Clash or Convergence of Capitalisms: Property Conflicts over Chinese Direct Investments in Germany and the European Union

Outline

This project aims to analyse ownership conflicts arising from Chinese direct investments in Germany and the EU. The expansion of Chinese corporations, which are heavily controlled and (partially) owned by the Chinese state, invites responses from industrial policymakers and especially those in Germany. The project uses a mixed-methods design to investigate acquisitions within the German metal and electronics industries, alongside paradigmatic case studies of direct investments that have shaped industrial policy in Germany and across the EU.

A network analysis examines the ownership structures of Chinese corporate networks and investments, while an accompanying policy analysis focuses on the ‘Industry Strategy 2030’.

Project activities

Publications

Academic publications

Schmalz, S., Schneidemesser, L., Xu, H.: (2024): “An Emerging China-Threat-Corporatism? CRRC’s Acquisition of a German Locomotive Company and Its Impact on Labour Relations”, In: European Journal of Industrial Relations 0(0), 1-22, https://doi.org/10.1177/09596801231226421.
Köncke, P.; Schmalz, S. (2024): “The World-System of Vaccine Distribution: Global Inequalities and Geopolitical Conflicts During the COVID-19 Pandemic”, In: Journal of World-Systems Research.
Gräf, H., Schmalz, S. (2023): “Avoiding the China shock: How Chinese state-backed internationalization drives changes in European economic governance”, In: Competition and Change, online first: DOI: 10.1177/10245294231207990
Schmalz, Stefan (2023): "Varianten des digitalen Kapitalismus: China und USA im Vergleich“, In: Carstensen, Tanja/Schaupp, Simon/Sevignani, Sebastian (Hg.): Theorien des digitalen Kapitalismus, Berlin: Suhrkamp, 285-304.
Köncke, P.,; Schmalz, S. (2023): “Die Geopolitik der Impfstoffverteilung”, In: Geographie Rundschau 09/2023.
Erlbacher, L.; Schmalz, S. (2023): “Chinese Perspectives on the US-China Rivalry: Navigating Geo-economic and Technological Tensions in a New Era of Global Statism”, In: Critical Policy Studies 17(2), 337-345.
Erlbacher, Lucas (2022): "Austria: From the Chinese Hoffnungsmarkt to European strategic dependence“, In: John Seaman et al. (eds.), Dependence in Europe's Relations with China, Report by European Think- tank Network on China (ETNC), April 2022, 41-47: https://www.aies.at/publikationen/2022/dependence-in-europe-relations-with-china.php.
Köncke, P., & Schmalz, S. (2022): “Das Weltsystem der Impfstoffnutzung: Globale Ungleichheiten und geopolitische Konflikte in der Corona-Pandemie”, In: PROKLA. Zeitschrift für Kritische Sozialwissenschaft, 52(206), 33–54. DOI: 10.32387/prokla.v52i206.1982.
Schmalz, S., Gräf, H., Köncke, P., Schneidemesser, L. (2022): “Umkämpfte Globalisierung: Amerikanische und europäische Reaktionen auf Chinas Aufstieg im Hochtechnologiebereich”. Berlin J Soziol 32, 427–454. DOI: 10.1007/s11609-022-00481-x.
Schneidemesser, Lea; Butollo, Florian (2022): "Alibaba’s Distribution-Driven Approach towards the Industrial Internet: A Chinese Version of Industry 4.0?“, In: G. Gereffi, P. Bamber, and K. Fernandez-Stark (eds.) China’s New Development Strategies: Moving Up and Moving Abroad in Global Value Chains, Palgrave-Macmillan, 61-83.
Seaman, J., Ghiretti, F., Erlbacher, L., Martin, X., & Otero-Iglesias, M. (2022): "Introduction: Europe Debates (or doesn’t) its Dependence on China“, In: John Seaman et al. (eds.), Dependence in Europe's Relations with China, Report by European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC), April 2022, 12-20: https://www.aies.at/publikationen/2022/dependence-in-europe-relations-with-china.php.
Butollo, Florian & Schneidemesser, Lea (2021): “Beyond “Industry 4.0”: B2B factory networks as an alternative path towards the digital transformation of manufacturing and work”, In: International labour review. DOI: 10.1111/ilr.12211.
Köncke, Philipp (2021): “Demokratische Konversion oder kapitalistische Modernisierung? Strukturwandel und Arbeitskämpfe in der deutschen Automobilindustrie”, In: Candeias, M. & Krull, S. (eds.): Spurwechsel. Studien zu Mobilitätsindustrien, gerechten Übergängen und alternativer Produktion. Hamburg: VSA, 119-248.
Schmalz, Stefan, Singe, Ingo, & Hasenohr, Anne (2021): “Political discontent and labour in a post-growth region: A view from East Germany.”, In: Anthropological Theory, 21(3), 364-385. DOI: 10.1177/1463499620982784.
Schmalz, Stefan (2021): “Widersprüche der Globalisierung: Der Aufstieg Chinas und der Wirtschaftskrieg mit den USA”, In: Kraemer, Klaus & Münnich, Sascha (eds.): Ökonomischer Nationalismus. Soziologische Analysen wirtschaftlicher Ordnungen, Frankfurt/ New York: Campus, 269-290.

Media and podcasts

“Streik seit 120 Tagen Sachsen auf Rekordkurs gegen den chinesischen Arbeitgeber”, Stefan Schmalz is interviewed as an expert by Tagesspiegel. (04.03.2024)

Lectures

“Neue Akteure in der Transformation zum E-Auto: Herausforderung für die Mitbestimmung durch chinesische Batteriehersteller”, session at LABOR.A 2023 – WIE GESTALTEN WIR DIE „ARBEIT DER ZUKUNFT“?, with lecture and moderation by Stefan Schmalz and Lea Schneidemesser. (27.09.2023)
Schmalz, Stefan. "Kampf der digitalen Kapitalismen“, talk at the 41th Congress of the German Sociological Association (DGS), University of Bielefeld, Germany. (29.09.2022)

Events

International conference „Globalization in Decline? Economic Stagnation, Geopolitical Conflicts, and Environmental Crises“ with keynotes from Walden Bello (Binghamton University/Kyoto University), Birgit Mahnkopf (HWR Berlin) and Peter A.G. van Bergeijk (International Institute of Social Studies, ISS, The Hague). (27. - 29.10.2022)
International workshop „Clash or Convergence of Capitalisms China’s Globalizing Model and its Impact on the European Union“. (09. - 10.06.2022)