Whether in politics, administration, business, consulting, think tanks, associations, science, foundations, NGOs or society – developments in and around China shape global trends like never before.
Our editorial team has picked 100 people who are currently playing a pivotal role in shaping relations between Germany and China. Our “Top of the Table” not only includes prominent faces from the front row, but also those in the background – creative minds alongside decision-makers and those passionate about implementing China strategies.
They are all crucial for understanding the complex interrelationships between China opportunities and China dilemmas. Join us on an exciting journey through the biographies, successes and visions of some of the most important players involved with China in German-speaking countries or with a strong connection to Germany.
China, Japan, and South Korea plan to resume negotiations on a joint free trade agreement. China’s Premier Li Qiang, his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol agreed to this on Monday in Seoul. It was the first trilateral summit between their countries in over four years.
This trilateral meeting on Monday in Seoul is a good sign, not only for the three North Asian countries but for the entire region – and not least for German companies. In times of economic uncertainty, crises, and conflicts, China, Japan, and South Korea have emphasized the need for cooperation and the opportunities it offers.
However, differences also became apparent in Seoul: Li Qiang indirectly opposed the expansion of security cooperation between Japan and South Korea and the United States. In contrast, Tokyo and Seoul called on Beijing to finally exert more pressure on North Korea in order to dissuade the country from its nuclear ambitions.
This trilateral summit sends out three signals:
In Seoul, Li, Kishida, and Yoon focus primarily on economic cooperation. This focus is not surprising: On the one hand, China’s Premier is traditionally mainly responsible for economic affairs – even if the Premier’s responsibility has been curtailed under President Xi Jinping. Secondly, this is where the greatest common interests lie.
Most important are the efforts to conclude the long-anticipated free trade agreement. In 2019, negotiations had stalled. Now, talks on “accelerating the negotiations” for a free trade agreement are to be continued, it was reported after the summit. The goal is an agreement that is “free, fair, comprehensive, high-quality, and mutually beneficial.” The three countries also want to build stable supply chains and tackle common issues such as environmental and health challenges. Li Qiang said the three countries should see each other as “partners and development opportunities.”
The differences also quickly surfaced on other issues in Seoul. For example, Li expressed China’s unease about Japan and South Korea strengthening their security partnership with the USA. China sees this as an attempt to form a bloc to contain China. Li told Kishida and Yoon: “We need to promote multipolarity in the world and oppose the formation of blocs or camps.”
The concern is based primarily on a meeting in August 2023, when Kishida and Yoon met with US President Joe Biden in Washington for the first trilateral summit between Japan, South Korea and the US. It is not affection that unites the formerly feuding neighboring states, but above all, concern about China and the People’s Republic’s increasingly robust behavior towards the region.
Accordingly, Kishida reportedly expressed serious concern to Li about the situation in the South China Sea, in Hong Kong and about developments around Taiwan. Last week, China held a large-scale military exercise around Taiwan in what was believed to be a display of outrage over the inauguration of Taiwan’s new President, Lai Ching-te.
China’s Premier showed no concessions in this regard on Monday. “China, Japan and South Korea should appropriately handle sensitive issues and points of difference, and take care of each other’s core interests and major concerns,” Li said in Seoul.
Another point of contention is how to deal with North Korea. Japan and South Korea are very concerned about the nuclear weapons program of ruler Kim Jong-un – and urge China to take a tougher stance towards Pyongyang. After all, China is North Korea’s main ally.
And as if the concerns in Seoul and Tokyo needed any confirmation, North Korea announced a new rocket launch on Monday: The country plans to launch a satellite into space at the beginning of next week. The trajectory would cover the Yellow Sea and the area east of the Philippine island of Luzon. North Korea’s foreign ministry also sharply criticized the fact that North Korea was discussed at all at the trilateral summit. The spokesperson for the North Korean foreign ministry commented via state media that it was a serious political provocation and a violation of sovereignty.
