social benefits to some of its food delivery drivers. According to the company, this will apply to all “full-time and stable part-time” drivers from April 1.

Under the leadership of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the company has invested around USD 193 million in a pilot program for occupational accident insurance in 2022. It covers courier drivers in seven provinces and cities across the country. According to Caixin, 7.45 million drivers earned at least part of their living from courier services via Meituan last year.

Meituan’s competitor JD.com recently advertised social benefits for drivers as part of its entry into the food delivery business. A campaign on pension, health, unemployment, work accident and maternity insurance as well as a housing fund for delivery drivers reached more than 22 million views on Weibo. Chinese tech companies such as Meituan and Ele.me have repeatedly come under fire for allegations of exploitative working conditions for delivery drivers. niw

China Perspective: How the People’s Republic discusses the German election

The upcoming snap election in Germany has also attracted attention in the People’s Republic and the Chinese community in Germany. Within China, however, European politics is rarely discussed. “I guess the average Chinese has no interest in politics of any foreign country other than the United States, if they are interested in international news at all,” says Zhu Ashu, a Hangzhou-based businessman selling China-made textile processing tools to foreign markets.

Zhu said that he had heard about the collapse of the German coalition government, but was not interested in the details. “European countries are quite fragmented and have limited impact on China, I would say.” In addition, the multi-party system of European countries and the role and mechanism of the European Union are much harder to understand than the two-party system in the US. And there are the language barriers, Zhu said.

The double Merz

When it comes to the election front-runner for the CDU/CSU, the language hurdles already start with his Chinese name: Friedrich Merz is either transcribed as Me’er-ci (梅尔茨) or Mo’ci (默茨). Reports about the CDU candidate in China have so far been scarce. His recent remarks that the German government should no longer be liable for German corporate risks in China caused an uproar in the Chinese media.

However, a detailed article about Merz can be found on Baidubaike, the online encyclopedia of the search engine Baidu. Apart from his past rivalry with former chancellor Merkel and his professional foray into the world of finance, the article focuses on Merz’s stance on migration. Based on unclear sources, the article claims that Merz had already favored strictly limiting the number of immigrants as early as 2000. The completely unencyclopedic added assessment is clear: “This idea seemed to be against the spirit of the times back then. But in truth, Merz was way ahead of his time.”

Regret over Europe’s dwindling influence

Similarly crude attributions and assessments of Germany and Europe also crop up in personal conversations. Peng Bo, a restaurant owner in Beijing, thinks that there is no need to pay attention to European politics. “The Europeans are all following the Americans, aren’t they?”

A Shanghai professor of social sciences, on the other hand, follows European politics very closely. A fan of European culture and values, he lamented Europe’s waning influence. However, he believed Europe would rise to the occasion to face the US under Trump, breaking the transatlantic alliance. Despite domestic political fragmentation in individual countries and the EU’s coordination problems, Europeans will join forces to defend their interests. “After all, they are mature democracies,” he said.

Hope for pragmatism and growth

Many Chinese living in Germany are not so concerned about the outcome of the upcoming German snap election, even if the popularity of the anti-migration AfD has been surging. “Things are still fine this time. The real issue is the next election,” said tax consultant Zhang, who preferred to be named only by his last name. “How well the new government performs will hold the key, plus impact from external factors such as the fate of the Trump administration and whether there would be a war across the Taiwan Straits,” said Zhang, a Shanghai native who moved to Germany in 1999 and studied here.

Regarding the economy, the next German government should be much more pragmatic and pro-growth than the former coalition government, said a Berlin-based businessman operating trade between China and Europe. “From my experiences dealing with German enterprises, I got to know the damages that the idealistic policies have done to industries, thanks to the Green Party,” said the man who called himself by his last name, Jin. “It is sad that German industries are very under-represented in the policy-making process.” The liberal FDP should represent the corporate sector, but the party has become increasingly unpopular, he said. Jin moved to Germany in 2012. He is not a German citizen. “If I were, I definitely wouldn’t vote for the Greens. And not for the AfD either, of course.”

‘Weidel sounds a little crazy’

On the other hand, Alice Weidel enjoys a positive image in China among many people who follow foreign news. She is praised as “sober” and has been dubbed the “Iron Lady,” Margaret Thatcher’s nickname. For some years now, there has been a strong trend in China against the “political correctness” of the West. When Germany took in a large number of refugees in 2015, for example, it earned a lot of mockery from Chinese critics.

