Spiegel correspondent Georg Fahrion: How China views itself and its role in the world27.2.2026 {en}

On 15 March 2026 the German-Chinese Media Network is hosting a discussion with Georg Fahrion in Berlin.

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. The event will be held in German.

The focus of the discussion will be on the social mood in China. 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? Following Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s first visit to China and the National People’s Congress, the conversation provides an opportunity to assess the current state of German-Chinese relations, too. Fahrion also discusses the continuing precarious working conditions for foreign journalists in China.

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

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.

For those interested, Fahrion has written about his time as a correspondent in an essay for Der Spiegel in January (in German).