Ralph Koppitz

May 1 unites much of Asia. From China & Vietnam to Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines & South Korea, Labour Day is widely observed. Different systems, one shared moment. One of the world’s most synchronized holidays. Enjoy May 1!

China Q1 2026: Five Key Economic Indicators 1️⃣ GDP CNY 33.4tn (EUR 4.5tn), +5.0% YoY, above expectations 2️⃣ Industrial output +6.1% YoY despite external uncertainty 3️⃣ Exports +20%+ Jan–Feb → 3% March (slowdown) 4️⃣ Retail sales +1.7% YoY March, weak consumption 5️⃣ Unemployment 5.4%, moderate recovery

Candid exchange at the German Chamber of Commerce in China East on China’s Two Sessions and the 15th FYP. Focus: tech self-reliance, industrial upgrading, sustainability, domestic demand → key questions: where to invest, which sectors? Thanks to all speakers and organizers.

🐑🍵Shanghai’s sheep latte: “Matcha Wang” serves vanilla matcha with sheep foam @ 550 Huaihai Middle Road ▪️Viral via TikTok ▪️40–60 min queues, many tourists | 550 Huaihai Rd ▪️Cute design + playful ritual ▪️Modern tea twist ▪️Visa-free policy boosts such micro-spots Tried it?

A warm welcome to Michael Kern, new DIHK delegate and Executive Director of the German Chamber East China! Great meeting and exchange with RÖDL China (Sebastian Wiendieck, Xiaomei Fu, Qing Cheng, Frances Gu). Wishing success, prosperity and lots of 福 (fú)! Looking forward to our collaboration.

🇨🇳 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹 meets 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸: China’s 500-ton VSBM drills >1,000 m 1️⃣ Ø ~8.1 m, full-face disc cutters 2️⃣ by China Railway Construction Corporation 3️⃣ Vertical (not TBM) continuous excavation 4️⃣ Built for deep hard rock shafts 5️⃣ Integrated: drilling + hoisting + support www.scmp.com/news/china/s...

Blue sky, clear air, great view. Not a bad way to ease back into Shanghai work after the holiday.

🛍️🇨🇳 Back to offline: China retail is evolving GAP plans 50 new China stores via Baozun after 20% growth. Zara & H&M upgrade formats. Shift after “online-first”: stores = experience hubs, flagships build brand, hybrid models scale fast, digital drives traffic. Offline strengthens positioning.

🐰 🌸 The very best wishes for Easter! 🌸 🐰 May the spirit of renewal, reflected in both Easter and the Chinese spring season 春天, translate into continued health, progress, and success for you and your company!

🍲🇨🇳 You need a larger hot pot? ▪️ 17 m diameter, 25 tons. ▪️ Star attraction at the China Food & Drinks Fair. A striking showcase of Sichuan hot pot culture, and how China turns tradition into large-scale, viral food branding. China Daily👇 www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202604/03/...

🇨🇳✈️ Chinese airlines propose fuel surcharge hikes (up to 6×): ▪️ ≤800 km: 10→60 yuan ▪️ >800 km: 20→120 yuan Civil Aviation Administration of China has not approved yet, balancing airline costs vs. demand. SCMP👇 www.scmp.com/economy/chin...

Honored to again serve on the Board of the German Chamber China | East for 2026–2029, together with Thomas Zimmerle, Dr. Gang Yang, Gregor Koch, Anna An, Heiko Lässig, Frank Schulze, Tony Zhang and Michael Kern. Looking very much forward to working closely with all of them and with Daisy Zhu!

April 14 (online): Compliance in China Business – Understand, Implement, Recalibrate (German), organized by IHK Frankfurt Honored to represent RÖDL China with a legal session on compliance for managers, board members and shareholders: Other experts cover IP, semiconductors & CBAM.

🇨🇳 🏀 China’s cave court: Guizhou’s Fengming karst cave hosts basketball underground. ▪️Community hub in Yanhe Tujia Autonomous County ▪️Intl-friendly game on March 28 drew global & local players ▪️Unique vibe: echoes through a vast limestone cavern China Daily👇(photos)

🤖 GCC Robotics Day Beijing: honored to explain China’s Encouraged FDI Catalogue for robotics. 15% CIT, duty + land incentives, strong support for humanoids, medical, construction & industrial robots, plus extra regional incentives in central/western China. PM for PPT.

Great to join the ABC Spring Edition by ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA in Shanghai. A relaxed evening at Abbey Road, good conversations, and a strong Austrian business crowd back together in the year of the fire horse. Many thanks Christian Fuchssteiner, Magdalena Junez, Deputy Consul General Teresa Bauer!

‼️From Mar 20: China pilots online registration for foreigners staying outside hotels in 7 provinces. ▪️Shanghai already has this ▪️24h deadline ▪️Via website / 12367 app / WeChat / Alipay ▪️Host or foreigner can register ▪️Offline still possible ▪️Nationwide rollout likely www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741...

