Hamburg, China and the Politics of Globalisation

Thursday, 30 March, 6:30 pm | Public event in the context of the interdisciplinary conference at Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg

[Translate to English:] workers in protective suits stand near a COSCO container ship docked at a port in Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong Province.

After Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the discussion about “the West's” economic dependence on China and its recognition as a political threat has intensified. The city of Hamburg and its port – the third largest port in Europe – are at the centre of this debate in Germany and Europe. Accordingly, there is no better place than Hamburg to discuss the connecting role of port cities as critical infrastructures, the securitisation of economic dependences and the impact of an economically assertive China in today’s reorganisation of globalisation.

We ended the first day of our conference “From ‘workshop of the world’ to ‘systemic rival’ – International Perspectives on a Global China” with a public event on "Hamburg, China and the politics of globalisation" at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg. It was a great pleasure to follow the exciting discussion.

Noah Barkin, Managing Editor, Rhodium Group & Visiting Senior Fellow, The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), Matthias Naß, Chief International Correspondent, Die Zeit, and our programme director Elisabeth Winter spoke on stage. 

It was not only about the German relationship with China, but also about possible perspectives with regard to further cooperation. "It's not decoupling or not – it's in between", Barkin said. The Russian war of aggression on Ukraine also has far-reaching implications for European-Chinese relations. "Globalisation will be the first victim of this conflict," predicts Naß.

This event is part of the international two-day conference “From ‘workshop of the world’ to ‘systemic rival’ – International Perspectives on a Global China” organised by the BKHS in cooperation with Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI), European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) and the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China and the United States (KICUS).

© BKHS/Michael Zapf

[Translate to English:] Elisabeth Winter, Noah Barkin und Matthias Naß sitzen auf der Bühne. Noah Barkin spricht ins Mikrofon, die anderen schauen ihn interessiert an.

Noah Barkin, Managing Editor, Rhodium Group & Visiting Senior Fellow, The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). © BKHS/Michael Zapf

Matthias Naß, Chief International Correspondent, Die Zeit. © BKHS/Michael Zapf

© BKHS/Michael Zapf

Elisabeth Winter, Programme Director Global Markets and Social Justice, Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung (BKHS). © BKHS/Michael Zapf

The audience takes an active part in the discussion. © BKHS/Michael Zapf

© BKHS/Michael Zapf

Many exciting questions were asked, which fuelled the discussion. © BKHS/Michael Zapf

© BKHS/Michael Zapf

Dr. Meik Woyke, Chairman of the Management Board and Managing Director. © BKHS/Michael Zapf

China's government reported Tuesday, April 14, 2020 that exports fell further in March compared with February amid a global economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

© picture alliance / Associated Press