Author

Nico Beckert

Nico Beckert Published: May 5th, 2022

Delays in nuclear expansion

To achieve its climate goals, China also relies on nuclear power. Recently, the government approved the construction of 6 new reactors. In the next 15 years, China plans to build 150 reactors, as announced by the chairman of the state-owned China General Nuclear Power Group. That alone is more than Germany has ever had. The […]

Nico Beckert Published: May 4th, 2022

Editorial Energy Climate 23

After the reactor catastrophe in Fukushima, Japan, nuclear power was finally buried in Germany. To be sure, CDU leader Friedrich Merz still dreams of small and new types of reactors. And after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there was a brief debate about whether the nuclear phase-out should be delayed. But a federal government with the […]

Nico Beckert Published: May 4th, 2022

Editorial

From ballpoint pens to highway bridges – government agencies spend billions each year through public procurement. So it is no wonder that Western companies are repeatedly outraged by China’s procurement practices. Agencies in the People’s Republic favor domestic companies. And abroad, Chinese companies undermine fair competition with dumping prices. But the EU now wants to […]

Nico Beckert Published: May 4th, 2022

Beijing keeps schools closed

Beijing’s municipal government has further tightened Covid measures. The disease control authority had previously reported 52 new cases, including a delivery driver who had moved extensively around the city. The city’s schools will remain closed for at least another week, authorities announced. Starting Thursday, individuals who enter or leave Beijing will also be required to […]

Nico Beckert Published: May 4th, 2022

Expansion of renewables reaches limits

China added more than 25 gigawatts of new renewable energy capacity to the grid in the first quarter of 2022. Wind energy capacity increased by 7.9 gigawatts to 337 gigawatts. Solar capacity saw an increase of 13.2 gigawatts to 318 gigawatts. This was announced by the National Energy Administration. New capacity of renewable energy reportedly […]

Nico Beckert Published: May 4th, 2022

Covestro expects negative impact of Shanghai lockdown

Plastics manufacturer Covestro expects the Covid shutdown in China to have a significant impact in the current quarter. “It will hit us quite hard in the second quarter,” CFO Thomas Toepfer told Reuters on Tuesday. He said the lockdown will impact Covestro more heavily and for longer than initially expected. The company operates a large […]

Nico Beckert Published: May 2nd, 2022

Personnel 02.05.2022

Yu Jianhua was appointed Party Secretary of the General Administration of Customs. Between 2013 and 2017, he was China’s ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO). He led negotiations on free trade agreements and was responsible for China’s application for accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).William Ding Lei, founder and […]

Nico Beckert Published: May 2nd, 2022

Tesla has to recall Model-3

The world’s largest electric carmaker Tesla once again has to recall thousands of vehicles of its “Model-3” in China. A total of 14,684 cars produced between January 2019 and March 2022 are affected, China’s regulatory authority announced. Software problems could lead to collisions under extreme conditions. For Tesla, it is already the second recall in […]

Nico Beckert Published: April 29th, 2022

Trial against democracy activist postponed

A major court case against 47 Hong Kong democracy activists has been postponed until early June. Authorities announced on Thursday. The activists have been charged under the National Security Law. Many of the defendants have been in pre-trial custody since February last year, according to Reuters. They include, for example, well-known activist Joshua Wong. Only […]

Nico Beckert Published: April 29th, 2022

Editorial

Container congestion at Chinese ports has been a major concern for European logistics companies for several months. Due to the lockdowns of Chinese coastal cities, more ships are once again awaiting processing, as Christiane Kuehl reports. Analysts already call these container ships floating warehouses. European port operators expect even more chaos in 2022 than in […]