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
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
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
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
In China, as well as in Germany, local and international companies are striving to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. BASF wants to be a pioneer here and is designing a new factory to run entirely on green electricity. This is not easy. But the company is cooperating with the Guangdong provincial government to become independent of the large share of coal in China's electricity mix.
By Christiane Kuehl
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
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
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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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