However, entrepreneur Jin is not impressed by Weidel. “If you listen to her comments on many issues, she sounds a bit crazy. In any case, she doesn’t seem particularly intelligent or well-informed. I don’t think many naturalized Chinese here would vote for her.” Zhang has a similar view. Although many Chinese complain about what they see as too generous social benefits for refugees and “lazy people,” the Chinese here can still see AfD’s anti-immigrants position could affect all people with migration backgrounds, Zhang said.

What was advertised idyllically as a winter wonderland in a tourist resort in Chengdu in southern China has led to a scandal. Visitors discovered that the snow beneath their feet was fake. The operators had used large cotton carpets to create an artificial snowy landscape and attract visitors. The organizer sure would have preferred to have been wrapped in said cotton: criticism on social media was devastating, and not even an official apology helped.

CHINA.TABLE EDITORIAL OFFICE

Amelie
Richter

Marcel
Grzanna

Fabian
Peltsch

Julia
Fiedler

Angela
Köckritz

Jörn
Petring

Dear reader,

How do we as a society want to interact with the autocratic People’s Republic in the future? This question will also occupy the coming German government intensively – a balancing act. After all, the China debate in Germany is polarized like few other political arenas.

That is why China.Table has asked two opposing poles of this China debate to put their positions in a nutshell: four questions to Michael Schumann from “China-Brücke” and political scientist Andreas Fulda. While Schumann sees cooperation with China more as an opportunity, Fulda warns against the People’s Republic’s strategic intentions.

After weeks of election campaign discussions and candidate TV debates, we also ask ourselves: How do people in China view the German federal election and its implications? Our Chinese author asked people this question in today’s “China Perspective” column. “European countries are quite fragmented and have limited impact on China,” says one businessman from Hangzhou, for example, and certainly echoes the sentiments of many Chinese for whom Europe is a distant place, after all. Others, better-informed contemporaries, wish for more economic cooperation. And the strict positions on migration by Chancellor candidates Weidel and Merz at least worry some of those who have closer ties to Germany and want to keep them that way.

On a separate note: Starting Monday, we will appear in a new look. In times of a flood of information, we present ourselves even more compact and focused – in-depth analyses and essential news about China that get straight to the point. Please let us know what you think of our new look. We would love to hear your feedback at redaktion@table.media.

The editorial will then also be a thing of the past. But the strong voices of our editors won’t go away. You will find them in our articles, at background events, or our events, such as next Wednesday’s China.Table Live Briefing on the German federal elections hosted by Julia Fiedler.

Your
Fabian Peltsch

Debate: What kind of China policy does Germany need?

By

Julia Fiedler

How will Germany approach China in the future? This question will be of great importance to the next German government. In the constantly escalating geopolitical landscape, shaping political and economic relations with Beijing is like walking a tightrope. And so the China debate is polarized like few other political arenas.

We want to present the debate in all its breadth. We have therefore asked two opinion leaders to summarize their often very different positions: four to-the-point questions to Michael Schumann from China Bridge and political scientist Andreas Fulda.

‘Restoring the strategic ability to act’

Germany’s China policy: business as usual or full stop?

Michael Schumann: Neither. The next German government should pursue a pragmatic and strategic approach that is neither based on ideological demarcation nor unreflective rapprochement. As an economic and innovation partner, China is vital to Germany. Further disentanglement would not only further jeopardize German companies and jobs in an already difficult economic environment, but would also exacerbate geopolitical tensions. Instead, we need a realistic dialogue that takes equal consideration of opportunities and risks. We also need more in-depth competence on China, based on actual on-site visits and discussions, and less on superficial analyses from afar. Alarmingly few German politicians have first-hand knowledge of China.

Andreas Fulda: Neither ‘business as usual’ nor an abrupt end are the solution. Instead, we need a paradigm shift: an end to our self-delusion when dealing with the PRC. We need to reduce dependencies. And those who advocate dialogue and cooperation must explain how to safeguard our educated interests and values. Interest groups will defame this policy shift as hard decoupling. But in reality, it is about restoring Germany’s strategic capabilities.

‘Talk frankly about successes and failures’

How should the next German government portray China to the German public?

Fulda: The image of China in Germany should clearly reflect our evolved experiences with the PRC: growing power asymmetries, the increasing ideologization under Xi, censorship and self-censorship must not be taboos. Politicians, diplomats, entrepreneurs and academics should speak frankly about successes and failures. This happens far too rarely. Yet honesty is the only way to gain a realistic picture of China’s role and our limited scope for action.

