News
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
Without massive green investments, climate targets will be hard to achieve. EU states are already wrangling intensively over what counts as green. Beijing is now seeking common standards with the EU. But the European side hesitates: Chinese requirements are weaker and ignore social issues such as forced labor. Critics now fear that the EU will move closer to China in the negotiations and lower its standards.
By Nico Beckert
China.Table regularly takes a look at the EU member states and their relationship with China – Hungary stands out: Budapest repeatedly shows itself to be openly positive towards Beijing. According to analysts, however, this does little for the country economically. The ties are based more on political reasons and offer opportunities for provocation in the direction of Brussels. The campus project of Fudan University in Budapest is now generating new resentment.
By Amelie Richter
As the financial markets continue to open up, the stakes and investments of foreign banks in China are growing. American banks, in particular, are pumping more money into China than ever before. The big US players are also targeting the growing middle class. On the one hand, China will not leave control of the country's financial markets entirely to market forces. On the other hand, American money creates security against Washington's political escapades.
By Frank Sieren