Navigating conflictual cooperation: Temporary power coalitions in the planning and approval of large-scale Chinese green technology projects in Eastern Germany

Abstract

The article examines the multifaceted conflicts that emerge during the planning and approval procedures of two large-scale Chinese green technology projects and their associated manufacturing, logistics, and energy infrastructures in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, Eastern Germany. The novelty, complexity, and scale of these projects, coupled with divergent conceptions, interests, and cultural norms in Sino-German cooperation, place significant pressure on planning, administration, and policy professionals, particularly at the local level. By conceptualising planning conflicts as dynamic formations of the political, the article investigates how such conflicts arise, are navigated, and managed, at the same time shedding light on the institutional frameworks that guide professionals’ interactions. The findings indicate that, although both cases encountered similar areas of conflict, the responses differed, shaped by varying power coalitions. In Thuringia, intense state intervention and a coalition with Chinese investors facilitated successful project implementation. Conversely, Saxony-Anhalt experienced resistance, despite state efforts, resulting in a coalition characterised by scepticism towards Chinese involvement. The article thus leverages planning conflicts to analyse the dynamic nature of underlying interests and power relations among professionals and their cooperation partners in large-scale green energy projects.