With the opening of the China Branch Office in Beijing at the beginning of 2017, the Max Weber Foundation (MWS) acknowledges the scientific, cultural and political importance of the country, especially as a research region. The office is based on a cooperation of the MWS with the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO) and the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Together, EFEO and MWS form the European Research Centre for Chinese Studies. They mediate contact between the Chinese, French and German humanities and social sciences, conduct research, and organise events.