Decisive but Forgotten: Germany's Missing Technological Zeitenwende

The digital technology transformation is a largely overlooked dimension of Zeitenwende. However, preserving national security, safeguarding core values enshrined in technology, ensuring access to critical technologies, and maintaining competitiveness need to be a policy priorities for Germany and Europe. All of these are integral elements of autonomy and sovereignty in a world increasingly characterized by great power rivalry. The looming policy decisions, however, will have divergent outcomes depending on the prevailing political paradigms: Europe needs to start with a proper analysis of the ­geopolitical context. At its heart is the question of whether Germany and Europe prepare for a zero polar, bipolar or multipolar world. Europe's ambition will largely depend on its assessment of the future international order. The general assessment needs to be followed by a technology-­specific understanding of interdependent ecosystems. Germany and Europe need to acknowledge that the challenges largely diverge. This requires identifying criticality, risks, and conditions of market success or failure in concrete technology ecosystems. Only from such an assessment can a proper policy toolbox be developed. Regardless of analysis, Germany and Europe need to sort out public and private interaction to fully capitalize on the private sector's innovation power, as these players could support overarching security priorities with innovative ­technology in the digital sphere

Evaluating Public Support for Chinese Vendors in Europe's 5G Infrastructure

Germany is considering banning equipment made by Chinese companies like tech giant Huawei - in its 5G mobile infrastructure. A revised 2021 IT Security Act failed to reduce China's 59 percent market share. A representative opinion poll, shows only 30.8 percent of Germans want 5G cooperation with China. Across 11 European countries, skepticism is equal, with only 31.8 percent approval - though this varies greatly from country to country

Skeptical and Concerned - How Germans View China

Two representative opinion polls conducted in 2020 and 2022 show that the German population supports a more principled China policy. At the same time, two-thirds of respondents identify as the policy priority cooperation with China to solve global challenges - narrowly followed by cyber security and human rights concerns. Although this approach resembles Germany’s new China Strategy, the public is not yet convinced that the issue is being effectively addressed. Channeling public support to back concrete action is key for the Germany's China policy

Xi Jinpings Macht und die Folgen für Chinas Außenpolitik: Lehren aus dem 20. Parteitag der Kommunistischen Partei Chinas

Der 20. Parteitag der Kommunistischen Partei Chinas hat die Macht von Staats- und Parteichef Xi Jinping erheblich gestärkt. Dies hat Folgen für Chinas Rolle in der Welt: Wirtschaftliche Reformen sind nicht zu erwarten. China wird zunehmend eigenen Sicherheitsinteressen Priorität einräumen. Eine aggressivere Außenpolitik der Volksrepublik ist zu erwarten; die Gefahr einer kriegerischen Eskalation um Taiwan ist real

The Sources of China’s Innovativeness: Why China's "Unstoppable" Innovation Powerhouse Might Falter

Western governments appear to fear that China is an ­innovation power­house on an almost unstoppable path to dominating ­future technologies. This is quite a turnaround. Only a few years ago, Western policies were crafted on the assumption that China was a copycat incapable of innovation. A focus on Intellectual Property theft as the Chinese "sin" that drove China's technological development led many in the West to miss what I have identified as the "Five Virtues" that have made China the innovation powerhouse it is today. China's future success is not ­in­evitable, however, but dependent on a delicate policy ecosystem

Was uns Chinas Aufstieg zur Innovationsmacht lehrt

Viele westliche Regierungen befürchten, dass China Zukunftstechnologien dominieren wird. Noch vor wenigen Jahren ging man vom Gegenteil aus: China, so glaubten viele, sei unfähig zu Innovation und könne nur westliche Technologie kopieren. Der Fokus auf den Diebstahl geistigen Eigentums als "Sünde" Chinas führte dazu, dass Beobachter "fünf Tugenden" übersahen, die es innovativ machen. Doch der zukünftige Erfolg des Landes hängt von politischen Entscheidungen ab - in China selbst sowie in Deutschland und Europa. China sieht sich mit "fünf Hürden" konfrontiert

5G and the US-China tech rivalry - a test for Europe's future in the digital age: how can Europe shift back from back foot to front foot?

Until late last year, most Europeans only knew Huawei as one of many smartphone manufacturers gaining ground in stores across the continent. But in recent months, the tech giant has turned into a symbol of a high-stakes wrestling match between the world’s premier superpower, the United States, and its increasingly ambitious and capable challenger, China. Indeed, the impending rollout of 5G infrastructure has become a key battleground in a broader struggle for control over the industries of the future. Europe has meanwhile been caught on its back foot and urgently needs to develop a strategy to not only guide it through the current 5G debate, but also the tech rivalries that are still to come. (author's abstract

Chinas fehlende globale Vision: Über ein Vakuum, das Chancen und Herausforderungen für Europa bietet

China strebt nach einer neuen globalen Ordnung. Doch während die Führung im Land nationale Souveränität und einen starken Staat als ordnungspolitische Ziele propagiert, folgt ihr Handeln nicht dieser Rhetorik. Einige Fragen sorgen für Unklarheit: Wie stark prägt die Integration der Volksrepublik in die Weltwirtschaft ihr Handeln? Versucht sie, unter dem Diktum nationaler Souveränität imperiale Machtansprüche durchzusetzen? Will die EU von diesem Vakuum profitieren, muss sie verstehen, woher es kommt

“Expressing my attitude and doing something impossible to make it happen ...” – Listening to the Voices of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement Protesters

In autumn 2014 around 1.3 million mostly young citizens of Hong Kong occupied three districts of the city for 79 days. This movement became famous as the Umbrella Movement. Initially, the Umbrella Movement was almost exclusively perceived as a pro-democracy occupation because the democratization of the city’s polity was its core demand. However, over time the perception shifted and the movement was increasingly portrayed as part of a growing demand for more autonomy from mainland China. This rising “localism” is often associated with anti-Chinese sentiments including racism. This article aims to demonstrate that the Umbrella Movement’s call for democracy is indeed part of a broader agenda for more self-determination. This agenda, however, is not necessarily racist. Instead, the Umbrella Movement was a very plural one. The Umbrella Movement’s agenda does, however, comprise not only questions of democratization but also three additional dimensions, namely socio-economic, identity-political and institutional issues. The article aims to present the plurality of the Umbrella Movement by referring to and quoting a multitude of interviews with protesters which are intended to give the occupiers a “voice” in all their diversity. Finally, the article aims to conclude on the achievements of the movement in all four dimensions and outlines possible future directions