MERICS China Podcast

On Friday, April 1, the leaders of the European Union and the People’s Republic of China met virtually for the 23rd EU-China Summit. While areas of shared interest like climate change and health played a role, the main focus was on Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, which both sides discussed extensively. In this podcast, Grzegorz Stec , Analyst at MERICS and expert on EU-China relation...

In the last couple of years, it has become increasingly difficult for foreign researchers to access China, and even more difficult to conduct critical field research. One of the few channels for empirical data that is left to China watchers is open-source data, which has become an essential resource, especially on politically more sensitive topics. To talk about open-source data research, how it w...

The “two sessions”, the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), wrapped up in Beijing on March 11. In this episode, MERICS Lead Analyst Nis Grünberg discusses the main outcomes of these important annual meetings, which generally offer a window into the central government’s priorities. These include an...

At the National People's Congress that is about to wrap up in Beijing, Premier Li Keqiang reiterated the ambitious "Common Prosperity" policy. Joint efforts in line with the opening-up policy would be needed to achieve this ambitious goal, Li said at a press conference. In this episode of our podcast, Bert Hofman , the Director of the East Asian Institute at National University of S...

Jedes Jahr Anfang März kommen die fast 3.000 Abgeordneten des Nationalen Volkskongresses (NVK) in Beijing für ihre Vollversammlung zusammen. Der NVK ist das oberste Gesetzgebungsorgan Chinas, wird aber auch als Scheinparlament bezeichnet, da er vollkommen unter der Kontrolle der Kommunistischen Partei steht. Welche Rolle spielt der NVK im politischen System Chinas? Wie geht so eine Mammut-Veransta...

Ukraine has once again risen to the headlines due to an intensification of its conflict with Russia that has been smoldering since 2014, culminating in a full-scale invasion by Russia early on February 24.  The Chinese position in the weeks leading up to and during the war so far has been one of hedging, trying to avoid taking a clear side in the deepening crisis. In a meeting ahead of the Beijing...

This episode looks at the potential impact of the French EU Council Presidency on the bloc's China policy. We also delve into French China policy and wage a look ahead on what the outcome of the upcoming French presidential elections in April 2022 could mean for the country's engagement with China.  To discuss these issues, we are joined by François Godement, a Senior Advisor for Asia at...

With the 24th Winter Olympic Games, Beijing has become the first city to host both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games – a source of national pride and a sign of China’s ambition to become a global superpower. The leadup to the games, however, has been mired by the decision of several liberal democracies not to send high level dignitaries to the games in protest over human rights violations in Xin...

A sizeable part of the Chinese economy is still dominated by state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Due to their direct link to the government, they are often employed as spearheads for the roll-out of new policies. What role does the government envision for SOEs in the ongoing common prosperity push for a more equal China? How can Beijing mobilize SOEs and what actions will they take? This episode of ou...

With the concept of “common prosperity” set as a key goal of the Communist Party, China´s economic model seems to be heading for a big shift in the coming years. Already Beijing is introducing policies aimed at aligning the market with the Party´s ideology and broader goals. Can we expect to see a shift away from the pragmatic economic state-planning of the last decades towards a more ideologicall...

Africa has longstanding and deep partnerships with Chinese technology companies—Huawei famously began developing its telecommunications networks in rural Kenya in the 1990s. Today, African governments are among the top customers for Chinese surveillance tools, from “smart cities” to media monitoring. These partnerships have come under increased scrutiny and criticism for two main reasons: domestic...

Despite the many challenges China’s economy is facing on several levels, the Chinese leadership seems determined to push for fundamental shifts of China’s economic system. Beijing seeks to tackle long-term structural issues and rebalance the economy in line with broader policy goals. The latest buzzword spread is “common prosperity”, seeking to narrow the yawning wealth gap in the country. What do...

In this episode of our EU-China podcast series, we look at how China spreads disinformation in Europe. We explore patterns in China’s disinformation and propaganda operations, evaluate how effective they are and what has the EU been doing to address this challenge. Ivana Karásková , is a European China policy fellow at MERICS and also the founder and coordinator of China Observers in Central and E...

