Industrial Policy and Technology

Research and Insights

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 17, 2026.

Xi addresses China and the world in rare public speech on AI

Rebecca Arcesati

Comment

Jul 27, 2026

Xi Jinping headlines World AI Conference (DigiChina)

Rebecca Arcesati

External publication

Jul 23, 2026

NANJING, CHINA - NOVEMBER 9, 2025 - Citizens shopping at a farmers' market in Nanjing, China's Jiangsu Province on November 9, 2025.

China's economy in Q2: Domestic woes dampen growth as imbalances intensify

Alexander Brown

Andreas Mischer

China Economic Indicators

Jul 23, 2026

Customers dine inside a two-storey restaurant complex housing a KFC outlet on the ground floor and other restaurants on the upper floor in Beijing, China, July 12, 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Beijing is failing to meet the challenge of weak domestic demand

Esther Goreichy

Sophia Pradels

China Economic Indicators

Jul 23, 2026

"Embodied AI and the Transformation of China’s Robotics Industry" (CSIS podcast)

Wendy Chang

External publication

Jul 23, 2026

Robots make cars at the China International Industrial Expo in Shanghai

Fragmented Europe: Dealing with China as a technology and innovation power

Bernhard Bartsch

Claudia Wessling

Rebecca Arcesati

Alexander Davey

Aurelio Insisa

Report

Jun 30, 2026

Executive Summary: Fragmented Europe: Dealing with China as a technology and innovation power

Claudia Wessling

Bernhard Bartsch

Report

Jun 30, 2026

EU: Shepherded by Brussels, Europe awakens to Chinese technology

Rebecca Arcesati

Report

Jun 30, 2026

Germany: From mutual benefit to existential competition with China

Claudia Wessling

Bernhard Bartsch

Report

Jun 30, 2026

Ireland: Interlocking factors shape the approach to China in science-tech innovation

Alexander Davey

Report

Jun 30, 2026

Italy: Biopharma, automotive and telecoms sectors are facing China’s technological power

Aurelio Insisa

Report

Jun 30, 2026

ChinaFile Conversation: Are There Any Good Ideas for AI Governance? (ChinaFile)

Rebecca Arcesati

External publication

Jun 12, 2026

Person demonstrating a motor imagery brain-computer interface rehabilitation training system.

China’s swift moves on brain-computer interfaces challenge Europe and the US

Altynay Junusova

Comment

Jun 03, 2026

Visitors check out the cockpit section of Xpeng Aeroht's modular flying car 'Land Aircraft Carrier' at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show in Beijing, 28 April, 2026.

XPeng (小鹏汽车) pushes to increase European manufacturing presence

Johanna Krebs

Comment

Jun 03, 2026

Computer memory modules are piled on a green circuit board, showcasing technology

China is poised to gain as global memory makers pivot to AI chips

Antonia Hmaidi

Comment

Jun 03, 2026

China’s AI competition strategy: Wide dispersion, cheap tokens

Wendy Chang

Comment

Jun 03, 2026

Workers carry plants at an abandoned mine in Tianping village, Guizhou province. In recent years, Guizhou Province has promoted the restoration of the ecological environment of abandoned mines, such as soil covering, afforestation, planting turf and vines, which effectively solved the problems of abandoned land, landslides and environmental damage.

Climate goals for officials + Textile sector + Alcohol industry

Andreas Mischer

Alexander Brown

Esther Goreichy

MERICS China Industries

May 13, 2026

China in 26: New supply chain regulations + Outlook on the Trump-Xi Meeting

Podcast

May 08, 2026

A robot starts off for the 2026 Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Half Marathon

Embodied AI: China’s ambitious path to transform its robotics industry

Wendy Chang

Rebecca Arcesati

Altynay Junusova

Report

Apr 30, 2026

China’s 2026 budget prioritizes technology, reveals stretched public finances

Andreas Mischer

China Economic Indicators

Apr 24, 2026

China’s overcapacities, with Jacob Gunter and Esther Goreichy

Podcast

Apr 24, 2026

China in 26: Energy security + overcapacity + US-China relations

Podcast

Mar 27, 2026

How China uses civil research for its military, with Sarah Kirchberger and Antonia Hmaidi

Podcast

Mar 18, 2026

A humanoid robot from "Walker" series of UBTECH conducts sorting work at the Beijng World of Robots in Beijing

UBTech: Humanoid robots for the future of manufacturing

Altynay Junusova

Comment

Mar 04, 2026

Visitors visit Astrazeneca's stand at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai

AstraZeneca’s R&D bet makes China a pharma innovation hub

Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau

Comment

Mar 04, 2026

View of the office building of the Nvidia research center is in Pudong, Shanghai

In taking H200 chips, Beijing balances self-reliance goals with AI growth

Wendy Chang

Comment

Mar 04, 2026

People view a model of the Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST)

Science funding call provides insight into China’s AI priorities

Rebecca Arcesati

Comment

Mar 04, 2026

A general view shows a handshake between a human and a humanoid robot at the Shanghai New Expo Center during the opening day of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2025 in Shanghai, China, on July 26, 2025.

