MERICS European China Talent Program (ECTP) is open for applications! Taking place September 22-25 in Berlin, it will offer unique training and mentorship, deepening participants’ understanding of China and its global impact. Apply by April 5: merics.org/en/call-appl...

🎊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

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...

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...

@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...

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...

"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

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...

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...

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...

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

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”.

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 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)

🗓️Join us for our discussion on “Why China’s past matters: Understanding Xi Jinping and the CCP’s tight grip on history” with Joseph Torigian, @iandenisjohnson.bsky.social, @helenalegarda.bsky.social and Bernhard Bartsch on Nov. 10, from 18-20:00 pm (CET) at MERICS. merics.org/en/events/wh...

🎙️A new episode of China in 25, our German-language podcast, is out! Our topics: the eagerly awaited Trump-Xi meeting, the state of German-Chinese relations following the cancellation of Foreign Minister Wadephul's trip to Beijing, and the next Five-Year Plan: merics.org/en/podcast/c...

In a special issue of MERICS China Essentials, our experts share their takeaways from the Fourth Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party’s current Central Committee which charted the course for China’s forthcoming 2026-2030 Five-Year Plan (FYP). Read it here: merics.org/en/merics-br...

European countries have made only limited progress in strengthening resilience-building measures and reducing vulnerability towards China over the past year. This is the conclusion from the 2025 MERICS Europe-China Resilience Audit: merics.org/en/report/me... 1/5

China’s economy faced growing challenges in Q3 as GDP growth slowed to 4.8%. Alexander Brown and Andreas Mischer stress that this latest economic slowdown will, however, not derail Beijing’s policy priorities. Read a free excerpt from the new MERICS Economic Indicators: merics.org/en/tracker/c...

New Q&A: Katja Drinhausen, Head of Program of the research team "Politics & Society" at MERICS, shares her first assessments on the outcomes of the Fourth Plenum and the course charted at the Plenum for the next Five-Year Plan (2026-2030): merics.org/en/press-rel...

Happy to contribute to urgent @merics.bsky.social Forum, expertly hosted by Grzegorz Stec and colleagues! I argue that risky promote policies (price floors, state investment, guaranteed offtake) that "plug holes" are necessary... But not enough... merics.org/en/comment/m... @euiss.bsky.social

Beijing’s expanding export controls pose a critical challenge to EU industry and could hinder efforts to strengthen its defense sector. How can the EU navigate China’s rare earths export restrictions? In a new MERICS Forum, leading experts share their takes: merics.org/en/comment/m...

New from @merics.bsky.social's Jacob Gunter & @mikkohuotari.bsky.social: Beijing’s brute-force technology push is doing more than triggering a second “China shock”; it is submerging global markets and pulling under Europe’s industrial competitiveness. ip-quarterly.com/en/shockwave...

Help us to get China right and participate in our 🔮MERICS China Forecast Survey for 2026: 🖊️https://de.surveymonkey.com/r/WYLC7DT The results will help to forecast opportunities and challenges in Europe’s future relations with China. We guarantee participant's anonymity and confidentiality.

On its road to becoming a global power, Beijing is expanding its dual-use presence in new strategic frontiers, including outer space, the polar regions, cyberspace and the deep sea. Read our report by @helenalegarda.bsky.social for the EU-funded project China Horizons. merics.org/en/report/ar...

MERICS Lead Analyst Rebecca Arcesati will be joining a @dgap.org Morning Briefing to discuss China's technology and export restrictions this Thursday. Learn more and register via the post below⬇️

New episode of our podcast with @adavey.bsky.social looks at the upcoming Fourth Plenum from October 20 to 23, the 15th Five-Year Plan, and the CCP’s priorities for the next months. Listen to the episode here: merics.org/en/podcast/c...

The new MERICS China Essentials is out! In this issue, Jacob Gunter, Altynay Junusova, Katja Drinhausen and Helena Legarda cover China's rare-earths export controls, Nexperia, the upcoming Fourth Plenum and China-Russia-North Korea relations: merics.org/en/merics-br...

"Getting China right" needs to be a joint exercise. This is why we would like to invite you to participate in our annual 🔮MERICS China Forecast 2026. Help us build a picture of prevailing expectations and opinions about China’s trajectory in the coming year. ✍️ de.surveymonkey.com/r/WYLC7DT

✨A warm welcome to Johanna Krebs who joined MERICS as a Fellow yesterday. Previously, Johanna worked in the Beijing office of @giz.de, @gmfus.bsky.social and @diplo.de. Her research interests are on the intersection of 🌱climate, 🏭industry, and 🛡️security. merics.org/en/team/joha...

🎧The Chinese Communist Party is merging public service and control at the very local level. Katja Drinhausen and Nis Grünberg unpack how Beijing has been systematically inserting itself into all spheres of society in a new episode of our podcast. merics.org/en/podcast/l...

1/ 🚨 China's new #RareEarth export controls are hitting Europe’s rearmament plans hard - but they open a strategic window. 👉Read our new article by Niklas Hintermayer & Antonia Hmaidi originally published as a part of @merics.bsky.social rare-earth series 👉 chinaobservers.eu/chinas-rare-... #China

⏰Two days left to apply for our research internships from January-March 2026. This program is your chance to apply and expand the skills acquired during your studies and contribute to independent policy-oriented research on China. Learn more: merics.org/en/opportuni...

🚘A year on from the introduction of the EU’s tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, MERICS experts Jacob Gunter and @grzegorzstec.bsky.social share their assessment of the results so far and strategic choices ahead. Read a free excerpt from our new Europe China 360°: merics.org/en/merics-br...

China’s shrinking population poses a threat to economic growth and its ambitions to be a global superpower. In a new China Horizons analysis, MERICS Experts Daria Impiobato and Nis Grünberg examine how the Chinese leadership tries to reverse the demographic decline. merics.org/en/report/wh...

China’s export restrictions on rare earth elements and permanent magnets create a problem for Europe’s ability to re-arm - but Brussels has the legal and financial frameworks to address it, say Niklas Hintermayer and Antonia Hmaidi: merics.org/en/comment/c...

China’s slow and selective approval process for rare earth elements shipments to European companies raises questions about China’s bureaucracy – and its interest in keeping the process opaque. Read the analysis by Rebecca Arcesati and Altynay Junusova to learn more: merics.org/en/comment/b...