Europe, in general, and Germany, in particular, rely on their export strength. Accordingly, European companies have benefited greatly from China’s ascent to the second-largest economic power. But in recent years, the economic success story has started to stall. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) declared a „systemic competition“ in January 2019. And the EU spoke of a triad of „partner, competitor and rival“ when talking about China. Besides geopolitical disagreements and differing values and understandings of democracy, economic considerations also play a role. The big profits have failed to materialize. The problems of German car manufacturers in China could also befall suppliers in the medium term.