German Chinapolitik in the Era of the Belt and Road Initiative
German Chinapolitik in the Era of the Belt and Road Initiative

Summary/Abstract: The German-Chinese relations have significantly intensified over the last years. As part of the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (since 2013), China strives to strengthen its relations with the Federal Republic of Germany, using them as an alternative to the deteriorating transatlantic relations. Germany is now to be the main partner in the promotion of free trade, climate protection and the construction of a multipolar world. For this purpose, the PRC puts away disputable issues in Sino-German relations, for example by speeding up the legalization of German political foundations in China. However, the intensification of these associations does not mean that there are no problems and rivalry on the political and economic levels. A huge challenge for Berlin has been in recent years, i.e. the issue of building a Chinese sphere of influence in Central and Eastern Europe through the 16+1 cooperation, the acquisition of strategic German enterprises and China’s investment activity in Africa. The article highlights Germany’s approach to selected problems in relations with China, analyzing the contemporary Chinapolitik. The text has been divided into several parts - in the first one, the author highlights the contemporary German-Chinese relations, then analyzes the critical fields of cooperation and competition (“16+1” Initiative, Chinese takeovers of German companies, competition in Africa) and completes the whole paper with a summary.

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