And so, the trilateral summit shows that cooperation between China, Japan, and South Korea is possible in areas of similar interest: All three countries are currently experiencing an economic slump. However, in China’s case, it is clear that without Xi Jinping there will be no tangible progress on the free trade agreement either. It also became clear in Seoul that the willingness to cooperate between China, Japan and South Korea can quickly reach its limits.
In any case, Li, Kishida and Yoon agreed on Monday that the trilateral summit was important for revitalizing cooperation between the three countries. Accordingly, they plan to resume such meetings regularly. The next meeting is planned to take place in Japan.
Patricia Flor – German Ambassador in Beijing
Patricia Flor was appointed German Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China in July 2022. She is considered an outstanding China expert and the entire Asian region, also thanks to her former posts: From mid-2018 to mid-2022, Flor was Ambassador of the European Union to Japan. Between 2012 and 2014, she was the European Union’s Special Representative for Central Asia. Born in Nuremberg, she worked as a journalist before her diplomatic career.
Frank Hartmann – Designated Head of the Asia Department at the German Foreign Office
The top diplomat will become the new Head of the Asia Department at the German Federal Foreign Office this summer. Hartmann is an accomplished China expert. In the late 1980s, he studied at the Chinese University in Hong Kong and twice worked at the German Embassy in Beijing. He was also stationed in Tokyo. During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 58-year-old was also the Federal Foreign Office’s crisis officer and organized the return of tens of thousands of Germans worldwide who were unable to return to Germany via the usual transport routes. He currently still serves as ambassador in Cairo.
Martin Thuemmel – Deputy Head of Department and Representative for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific
Martin Thuemmel is the German Foreign Office’s Commissioner for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. He was previously Head of the Political Department at the German Embassy in Beijing. Prior to that, he was stationed at the Consulate General in Shanghai, as well as in Mumbai, New York and in the European Department of the Federal Foreign Office. Thuemmel studied in Göttingen and Shanghai and holds a PhD in law and sinology.
Alexander Roth – Head of the China Department at the German Federal Foreign Office
Alexander Roth is the Head of the China Department at the German Foreign Office and one of the architects of the China strategy adopted by the German government in the summer of 2023. He has also worked as a press spokesperson at the German embassy in Kinshasa and Beijing. Roth studied political science and Chinese studies at Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg and Shanghai International Studies University and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.
Wolfgang Stopper – Head of the East Asia Department at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Wolfgang Stopper is Head of the East Asia Department at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). He has been at BMWK since 2001. His first position at the Ministry was in bilateral economic relations with Russia. He then became Deputy Head of the Trade Policy Department in the Directorate-General for Foreign Economic Policy, where his responsibilities included WTO issues and EU trade policy. Stopper holds a degree in economics from the University of Tuebingen.
Hanna Mueller – Head of the Division political systems; hybrid threats at the Federal Ministry of the Interior
Disinformation, hybrid threats at the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Born in Stuttgart, she worked for many years as Senior Manager for Greater China at the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and was responsible for China in the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA). In 2016, she founded the first BDI office in Beijing. She holds an M.A. in politics of East Asia and a B.A. in economics and politics of East Asia from the Ruhr-University Bochum.
Shieh Jhy-wey – Representative of the Taipei Representative Office in Germany
Shieh Jhy-wey is the representative of the Taipei Representative Office in Germany – which is unofficially equivalent to an ambassador. However, as Germany does not recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, he only holds this title. Shieh is a renowned Germany specialist, studied German and literature and was a German Academic Exchange Service scholarship holder at the Ruhr University in Bochum. He previously served as Taiwan’s representative in Germany between 2005 and 2007, then as government spokesperson in Taiwan and also hosted a talk show on Formosa TV.
Annette Klerks – Head of the China Competence Center of the City of Dusseldorf
Annette Klerks is Deputy Head of Economic Development at the City of Dusseldorf, one of the most active municipal offices in Germany when it comes to attracting international, and in particular Asian, companies and maintaining relations with China, Japan, and South Korea. Dusseldorf is home to the largest number of Asian companies in Germany.
