For years, good relations with China guaranteed the German economy healthy profits and cheap goods.
But over time, that relationship has become a dependency. The documentary “In the Jaws of the Dragon – How to Deal with China?” explores the nature and extent of this reliance. At a summit meeting to discuss the “New Silk Road” infrastructure project in October 2023, China’s President Xi appeared alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. Whether in Asia or the Middle East – China is evidently pushing for a new world order, with offensives directed against the West. Germany is already feeling the consequences.
For a long time, trade with China flourished: From 1984, Volkswagen flooded the Chinese market with cars, ultimately exporting one in every three VWs to China. But now, Chinese companies like BYD are dominating the market with e-cars. And Germany’s reliance on China for computer chips, antibiotics and solar cells can now be seen as downright reckless.
This dependence is becoming more evident as China increasingly comes up trumps both politically and economically. Whether regarding the Ukraine war, in its relations with Russia or its continued saber rattling in the conflict with Taiwan: Where China would have once conducted itself with restraint, it now demands its slice of global power. In Berlin, politicians are rubbing their eyes in disbelief: what was once a healthy relationship is now a codependency. And there’s no easy way out.
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