An investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and media organizations in 24 countries examined 4.8 million records from China’s Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) covering 2005–2024. The records reportedly show that ICBC’s London operations provided financial services to high-risk clients, including sanctioned Russian and Belarusian businessmen, politically connected companies, and heavily indebted countries.

The investigation alleges that the branch sometimes acted on instructions from ICBC’s Beijing headquarters to support broader objectives of the Chinese Communist Party. It characterizes ICBC as functioning not only as a commercial bank but also as an important financial instrument supporting China’s overseas geopolitical and economic expansion.

During the Russia-Ukraine war, ICBC’s London branch reportedly explored ways to help Russian mining giant Nornickel obtain financing in renminbi to avoid dollar transactions. The investigation also found that, shortly after the U.S. Justice Department indicted Huawei in 2019 for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions on Iran and other offenses, ICBC London rapidly transferred $1.3 billion in Huawei funds to China. Although the transaction itself was not illegal, it was reportedly carried out without prior notification to ICBC’s financial-crime prevention department, triggering internal objections.

The investigation also identified compliance and lending concerns involving developing countries. Since 2014, courts and regulators in eight jurisdictions have reportedly imposed adverse rulings or penalties against ICBC and its overseas branches totaling at least $96 million. In Zambia, ICBC provided a $285 million loan to the state-owned power company ZESCO in 2011 and later sought repayment during the country’s sovereign debt crisis. Internal documents reportedly show that ICBC headquarters instructed London employees to transfer funds from ZESCO’s account to Beijing before completing required customer reviews.

The investigation reviewed roughly 200 additional loan agreements involving nearly 30 countries, with financing ranging from about $3 million to $400 million. Borrowers included government entities and companies involved in commodities, energy, and financial services. According to the investigation, ICBC’s overseas lending has helped Chinese state-owned enterprises secure foreign contracts and finance acquisitions of transportation, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure, while also providing loans to foreign governments as part of China’s economic diplomacy.

Source: The Epoch Times, September 18, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/9/17/n14851435.htm

Germany is facing growing pressure on its manufacturing sector as exports to China and industrial employment decline. According to the Centre for European Reform, exports to China from all major European economies except the Netherlands have fallen over the past five years, with Germany and Sweden recording some of the sharpest declines. Germany’s exports to China as a share of GDP fell from about 0.71 percent in 2022 to 0.48 percent in 2025. Jürgen Matthes of the German Economic Institute estimated that China-related exports supported about 1.1 million German jobs at their 2021 peak, but roughly 400,000 have since disappeared.

The employment losses have triggered growing labor unrest. On September 21, more than 175,000 workers joined a nationwide strike, disrupting production at more than 200 factories. Germany’s industrial sector is reportedly losing about 15,000 jobs per month. Volkswagen expects its 2026 revenue to fall by €6.9 billion from the previous year and plans to cut 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030. Porsche reported a 16 percent decline in global vehicle deliveries in the first half of 2026, while auto-parts supplier ZF reported a €2.1 billion loss and plans to eliminate 11,000–14,000 German jobs by the end of 2028.

The broader EU-China trade imbalance has also widened. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on September 16 that the EU’s trade deficit with China had reached €1 billion per day and that the economic relationship was approaching a “tipping point.” Eurostat data showed an EU goods trade deficit with China of €359.8 billion in 2025, while the second quarter of 2026 alone recorded a deficit of €103 billion. Germany’s trade deficit with China reached €89.9 billion in 2025, while German exports to China fell another 14.5 percent in the first five months of 2026.

Analysts have described the trend as “China Shock 2.0,” with Chinese competition increasingly affecting Germany’s exports and domestic industrial production. MERICS economist Esther Goreichy said the pressure was hitting two major pillars of Germany’s economy—exports and industrial production. The report also highlights BASF, whose Ludwigshafen workforce fell below 30,000 for the first time since 1954, while the company has invested €8.7 billion in a large production site in Zhanjiang, Guangdong.

Source: Aboluo, September 28, 2026
https://www.aboluowang.com/2026/0928/2438857.html