Schumann: A differentiated one – one that is not based solely on criticism or fear, but one that acknowledges China’s economic and technological dynamism as well as the existing challenges. While China is undeniably a geopolitical player with its own interests, it is an advocate of multilateralism, something that is important to us in Germany and Europe. In light of America’s new priorities, the EU will probably have no choice but to reconnect with China. China has become a global driver of innovation, for example, in the fields of artificial intelligence, energy and pharmaceuticals. This calls for a level-headed, pragmatic policy that retains Germany’s ability to act and avoids ideological blocs – and the same applies to the image of China. In this context, it is crucial that the media also live up to their responsibility to portray what is going on. Right now, public perception is dominated by one-sidedness and alarmism.

‘Europe’s strategic autonomy is overdue’

Germany’s future positioning: king Trump or dictator Xi?

Schumann: That is not the question. This supposed dilemma is a misrepresentation of the debate. Germany’s future lies neither in unconditional allegiance to the US nor a one-sided turn towards China. Over the past few days, we have seen how Europe’s and US interests are increasingly diverging. The US is and will remain an important partner, but the focus of its policy is shifting. Europe’s strategic autonomy, which puts its own interests first, is therefore long overdue.

Fulda: Germany is currently experiencing a geopolitical storm: the United States is disappearing as a security guarantor, Russia is no longer an energy supplier and China has become a systematic rival. Strengthening Europe is the logical response. But how can this be achieved if Germany and France are no longer the driving force behind European integration? Foreign Minister Baerbock is correct: ‘America First’ should not be followed by ‘Germany First,’ but by a resolute ‘Europe United.’ In this respect, the federal elections will set the course.

‘Strike a balance between interests and values’

What will the best government coalition of the next four years look like?

Fulda: I see a black-green coalition (CDU/CSU and Green Party) as the best option. Habeck has often been attacked for the Heating Act but has made clever decisions on China policy. With the European approach ‘protect, promote, partner’, he strengthened the resilience of our economy against the People’s Republic of China. Together with Merz, he could initiate the necessary paradigm shift in China policy and strategically reposition Germany. Black-green would also be the proper response to Putin and the US under Trump.

Schumann: The best government constellation is one that pursues a sober, economic and future-oriented policy. It is crucial that it recognizes Germany’s economic realities and should not fall into a confrontational or naive stance towards China. It must strike a new balance between our values and interests, because we also have interests, not just values. Such a government must pursue a policy that is coordinated with our European partners – but also with the courage to represent and promote an independent position on China among these European partners. Germany continues to enjoy a high reputation in China. This reputation must be used to build bridges – in the interests of Germany and Europe.

Foreign policy: Wang Yi reportedly plans Moscow visit

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly wants to travel to Moscow soon for talks. This was announced by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the Russian state news agency Tass. Lavrov said: “We have agreed on your visit to Moscow. So our next contact will already be in the Russian Federation.”

Lavrov met with his Chinese counterpart for talks on the sidelines of the G20 ministerial meeting in South Africa. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the topics discussed included relations with the United States and the Ukraine conflict. According to the statement, both ministers praised the development of political dialogue and practical interaction between Russia and China “as a stabilizing factor amid the continuing turbulence of the global system.” rtr

Export: Russian energy remains lucrative

China, India, Turkey, South Korea and Brazil were the five most important buyers of Russian oil, gas and coal last year. They purchased a total of 76 percent of all exports of these fossil fuels. Although significantly less oil is flowing to Europe, demand for Russian LNG has risen massively. This is revealed by data from the Finnish organization Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

Energy exports account for just under 30 percent of the Russian state budget. This makes them essential for funding the war against Ukraine. The 16th package of sanctions against Russia, which the EU intends to adopt next Monday, is intended to target more than 70 additional tankers belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet. However, the West has yet to permanently weaken Moscow’s fossil fuel revenues.

“Russia’s main trading partners are now India, China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. They pursue their own interests and are quite indifferent to how the war ends,” Sergey Vakulenko told Table.Briefings. He has worked for over 25 years in top positions in the Russian oil and gas industry and is now an analyst for the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. “The West has practically no economic relations with Russia anymore, so it no longer has much leverage to influence Moscow,” says the expert. vf/ari

Corruption: Former ICBC executive sentenced to death

A Chinese court has sentenced former ICBC executive Zhang Hongli to death. Zhang is accused of using his former position as the bank’s vice president to collect bribes in the form of trips, gifts and real estate. In return, he is said to have helped companies and individuals obtain loans. This was reported by the South China Morning Post, citing the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

The court justified the death penalty on the grounds of the “particularly huge bribery amount, serious criminal circumstances, and detrimental social impact” of the crime. Zhang is believed to have received over 24 million US dollars in bribes during his tenure. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) ‘s top anti-corruption authority launched an investigation into Zhang in November 2023.

