China provides clarity
Stakeholders in the hydrogen industry in Germany and China share a common goal: to finally bring this industry into economic reality. But while the sector in Germany has long and increasingly loudly been calling for government funding, in China, a single sentence is often enough to set everything in motion.
I experienced how things can work during a visit to China this summer. While visiting a hydrogen innovation center in Shanghai, one of my conversation partners asked me:
“Did you hear Xi Jinping’s speech yesterday?”
“No,” I replied. “What did he say?”
“He mentioned hydrogen in one sentence – and today, all hydrogen stocks in China have risen sharply.”
I asked to see the exact wording of the excerpt from the speech. Xi Jinping said it was necessary “to promote the development of energy sources such as wind power, photovoltaics, and hydrogen energy in order to build a new energy system.” A statement made in the coal-dominated region of Shanxi – and yet understood as a national signal with immediate effect.
The very next day, my conversation partner received invitations to high-level business meetings. Within just a few days – that was the plan – new projects were to be launched, investments reprioritized, and strategies adjusted. No discussion about subsidies. No waiting loops. The direction is clear, and that is enough to trigger movement.
I am not advocating for a one-to-one adoption of Chinese practices; our business culture is different, and that’s perfectly fine. But this example shows how powerful clarity can be. China responds adaptively – quickly, with focus, and strategically.
Germany, too, finally needs clarity. Do we want hydrogen to play a substantial role in the future energy mix – or not?
If the answer is “yes,” then this direction must be communicated in a visible, comprehensible, and reliable manner. Not tomorrow. Now.
