EDITORIALS

The Chinese Century
Emanuele Bompan

Back in the day, when you wanted to glimpse into the future, you’d head to San Francisco or Las Vegas. Today, you travel to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chengdu or Hangzhou. The “new quality productive forces” are the driving factor behind the Chinese economy’s potential to overtake the US economy by the end of the decade.

 

Under the Same Sky
Giorgia Marino

The tiānxià, literally “all under heaven” is a school of thought developed 3000 years ago that considers the world in its entirety as a political entity. This ancient principle, today, could offer us a clue to imagine a future multipolar world order founded on coexistence.

 

THINK TANK

Data and Pragmatism: The Chinese Path to Environmentalism
Interview with Ma Jun
Giorgia Marino

From “development at whatever cost” to “ecological civilisation”, China’s approach to the environment has shifted dramatically over the past twenty years. A former journalist is among the driving forces behind this green revolution, blending activism with pragmatism to find effective solutions.

 

Beijing and Brussels: Climate Partners, Industrial Rivals?
Interview with Massimo Bagnasco
Giorgio Kaldor

“Learn, but don’t copy”. Massimo Bagnasco of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China discusses the delicate balance between EU-China green ambitions and economic competition.

 

China and the US, the (im)possible balance
Interview with Kaiser Kuo
Giorgia Marino

US-China relations are playing an increasingly pivotal role in global geopolitics and the global economy, but all too frequently, the “moves” taken by the two superpowers are based on deep-rooted preconceptions and self-fulfilling prophecies. Today, however, the drive for greater mutual understanding could start from the bottom up.

INSIGHTS

 

Ecological Civilization as Ideology
Alex Wang

The official doctrine of Chinese environmentalism today not only shapes China’s domestic policies, but has also become a powerful instrument of international diplomacy. This development is discussed by Alex Wang in this analysis drawn from his essay “Chinese Global Environmentalism”.

 

China’s Energy Transition at a Crossroads: What the New Five-Year Plan Reveals
Belinda Schäpe

China’s energy transition has moved into a new phase. After a decade of rapid growth in solar and wind power, the challenge will now be to stabilise and manage an increasingly complex system, navigating geopolitical instability and the domestic economy.

 

In Beijing, the Future of Electric Vehicles Lies Between AI and Fast Charging
Yang Jian

From AI-enhanced EVs to Vehicle-to-Everything ecosystems, to the latest innovations in batteries and fast charging: directly from the 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, a report on the latest developments in the Chinese motor industry.

The Great Leap Forward for Artificial Intelligence
Alessandra Colarizi

With its AI Plus programme, China is focusing on artificial intelligence as a strategic tool for economic development. Innovation and technological self-sufficiency are spurring impressive investment in chips, software and training. Yet challenges in the areas of employment and energy consumption remain.

 

Towards the World’s Largest Circular Economy
Giorgia Marino

China’s recycling industry is already worth over 160 billion euros, yet the circular transition is only just beginning. The new Ecological and Environmental Code offers unprecedented momentum in this direction, particularly in terms of ensuring the resilience of the most critical supply chains.

 

Domestic Consumption? A Matter of Trust
Lorenzo Lamperti

The remarkable growth of recent decades, driven by exports and massive public investment, has led to an imbalance in domestic demand. But China now stands at a decisive crossroads: to become a true high-income economy, it must build confidence among Chinese consumers.

 

From Apps to Guochao: How the Chinese Food Market Is Changing
Marta Buizza, Sara Berloto, Emma Guarnaschelli (Centro Studi ICCF)

The world’s largest agri-food industry is evolving rapidly. High-tech supermarkets, shifting consumer habits, the rise of organic products and a rediscovery of traditional flavours are reshaping the market, while agri-tech faces new climate-related challenges.

The Land of Parks
Lucrezia Lenardon

China is working towards creating the world’s largest network of national parks and has introduced new financial tools to support nature conservation. At the same time, strengthened conservation policies and implementation efforts are contributing to the recovery of various ecosystems and species.

 

CASE STUDIES

 

The New Italy-China Circular Economy Forum Accelerates Cooperation
Editorial Staff

The Italy-China Circular Economy Forum, initiative by IEG Group, already organiser of Ecomondo China, will take place in Shanghai, aiming to promote networking and collaboration between Italian and Chinese businesses and institutions.

 

Green Finance and CleanTech: What Are the Opportunities for European Businesses in Hong Kong?
Editorial Staff

Gianluca Mirante, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Director for Italy, outlines the roadmap for the district’s economic growth, which consolidates its role as a global financial hub and the “gateway” to Asia.

 

Maire Expands Its Presence in China
Emanuele Bompan

In recent years, the Maire Group has expanded the map of its collaborations with the Chinese chemical industry, particularly in the fertiliser sector, where the People’s Republic needs to make production processes more efficient and sustainable.

 

Geely Focuses on Electrification, AI and Autonomous Driving
Simone Fant

The automotive giant, the only Chinese manufacturer included in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2026, is strengthening its global presence through increased electric vehicle sales and investments in AI and autonomous driving.

 

Flexibility and Smart Meters: Two Crucial Factors in Electrification
Emanuele Bompan

The energy crisis has made it increasingly urgent for Europe to move towards electrification and renewables, following China’s example. We discussed this with E.ON, a leading player in the European energy market.

 

CONOU and the Circular Economy: The Role of Spontaneity in EPR Models
Giorgio Kaldor

The Italian Consortium of Waste Oils shows how circularity works when incentives, proximity and neutral governance make virtuous behaviour “natural” along the supply chain.

STARTUPS
by Antonella Ilaria Totaro
ATRenew: Giving Consumer Electronics a Second Life
DataBeyond: Optoelectronics and AI to Redefine the Waste Cycle
Autonomous Electric Aircraft with EHang
Circular Management of Corporate Assets with Sustainable Office Solutions

OUROBOROS
China Is Betting on Battery Recycling, and Europe Should Follow Suit
Ana Birliga Sutherland

As the world’s largest producer and consumer of electric vehicles (EVs), China has already begun confronting the next phase of electrification: what to do with millions of batteries reaching end of life.

 

CIRCULAR FUTURES: DISPATCHES FROM TOMORROW

2064: The Centre of a Circular Planetary Technological System
Patrick Schröder

By 2064, the country that powered the global economy in the late 20th century through coal and the early 21st century through industrial scale has become something else entirely: one of the central nodes of a planetary circular technology system.

 

READING MATTER
Reading Contemporary China
Giorgia Marino
A land of engineers, internet addicts and gig workers: contemporary China as seen by two Chinese authors and one Sino-Canadian author, exploring global geopolitics, involution, online subcultures, and generational portraits.