China and India have just ended months of skirmishes on their border. For decades they have distrusted and misunderstood each other. India is now cooperating more with the US in the Quad grouping – to Beijing's displeasure. But Delhi says this is far from an alliance. India has always insisted on strategic independence.
By Christiane Kuehl
The debacle over the grounded container ship in the Suez Canal has once again shown Beijing how risky it is to become too dependent on a transport route with a bottleneck. For China, that is even more so the 900-kilometer-long Strait of Malacca near Singapore, which measures only 2.7 kilometers at its narrowest point. Most of China's raw materials have to pass through this strait. That is why China has been trying for years to build alternative supply routes as part of the Belt and Road Initiative. These are mainly pipelines.
By Frank Sieren
As Beijing secures political control of Hong Kong with electoral reform, fugitive activists are forming to fight the autocrats. Ted Hui was a Hong Kong parliamentarian, but since December, he has been on the run with his family and now lives in Australia. He now talks to China.Table about his fate and that of his fellow campaigners – between pride and fear. Giving up is not an option for them. "We keep going," says Hui.
By Marcel Grzanna
China is the most important bilateral donor for developing and emerging countries. A research team led by the Institute for the World Economy has now been able to analyze 100 Chinese loan agreements to developing countries for the first time. China.Table was given advance access to the underlying study. The Chinese contracts contain "unusually far-reaching secrecy clauses" and ensure Beijing priority over other creditors in the event of insolvency. Some contract clauses even allow Beijing to "potentially influence" the policies of debtor countries. Despite strict contractual clauses, Beijing regularly grants debt rescheduling and deferments.
By Nico Beckert
After calls for boycotts against foreign companies in China, the first affected textile producers are buckling. Among others, the Japanese company Muji distances itself from the suspicion of forced labour on the cotton fields in Xinjiang, in order not to endanger its business in the People's Republic. Meanwhile, the Chinese government is increasing the pressure on the companies.
By Marcel Grzanna
The new submarine internet cable "Peace" is supposed to be able to transport the equivalent of 90,000 hours of Netflix movies – per second. It is currently being laid from China via Pakistan to France and Africa – and is causing friction in Chinese-American relations. The question is: Who controls global data traffic?
By Ning Wang
In this series, China.Table analyses China's relations with the EU member states: On the sea route from Asia to Europe, the Greek city of Piraeus is the next European port after the Suez Canal. As China's most important gateway to Europe, it will continue to grow in importance. Beijing is investing billions. Athens is now making a correspondingly confident appearance in Brussels – also to the displeasure of the Americans.
By Frank Sieren
The diplomatic exchange of blows with China has left a great deal of uncertainty in its wake. What do the sanctions mean for the individuals named, the employees, and members of the institutions concerned – and for their families? Beijing, meanwhile, is extending the ban to individuals in the US and Canada.
By
China is one of the countries that invest the most in nuclear technology. The People's Republic wants to export its technologies abroad, including Europe. But within the EU, there is no unified course on how to deal with the issue of nuclear power. In the CAI, the EU nuclear energy sector is left out, and the decision on whether to use Chinese technology is a national responsibility. China remains closed to foreign investment in the sector. Read more about the impact of the agreement on the European market in our China.Table analyses on the CAI.
By Frank Sieren
German citizens in Beijing and Shanghai can get vaccinated against COVID-19 – so the general vaccination offer for Germans in China is coming faster than in Germany itself. The Chinese government is now launching an international digital platform for the verification of tests and vaccinations.
By Redaktion Table