China’s next five-year bet on AI: Self-reliance, diffusion, and a lot of hype

Rebecca Arcesati

Comment

Feb 26, 2026

A Chinese consumer is shopping for spring couplets at a supermarket in Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province, China on January 9, 2026

China’s new Five-Year Plan will embrace industry – and once again give consumers the cold shoulder

Alexander Brown

Comment

Feb 26, 2026

The dual screen smart cockpit of the Li Auto i8 family six seater pure electric SUV at the China New Energy Vehicle Autumn Auto Show in Shanghai, China on September 6, 2025.

Digitalization of China’s auto industry + Concentrated solar power + Innovation points system

Andreas Mischer

Alexander Brown

Esther Goreichy

MERICS China Industries

Feb 19, 2026

China launched a Long March 8A carrier rocket, sending a new group of internet satellites into space in Wenchang City, southernmost China's Hainan Province, 13 January, 2025.

Orbital geopolitics: China's dual-use space internet

Altynay Junusova

Rebecca Arcesati

Antonia Hmaidi

Report

Feb 11, 2026

Orbital geopolitics, with Antonia Hmaidi and Altynay Junusova

Podcast

Feb 11, 2026

A cargo ship is loading and unloading foreign trade containers at the Qingdao Port Automated Terminal in Shandong Province, China on January 14, 2026

China’s overcapacity threatens to reshuffle global industrial bases

Esther Goreichy

Jacob Gunter

Comment

Feb 10, 2026

Europe may want to cool its Carney fever (Politico)

Yanmei Xie

External publication

Feb 02, 2026

Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the annual Central Economic Work Conference in Beijing in December 2025.

Beijing’s “support for demand” is more about investment than consumption

Jacob Gunter

China Economic Indicators

Jan 23, 2026

Chinese tech starts the year on the right foot (CHOICE)

Rebecca Arcesati

External publication

Jan 09, 2026

Show commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, in Beijing

Reverse Deng? For professionals only

Yanmei Xie

Comment

Dec 10, 2025

Towards a conditioning of Chinese greenfield investments in the EU

Andreas Mischer

Comment

Dec 10, 2025

A drone photo taken on Feb. 18, 2025 shows Hainan's commercial underwater intelligent computing cluster being lowered into the sea near Lingshui Li Autonomous County in south China's Hainan Province

China is commercializing energy-efficient underwater data centers

Altynay Junusova

Comment

Dec 04, 2025

A radiologist at Shaoxing Central Hospital performs rapid and accurate diagnosis with the help of an AI image analysis system in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, China.

Fusion of AI and healthcare shows China is bullish about an “intelligent” society

Rebecca Arcesati

Comment

Dec 04, 2025

Domestic substitution in AI chips: China’s big gamble

Wendy Chang

Comment

Dec 04, 2025

A drone photo shows wind turbine blades at the Mingyang New Energy Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park in Baotou, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 29, 2025.

Knocking on the door: Ming Yang sets its sights on European expansion

Alexander Brown

Comment

Dec 04, 2025

Workers stepped up the production of chips for orders at home and abroad

Xi’an’s Eswin Material Technology IPO will fund chip wafer plant

Altynay Junusova

Comment

Dec 04, 2025

People travel by subway at Zhichun Road Subway Station in Beijing, China on September 17, 2025.

China’s new Web ID tightens government’s grip on online activity

Wendy Chang

Altynay Junusova

Comment

Dec 02, 2025

China's orbital strategy (World Energy Magazine)

Altynay Junusova

External publication

Dec 01, 2025

Swimmers participate in the Victoria Harbour Race in Victoria Harbor on November 22, 2025 in Hong Kong

MERICS China Forecast 2026: High expectations for Chinese innovation, low expectations for relations with US and EU

Claus Soong

Niklas Hintermayer

Comment

Nov 26, 2025

A worker is producing wind turbine towers in a workshop of a wind power equipment enterprise in Lianyungang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Jiangsu Province, China

New industry workplans + "Made in China" + Energy storage

Andreas Mischer

Alexander Brown

Esther Goreichy

MERICS China Industries

Nov 20, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, attends a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Busan, South Korea, October 30, 2025.

