Table.Briefings

Feature

Joe Kaeser: 'We underestimated the impact of Belt and Road Initiative'

He hasn't been Siemens CEO for four months – so Joe Kaeser can focus on his role as a thought leader for German business on Asian issues. Under his leadership, the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) recently advocated greater diversification of German activities in the region. In an interview with China.Table, he now warns: If the EU is not at the table when it comes to setting standards, German SMEs, in particular, will suffer. Meanwhile, the attempt to economically decouple the world's regions runs counter to the requirements of digitalization. Finn Mayer-Kuckuk spoke with Joe Kaeser.

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Hong Kong vaccinates at snail's pace

In hardly any other developed region of the world is the vaccination campaign progressing as slowly as in Hong Kong. Companies are now offering luxurious incentives: for example, those who want to be vaccinated can win an apartment worth more than €1 million or get extra vacation days. Whether the offer will have the intended effect is questionable. In Hong Kong, the waiver of vaccination also has a political connotation.

By Redaktion Table

Catching up with autonomous driving: Germany lags far behind

German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer claims that a recently passed law will make Germany "the first country in the world to put self-driving vehicles on the road." By 2022, this should be achieved. In China, however, autonomous driving cars, without safety drivers and centralized control, have been on the road since late 2020. And the gap between developments in Germany and the People's Republic is likely to widen.

By Frank Sieren

China-USA comparison: not all debts are equal

During the Covid epidemic, the Chinese state has enabled local governments to borrow at record levels. They are supposed to use it to pay for infrastructure projects and thus boost the economy. As a result, China's economy has grown as desired but so has the debt burden. Depending on how it is calculated, it even exceeds US debt as a share of GDP. But China has some decisive advantages.

By Frank Sieren

HarmonyOS: Huawei introduces its own mobile phone operating system

It is supposed to be the Android killer and free the company from part of its US dependency. Indeed, Huawei showed many interesting and useful features during the presentation of HarmonyOS. A gradual market launch is now starting in Asia. But how new is the new product really? Experts smell a label fraud.

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June 4: Beijing fights memory in Hong Kong

For years, the Chinese government has been working hard to erase the memories of the Tiananmen massacre from the population, using censorship and the coercion of activists. The campaign against remembrance has now reached Hong Kong, where hundreds of thousands used to gather for the annual vigil. Hong Kong teachers face punishment for teaching the background and details of the bloody events. Dissidents warn of a history distortion in the West as well.

By Marcel Grzanna

Competition for the Arctic – China's ice-cold plans

Climate change is bringing a new region into the focus of geopolitics: the Arctic. Long covered by meters of ice, its raw materials are now arousing desires. China, too, wants to get involved as a major power and incorporate the region as the Polar Silk Road into President Xi Jinping's prestige project. But it won't be quite that easy.

By Michael Radunski

Three instead of one – but control remains

China is facing a demographic crisis. People are getting old before they are wealthy. Now Beijing's rulers are relenting and adopting the three-child policy. But despite the relaxation, they don't want to relinquish control. And it won't solve the real problems either.

By Michael Radunski

QR codes against waste issues

China's cities are faced with rapidly growing mountains of waste. Intelligently monitored waste collection points are supposed to increase the currently low recycling rate in the future. Those who do not separate waste properly lose bonus points. The amount of waste in China is increasing dramatically, but per capita, it is only a third of what Americans produce. German companies are also benefiting.

By Frank Sieren

Liu Wang-Hsin

CAI's failure is understandable, yet regrettable

The suspension of the ratification of the CAI is not an unexpected step in view of the diplomatic friction between the EU and China. Nevertheless, economist Liu Wan-Hsin from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) regrets the temporary failure of the treaty: It would have brought Germany many advantages. Felix Lee spoke with Liu.

By Felix Lee