By cooperating with the authorities, Zhang was granted a two-year stay of execution. The court stated that he had returned a significant amount of the bribe money, confessed to his crimes and provided information on previously unknown bribery cases.

The Communist Party leadership has launched an anti-corruption campaign in the domestic financial sector. According to calculations by the financial service Bloomberg, at least 130 financial officials and executives were investigated or punished in 2023 alone. In May last year, the CCDI spoke of investigations into around 90 executives in the financial sector, including the former vice presidents of China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China and China Development Bank. niw

Insider: TikTok lays off content moderators

Just weeks after Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta announced that it would discontinue fact-checking in the US, TikTok has also scaled back its content moderation, according to insiders. Several people familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency on Thursday that jobs in the trust and security department would be cut as part of a restructuring program. It initially remained unclear how many jobs would be affected. TikTok claims to employ around 40,000 content moderation staff worldwide. It is unknown what impact the cuts could have, for example, on the political influence exerted on users. According to Reuters, the short video platform and its Chinese parent company ByteDance were unavailable for comment.

Last year, the US Congress summoned the CEOs of numerous technology companies for what it saw as neglecting the protection of minors. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew stressed at the time that his company was spending several billion dollars on content moderation. Last October, the company had already laid off around 700 employees and increasingly handed over the monitoring of the online platform to AI. rtr

Delivery services: Meituan couriers to receive social benefits

The Chinese delivery service group Meituan plans to pay social benefits to some of its food delivery drivers. According to the company, this will apply to all “full-time and stable part-time” drivers from April 1.

Under the leadership of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the company has invested around USD 193 million in a pilot program for occupational accident insurance in 2022. It covers courier drivers in seven provinces and cities across the country. According to Caixin, 7.45 million drivers earned at least part of their living from courier services via Meituan last year.

Meituan’s competitor JD.com recently advertised social benefits for drivers as part of its entry into the food delivery business. A campaign on pension, health, unemployment, work accident and maternity insurance as well as a housing fund for delivery drivers reached more than 22 million views on Weibo. Chinese tech companies such as Meituan and Ele.me have repeatedly come under fire for allegations of exploitative working conditions for delivery drivers. niw

China Perspective: How the People’s Republic discusses the German election

The upcoming snap election in Germany has also attracted attention in the People’s Republic and the Chinese community in Germany. Within China, however, European politics is rarely discussed. “I guess the average Chinese has no interest in politics of any foreign country other than the United States, if they are interested in international news at all,” says Zhu Ashu, a Hangzhou-based businessman selling China-made textile processing tools to foreign markets.

Zhu said that he had heard about the collapse of the German coalition government, but was not interested in the details. “European countries are quite fragmented and have limited impact on China, I would say.” In addition, the multi-party system of European countries and the role and mechanism of the European Union are much harder to understand than the two-party system in the US. And there are the language barriers, Zhu said.

The double Merz

When it comes to the election front-runner for the CDU/CSU, the language hurdles already start with his Chinese name: Friedrich Merz is either transcribed as Me’er-ci (梅尔茨) or Mo’ci (默茨). Reports about the CDU candidate in China have so far been scarce. His recent remarks that the German government should no longer be liable for German corporate risks in China caused an uproar in the Chinese media.

However, a detailed article about Merz can be found on Baidubaike, the online encyclopedia of the search engine Baidu. Apart from his past rivalry with former chancellor Merkel and his professional foray into the world of finance, the article focuses on Merz’s stance on migration. Based on unclear sources, the article claims that Merz had already favored strictly limiting the number of immigrants as early as 2000. The completely unencyclopedic added assessment is clear: “This idea seemed to be against the spirit of the times back then. But in truth, Merz was way ahead of his time.”

Regret over Europe’s dwindling influence

Similarly crude attributions and assessments of Germany and Europe also crop up in personal conversations. Peng Bo, a restaurant owner in Beijing, thinks that there is no need to pay attention to European politics. “The Europeans are all following the Americans, aren’t they?”

