Careers & Insights on EU–China Relations: De-Risking Without Decoupling?

Event Description

As geopolitical competition intensifies, economic interdependence is increasingly being redefined through the lens of security, resilience, and strategic autonomy. Few developments illustrate this shift more clearly than China's growing use of export controls on critical raw materials and strategic technologies. Recent restrictions on gallium, germanium, rare earth elements, and other key inputs have raised important questions for European policymakers and businesses alike.

This session will explore how China's export control regime is reshaping Europe-China economic relations, supply chain resilience, and industrial policy. It will also examine how emerging EU initiatives, including the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act, may create new tensions with Chinese regulations, for example, where European IP-transfer or technology sharing requirements intersect with Chinese export controls on strategic technologies.

Drawing on his work advising companies and institutions on China-related risks, Karl Heinlein will provide practical insights into the future of Europe-China economic relations, economic security, and strategic autonomy.

The session will conclude with a career spotlight on Sinolytics, where Karl will discuss the firm’s work in geopolitical consulting and China strategy. This will be followed by short testimonials from Francesca Nicolodi and Serafima Batanova, Intern Associates at Sinolytics, who will share their experience working on regulatory and geopolitical analysis and offer participants a junior perspective on careers in China policy and geopolitical risk consulting.

Event Structure

• Welcome & Introduction (12:30–12:35)

  • Introduction of European Guanxi

  • Introduction of Karl Heinlein, Francesca Nicolodi, and Sinolytics
    

• China's Export Controls and Europe's Economic Security (12:35–12:55)

  • How China's export control system works in practice

  • Critical raw materials and strategic dependencies

  • Supply chain vulnerabilities and industrial implications

  • The EU's de-risking agenda and strategic autonomy objectives

  • Case study: EU Industrial Accelerator Act and Chinese export controls on battery technologies
    

• Inside Sinolytics: Careers in Geopolitical Consulting (12:55–13:10)

  • Karl Heinlein's professional journey • Typical projects at Sinolytics

  • The daily work of consultants and interns

  • Career opportunities in China strategy, public policy, and geopolitical risk analysis

  • Skills and profiles currently in demand
    

• Q&A and Open Discussion (13:10–13:30)

  • Open exchange with participants

Speakers

Karl Heinlein is a consultant at Sinolytics specializing in China’s industrial policy and global trade relations and supply chain dynamics. He advises corporate strategy teams on geopolitical risk and regulatory developments in China. Karl holds an M.A. in Comparative Government from the University of Oxford and a B.A. in Liberal Arts from the University of Freiburg, and studied Chinese at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

https://sinolytics.de/expert-contact/karl-heinlein.html

Francesca Nicolodi is an Intern Associate at Sinolytics, where she monitors regulatory and geopolitical dynamics for corporate and institutional clients. She previously gained policy experience in Shanghai, including with the Councillor for French Citizens Abroad and the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai. She holds degrees from LSE and Fudan University.

https://sinolytics.de/expert-contact/francesca-nicolodi.html

Serafima Batanova is an Intern Associate at Sinolytics’ Berlin office. She is currently pursuing a Master of International Affairs at the Hertie School, focusing on China, international security, and Indo-Pacific geopolitics. She previously studied at Peking University and Freie Universität Berlin.

https://sinolytics.de/expert-contact/serafima-batanova.html