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
The problem of China's aging population may not be as dramatic as it seems at first glance. In an international comparison, China is still doing quite well. Even countries where the problem of aging is much more significant or which have very low birth rates do not make a socially unstable impression. China's advantages: The social safety net is not yet very well developed. Debt is manageable and Beijing has not even begun to regulate the aging of society via immigration. So a systemic collapse is unlikely.
By Frank Sieren
The traditional concept of family is finding less and less support in China: According to a survey, four out of ten Chinese women could live without marriage. Of those who do dare to marry, more and more regret their decision. This is a problem for the second-largest economy because the dramatic aging process in society could accelerate further.
By Marcel Grzanna
Just over a week before the anniversary of the suppression of the Tiananmen demonstrations, the state in Hong Kong is tightening control. Vigils for the victims are banned. Yet there would be plenty of reason for protests: With a highly controversial electoral law reform, the alignment of the systems is making further progress – and increasing the flight of politically interested residents of the city to the UK.
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US President Joe Biden wants to renew alliances that his predecessor neglected or deliberately destroyed. In the Indo-Pacific, this is the "Quad", consisting of the US, Japan, Australia, and India. Their goal: creating a counterweight to China. Some are already dreaming of an Asian NATO. Beijing is reacting with sharp threats – and making its first mistakes.
By Michael Radunski
Founded 100 years ago as a peasants' and workers' party, China's Communist Party is now an elite organization. Only one in ten interested people actually manages to become a member. The main motive for applicants: better career opportunities in the network of the influential.
By Felix Lee
Semiconductors have become the most important supplier parts for many industries. Ning Wang talks to Merics researcher John Lee about the chip shortage in the automotive industry, the prospects for greater independence from Asia in key technologies, and possible strategies for Germany and the EU to deal with the problem.
By Ning Wang
China's coastal cities are facing an enemy that no navy, no matter how large, can defeat: the steadily rising sea level. Major economic centers like Shanghai and the Pearl River Delta are particularly at risk. Shanghai is even the most affected city in the world in terms of population. In a new forecast, the UN warns that emissions must decrease faster to achieve the climate goals.
By Nico Beckert
China announced that it will invest its gigantic foreign exchange reserves more heavily in green assets in the future. A rethink is urgently needed because sustainability considerations have hardly played a role in investment decisions so far. According to rumors, the largest fund even wants to invest $19 billion in the oil giant Saudi Aramco. At present, sovereign wealth funds around the world are finding it difficult to switch to green investments: Their profitability is uncertain and the switch entails costs.
By Nico Beckert
The Covid virus did not come from the wild but from a laboratory – that's how current reports read, based on US intelligence sources. Serious scientists, however, see the illnesses of researchers in Wuhan in November 2019 as far from proof of a fatal accident.
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