Trump-Xi trade truce gives Europe one last chance to finally de-risk from China

Antonia Hmaidi

Comment

Nov 07, 2025

Unitree Robotics and Tiangong humanoid robots compete in the 100m final at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, China August 17, 2025

For China, "involution" is a blessing as well as a curse

Yanmei Xie

Comment

Nov 05, 2025

China's AI strategy (Sinification)

Rebecca Arcesati

External publication

Oct 31, 2025

Interior of the SKYWORTH Y with a view of the large flat screen on the dashboard

Europe’s vehicle-data gap: How under-regulation gives Chinese carmakers an edge

Wendy Chang

Comment

Oct 29, 2025

Avoiding a race to the bottom: How the EU can counter Chinese export controls

Rebecca Arcesati

Comment

Oct 29, 2025

Wafer (Halbleiterscheiben) werden am 16.06.2017 in einem Gelbraum eines Wafer fabs (Halbleiterwerk) von Bosch in Reutlingen (Baden-Württemberg) auf mögliche Fehler kontrolliert

MERICS Forum: How can the EU navigate China’s rare earths export controls

Comment

Oct 24, 2025

People shop at Taikoo Li Sanlitun in Beijing, China, Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

China’s economic policy holds line as growth weakens

Alexander Brown

Andreas Mischer

China Economic Indicators

Oct 24, 2025

Deep dive: China's export controls (Geoeconomic Competition podcast)

Rebecca Arcesati

External publication

Oct 24, 2025

Shockwaves Made in China (IP Quarterly)

Mikko Huotari

Jacob Gunter

External publication

Oct 20, 2025

Workers use machinery to dig at a rare earth mine in Ganxian county in central China's Jiangxi province on Dec. 30, 2010.

Rare-earths export controls + Nexperia + Fourth Plenum

MERICS China Essentials

Oct 16, 2025

In this photo taken Tuesday, July 6, 2010, workers use machinery to dig at a rare earth mine in Baiyunebo mining district

What you now need to know about China’s expansion of REE export controls

Jacob Gunter

Altynay Junusova

Interview

Oct 15, 2025

The double-edged sword of semiconductor export controls: Electronic design automation (CSIS)

Altynay Junusova

External publication

Oct 06, 2025

China’s “AI+” drive aims for integration across sectors: a wake-up call for Europe

Wendy Chang

Comment

Oct 02, 2025

An excavator loads trucks with rare earth at a mine in Mojiang Hani Autonomous County, Simao city, southwest Chinas Yunnan province, 18 March 2008.

MERICS Data Insight: Critical minerals

Altynay Junusova

Comment

Oct 01, 2025

China’s rare-earths export controls hit EU rearmament – but open a strategic window

Niklas Hintermayer

Antonia Hmaidi

Comment

Oct 01, 2025

Beijing’s rare-earths export licensing system: delays by design?

Rebecca Arcesati

Altynay Junusova

Comment

Oct 01, 2025

China’s multi-purpose export controls raise pressure on Europe to derisk

Rebecca Arcesati

Jacob Gunter

Comment

Oct 01, 2025

high-performance neural signal recording and stimulation chip is pictured at the exhibition hall of "Xitou Qizhnao Smart Energy Science Innovation Center" in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province

Manufacturing metrology + Brain-machine tech + Tackling talent shortages

Alexander Brown

Andreas Mischer

MERICS China Industries

Aug 28, 2025

China’s rise in biotechnology, with Alexander Brown and Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau

Podcast

Aug 18, 2025

China strebt nach Dominanz bei KI – mit Folgen für den Rest der Welt (Münchner Merkur)

Antonia Hmaidi

External publication

Aug 05, 2025

China’s rise to global tech leadership, with James Kynge

Podcast

Aug 01, 2025

The Evolution of "Made in China 2025" (The Diplomat)

Andreas Mischer

External publication

Aug 01, 2025

How China uses persuasive technologies for social control (7am Podcast)

Daria Impiombato

External publication

Jul 29, 2025

Experts on Industrial Policy and Technology

Rebecca Arcesati

Head of Program (Co-lead)

