Table.Briefings

Feature

Quality cars with a lot of bling-bling

Chinese cars have become a lucrative niche in Germany. Indimo in particular is benefiting from this. The importer is already selling thousands of vehicles in Germany, and the trend is rising. And there is one very specific reason.

By Redaktion Table

Ecodesign: The update comes later

The EU Commission has promised too much and has more work to do. New rules for smartphones and tablets are now not expected until 2022 — if all goes well. The European Parliament and the German government want stricter regulations soon.

By Eric Bonse

Confucius Institutes: Karliczek calls for investigation

Education Minister Anja Karliczek calls on German universities to "re-evaluate the role of Confucius Institutes in the German higher education landscape". Only recently, two Confucius Institutes had canceled the presentation of a book about Xi Jinping. The fundamental question of the independence and role of the Confucius Institutes thus takes on new topicality.

By Ning Wang

Be "better, faster, more innovative" compared to China

Thanks in part to its now 20-year commitment in China, Webasto has become one of the largest automotive suppliers in the world. The company is known to many because it was the site of the first COVID case in Germany. The shock of that time has been overcome, but CEO Holger Engelmann is worried about the future. In an interview with China.Table, he fears an economic long COVID with unforeseeable consequences. He is particularly concerned about supply issues, a shortage of skilled workers, and further disruptions to the global economy. He considers the establishment of a separate supply chain exclusively for the Chinese market likely in the future. Marcel Grzanna conducted the interview.

By Marcel Grzanna

China protects personal data – but only from corporations

China's "Personal Information Protection Law" comes into force. It is intended to protect consumers' rights vis-à-vis companies. Large companies such as Tencent have already revised their data protection regulations. The law also has an impact on foreign companies. It is similar to the European data protection law in terms of the relationship between companies and customers. However, the state still exempts itself from the obligations in China.

By Frank Sieren

Council: progress on DSA, DMA, DGA, AI and e-privacy regulation

The Council working groups have made significant progress on the digital dossiers in recent days. In particular, the package of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Single Markets Act (DMA) is now on the home straight ahead of the trilogue with Parliament and the Commission. The next stage of the less controversial Data Governance Act (DGA) should also be reached soon.

By Falk Steiner

COP26: The struggle for Article 6

Probably the most important goal of the World Climate Conference in Glasgow (COP26) is to reach an agreement on the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Climate Agreement — the last part of the so-called "Paris Rulebook" that has not yet been fully negotiated. The aim is to create a global CO₂ certificate trading system. The framework conditions are likely to be the subject of intense wrangling.

By Lukas Knigge

Data Act shift: What's the problem?

Europe's digital economy lacks data — the Data Act is supposed to remedy this shortcoming. But the EU Commission's legislative proposal is being delayed due to internal concerns. These concern areas that also worry the economy.

By Till Hoppe

Disinformation campaigns with little success

Beijing is also spreading its narratives on Western social media. Especially since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, disinformation campaigns aimed at showing China in a better light have increased on the web. The success, however, has been moderate, as observers note. Nevertheless, they warn of a potential tech dependency of the West.

By Amelie Richter

Shenzhen Anleihen Hongkong

Shenzhen is allowed to obtain funds on the global market

A big step for the opening of China's financial markets: Shenzhen has become the first Chinese city to issue a bond to international investors. Until now, borrowing by Chinese municipalities has been an internal affair. Foreign participation could bring a new professionalism to local government financing. But it also ties the global financial market more closely to China – for better or worse.

By Frank Sieren