Editorial 13.09.2023

For a long time, sinologists in Germany have not been a homogeneous group, collectively and somewhat intellectually researching the People’s Republic of China and its history. Current politics and the associated geopolitical conflicts have long since caught up with German sinology and China researchers from other disciplines. Since Xi Jinping took office as head of state and party, the debate about the stance towards the Chinese government has become increasingly heated. Now, a recent article on the situation in Xinjiang by two of Germany’s longstanding Sinologists adds new fuel to the debate, as Marcel Grzanna analyzes.