Martin Lukas – Director for Trade Defense at the EU Directorate General for Trade
Martin Lukas has been Director of the Trade Defense Instruments Department of the EU Directorate-General for Trade since 2022 and is responsible for the European Union’s anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations. A lawyer by training, he was previously Head of the Dispute Settlement and Legal Aspects of Trade Policy Unit in the Directorate-General for almost nine years. Lukas studied in Vienna and Georgetown.
Armin Reinartz – Head of the Directorate-General European and International Cooperation in Education and Research at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Armin Reinartz has been Head of the Department for European and International Cooperation at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research since May 2022 – and is closely involved with Germany’s research cooperation approach with the People’s Republic. The sinologist studied at the University of Duisburg-Essen and Peking University and has also worked as a project manager at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s Southeast and East Asia regional office in Bangkok.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying (华春莹) was appointed vice foreign minister in Beijing on Monday. She is the youngest of the five vice foreign ministers of the People’s Republic and the only woman to hold this post.
The 54-year-old, who occasionally lets a superior smile at press conferences, is regarded as the embodiment of the “wolf warrior” – the name given to Chinese diplomats who publicly defend the People’s Republic in a firm, even brusque manner. During the Covid pandemic, for example, Hua demanded that Washington open a laboratory in Fort Detrick, Maryland, for investigations. The narrative that the COVID-19 virus originated from a US biowarfare laboratory was first spread in Russia.
Under Hua, Chinese-Russian propaganda increasingly harmonized. NATO had pushed Russia against the wall and should not be surprised by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she stated at a press conference shortly after the start of the war.
Hua Chunying was born into a Communist Party family in Huai’an, Jiangsu Province, in 1970. Her father was secretary of the city’s Party Disciplinary Committee and her mother was deputy Party chairwoman of Qinghe District. Hua studied English and literature at Nanjing University. She joined the Chinese Foreign Ministry in 1992 and held various diplomatic positions.
Her early career focused on Europe. From 1992 to 2003, she was a staff member, attaché and third secretary in the Western Europe Department of the Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Singapore. From 2003 to 2010, she was first second secretary, then first secretary and finally counselor at the Mission of China to the European Union. In 2010, she became a counselor in the Department of European Affairs. Her time overseas also included an extended period at the Chinese EU Representation in Brussels.
Hua then moved to the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she served as Deputy Director General from 2012 to 2019. In 2019, she was appointed Director General. Her steady rise was interrupted by a longer absence from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2018. At the time, rumors made the rounds that Hua was under investigation because large amounts of US dollars had been found in her home. Hua emerged from the allegations unscathed.
In 2021, Hua Chunying was promoted to Director General of the Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She gained world fame in this position. Her confident demeanor towards the West is admired by many, and not just in China. 2.5 million people follow “Sister Hua” on X alone. She likes to use the American platform to accuse the United States of human rights violations. She says Washington should put its own house in order rather than acting like the world’s policeman and judge.
In recent weeks, she denounced the police violence used to break up pro-Palestinian protests at American universities, saying that the US has once again demonstrated its double standards. She also compared the storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters in January 2021 with the storming of the Legislative Council building by Hong Kong democracy activists in 2019.
Occasionally, the wolf warrior gets tangled up in her arguments. After Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, Hua declared that Taiwan was part of China simply because there were countless Chinese dumpling and noodle restaurants on Baidu Maps. Twitter users responded with a list of Chinese restaurants in every major city in the world and asked: Are all of these places also part of China? Fabian Peltsch
Agricultural land is scarce in China – and continues to shrink due to urban expansion. So it is no wonder that every piece of land is also used for agriculture. In the suburban belt of cities, small plots of land for growing vegetables or larger fields of grain can be found next to newly built districts, such as here next to a train line near Hangzhou. The first wheat harvest is already underway in southern China.
