MERICS China Podcast

Rail freight between China and Europe is probably the main symbol of the Belt and Road Initiative for many in Europe. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however, the steady flow of trains and goods has been disrupted. In this episode will look the impacts of the war in Ukraine on the BRI, how China is changing and adapting the BRI, and what that means for decision makers in Europe. We are joined by Francesca Ghiretti and Jacob Mardell, Analyst and Research Fellow at MERICS respectively. They are co-authors of the latest MERICS Global China Inc. Tracker that featured the effects of the war in Ukraine prominently. Questions were asked by Johannes Heller-John, Communications Manager at MERICS. 

On May 8, John Lee was elected as Hong Kong's next leader with over 99 percent of the votes cast by a largely pro-Beijing election committee. In his victory speech he claimed he wanted to start a new chapter and build a Hong Kong that is “caring, open and vibrant, full of opportunities and harmony." But what does the victory of this former police officer, who has the endorsement of Beijing and is described as an emotionless machine by critics, really mean for Hong Kong?To answer this and other questions, we are joined by Eric Yan-ho Lai, Hong Kong Law Fellow at the Center for Asian Law of Georgetown University in Washington, and Valarie Tan, a researcher at MERICS focusing on domestic politics, society and media in China. Questions asked by Claudia Wessling, Director Communications and Publications at MERICS.

Digital transformation is a top priority of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan. Having built a solid foundation for its digital economy, Beijing wants to reach the next phase: integrate digital technologies with the real economy, society and government functions to drive economic upgrading and modernize the Chinese Communist Party’s governance capabilities. Beijing’s vision, however, does not stop at home: it is global and builds on a decades-long strategic approach toward internet infrastructure in the Global South. Rebecca Arcesati, Analyst at MERICS focusing on China’s digital and technology policies, lays out the CCP’s vision for digital transformation and e-government, its promotion of this vision in the Global South and the implications for Europe. She recently published a MERICS Primer titled “E-government and Covid-19: Digital China goes global”. Questions were asked by Johannes Heller-John.

The time of vast investments of Chinese capital into Europe seem to be over. While China’s FDI in Europe in 2021 increased in comparison to the year before, it remained on a multi-year downward trajectory. Globally, also, the growth of Chinese FDI stalled and remained at roughly the same amount as the year before.Following the recent publication of the MERICS and Rhodium Group report on Chinese FDI in Europe in 2021, we are joined by one of its authors, MERICS Analyst Gregor Sebastian, to take a look at the key take-aways of the report. We pay particular attention to the rise in greenfield and venture capital investments and whether these trends are likely to continue. The conversation concludes with a look at the first year of the European FDI Screening Mechanism and its impact on Chinese FDI in Europe. Questions were asked by Johannes Heller-John.

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 relations, looks at the buildup and outcomes of the summit, compares it to previous EU-China Summits, and shares his assessment on the trajectory of EU-China relations. Questions asked by Johannes Heller-John.

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 works, why it matters and what it means for the future of China watching we are joined by Emile Dirks. He is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto and the Futures Fellow here at MERICS. His research focuses on China civil society, human rights, censorship and state surveillance. Emile is one of the creators of the China drug, crime and detention database, an extensive collection of open-source resources on crime into judiciary in China, and co-author of a report with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute on Genomic Surveillance in China, detailing findings about the Chinese government's forensic DNA database. Questions asked by Jonas Schneider.

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 ambitious GDP growth target of 5.5 percent, a focus on stability amid international turbulence, a refocus on energy security rather than emission reductions and an increase in defense spending by 7.1 percent. Grünberg also explains how changes to the so-called Organic Law try to strengthen Xi’s control over decisions taken in provinces and other lower administrative levels. Questions by Johannes Heller-John, Communications Manager at MERICS.

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 Singapore and MERICS Executive Director Mikko Huotari discuss the instruments China relies on in its efforts for a more equal distribution of income and wealth with MERICS Director Communications and Publications Claudia Wessling.If you want to listen to the other parts of our series on common prosperity, you can find them on our website at www.merics.org/podcast and wherever you listen to our podcasts. We had seasoned China watchers like Barry Naughton, Isabella Weber, and Sarah Eaton on the show, please check our podcast archive.

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-Veranstaltung vonstatten? Und welche Bedeutung hat die Tagung in diesem innenpolitisch bedeutsamen Jahr und im Vorfeld des 20. Parteitags im Herbst?Darüber sprechen wir mit MERICS Senior Fellow Johnny Erling, einem der langjährigsten und erfahrensten China-Korrespondenten Deutschlands. Zuletzt berichtete er von 1997 bis 2019 für „Die Welt“ und den österreichischen „Standard“ aus Beijing. Mehr als 20 Mal verfolgte er den Volkskongress vor Ort in Beijing.

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 Winter Olympics on February 4, Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese State and Party Leader Xi Jinping issued a joint statement of support and affirmed their commitment to “deepening back-to-back strategic cooperation.” Chinese official statements on the situation in Ukraine, however, sound much more uncommitted. In a speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 19, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged all sides to “shoulder their responsibilities and work for peace.” As the war broke out, Beijing continued to call for restraint and a negotiated solution to the crisis. But it also adopted a more Russia-friendly tone, questioning the use of the word ‘invasion’ to describe the situation and blaming the US for aggravating the crisis.To analyze the Chinese position in Russia’s war in Ukraine, the status of the Russia-China relationship and the implications for future conflicts, we are joined by two experts on the issue: Jakub Jakóbowski and Helena Legarda. Jakub coordinates the Connectivity in Eurasia project and is a senior fellow at the China Program of the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW), a public think tank based in Warsaw, Poland. In November he co-authored a study on the Russia-China relationship. Helena is a Lead Analyst in the Foreign Relations team at MERICS and has recently published a new issue of our Security and Risk Tracker that analyzed the situation in Ukraine among other topics.This conversation was recorded on February 23. Accordingly, more recent events will not figure into the discussion. The episode, however, focuses on more general issues, which still remain relevant.