Scaling Beyond Borders

With SONG Xin. In this episode of ChinaConnect, we speak with Song Xin, founder and managing director of Sinnvoll Global, Financial Times columnist, and former policy advisor at the European Parliament. Xin shares candid insights from her work helping German and Chinese companies expand internationally, comparing business cultures, innovation mindsets, and market dynamics across Asia, Europe, and the US. We explore Germany’s reputation in China—trusted for quality and stability yet hindered by slow processes, aging infrastructure, and risk-averse business culture—and hear Xin’s firsthand experience of navigating Berlin’s bureaucracy and "perfect-plan-first" mentality. She also reveals what 1,200+ Chinese companies have taught her about global expansion: the biggest destination markets, how cultural mindsets shape product design, and why Europe ranks low despite its appeal. Xin breaks down the real role of geopolitics in market selection, the evolving state of China’s economy, price wars and consolidation in key industries, and new policies boosting consumption and entrepreneurship. She closes with practical advice for young German companies eyeing China—and why Hong Kong is emerging as the most strategic gateway into both China and broader Asian markets. [English episode]