Whether in politics, administration, business, consulting, think tanks, associations, science, foundations, NGOs or society – developments in and around China shape global trends like never before.
Our editorial team has picked 100 people who are currently playing a pivotal role in shaping relations between Germany and China. Our “Top of the Table” not only includes prominent faces from the front row, but also those in the background – creative minds alongside decision-makers and those passionate about implementing China strategies.
They are all crucial for understanding the complex interrelationships between China opportunities and China dilemmas. Join us on an exciting journey through the biographies, successes and visions of some of the most important players involved with China in German-speaking countries or with a strong connection to Germany.
China, Japan, and South Korea plan to resume negotiations on a joint free trade agreement. China’s Premier Li Qiang, his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol agreed to this on Monday in Seoul. It was the first trilateral summit between their countries in over four years.
This trilateral meeting on Monday in Seoul is a good sign, not only for the three North Asian countries but for the entire region – and not least for German companies. In times of economic uncertainty, crises, and conflicts, China, Japan, and South Korea have emphasized the need for cooperation and the opportunities it offers.
However, differences also became apparent in Seoul: Li Qiang indirectly opposed the expansion of security cooperation between Japan and South Korea and the United States. In contrast, Tokyo and Seoul called on Beijing to finally exert more pressure on North Korea in order to dissuade the country from its nuclear ambitions.
This trilateral summit sends out three signals:
In Seoul, Li, Kishida, and Yoon focus primarily on economic cooperation. This focus is not surprising: On the one hand, China’s Premier is traditionally mainly responsible for economic affairs – even if the Premier’s responsibility has been curtailed under President Xi Jinping. Secondly, this is where the greatest common interests lie.
Most important are the efforts to conclude the long-anticipated free trade agreement. In 2019, negotiations had stalled. Now, talks on “accelerating the negotiations” for a free trade agreement are to be continued, it was reported after the summit. The goal is an agreement that is “free, fair, comprehensive, high-quality, and mutually beneficial.” The three countries also want to build stable supply chains and tackle common issues such as environmental and health challenges. Li Qiang said the three countries should see each other as “partners and development opportunities.”
The differences also quickly surfaced on other issues in Seoul. For example, Li expressed China’s unease about Japan and South Korea strengthening their security partnership with the USA. China sees this as an attempt to form a bloc to contain China. Li told Kishida and Yoon: “We need to promote multipolarity in the world and oppose the formation of blocs or camps.”
The concern is based primarily on a meeting in August 2023, when Kishida and Yoon met with US President Joe Biden in Washington for the first trilateral summit between Japan, South Korea and the US. It is not affection that unites the formerly feuding neighboring states, but above all, concern about China and the People’s Republic’s increasingly robust behavior towards the region.
Accordingly, Kishida reportedly expressed serious concern to Li about the situation in the South China Sea, in Hong Kong and about developments around Taiwan. Last week, China held a large-scale military exercise around Taiwan in what was believed to be a display of outrage over the inauguration of Taiwan’s new President, Lai Ching-te.
China’s Premier showed no concessions in this regard on Monday. “China, Japan and South Korea should appropriately handle sensitive issues and points of difference, and take care of each other’s core interests and major concerns,” Li said in Seoul.
Another point of contention is how to deal with North Korea. Japan and South Korea are very concerned about the nuclear weapons program of ruler Kim Jong-un – and urge China to take a tougher stance towards Pyongyang. After all, China is North Korea’s main ally.
And as if the concerns in Seoul and Tokyo needed any confirmation, North Korea announced a new rocket launch on Monday: The country plans to launch a satellite into space at the beginning of next week. The trajectory would cover the Yellow Sea and the area east of the Philippine island of Luzon. North Korea’s foreign ministry also sharply criticized the fact that North Korea was discussed at all at the trilateral summit. The spokesperson for the North Korean foreign ministry commented via state media that it was a serious political provocation and a violation of sovereignty.
