China
Travel rules at a glance + Bongbong in Beijing
Dear reader,
It's a nine-hour flight to China – and yet the People's Republic was practically inaccessible for almost three years. Unacceptable quarantine rules and considerable restrictions on air travel brought exchanges to a standstill. Important business trips had to be canceled, as did private visits. On Monday, this period ends – travel restrictions will be lifted. Germany and other European countries take small steps in the other direction, requiring travelers from China to present a negative Covid test. Currently, both sides have met in the middle with the simple mandatory testing rule. We have summarized the current regulations for you today.
President Marcos Jr, the new President of the Philippines, is a sought-after man – at least politically. The United States and China consider the Philippines strategically important and want to strengthen relations. The US values the Philippines as an important partner in the Indo-Pacific and, as a former colonial power, exercises a kind of patronage. The status between Manila and Beijing, on the other hand, is highly ambivalent. Disputes over maritime territorial claims coexist with the island nation's hopes for infrastructure investment and increased trade with the People's Republic. This week, Marcos Jr. traveled to Beijing. Christiane Kuehl reports on his quest for a profitable balance.
Only the Bible sold more copies: Mao's Little Red Book was printed more than a billion times. This not only caused an enormous consumption of paper, but also royalties in the millions, which flowed into Mao's pockets. Xi Jinping, meanwhile, is well on his way to financially surpassing the Great Chairman's literary achievements. Although China's party and state leader officially has to make do with a meager salary, he publishes a steady stream of publications and receives a handsome amount of royalties for them. With 96 million party members, he is sure to have customers – whether they read his works or throw them away. Johnny Erling has taken a look around the world of profitable propaganda texts.
