“China: Partner, Rival, System Competitor” – Expectations on the Implementation of the German Government’s China Strategy

With the consolidation of President Xi Jinping’s power and his third term as Chinese Communist Party chairman, China now appears more self-confident and sometimes even threatening in its foreign policy, economic approaches, and military affairs. It is a partner, rival, and system competitor all at the same time.

China would like to continue to profit from trade with the West and Western technology or know-how, but at the same time is sealing itself off from foreign countries in many areas through a policy of “dual cycles” – or increased reliance on its own strengths, technologies, and standards.

Germany and the EU are dependent on China in many security-related areas, especially in critical infrastructure and in digital realms of the future. Economic dependencies (for example in important raw materials such as rare earths, solar and battery technologies, medical products, and similar) are also in play here.

The German government’s China Strategy, which addresses many of these issues, is now imminent and raises the question of how Germany should implement the strategic guidelines it has set itself in very concrete terms and what expectations there are of this from politics, business, and society. What exact role can Germany play here? Where will the EU be called upon to get involved?

Answers to these questions will be provided by two prominent speakers from the worlds of politics and business, with commentary by two China experts from science and politics. Afterwards, our guests will answer questions from their virtual audience.

Speakers: MP Roderich Kiesewetter is spokesman for crisis prevention for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag.

Jörg Wuttke is former Chairman of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China.

Commentators: Dr. Angela Stanzel is a China expert and researcher in the Asia Research Group at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) Berlin.

Dr. Martin Thümmel is Deputy Head of Department and Commissioner for East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific at the German Federal Foreign Office.

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner is Vice President of the GIGA and Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies.