Germany/China
Friends today, rivals tomorrow?
23 August 2010
Presseurop
Der Spiegel 
Der Spiegel, 23 August 2010
"Rivals," declares Der Spiegel, devoting its cover to the struggle between China and Germany in their "combat for world markets". For the time being trade between the two countries is "lucrative" for Germany, but in a few short years it could turn out to be more like a "pact with the devil", observes the magazine. "Economic growth in China has been a miraculous opportunity for Germany, as well as a source of new risks, because dependence on exports to the Far East is growing, while Beijing is on the way to becoming a dangerous industrial rival."
As Greece pimps its ancient monuments to bring in the tourists, lovers of cultural heritage are up in arms. But the country is only doing openly what the whole of Europe is: looting historic sites to drum up more ready cash. 
Asserting national values is central to the political project of the Hungarian PM. Since the start of the year, fifteen paintings, specially commissioned for an exhibition in the Castle of Buda, have been putting this ambition on show. 
The game has gone on for nearly two years: Athens pretends to comply with the demands of its creditors and partners, and they pretend to believe in Greece’s commitments. As the spectre of default comes nearer, however, the Greek bluff cannot go on much longer, writes an El Mundo editorialist.