Ep. 27 Front‑Row Seat to U.S.–China Face Off: Insights from Jane Perlez

Host Wenchi Yu speaks with Jane Perlez, host of the podcast Face‑Off: The U.S. vs China and a former New York Times foreign correspondent and Beijing bureau chief. The conversation traces Jane’s journey from an aspiring reporter in Australia to a Pulitzer Prize–winning correspondent who covered conflicts and political transitions from East Africa and the Balkans to Pakistan, Indonesia, and ultimately China. She reflects on how 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan pulled Washington’s attention away from Asia just as China was expanding its influence in Southeast Asia, and how U.S.–China relations slid from the hopeful mood of a 2012 State Department banquet for then–Vice President Xi Jinping into today’s open strategic rivalry. Speaking from her current base in the United States, she discusses the challenges of understanding China without regular on‑the‑ground reporting or a steady flow of Chinese visitors, her decision to turn to podcasting—first with “On the Trail of Xi Jinping” and now with Face‑Off: The U.S. vs China—and why she believes closing the “barrier of ignorance” between the two societies is essential for managing competition and avoiding conflict, including over Taiwan.

Perspectives with Wenchi Yu

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