Spiegel correspondent Georg Fahrion: How China views itself and its role in the world

The German-Chinese Media Network is hosting a discussion with Georg Fahrion. Fahrion was China correspondent in Beijing for Der Spiegel from August 2019 until the end of 2025. Shortly after his return to Germany, Fahrion shares his perception of the social climate in China and offers his perspective on the country's social and political development.

Fahrion has written about his time as a correspondent in an essay for Der Spiegel in January. He claims that China's social order at the moement is fundamentally stable. Although many people feel constrained and pressured by the political system, they appreciate what it offers them in other respects. From the outside, the People's Republic often appears repressive and merciless, Fahrion writes, yet many Chinese people still consider their system at least on par with Western democracies.

Fahrion explores how Chinese people view their country and the world amidst the current geopolitical upheavals. He recounts his encounters with people in different parts of the country and across various social strata. How is society coping with the transition into an era in which the People's Republic appears more powerful externally than ever before in its history, while simultaneously having to find a new direction internally after decades of rapid economic growth?

Shortly following Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to China and the National People's Congress, the conversation also provides an opportunity to assess the current state of German-Chinese relations and it offers a glimpse into China's political development. Fahrion also discusses the continuing precarious working conditions for foreign journalists in China.

The discussion will be moderated by Leonardo Pape, China.Table editor and board member of the German-Chinese Media Network.

The language of the panel talk is German.

Time:

Sunday, 15 March 2026, 6:00 p.m.

Venue:

International Alumni Center (iac Berlin)
Linienstraße 65a II
10119 Berlin
(U8 Rosenthaler Platz)

Registration:

Please send a short email to Leonardo Pape (leonardo.pape(AT)posteo.de) by 13 March 2026.