MERICS
@merics.bsky.social
The Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) is a European research and analysis institute established in 2013.
📣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...
📌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...
December 12, 2025 at 2:52 PM
📣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...
📌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...
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...
merics.org
December 12, 2025 at 1:22 PM
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...
merics.org/en/podcast/c...
December 12, 2025 at 10:45 AM
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...
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...
December 11, 2025 at 4:17 PM
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
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...
merics.org
December 11, 2025 at 11:09 AM
"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...
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...
merics.org
December 10, 2025 at 1:32 PM
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...
December 10, 2025 at 11:34 AM
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...
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...
merics.org
November 26, 2025 at 1:18 PM
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.
November 26, 2025 at 11:15 AM
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...
November 25, 2025 at 1:16 PM
#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...
November 19, 2025 at 3:45 PM
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
November 14, 2025 at 3:50 PM
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...
🤖 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...
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 ...
merics.org
November 14, 2025 at 9:51 AM
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...
🤖 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”.
November 10, 2025 at 5:52 PM
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...
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...
merics.org
November 7, 2025 at 2:08 PM
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)
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...
merics.org
November 7, 2025 at 9:46 AM
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...
merics.org/en/events/wh...
Why China’s past matters: Understanding Xi Jinping and the CCP’s tight grip on history
MERICS is delighted to invite you to a discussion on “Why China’s past matters: Understanding Xi Jinping and the CCP’s tight grip on history” on Monday, November 10, from 18:00 to 20:00 (CET) at MERIC...
merics.org
October 31, 2025 at 3:13 PM
🗓️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...
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...
October 31, 2025 at 1:34 PM
🎙️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...
MERICS China Essentials special issue: China's next Five-Year Plan
Top Story China bets on manufacturing to carry growth in the next 5 years By Alexander BrownEuropean businesses need to prepare themselves for ever fiercer competition from Chinese firms in a growing ...
merics.org
October 31, 2025 at 1:33 PM
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
October 30, 2025 at 1:31 PM
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...
October 27, 2025 at 12:20 PM
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...
October 24, 2025 at 3:21 PM
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...
Reposted by MERICS
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
But not enough...
merics.org/en/comment/m...
@euiss.bsky.social
October 24, 2025 at 12:39 PM
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
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...
MERICS Forum: How can the EU navigate China’s rare earths export controls
Beijing’s expanding export controls and practice of leveraging other actors’ dependencies pose a critical challenge to EU industry and could hinder efforts to strengthen its defense sector. China’s Mi...
merics.org
October 24, 2025 at 1:15 PM
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...
Reposted by MERICS
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...
ip-quarterly.com/en/shockwave...
Shockwaves Made in China
Beijing’s brute-force push in technology and industry is doing more than triggering a second “China shock.”
ip-quarterly.com
October 23, 2025 at 1:05 PM
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...
ip-quarterly.com/en/shockwave...