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]