The coalition treaty of the Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats was sealed in November after almost two months of negotiations. It contains several references to China. For the first time ever, sensitive issues like the human rights situation in Xinjiang, the erosion of rights in Hong Kong, and the tensions involving Taiwan are mentioned explicitely. In this podcast, Claudia Wessling, Dire...

China and European countries entertain relations with each other not only at the state level. During past decades, a close network of partnerships between Chinese provinces, European regions or federal states and also cities and municipalities has emerged. On subnational channels, there are a lot of oftentimes mutually beneficial exchanges - in business and politics, but also at the level of civil...

Seit Jahrzehnten gibt es ein enges Partnerschaftsgeflecht zwischen chinesischen Provinzen, deutschen Bundesländern und auch Kommunen und Städten. Es ist lebhafter Austausch entstanden in Wirtschaft und Politik, aber auch auf zivilgesellschaftlicher Ebene. Unter der Regierung von Xi Jinping folgt allerdings auch Chinas subnationale Diplomatie immer stärker den Vorgaben des Zentralstaats - für ein f...

Just hours after China’s president Xi Jinping met virtually with US president Joe Biden on November 16th, Chinese state media released the text of the Chinese Communist Party’s  new “Resolution on History”. In the week prior, top leaders in the party convened to approve the document - only the third of its kind - elevating Xi to the stature of former leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Nothing w...

In October 2021, Chinese tech giant Alibaba unveiled its most advanced cloud server chip yet. Semiconductors, or chips, are the foundation for many of the electronics that we use daily. You will find them in computers, cars, household appliances, phones and many other devices. The semiconductor value chain is characterized by a high degree of transnational interdependence, and Alibaba’s “Yitian 71...

France, as an Indo-Pacific power, plays a unique role in EU discussions on engagement with the region. Paris’ security-minded approach to the Indo-Pacific region distinguishes it from other European capitals. But, as AUKUS controversy shows, France’s ambitions in the region are being challenged, as its partners prioritize capabilities to respond to China’s growing military prowess over relations w...

As tensions are increasing in the Indo-Pacific, the EU is exploring ways to contribute to the security framework in the region. In doing so, the bloc has to navigate the complex dynamics between its ambitions and capabilities as well as reactions from both China and like-minded partners. But what exactly is the EU’s objective in the security realm and can it achieve it? In this episode, we talk to...

Over the course of the past weeks, the EU’s agenda was filled with Indo-Pacific related developments ranging from the successful release of the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy to shock linked to the cancellation of the French military sale to Australia and the announcement of the AUKUS alliance. In this episode, we talk with Mr. Gunnar Wiegand, the Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the Euro...

China’s real estate giant Evergrande has been making headlines for a while now. Having accumulated more than 300 billion USD in debt, Evergrande – one of the largest property developers on earth – is at the brink of collapse. On Monday, trading of Evergrande’s shares was suspended on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The week before, it missed a key bond interest payment. What has caused this pressure...

On September 26, Germany held its first election in 16 years without Angela Merkel. Her party, the Christian Democratic (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) suffered great losses, receiving only 24.1 percent of the votes. The center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) won by a small margin with 25.7 percent. The Green Party (14.8 percent) and the Liberals (FDP, 11.5...

Deutschland hat gewählt. Unter einer neuen Bundesregierung könnte sich auch in der deutschen China-Politik einiges ändern. Angela Merkel verfolgte einen vor allem auf Kooperation gerichteten Ansatz. Doch wie stehen die Parteien, die bald über Koalitionsoptionen verhandeln, zu China? FDP und Grüne, die vermutlich Juniorpartner in der künftigen Regierung sein werden, stehen durchaus für kritischere...

While the importance of politics over economics has always been a key feature of China's economic system, many observers say that there has been a paradigm shift in how the CCP governs China’s economy today. This new model is often described as party-state capitalism.    To get a clearer picture of this new form of economic governance that is emerging in China, Johannes Heller-John is joined...