Industrial Policy and Technology

Research and Insights

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

Party and State

Trade and Investment

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

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

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

Events

MERICS Members Event: China’s economy enters 2022 with weak growth and big uncertainties

Jan. 27, 2022

Members only

MERICS Members Briefing: China’s rise in semiconductors

Dec. 09, 2021

Members only

Industrial Policy and Technology

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

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

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

Europe may want to cool its Carney fever (Politico)

Rebecca Arcesati

Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau

Alexander Brown

Jacob Gunter

Andreas Mischer

Antonia Hmaidi

Wendy Chang

Altynay Junusova

MERICS Members Event: China’s economy enters 2022 with weak growth and big uncertainties

MERICS Members Briefing: China’s rise in semiconductors

Become a member

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