China’s industrial rise appears to be rapidly speeding up–but the more China innovates, the less outsiders are allowed to see it.
The country has produced a recent surge of new technologies, from BYD’s electric hyper car, which beat Bugatti’s speed record, to an advanced launch system for aircraft carriers and progress in semiconductors once thought beyond China’s reach. These have meanwhile coincided with a sharp reduction in access for foreign journalists and researchers. Analysts say the combination of the two is creating what they call an “asymmetry of information.”
The information gap is becoming a serious obstacle, says James Kynge, senior researcher at London-based think tank Chatham House.
“The world’s biggest media outlets are downgrading their presence there…. and their voices were more relevant as they are closer to the source than analysts in London”, he told a Brussels conference organised by EuroHub4Sino on September 23.
He warned it hampers not only the world’s understanding of China but also Europe’s ability to prepare for Beijing’s industrial strategy. According to Kynge, European officials risk being “outpaced” because fewer reliable reports are emerging from inside China, as many of the world’s most powerful media outlets scale down their presence as visas are withheld or correspondents are forced to leave.
This lack of access matters more as China accelerates its industrial ambitions, added Kynge. The country intends to produce 45 per cent of global industrial output by 2030, and almost every week brings a new breakthrough for China, he said, citing the BYD speed record.
A late 2024 UN report made a similar projection, using United Nations Industrial Development Organisation data to show how Beijing could reach that target by the end of the decade. But even with that data, experts remain divided on whether China is already close to its peak or whether this will come later, as far out as 2030. Ongoing geopolitical and trade instability adds further uncertainty.
Following the “reciprocal” tariffs saga started by US President Donald Trump in April, the trade war between China and the US is stepping up.
On the other hand the EU, which previously set itself apart from the US with its enthusiasm about collaborating with China, after receiving US tariffs as well, is reverting to its pre-Trump demands of a more “level playing field” from China in trade and competitiveness rules.
The Euro-Chinese relationship has been damaged and is visibly weaker in recent months.
Despite recurring disputes, Beijing and Moscow are also set to remain close partners in the long run, said Kynge.
Whereas Taipei was long ahead in advanced technologies, China’s progress in semiconductors in recent weeks shows it is starting to narrow the gap, he said.
That confidence has been reflected in Beijing’s decision to block imports of stripped-down Nvidia chips. Chinese press presented the move as proof that local firms are ready to challenge US dominance in sensitive technologies.
Raw materials are another area where China exerts leverage. Exports of rare-earth magnets to the EU jumped in August, exposing the EU’s heavier reliance on China compared with the US, Bloomberg reported on September 22. The EU Chamber of Commerce in China said earlier shortages had already forced seven factory stoppages last month, with another 46 expected in September.
Europe has sought to limit this vulnerability. The Critical Raw Materials Act, entering into force last year, aims to expand recycling of rare-earths from used electronics. Automakers are looking to diversify supplies from countries such as Estonia, while in the US, MP Materials — America’s only domestic rare-earth miner — plans to begin commercial magnet production this year.
The difficulty for Europe is compounded by shrinking access inside China itself. Journalists say major foreign outlets have been forced to scale down operations as visas are withheld or correspondents expelled, often amid China–US tensions. Some warn the lack of reliable reporting from inside the country is leaving European policymakers unprepared to grasp Beijing’s industrial strategy.
Academics face the same trend. Anja Senz, professor of China studies at Heidelberg University, said at the same event bureaucratic barriers have become severe, with more paperwork now required at every step. Long-standing partnerships have ended under political pressure, and topics once considered non-sensitive — such as economics and even archaeology — are increasingly restricted. She warned allegations can no longer be properly verified, leaving outsiders with a distorted picture.
She added data itself is disappearing, with Chinese authorities removing material from libraries, while travel restrictions have discouraged German researchers from visiting. At the same time, she noted, the number of Chinese students heading to Europe has been rising.
Journalists speaking at the event, however, said they have not noticed any increased interest from Chinese counterparts to exchange information or work together on European topics.