Technology; digital policy; artificial intelligence

Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau

Lead Analyst

Strategic emerging industries; Research collaboration; Tech transfer

Alexander Brown

Senior Analyst

Industrial policy; foreign economic policy

Jacob Gunter

Head of Program

China's political economy; Industrial policy; Innovation

Andreas Mischer

Analyst

Foreign investment; industrial policy and Chinese automotive industry

Antonia Hmaidi

Head of Program (Co-lead)

Geopolitics of technology; semiconductors; data science; hacking

Wendy Chang

Senior Analyst

China's tech companies, digital ecosystem and emerging technologies including AI

Altynay Junusova

Analyst

Space technology; quantum; critical minerals; dual-use technology

Industrial Policy and Technology

Xi addresses China and the world in rare public speech on AI

China's economy in Q2: Domestic woes dampen growth as imbalances intensify

Beijing is failing to meet the challenge of weak domestic demand

Fragmented Europe: Dealing with China as a technology and innovation power

Executive Summary: Fragmented Europe: Dealing with China as a technology and innovation power

EU: Shepherded by Brussels, Europe awakens to Chinese technology

Germany: From mutual benefit to existential competition with China

Ireland: Interlocking factors shape the approach to China in science-tech innovation

Italy: Biopharma, automotive and telecoms sectors are facing China’s technological power

China’s swift moves on brain-computer interfaces challenge Europe and the US

XPeng (小鹏汽车) pushes to increase European manufacturing presence

China is poised to gain as global memory makers pivot to AI chips

China’s AI competition strategy: Wide dispersion, cheap tokens

Climate goals for officials + Textile sector + Alcohol industry

China in 26: New supply chain regulations + Outlook on the Trump-Xi Meeting

Embodied AI: China’s ambitious path to transform its robotics industry

China’s 2026 budget prioritizes technology, reveals stretched public finances

China’s overcapacities, with Jacob Gunter and Esther Goreichy

China in 26: Energy security + overcapacity + US-China relations

How China uses civil research for its military, with Sarah Kirchberger and Antonia Hmaidi

UBTech: Humanoid robots for the future of manufacturing

AstraZeneca’s R&D bet makes China a pharma innovation hub

In taking H200 chips, Beijing balances self-reliance goals with AI growth

Science funding call provides insight into China’s AI priorities

China’s next five-year bet on AI: Self-reliance, diffusion, and a lot of hype

China’s new Five-Year Plan will embrace industry – and once again give consumers the cold shoulder

Digitalization of China’s auto industry + Concentrated solar power + Innovation points system

Orbital geopolitics: China's dual-use space internet

Orbital geopolitics, with Antonia Hmaidi and Altynay Junusova

China’s overcapacity threatens to reshuffle global industrial bases

Beijing’s “support for demand” is more about investment than consumption

Reverse Deng? For professionals only

Towards a conditioning of Chinese greenfield investments in the EU

China is commercializing energy-efficient underwater data centers

Fusion of AI and healthcare shows China is bullish about an “intelligent” society

Domestic substitution in AI chips: China’s big gamble

Knocking on the door: Ming Yang sets its sights on European expansion

Xi’an’s Eswin Material Technology IPO will fund chip wafer plant

China’s new Web ID tightens government’s grip on online activity

MERICS China Forecast 2026: High expectations for Chinese innovation, low expectations for relations with US and EU

New industry workplans + "Made in China" + Energy storage

Trump-Xi trade truce gives Europe one last chance to finally de-risk from China

For China, "involution" is a blessing as well as a curse

Europe’s vehicle-data gap: How under-regulation gives Chinese carmakers an edge

Avoiding a race to the bottom: How the EU can counter Chinese export controls

MERICS Forum: How can the EU navigate China’s rare earths export controls

China’s economic policy holds line as growth weakens

Rare-earths export controls + Nexperia + Fourth Plenum

What you now need to know about China’s expansion of REE export controls

China’s “AI+” drive aims for integration across sectors: a wake-up call for Europe

MERICS Data Insight: Critical minerals

China’s rare-earths export controls hit EU rearmament – but open a strategic window

Beijing’s rare-earths export licensing system: delays by design?

China’s multi-purpose export controls raise pressure on Europe to derisk

Manufacturing metrology + Brain-machine tech + Tackling talent shortages

China’s rise in biotechnology, with Alexander Brown and Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau

China’s rise to global tech leadership, with James Kynge

Rebecca Arcesati

Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau

Alexander Brown

Jacob Gunter

Andreas Mischer

Antonia Hmaidi

Wendy Chang

Altynay Junusova

Become a member

China’s export surge + Huawei’s Tau Scaling Law + Sino-German trade