MERICS

🎊We are very happy that Nele Fabian joined MERICS as a Senior Editor! Based in Brussels, she will also support us in managing and organizing our activities there. A warm welcome to the team, Nele! merics.org/en/team/nele...

“Even though there is a discussion about re-engagement in Chinese thinking, there doesn't seem to be a reassessment of how China sees Europe. […] We're supposed to stay this good, big, quiet, open market for China,” says @grzegorzstec.bsky.social in our podcast: www.buzzsprout.com/1825833/epis...

🚀MERICS is thrilled to announce that we (1) now have an official Substack account where we will share our publications, short analyses and our experts’ takes and (2) start a collaboration with Soapbox, a weekly newsletter on Substack on EU-China trade. More here: substack.com/@mericseu

A collection of statements by Chinese experts on US-EU and EU-China relations from December 2025 and January 2026

In the new MERICS China 360°, @grzegorzstec.bsky.social sheds light on how Chinese think tanks and policy commentators discussed tensions over Greenland. Find out more in a free excerpt from the analysis. MERICS Members have access to the full publication. ➡️ merics.org/en/merics-br...

In Q4/2025, China’s exports delivered a record trade surplus of USD 1.2 trillion, helping to offset a slower GDP growth of 4.5 percent in Q4 and meeting the overall GDP growth target of 5 percent for 2025. Learn more in the latest edition of MERICS Economic Indicators: merics.org/en/merics-ec...

You can find all our publications, including the latest Spektrum podcast on domestic debates on China’s global impact, on the project website: merics.org/en/china-spe...

We look forward to continuing our research and analysis of Chinese debates in its complexities and nuances – stay tuned! 3/3

We would like to extend our gratitude to our partner, the China Institute at the University of Trier, for their invaluable collaboration throughout the project. We also thank the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for their generous funding, which made this project possible. 2/3

We are proud to announce the successful conclusion of @chinaspektrum.bsky.social. China Spektrum aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of current debates and positions among Chinese intellectuals and experts, as well as public online discussions. merics.org/en/china-spe... 1/3

✨We are delighted to welcome Jonathan Lundberg on board as an External Relations Manager. He is a communications expert who has previously worked for leading agencies Burson and Ogilvy, supporting private and public sector projects. Learn more about Jonathan here: merics.org/en/team/jona...

Applications for research internships starting in April 2026 are open until January 20! As an intern at MERICS you will have the opportunity to apply and expand the skills acquired during your studies and contribute to independent policy-oriented research on China. merics.org/en/opportuni...

Iran recently hosted militaries from China, India, Russia, and six other countries for the first Shanghai Cooperation Organization military exercise on Iranian soil. Eva Seiwert says this marks a major milestone in Iran’s pursuit of greater international recognition. merics.org/en/comment/i...

Art of the deal meets great power politics: Trump 2.0’s approach to China The US president is prioritizing economic and technology concerns over any strategic China policy, says George Yin. Whether this will strengthen his hand remains to be seen.With much anticipation, US ...

For an analysis of US President Donald Trump's approach to China in his second term in office, read the article by MERICS Senior Fellow George Yin, "Art of the deal meets great power politics: Trump 2.0’s approach to China". merics.org/en/comment/a... 2/2

Art of the struggle meets great power competition: Beijing’s approach to Trump 2.0 Claus Soong says Beijing has so far blended pragmatic bureaucracy with steadfast ideology to navigate both competition and cooperation during the US president’s second term.Since the start of US Presi...

@claussoong.bsky.social says Beijing has so far blended pragmatic bureaucracy with steadfast ideology to navigate both competition and cooperation during the US president’s second term. Learn more in his new comment: merics.org/en/comment/a... ½

📣We’re hiring! There are two exciting new job opportunities in our foreign relations and economy and industry programs:

📌Analyst/Senior Analyst/Senior Economist (m/f/d) - Economy and Industry
📌Senior/Lead Analyst (m/f/d) Foreign Relations

More info: merics.org/en/opportuni...

Advocate of the Global South, global provider of green tech: China has come to dominate the climate discourse The COP30 climate conference ended on November 21st without much success. The hoped-for roadmap for phasing out climate-damaging energy sources such as coal, oil, and gas failed due to fierce resistan...

The COP30 conference in November made clear that China dominates the global climate discourse now, argues MERICS Visiting Fellow Johanna Krebs. Find out more in her new comment piece: merics.org/en/comment/a...

China's vision for the global order is the topic of a new podcast episode with Manoj Kewalramani and Katja Drinhausen. The episode is part of @chinaspektrum.bsky.social, funded by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.
merics.org/en/podcast/c...

To help European actors anticipate what 2026 might bring, MERICS has developed a foresight effort to identify key China risks, especially those with the biggest impact on European interests and security. Find out more in the new MERICS China Security & Risk Tracker: merics.org/en/tracker/m...