And so, the trilateral summit shows that cooperation between China, Japan, and South Korea is possible in areas of similar interest: All three countries are currently experiencing an economic slump. However, in China’s case, it is clear that without Xi Jinping there will be no tangible progress on the free trade agreement either. It also became clear in Seoul that the willingness to cooperate between China, Japan and South Korea can quickly reach its limits.
In any case, Li, Kishida and Yoon agreed on Monday that the trilateral summit was important for revitalizing cooperation between the three countries. Accordingly, they plan to resume such meetings regularly. The next meeting is planned to take place in Japan.
Patricia Flor – German Ambassador in Beijing
Patricia Flor was appointed German Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China in July 2022. She is considered an outstanding China expert and the entire Asian region, also thanks to her former posts: From mid-2018 to mid-2022, Flor was Ambassador of the European Union to Japan. Between 2012 and 2014, she was the European Union’s Special Representative for Central Asia. Born in Nuremberg, she worked as a journalist before her diplomatic career.
Frank Hartmann – Designated Head of the Asia Department at the German Foreign Office
The top diplomat will become the new Head of the Asia Department at the German Federal Foreign Office this summer. Hartmann is an accomplished China expert. In the late 1980s, he studied at the Chinese University in Hong Kong and twice worked at the German Embassy in Beijing. He was also stationed in Tokyo. During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 58-year-old was also the Federal Foreign Office’s crisis officer and organized the return of tens of thousands of Germans worldwide who were unable to return to Germany via the usual transport routes. He currently still serves as ambassador in Cairo.
Martin Thuemmel – Deputy Head of Department and Representative for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific
Martin Thuemmel is the German Foreign Office’s Commissioner for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. He was previously Head of the Political Department at the German Embassy in Beijing. Prior to that, he was stationed at the Consulate General in Shanghai, as well as in Mumbai, New York and in the European Department of the Federal Foreign Office. Thuemmel studied in Göttingen and Shanghai and holds a PhD in law and sinology.
Alexander Roth – Head of the China Department at the German Federal Foreign Office
Alexander Roth is the Head of the China Department at the German Foreign Office and one of the architects of the China strategy adopted by the German government in the summer of 2023. He has also worked as a press spokesperson at the German embassy in Kinshasa and Beijing. Roth studied political science and Chinese studies at Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg and Shanghai International Studies University and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.
Wolfgang Stopper – Head of the East Asia Department at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Wolfgang Stopper is Head of the East Asia Department at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). He has been at BMWK since 2001. His first position at the Ministry was in bilateral economic relations with Russia. He then became Deputy Head of the Trade Policy Department in the Directorate-General for Foreign Economic Policy, where his responsibilities included WTO issues and EU trade policy. Stopper holds a degree in economics from the University of Tuebingen.
Hanna Mueller – Head of the Division political systems; hybrid threats at the Federal Ministry of the Interior
Disinformation, hybrid threats at the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Born in Stuttgart, she worked for many years as Senior Manager for Greater China at the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and was responsible for China in the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA). In 2016, she founded the first BDI office in Beijing. She holds an M.A. in politics of East Asia and a B.A. in economics and politics of East Asia from the Ruhr-University Bochum.
Shieh Jhy-wey – Representative of the Taipei Representative Office in Germany
Shieh Jhy-wey is the representative of the Taipei Representative Office in Germany – which is unofficially equivalent to an ambassador. However, as Germany does not recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, he only holds this title. Shieh is a renowned Germany specialist, studied German and literature and was a German Academic Exchange Service scholarship holder at the Ruhr University in Bochum. He previously served as Taiwan’s representative in Germany between 2005 and 2007, then as government spokesperson in Taiwan and also hosted a talk show on Formosa TV.
Annette Klerks – Head of the China Competence Center of the City of Dusseldorf
Annette Klerks is Deputy Head of Economic Development at the City of Dusseldorf, one of the most active municipal offices in Germany when it comes to attracting international, and in particular Asian, companies and maintaining relations with China, Japan, and South Korea. Dusseldorf is home to the largest number of Asian companies in Germany.
