The National People’s Congress is expected to upgrade China’s climate objectives when it signs off on the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, however the energy transition remains a challenge for the CCP, writes MERICS Analyst Johanna Krebs in her latest comment piece: merics.org/en/comment/c...
As the National People’s Congress convenes today, attention is turning to the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026 to 2030. MERICS has updated its calendar of party and state meetings to help track the priorities taking shape ahead of the next planning cycle: merics.org/en/comment/f...
Beijing looks set to once again declare boosting domestic consumption a top economic priority in its upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, however Chinese households have so far seen little benefit, writes MERICS Alexander Brown in his latest comment piece, which you can read here merics.org/en/comment/c...
Beijing looks set to declare boosting domestic consumption a top economic priority in its upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, however Chinese households have so far seen little benefit, writes MERICS Senior Analyst Alexander Brown in his latest comment piece. Read here: merics.org/en/comment/c...
The 2026 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...
The US National Security Strategy of November 2025 and National Defense Strategy of January 2026 have created openings for challengers outside of the Western Hemisphere, arguably giving China space to pursue regional hegemony in Asia, argues @claussoong.bsky.social.
merics.org/en/comment/c...
Many countries launched new trade defence measures in 2025, but China’s exports just keep growing. In a new comment, Jacob Gunter and @claussoong.bsky.social argue that US protectionism and tariffs have weakened the global push to curb Chinese exports. merics.org/en/comment/m...
In a new comment piece, Daria Impiombato and @helenalegarda.bsky.social assess the recent purges in China’s military. They argue that the most unusual aspect of the latest purges is not so much who was taken down, but rather the speed and timing: merics.org/en/comment/u...
MERICS wishes you a happy Chinese New Year of the Fire Horse! As China researchers, we stay true to our mission of getting China right in a rapidly shifting global context – and let ourselves be inspired by the energetic character of the fire horse. merics.org/en/merics-wi...
“[European] leaders must consider what actions are necessary to protect critical European interests that should be taken in response to China’s ongoing behavior irrespective of what the US is up to,” argues Jacob Gunter in his new comment piece: merics.org/en/comment/d...
The new SOAPBOX newsletter is out - this time covering the EU’s trade deficit with China which rose to about 1 billion per day in 2025. Soapbox is a weekly newsletter on EU-China trade published via Substack and in collaboration with MERICS. soapboxtrade.substack.com
As a strategic, dual-use civilian and military infrastructure, satellite internet has become a focal point in global competition. In a China Tech Observatory report, Altynay Junusova, Rebecca Arcesati & Antonia Hmaidi take a deep dive into China’s ventures in this domain: merics.org/en/report/or...
✨MERICS is proud to introduce the 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿, a new project which aims to shed light on trade and industrial patterns in China. It consists of regularly updated graphics as well as in depth research and analyses.
Explore the Monitor on our website: merics.org/en/china-ove...
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
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...
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
@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...
