Episodes
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The 17th BRICS Summit is taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Chinese Premier Li Qiang is attending the summit. This is the first summit after Indonesia joined as the 11th member in January, and Vietnam joined the cooperation mechanism as the tenth partner nation in June. How significant is this year's summit? How committed is China to the BRICS? What does the group's growing attraction mean for the long-underrepresented Global South?
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The number of foreign visitors coming into China is skyrocketing: During the first half of the year, Beijing saw a year-on-year increase of 37%. Shanghai's Pudong International Airport alone saw a surge of 46% in foreign visits. What's fueling this rush in traveling to China? What can we expect going forward? What remain to be done to make China more accessible?
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Last October, Hong Kong was once again ranked the world's freest economy. In June, the city's global competitiveness rose to the third place — the first time since 2019, according to international rankings. In the face of persistent narratives predicting Hong Kong's decline, what has the National Security Law actually brought to the city? What role has the law played in safeguarding "One Country, Two Systems"? What are the future challenges regarding the city's governance?
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Are Chinese students still welcome in the United States? And what about vice versa? What is the situation like for foreign exchange students on both sides of the Pacific? How are the political ups and downs impacting wider people-to-people exchanges? Will things ever return to the way they once were?
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The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, often called Summer Davos, is taking place in Tianjin, a major coastal city in northern China. Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the Opening Plenary and delivered an address. The President of Ecuador, Prime Ministers of Singapore, Kyrgyzstan, Senegal, and Vietnam are attending, together with 1,700 representatives from over 90 countries and regions. As China contributes around 30% of global growth annually, what opportunities will deeper global engagement with its market and innovation ecosystem bring? Why has AI become the buzzword throughout the meeting?
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The U.S. launched air strikes on Iran's key nuclear facilities over the weekend. What triggered President Trump to give the go-ahead? How will Iran respond? In what ways would the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz affect the world?
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Have you noticed there has been more talk about a certain United Nations resolution numbered 2758? In the Taiwan press, it felt relentless. Resolution 2758 was passed at the 26th session of the UN General Assembly on Oct. 25, 1971. The resolution set the foundation of the UN position concerning Taiwan. What triggered this latest wave of media attention? What's their argument?
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From Monday to Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, at the invitation of the country's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. In the land of the Great Steppe, President Xi and his counterparts of five Central Asian countries are expected to further cement China-Central Asia cooperation. Exchanges between China and Central Asia date back at least two thousand years, to the days of the Ancient Silk Road. And with the Belt and Road Initiative, political trust has been enhanced and trade volume has skyrocketed. What does the summit mean for China-Central Asia ties? What results can we expect this time? What do stable China-Central Asia relations mean for the world?
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Bilateral trade between China and the EU last year reached US$786 billion with investment rising to US$260 billion. Yet friction remains as the EU has moved to curb the access of Chinese medical device makers to public procurement contracts and imposed high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. This comes after the EU designated China as "a partner for cooperation, an economic competitor, and a systemic rival". How well will this approach play out? What are the expectations for China-EU trade relations going forward? How are U.S. protectionist policies impacting China-EU relations?
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A framework was reached in principle for implementing the consensus reached between the two presidents over a recent phone call and the trade deal reached last month in Geneva. That appears to be the outcome of the latest round of talks between the world's two largest economies in London. Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping used the metaphor of "recalibrating the direction of the giant ship of China-U.S. relations", saying that the two sides should take the helm of the ship, set the right course, and steer clear of disturbances and disruptions as it sails forward. China is sincere and principled. Is the U.S. prepared to do the same?
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China has been strengthening its maritime legislation framework for decades, building a robust set of domestic laws to provide a legal basis for its rights over relevant waters. How can international and domestic rule of law help bring peace in the South China Sea? Can we expect more cooperation to emerge between the claimant countries involved? As this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Philippines relations, can the two sides seize the opportunity to improve ties?
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On June 5th, the presidents of the world's two largest economies spoke on the phone. Both sides discussed trade issues, especially how to advance the agreement reached in Geneva on May 12th. The call also came amid repeated U.S. accusations that China has not followed through on its promises to relax controls over rare earths, minerals that are essential for hi-tech products. What did the two presidents talk about? What signals are they sending to the world? And what are we to expect going forward?
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China extends visa-free entry to five Latin American and four Gulf countries, bringing the total to 47. Why the addition of Latin American and Gulf countries this time? What are the expectations from these regions, and what ripple effects could this policy have on business, trade, and tourism ties between China and these countries?
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On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US will "aggressively revoke" visas from Chinese students, "including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields." In his announcement on China, Rubio said the government will also "revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications" from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. This comes on the back of threats to limit the number of international students studying in American universities. Why are Chinese students particularly targeted? Are they the easy target in the ongoing feud between the White House and elite universities? How is this impacting the lives of young Chinese students?
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The ASEAN-GCC-China Summit is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27th in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit under the theme "Inclusivity and Sustainability". As this year's ASEAN chair, Malaysia has highlighted its goal of forging and expanding economic partnerships beyond its borders as one of its main priorities. What drives the three parties to embrace each other? What's on the agenda of the summit, and how might this new platform bring fresh dynamics into Asia—and potentially the world?
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On May 12th, the Bureau of Industry and Security under the U.S. Commerce Department issued “guidance", stating that using Huawei's most advanced AI chips "anywhere in the world" may violate U.S. export controls. China immediately condemned the move, vowing to take resolute measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. Days later, the U.S. removed the line about "anywhere in the world," but still warns "all persons and companies in the U.S. and abroad" against using "PRC-produced" advanced chips. What does this latest "land grab" mean for businesses and the AI sector around the world? Will it succeed in containing China's development or has that train already left the station? How can companies respond to Washington's latest threats and intimidation?
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U.S. buyers jumped on the phone to call their Chinese suppliers as soon as news reached them from Geneva. Demand for goods from China was so high that it led to a shipping container shortage, a sharp reversal from the situation just days ago. Following the high-stakes meetings in Geneva, tariffs came down significantly, and a 90-day pause was set while the two sides are expected to conduct high-level consultations under a joint mechanism. Going forward, will sharp pendulum swings be the new normal? How will the trade and economic talks unfold between the two sides?
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The Cannes Film Festival is set to screen two Xizang-related films peddling separatism under the guise of spirituality and ethics. Are these films what they claim to be? Who are the people behind these productions? Have they actually been to Xizang, also known as Tibet, and seen it with their own eyes? What do those who live in Xizang today say about their lives, those who have no voice in the star-studded halls and alleyways of the French Riviera?
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On May 7, China unveiled a 10-point policy package aimed at enhancing market confidence, boosting long-term liquidity and supporting innovation-driven growth. The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, cut its policy rate and reduced the reserve requirement ratio. Additional measures were announced to shore up technological innovation, consumer services and businesses impacted by U.S. tariffs. Now, China's economy grew by 5.4% during the first quarter of this year and value-added industrial output expanded 6.5% year on year. Retail sales also grew by 4.6% in the first quarter. Against the better-than-expected quarterly figures, why is China rolling out these measures? How will they affect the economy in the short to mid-term? And how have markets reacted so far?
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During President Xi Jinping's state visit to Russia, the two sides issued a joint statement to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, bringing bilateral ties to the highest point in history. What does this mean for the two countries and the world at large?
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