Table.Briefings

Feature

Athletes turn their backs on IOC head

Thomas Bach, head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has already met with China's President Xi Jinping. Now, Bach also wants to meet with Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai during the Winter Games. Nevertheless, criticism of Bach and the awarding of the Olympics to the People's Republic is not abating. Germany has even voiced suspicions of manipulation.

By Marcel Grzanna

Taiwan's chip industry depends on China despite everything

Taiwan's chip industry wants to produce more semiconductor equipment themselves. This would allow them to continue supplying Chinese companies affected by US sanctions. After all, despite all political differences, China is a big growth market. But Taiwan is still far from being on the safe side. They are balancing the difficult dependence on both China and the US, but it remains true.

By Frank Sieren

Liu Wang-Hsin

'Higher costs over instability'

Supply chains were far from back on track when Omicron began to spread around the globe. This could lead to factory and port closures in China, resulting in another bottleneck of goods and parts in Germany. Economist Wan-Hsin Liu from IfW Kiel spoke with Finn Mayer-Kuckuk about the possible ramifications.

By

Semiconductors: China's automotive sector faces a standstill

A trade war with the USA, competition from electronics companies, a knowledge gap, the goal of climate neutrality – and the Covid crisis hovering over everything. The semiconductor shortage cannot be quickly resolved for China's automotive industry. Shanghai is trying anyway – with generous subsidies.

By Christian Domke Seidel

Ukraine crisis: EU and NATO go on the offensive

The EU announces a billion-euro aid package for Ukraine and reaffirms its determination to impose sanctions quickly in the event of an attack. However, a complete exclusion of Russia from the Swift banking system is apparently off the table.

By Eric Bonse

210706 -- BEIJING, July 6, 2021 -- Nursultan Nazarbayev, chairman of the Nur Otan Party and Kazakhstan s first president, addresses the Communist Party of China CPC and World Political Parties Summit on July 6, 2021. The CPC and World Political Parties Summit was held via video link on Tuesday.  CHINA-CPC AND WORLD POLITICAL PARTIES SUMMIT CN CaixYang PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN

Unrest in Kazakhstan is changing relations between China and Russia

For the time being, Beijing will not challenge Russia's growing influence in Kazakhstan. This is because the goals of the two superpowers in Central Asia intersect. Both nations seek an end to the unrest in Kazakhstan and aim for growth in the unstable region above all else. Neither wants popular uprisings – and presumably, both are siding in the internal power struggle with Nursultan Nazarbayev, the nation's leader for life.

By Frank Sieren