A Shanghai professor of social sciences, on the other hand, follows European politics very closely. A fan of European culture and values, he lamented Europe’s waning influence. However, he believed Europe would rise to the occasion to face the US under Trump, breaking the transatlantic alliance. Despite domestic political fragmentation in individual countries and the EU’s coordination problems, Europeans will join forces to defend their interests. “After all, they are mature democracies,” he said.

Hope for pragmatism and growth

Many Chinese living in Germany are not so concerned about the outcome of the upcoming German snap election, even if the popularity of the anti-migration AfD has been surging. “Things are still fine this time. The real issue is the next election,” said tax consultant Zhang, who preferred to be named only by his last name. “How well the new government performs will hold the key, plus impact from external factors such as the fate of the Trump administration and whether there would be a war across the Taiwan Straits,” said Zhang, a Shanghai native who moved to Germany in 1999 and studied here.

Regarding the economy, the next German government should be much more pragmatic and pro-growth than the former coalition government, said a Berlin-based businessman operating trade between China and Europe. “From my experiences dealing with German enterprises, I got to know the damages that the idealistic policies have done to industries, thanks to the Green Party,” said the man who called himself by his last name, Jin. “It is sad that German industries are very under-represented in the policy-making process.” The liberal FDP should represent the corporate sector, but the party has become increasingly unpopular, he said. Jin moved to Germany in 2012. He is not a German citizen. “If I were, I definitely wouldn’t vote for the Greens. And not for the AfD either, of course.”

‘Weidel sounds a little crazy’

On the other hand, Alice Weidel enjoys a positive image in China among many people who follow foreign news. She is praised as “sober” and has been dubbed the “Iron Lady,” Margaret Thatcher’s nickname. For some years now, there has been a strong trend in China against the “political correctness” of the West. When Germany took in a large number of refugees in 2015, for example, it earned a lot of mockery from Chinese critics.

However, entrepreneur Jin is not impressed by Weidel. “If you listen to her comments on many issues, she sounds a bit crazy. In any case, she doesn’t seem particularly intelligent or well-informed. I don’t think many naturalized Chinese here would vote for her.” Zhang has a similar view. Although many Chinese complain about what they see as too generous social benefits for refugees and “lazy people,” the Chinese here can still see AfD’s anti-immigrants position could affect all people with migration backgrounds, Zhang said.

What was advertised idyllically as a winter wonderland in a tourist resort in Chengdu in southern China has led to a scandal. Visitors discovered that the snow beneath their feet was fake. The operators had used large cotton carpets to create an artificial snowy landscape and attract visitors. The organizer sure would have preferred to have been wrapped in said cotton: criticism on social media was devastating, and not even an official apology helped.

CHINA.TABLE EDITORIAL OFFICE

Amelie
Richter

Marcel
Grzanna

Fabian
Peltsch

Julia
Fiedler

Angela
Köckritz

Jörn
Petring

Feature

Debate: What kind of China policy does Germany need?

‘Restoring the strategic ability to act’

‘Talk frankly about successes and failures’

‘Europe’s strategic autonomy is overdue’

‘Strike a balance between interests and values’

Events

News

Foreign policy: Wang Yi reportedly plans Moscow visit

Export: Russian energy remains lucrative

Corruption: Former ICBC executive sentenced to death

Insider: TikTok lays off content moderators

Delivery services: Meituan couriers to receive social benefits

China Perspective

China Perspective: How the People’s Republic discusses the German election

The double Merz

Regret over Europe’s dwindling influence

Hope for pragmatism and growth

‘Weidel sounds a little crazy’

Executive Moves

Dessert

China.Table editorial team

CHINA.TABLE EDITORIAL OFFICE

Feature

Debate: What kind of China policy does Germany need?

‘Restoring the strategic ability to act’

‘Talk frankly about successes and failures’

‘Europe’s strategic autonomy is overdue’

‘Strike a balance between interests and values’

Events

News

Foreign policy: Wang Yi reportedly plans Moscow visit

Export: Russian energy remains lucrative

Corruption: Former ICBC executive sentenced to death

Insider: TikTok lays off content moderators

Delivery services: Meituan couriers to receive social benefits

China Perspective

China Perspective: How the People’s Republic discusses the German election

The double Merz

Regret over Europe’s dwindling influence

Hope for pragmatism and growth

‘Weidel sounds a little crazy’

Executive Moves

Dessert

China.Table editorial team

CHINA.TABLE EDITORIAL OFFICE

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