March 25, Hamburg: Investing in China: spotting opportunities, gaining direction. Sebastian Wiendieck will share a concise overview of opportunities, what really drives success. China’s new 5-Year Plan sets clear priorities: from MedTech to Green Tech events.handelskammer-hamburg.de/b?p=2026-2123

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆 at the German School Shanghai with many outstanding institutions – from RÖDL China to Infineon, Porsche, Bosch, Volkswagen, BASF and others. Great pleasure to present the legal profession to 10th–12th graders – thoughtful questions, lively exchange, and maybe a few future lawyers 😊

🎬 Labubu goes big screen: Pop Mart + Sony Pictures ▪️Shift from toy maker to IP-driven entertainment company ▪️Labubu among its most successful characters ▪️Part of trend: turning collectibles into movies & content ecosystems ▪️Boost to global reach & brand value SCMP👇 www.scmp.com/business/com...

Vielen Dank für den Besuch des China Competence Training Center (CCTC) der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin bei RÖDL China! Inspirierender Austausch zu #Innovation & #Zusammenarbeit 🇨🇳🇩🇪 Besonderer Dank an Xiaomei Fu & Dr. Huini Li. Safe travels durchs Yangtze-Delta!

🇨🇳 China’s Shenzhen has put a robotic traffic police commander on duty at a road intersection. It performs traffic gestures in sync with lights and uses AI vision to detect violations, showing how humanoid robots are moving from demo stage into real urban management.

🇨🇳 China’s CPI rose 1.3% YoY in Feb 2026, the fastest increase in 3 years. ▪️Driven by Spring Festival spending and stronger demand for travel, hotels and transport. ▪️Core CPI +1.8% YoY. ▪️Food and service prices increased. ▪️PPI −0.9% YoY, but the decline narrowed. www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202603/09/...

🏞️ 905 m outdoor escalator system starts trial in Chongqing’s Wushan County ▪️Vertical rise: 242 m ▪️21 escalators, 8 elevators, 4 walkways ▪️Links riverside with hillside districts ▪️Cuts travel time: 60 → 20 min ▪️Possibly world’s longest outdoor escalator system Trial operation: Feb 2026

🇨🇳🇩🇪 Deutsche Bank issued RMB 5.5bn (≈€700m) in Panda bonds in China — the largest single issuance by a foreign bank and first EU FI deal in 2026. Two tranches: 3-yr (1.95%) & 5-yr (2.13%). Orders reached RMB 8.66bn, showing strong demand for RMB assets in China’s onshore bond market.

Which measures aim to boost consumption in China in 2026? 1️⃣ Stabilize real estate & stock markets to strengthen household wealth. 2️⃣ Raise household incomes, improve social security. 3️⃣ RMB 250bn trade-in program for consumer goods. 4️⃣ RMB 100bn fund with interest subsidies & guarantees.

🇨🇳 China’s NPC opens today in snowy Beijing. Key items: 1️⃣ Government Work Report (growth, jobs, priorities) 2️⃣ 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) 3️⃣ 2026 budget & economic targets 4️⃣ Major laws incl. Eco-Environmental Code 5️⃣ Reports from courts & NPC bodies 6️⃣ Ministerial policy briefings

China (2026–2030) grants import tariff & VAT exemptions to public science museums and research venues for foreign science films and advanced equipment not available domestically. Goal: boost scientific literacy, innovation capacity, long-term competitiveness. shanghai.chinatax.gov.cn/zcfw/zcfgk/z...

🧧China’s robot demand surged after the 2026 Spring Festival Gala: ▪️JD.com searches +300% within 2 hours ▪️Customer inquiries +460% ▪️Orders +150% ▪️New orders from 100+ cities nationwide China Daily👇 www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202602/21/...

🧧We pave the way. Worldwide. Like the horse that moves with a clear direction. Happy New Year 新年快乐 from RÖDL China! Creating paths where others see obstacles. Turning ambition of our clients into measurable progress. May the Year of the Horse bring you energy, clarity and confident forward motion.

🏮Year of the Horse! 🐎 妈妈骂马吗？Māma mà mǎ ma? 马骂妈妈! Mǎ mà māma! Same “ma” — different tones, different meanings. Mandarin has 4 tones (+ neutral): mā 妈 mother, má 麻 hemp, mǎ 马 horse, mà 骂 scold, ma 吗 question. New zodiac memory stamps by China Post celebrate the Horse’s vitality & momentum.

China’s new Catalogue for Encouraged Foreign Investment (from Feb 2026) brings 1,679 items, incl. 205 new. Focus: high-tech, digital & green sectors, stronger regional incentives. RÖDL China outlines key updates, what tariff, CIT, land benefits mean for investors.👇 www.roedl.com/en/insights/...

🎏What is Chinese “nian gao”? A traditional glutinous rice cake for Lunar New Year. Its name sounds like “higher year by year,” symbolizing progress and prosperity. Once ritual offering, now festive family dish. Often like fish or gold ingots. North: firmer, pan-fried. South: softer, sweet or savory.

