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.
Von 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.
Von Marcel Grzanna
China ist der wichtigste bilaterale Geldgeber für Entwicklungs- und Schwellenländer. Ein Forschungsteam um das Institut für Weltwirtschaft konnte nun erstmals 100 chinesische Kreditverträge an Entwicklungsländer analysieren. Die zugrundeliegende Studie konnte China.Table vorab einsehen. Die chinesischen Verträge enthalten „ungewöhnlich weitreichende Geheimhaltungsklauseln“ und sichern Peking bei Zahlungsunfähigkeit Vorrang vor anderen Gläubigern. Einige Vertragsklauseln erlauben es Peking sogar, die Politik der Schuldnerländer „potentiell zu beeinflussen“. Trotz strenger Vertragsklauseln gewährt Peking regelmäßig Umschuldungen und Stundungen.
Von Nico Beckert
Double standards in dealing with China: The US talks about values, but it means geopolitical influence. The Europeans also talk about values, but they mean economic interests. Meanwhile, sanctions help no one, certainly not the people of Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Instead of verbal armament and the military show of force of times past, the West should seek dialogue with Beijing. After all, everyone knows that the world's problems can only be solved with China, not against it.
Von Redaktion Table
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.
Von Nico Beckert
