China
World Bank chief under pressure + "Peaceful reunification"
Dear reader,
This annual meeting of the IMF and the World Bank held this week will be overshadowed by an allegation: The head of the World Bank is accused of having manipulated a country ranking in Beijing's favor. Whether Kristalina Georgieva is truly guilty of manipulation is still open. But her case is part of a larger trend, as Felix Lee reports: China is resorting to illicit means to exert its influence in international institutions such as the United Nations. For example, African nations are frequently granted debt relief or a loan in exchange for a vote in Beijing's favor.
China's president has offered Taiwan a "peaceful reunification". Aggression and hegemony are not in the blood of the Chinese people, Xi also added. But one should closely listen to the president's speech from this weekend. Because his supposedly peaceful offer quickly turns out to be a kind of wolf in sheep's clothing, as Finn Mayer-Kuckuk analyses. The divide between Beijing and Taipei has never been greater. How did this come about? And what does it mean for the future? Find out in our report.
Be it semiconductors or vaccines – the Covid pandemic has shown us how remarkably fragile global supply chains are. A new study from Vienna now warns of the impacts of a trade conflict between Europe and China. Germany in particular could be hit hard. Therefore, Europe urgently needs to bring back the production of medications or essential components of pioneering technologies.
