Networked Peripheries:

East Asian, particularly Chinese, firms play a central role in Europe’s green transition: first, European countries currently rely on numerous Chinese green technologies and their associated know-how and resources to meet the EU’s climate neutrality goals; second, Chinese firms are increasingly investing in renewable energy projects and related infrastructure throughout Europe. This book chapter assesses the background of Chinese investments in green energy projects across Europe by referring to China’s global infrastructure-led development. The chapter takes the recent development of large-scale Chinese facilities for the manufacturing of electric vehicle battery cells—so-called “Gigafactories”—as an entry point to trace the changing nature of marginal territories in Europe. Therefore, it focuses on a specific case study in peripheral Thuringia, Eastern Germany, to delineate the multi-scalar reconfiguration of urban-rural relations and its local implications on everyday lives. The chapter is part of the final publication of the research project “Urban-Rural Assembly”, which offers reflections, best practices, and practical guidance on how to collaboratively investigate, envision, and plan today’s urban-rural regions.