Reverse Deng? For professionals only The tables have turned. Western governments are now contemplating extracting industry-leading know-how from Chinese investment in order to help modernize their domestic manufacturing, argues Yanmei Xi...

"The tables have turned: Western governments are now contemplating extracting industry-leading know-how from Chinese investment in order to help modernize their domestic manufacturing", argues MERICS Senior Associate Fellow Yanmei Xie: merics.org/en/comment/r..., via @thewirechina.bsky.social

Towards a conditioning of Chinese greenfield investments in the EU Imported parts and labor limit jobs, technology spillovers and supplier opportunities. Andreas Mischer says stronger EU-wide conditions are needed to guarantee real economic gains.Chinese greenfield i...

Europe should place conditions on Chinese greenfield investments to secure local benefits, argues MERICS Analyst Andreas Mischer in a new comment piece. Find out more here: merics.org/en/comment/t...

We are very pleased that Rafael Jimenez Buendía joins us as a Senior Associate Fellow for the next 12 months. Rafael is the editor of the SOAPBOX weekly newsletter, where he provides insights on EU–China trade. A warm welcome to MERICS, Rafael! merics.org/en/team/rafa...

MERICS China Forecast 2026: High expectations for Chinese innovation, low expectations for relations with US and EU China is in 2026 expected to make progress in key fields of science and technology – especially artificial intelligence (AI) – while its relations with the United States continue to deteriorate and it...

766 China experts from 49 countries took part in our MERICS China Forecast. They have high expectations for Chinese innovation but low expectations for relations with the US and EU. Find the results and a summary by @claussoong.bsky.social and Niklas Hintermayer here: merics.org/en/comment/m...

Event space with empty chairs and a podium where the European China Conference will take place later today.

We are about to start our European China Conference 2025 “European China Choices – Navigating relations amid geopolitical turbulences” at #Kulturbrauerei Berlin organized by @ecfr.eu, @amo.cz, and MERICS. We thank our partners and look forward to rich discussions and deep insights.

#European engagement with #China is essential, but that should not stop #EU member states from developing a more coordinated and assertive China policy, says @grzegorzstec.bsky.social in his recent comment piece on resilient EU-China engagement. Read more: merics.org/en/comment/r...

New podcast episode „China in 25” (in German) with @mikkohuotari.bsky.social, Bernhard Bartsch and Claudia Wessling on German vice chancellor Lars Klingbeil’s visit to China, growing trade deficits and falling fixed asset investments in China. Listen here: www.buzzsprout.com/1825833/epis...

You can read the report online here: merics.org/en/report/ch...

This report is part of @chinaspektrum.bsky.social, a joint research project with the China Institute of the University of Trier funded by the @Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. Learn more: merics.org/en/china-spe... 2/2

China’s domestic debates under the shadow of geopolitics are the topic of the new @chinaspektrum.bsky.social report. Alexander Davey, Christina Sadeler, Kristin Shi-Kupfer and Wutao Wen explore how views about the economy, commercial culture, and trending topics reveal self-perceptions. 1/2

Chinese AI investments + Import expansion plan + Academic interference Top Story China is making a costly bet on cheap energy and massive infrastructure in AI race Earlier this month, China’s government reportedly directed state-funded data centers to get rid of foreign ...

The new MERICS China Essentials is out! In this issue, you can read about:

🤖 China's AI investments
🌏 The China–ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 protocol
⚖️ Beijing’s new program to tackle trade imbalances
🎓 A UK investigation of Chinese state interference in academia

merics.org/en/merics-br...

We are very honored to host @iandenisjohnson.bsky.social and @josephtorigian.bsky.social for a discussion with @helenalegarda.bsky.social and Bernhard Bartsch on “Why China’s past matters: Understanding Xi Jinping and the CCP’s tight grip on history”.

Trump-Xi trade truce gives Europe one last chance to finally de-risk from China The late-October agreement shelved some of China’s export controls. Antonia Hmaidi warns Europe must stop relying on luck and take real action to reduce economic vulnerabilities.   At their late-Octob...

The late-October agreement between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping shelved some of China’s sweeping export controls on rare earth elements. MERICS Senior Analyst Antonia Hmaidi says that “Europe finally needs to use the window now open to de-risk its economic ties with China.” merics.org/en/comment/t...

For China, "involution" is a blessing as well as a curse The same mechanism that generates wasteful investment and a race to the bottom also forges China's national champions primed to crush foreign rivals, says MERICS Senior Associate Fellow Yanmei Xie.Spa...

For China, "involution" is a blessing and a curse, says MERICS Senior Associate Fellow Yanmei Xie: “The same mechanism that generates wasteful investment and a race to the bottom also forges China's national champions primed to crush foreign rivals.” merics.org/en/comment/c... (via Financial Times)