Martin Lukas – Director for Trade Defense at the EU Directorate General for Trade
Martin Lukas has been Director of the Trade Defense Instruments Department of the EU Directorate-General for Trade since 2022 and is responsible for the European Union’s anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations. A lawyer by training, he was previously Head of the Dispute Settlement and Legal Aspects of Trade Policy Unit in the Directorate-General for almost nine years. Lukas studied in Vienna and Georgetown.
Armin Reinartz – Head of the Directorate-General European and International Cooperation in Education and Research at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Armin Reinartz has been Head of the Department for European and International Cooperation at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research since May 2022 – and is closely involved with Germany’s research cooperation approach with the People’s Republic. The sinologist studied at the University of Duisburg-Essen and Peking University and has also worked as a project manager at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s Southeast and East Asia regional office in Bangkok.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying (华春莹) was appointed vice foreign minister in Beijing on Monday. She is the youngest of the five vice foreign ministers of the People’s Republic and the only woman to hold this post.
The 54-year-old, who occasionally lets a superior smile at press conferences, is regarded as the embodiment of the “wolf warrior” – the name given to Chinese diplomats who publicly defend the People’s Republic in a firm, even brusque manner. During the Covid pandemic, for example, Hua demanded that Washington open a laboratory in Fort Detrick, Maryland, for investigations. The narrative that the COVID-19 virus originated from a US biowarfare laboratory was first spread in Russia.
Under Hua, Chinese-Russian propaganda increasingly harmonized. NATO had pushed Russia against the wall and should not be surprised by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she stated at a press conference shortly after the start of the war.
Hua Chunying was born into a Communist Party family in Huai’an, Jiangsu Province, in 1970. Her father was secretary of the city’s Party Disciplinary Committee and her mother was deputy Party chairwoman of Qinghe District. Hua studied English and literature at Nanjing University. She joined the Chinese Foreign Ministry in 1992 and held various diplomatic positions.
Her early career focused on Europe. From 1992 to 2003, she was a staff member, attaché and third secretary in the Western Europe Department of the Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Singapore. From 2003 to 2010, she was first second secretary, then first secretary and finally counselor at the Mission of China to the European Union. In 2010, she became a counselor in the Department of European Affairs. Her time overseas also included an extended period at the Chinese EU Representation in Brussels.
Hua then moved to the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she served as Deputy Director General from 2012 to 2019. In 2019, she was appointed Director General. Her steady rise was interrupted by a longer absence from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2018. At the time, rumors made the rounds that Hua was under investigation because large amounts of US dollars had been found in her home. Hua emerged from the allegations unscathed.
In 2021, Hua Chunying was promoted to Director General of the Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She gained world fame in this position. Her confident demeanor towards the West is admired by many, and not just in China. 2.5 million people follow “Sister Hua” on X alone. She likes to use the American platform to accuse the United States of human rights violations. She says Washington should put its own house in order rather than acting like the world’s policeman and judge.
In recent weeks, she denounced the police violence used to break up pro-Palestinian protests at American universities, saying that the US has once again demonstrated its double standards. She also compared the storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters in January 2021 with the storming of the Legislative Council building by Hong Kong democracy activists in 2019.
Occasionally, the wolf warrior gets tangled up in her arguments. After Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, Hua declared that Taiwan was part of China simply because there were countless Chinese dumpling and noodle restaurants on Baidu Maps. Twitter users responded with a list of Chinese restaurants in every major city in the world and asked: Are all of these places also part of China? Fabian Peltsch
Agricultural land is scarce in China – and continues to shrink due to urban expansion. So it is no wonder that every piece of land is also used for agriculture. In the suburban belt of cities, small plots of land for growing vegetables or larger fields of grain can be found next to newly built districts, such as here next to a train line near Hangzhou. The first wheat harvest is already underway in southern China.