Pony.ai and Toyota are rolling out mass-produced Level-4 robotaxis in China. Around 1,000 vehicles will be deployed in major cities, with plans to exceed 3,000 by 2026. Level 4 means fully driverless operation within approved areas, without human intervention. www.scmp.com/business/chi...

🌍 19 March | Global Law Insights – India & China Executive remuneration, liability & termination across India and China. A practical comparison with Apoorva Singh, focusing on key risks and recent developments. 🕘 9:30–10:30 CET | Microsoft Teams Register 👇 events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b5965f...

Unitree named Robot Partner of China’s Spring Festival Gala 2026. 2025 saw strong global sales and awards. Founder Wang Xingxing: still early-stage, like early PCs, but rapid progress in AI, dexterity, real-world use. Robots may handle complex environments within 5y. 🎥 Video: Unitree at CIIE 2025.

Fake ChatGPT & DeepSeek services uncovered in China. SAMR fined firms under the Anti-Unfair Competition Law: 63,000 yuan for a fake ChatGPT on WeChat, and 30,000 yuan for an unauthorized “DeepSeek local deployment” site. Part of a wider AI IP crackdown. www.scmp.com/tech/article...

Big thanks to TURCK (Tianjin) Technology and the GCC for the warm hospitality and excellent organization. Special thanks to Jörg Neumann, René Bernard, and all participants. I was honored to share views on the managerial implications of China’s upcoming Eco-Environmental Code.

Multinationals are racing into China’s instant retail market with 30–60 minute delivery. IKEA, Sam’s Club, Aldi Nord and Continental are testing or expanding fast delivery via local platforms, using China’s dense cities and advanced logistics as a global testbed. www.scmp.com/business/chi...

🧧As the Year of the Horse approaches, horse motifs fill China’s shops. The horse stands for vitality, ambition and momentum: a year of action and breakthroughs. Last seen in 2014, it follows the strategic Snake and is followed by the calmer Sheep. Horse jewellery symbolizes drive and forward motion.

🚀 New nano-patch from China: POCKET is an ultra-flexible bioelectronic patch that hugs irregular organs (e.g. ovaries, kidneys). It delivers drugs 1,000× more efficiently than diffusion, avoids germline risks, limits side effects, enables precise local therapy. www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202601/30/...

🧧Many brands get creative ahead of Chinese New Year. Adidas even expanded its China Collection to pets: our Milly is now wearing Adidas too 🐶🐎 🧧The “sad” plush horse? A Yiwu factory error made it look like it’s crying. Now viral as a humorous symbol of modern work stress.

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 during a weekend? »Mercy« is a movie about one man, 90 minutes, and an AI-judge deciding whether he’s guilty or innocent. We watched the original English version at our cinema here in Shanghai. Fast-paced, tense, and also a bit scary. Enjoyed it more than expected.

🇦🇹🇩🇪🇨🇭A touch of the Alps in Shanghai The DACH community came together to watch the legendary Kitzbühel downhill, followed by a proper après-ski party at Zeitgeist Bites. And 🇮🇹 won! 😉

🇨🇳 From Jan 1, China rolls out elderly care subsidies for seniors with disabilities: e-vouchers up to 800 CNY/month (~104 EUR) for care services. Pilots issued 365k vouchers, redeeming 180m CNY (~23.4m EUR). Aimed at easing family burdens as aging accelerates. www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202601/23/...

Have you heard of 𝗫𝗶𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗸? 🥩 China’s hot-pot giant Xiabuxiabu is entering the steak game. ▪️Taiwan-style thick-cut steaks. ▪️First store in Beijing. ▪️Beef sourced globally with full traceability. ▪️Set menus aimed at families and everyday dining. www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202601/22/...

🚀 Consumer drones: From Feb 1, Shanghai opens “free-to-fly” zones across ~46% of the city. No prior approval if drones are registered. Applies to micro/light/small UAVs. 3 parks included. Restrictions remain. Managed via Suishenban app. www.scmp.com/tech/policy/...

‼️New 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 in China: From May 2026, commercial mediation rests on a nationwide legal framework – confidential, flexible. Also for foreign and China-invested companies, this is a serious add-on to courts and arbitration. As SICMC mediators, Sebastian Wiendieck and I look at the details.

Thank you to the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Shanghai for the invitation and evening reception. In the context of Prof. Norbert Lammert’s and Dr. Gerhard Wahlers’ visit, thanks to Dr. Norbert Riedel for his welcoming remarks. Much appreciated the personal exchange, excellent organization with a view.

Honored that Sebastian Wiendieck and I were appointed to the first mediator cohort of SICMC. Established in 2025 under Ministry of Justice supervision, SICMC reflects the rising role of commercial mediation in China. Glad to support the Sino-German platform with RÖDL China and the German Chamber.