China In Context

The Pentagon says that China has repeatedly turned down its requests to hold high level talks between army commanders. Experts worry that the lack of dialogue heightens the risk of a miscalculation leading to conflict.In this podcast, Howard Zhang, China Editor at the BBC, appraises the situation in a conversation with regular host, Duncan Bartlett, Editor of Asian Affairs magazine.For information about the SOAS China Institute Corporate Membership scheme, please contact SCI director Steve Tsang: steve.tsang@soas.ac.uk________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI)SCI BlogSCI on XSCI on LinkedInSCI on FacebookSCI on Instagram________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

Russia and China claim to have a “no limits” partnership. Nevertheless, the invasion of Ukraine has created a rift. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that China would uphold an “independent and impartial position” on Ukraine and will seek a political settlement. In this podcast, Dr Moritz Rudolf, from the Yale University Law School's Paul Tsai China Centre discusses Sino-Russian relations with regular host, Duncan Bartlett.For information about the SOAS China Institute Corporate Membership scheme, please contact SCI director Steve Tsang: steve.tsang@soas.ac.uk________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI)SCI BlogSCI on XSCI on LinkedInSCI on FacebookSCI on Instagram________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

China is on course to reach its targets for wind and solar power five years ahead of time, helping shore up its position as the world leader in renewable energy. However, the Chinese government is also building many new coal-fired power stations and fossil fuels are expected to make up a significant proportion of the country’s energy mix for decades to come. In this podcast, host Duncan Bartlett discusses China’s power paradox with Dorothy Mei and Martin Weil from Global Energy Monitor.For information about the SOAS China Institute Corporate Membership scheme, please contact SCI director Steve Tsang: steve.tsang@soas.ac.uk________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI)SCI BlogSCI on XSCI on LinkedInSCI on FacebookSCI on Instagram________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

Joe Biden has used tough language about Xi Jinping, saying he “does not have a democratic bone in his body” and describing him as a dictator. The Chinese complain they are being provoked. In this podcast, Bill Bishop, author of the Sinocism newsletter, shares his views on President Biden’s choice of language. He speaks with the podcast’s regular host, Duncan Bartlett, Editor of Asian Affairs.For information about the SOAS China Institute Corporate Membership scheme, please contact SCI director Steve Tsang: steve.tsang@soas.ac.uk________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI)SCI BlogSCI on XSCI on LinkedInSCI on FacebookSCI on Instagram________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

The transatlantic alliance, known as NATO, is looking to the East. The leaders of Japan and South Korea joined its 2023 summit in Lithuania as observers and the meeting ended with a joint statement from NATO members which included many scathing remarks about China. In this podcast, renowned author and Sinologist Jonathan Fenby offers his analysis of the way NATO and China perceive each other. The host is Duncan Bartlett who, like Jonathan, is a Research Associate at the SOAS China Institute.For information about the SOAS China Institute Corporate Membership scheme, please contact SCI director Steve Tsang: steve.tsang@soas.ac.uk________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI)SCI BlogSCI on XSCI on LinkedInSCI on FacebookSCI on Instagram________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China has been asserting itself as a confident and strong country. But how firm are the foundations of Xi’s power and what are the risks associated with a system in which one person has so much influence and authority? In this podcast, Bernhard Bartsch from the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) discusses Xi Jinping with regular host, Duncan Bartlett, the Editor of Asian Affairs.For information about the SOAS China Institute Corporate Membership scheme, please contact SCI director Steve Tsang: steve.tsang@soas.ac.uk________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI)SCI BlogSCI on XSCI on LinkedInSCI on FacebookSCI on Instagram________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

China’s economy is struggling to regain momentum following the pandemic. Dwindling export demand has held back the manufacturing sector and there’s been a slump in property prices. In this podcast, Duncan Wrigley, Chief China Plus Economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, discusses the options available to help revive China’s fortunes with regular host, Duncan Bartlett.For information about the SOAS China Institute Corporate Membership scheme, please contact SCI director Steve Tsang: steve.tsang@soas.ac.uk________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI)SCI BlogSCI on XSCI on LinkedInSCI on FacebookSCI on Instagram________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

The Republican politician who chairs Washington’s Select Committee on China, Mike Gallagher, has said that he views the ruling Chinese Communist Party as "as an enemy of the United States." Other members of his party are also vocal in their criticism of China, with many describing it as a threat. In this podcast, James McGregor, Chairman of APCO Worldwide’s Greater China region and Zuri Linetsky from the Eurasia Group Foundation in Washington discuss the Republican Party's position on China.For information about the SOAS China Institute Corporate Membership scheme, please contact SCI director Steve Tsang: steve.tsang@soas.ac.uk________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI)SCI BlogSCI on XSCI on LinkedInSCI on FacebookSCI on Instagram________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

Xi Jinping challenges the liberal values of the west and hopes to forge a new world order which does not denigrate China’s Communist party system. This has major implications for China’s role within international institutions and its relations with other countries. In this podcast, Dr Moritz Rudolf from Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center discusses the ideology of President Xi’s “Global Civilization Initiative” with regular host Duncan Bartlett.For information about the SOAS China Institute Corporate Membership scheme, please contact SCI director Steve Tsang: steve.tsang@soas.ac.uk________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI)SCI BlogSCI on XSCI on LinkedInSCI on FacebookSCI on Instagram________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

President Biden is pursuing re-election for a second term, urging voters to give him four further years. He has promised a thaw in relations with China, yet intense competition between the superpowers suggests a softening of tone is unlikely. In this podcast, James McGregor, chairman of APCO World wide's Greater China region, offers his expert perspective on the Biden Administration's foreign policy to regular host, Duncan Bartlett.For information about the SOAS China Institute Corporate Membership scheme, please contact SCI director Steve Tsang: steve.tsang@soas.ac.uk________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI)SCI BlogSCI on XSCI on LinkedInSCI on FacebookSCI on Instagram________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0