China's Economic Success: Bought at a High Price?

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents China's Economic Success: Bought at a High Price.

China now belongs to the global elite in key technologies – that's one side. The other: Beijing's industrial policy success comes with a price that many underestimate. Sounds like a debate that affects you directly – as a consumer, investor, or employee.

In a Handelsblatt guest commentary, China experts Max Zenglein and Robin Schindowski analyze how Beijing has organized its economic rise – and what downsides the supposed success has. Their verdict is clear: China's economic success has been bought at a high price.

How Beijing Sets Up Its Industrial Policy

China has been deliberately targeting key technologies for years – with state support, strategic planning, and a clear industrial policy line. The result: In many future industries, the People's Republic now plays at the very top. Zenglein and Schindowski describe this approach as systematic and long-term – and explain why it works.

What's Behind the Facade of Success

But success comes at a price. The specific costs and risks behind the Chinese model are worked out in detail in the guest commentary. The central message: What looks like a success story from the outside has considerable downsides that are often underrepresented in public debate.

What Germany Can Learn from the Chinese Model

Despite all the criticism, Zenglein and Schindowski see a single point at which Germany could benefit from the Chinese approach. What that is and why a direct transfer still doesn't work – that's the core message of the article.

Why This Matters to You

The debate about China's rise doesn't stay abstract. Chinese products are changing German markets, Chinese competition is putting domestic companies under pressure, and political tensions are influencing supply chains and investments. Anyone who understands how Beijing ticks can better assess political and economic developments – whether in everyday work, with investments, or on the next shopping trip.

You can find the full guest commentary in the Handelsblatt.