Chat Lounge

China has announced a new debt relief package - a total of 10 trillion yuan ($1.4 trillion dollars) – to ease the financial burden on local governments. The decision raises the ceiling on local government debt by 6 trillion yuan (about $840 billion), and local governments will have access to a separate 4 trillion yuan (about $560 billion) quota in the form of special local bonds over five years. How does the debt relief package work? What are the long-term implications for China’s fiscal health and economic growth? Host Xu Yawen joins Dr. Zhou Mi, Senior Research Fellow with Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation; Dr. David Blair, Vice-president and senior economist at the Center for China and Globalization; and Prof. Yao Shujie, Chueng Kong Professor of Economics, Chongqing University.

In this special episode of Chat Lounge, we examine the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, to review its path toward inclusive cooperation and explore how it can drive growth in the Global South. Peru will host the annual APEC summit from November 10th to 16th this year under the theme "Empower, Include, Grow." What key issues will be discussed at the summit? What business opportunities can China and Latin American countries explore to support growth in the Global South? And how can common challenges such as inequality and climate change be addressed through innovation and technology? Host Xu Yawen is joined by Edgar Perez, American-Peruvian business author and keynote speaker on artificial intelligence and new technologies; Maria Sanhueza, a Chilean journalist; and Alasdair Baverstock, a CGTN correspondent in Mexico, to discuss these issues.

The United States is gearing up its propaganda against China. The US government and media are hyping the idea that Beijing is enhancing espionage and hacking operations in the West. The US also plans to set up a 1.6-billion-dollar fund to counter what it calls China's "malignant" influence worldwide, particularly in the Belt and Road countries. Will these schemes generate the desired effects? Is China destined to lose this propaganda campaign? Host Tu Yun joins Professor Joseph Siracusa, Dean of Global Futures with Curtin University, Harvey Dzodin, a Senior Fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, and Qu Qiang, a Fellow of the Belt and Road Research Center, Minzu University of China to take a close look at the issue on this episode of Chat Lounge.

It’s a battle that DJI must fight. The world’s largest drone maker has taken the U.S. Defense Department to court. It says the Pentagon labeling it as a Chinese military company and thus a national security threat to the U.S. is stigmatization and has caused financial losses to the company. Is Washington’s move another ploy to take over foreign advanced technologies or tech companies for itself? How big are DJI’s chances at winning? What chain effects will it cause if DJI loses the case? And what implications does DJI’s experience have for other companies? Host Tu Yun joins Andy Mok, a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, Dr. Edward Lehman, the Founder and Managing Director of China-based law firm Lehman, Lee & Xu, Dr. Li Lun, an Assistant Professor of Economics, School of Economics, Peking University, and Dr. Ryan Mitchell, an Associate Professor of Law, the Chinese University of Hong Kong for a close look at the issue on this episode of Chat Lounge.

The BRICS Summit will convene in Kazan, Russia, from October 22 to 24. It will mark the bloc’s first meeting in its newly expanded configuration. The Kazan summit will focus on strengthening multilateralism, equitable global development, and enhancing security while exploring ways to deepen cooperation between BRICS nations and countries from the Global South. With over 30 nations applying to join the bloc, why are more developing countries seeking BRICS membership? How will this expanded platform shape the future of international cooperation and governance? Host Xu Yawen joins Evgenii Pavlov, journalist with Sputnik Agency, Lance Witten, Editor-in-Chief with IOL in South Africa, Yasmin Scali, journalist with Sputnik Brasil, and Baharu Yidnekachew, director of current affairs with Fana Broadcasting Corporate in Ethiopia, for a closer look at the issue.

The European Commission has voted to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. China’s Commerce Ministry has strongly opposed the EU action, noting that the industry did not request the anti-subsidy probe into Chinese EVs. Some EU member states and their auto industries also strongly oppose the tariffs. Is this proposal driven by genuine economic competition or by political considerations? How will the tariffs affect competition in the European EV market and change Chinese EV makers’ global strategies? Host Xu Yawen joins Prof. Li Lun, Assistant Professor of Economics at Peking University, Helga Zepp-LaRouche, Founder of The Schiller Institute, a Germany-based think tank, and Prof. Warwick Powell, Senior Fellow at the Taihe Institute and Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology, for a closer look at the issue on this episode of Chat Lounge.

From a country struggling with limited scientific infrastructure, cultural transformation, and widespread public health challenges to a front-runner in innovation, cultural revitalization and healthcare, China's pursuit of modern prosperity in these fields has enabled its people to experience unprecedented advancements in quality of life over the past 75 years. What sparked this profound evolution? What were the most critical achievements in this process? And what priorities should China focus on to continue fostering growth and well-being for its population in the coming decades? In the last episode of our special series commemorating 75 years of the People's Republic of China, host Tu Yun is joined by Dr. Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, and Dr. Rao Yi, President of China’s Capital Medical University on China's journey towards modern prosperity in education, science, culture and public health.

From an underachiever in environmental protection to a global leader in climate action, China's journey towards eco-friendliness over the past 75 years has been winding but steady and adamant. What triggered the transformation? What has enabled the country to emerge from smog, polluted water, and degraded land in its cities and some rural areas in just a few decades? And what goals should China prioritize to ensure sustainable development in the future? Host Tu Yun is joined by Dr. Erik Solheim, former chief of the UN Environment Program and now president of the Green Belt and Road Institute, and Dr. Dechen Tsering, Regional Director of the UN Environment in Asia and the Pacific for China's journey towards building an ecological civilization in this episode of our special series commemorating 75 years of the People's Republic of China.

China’s education system has seen remarkable transformation over the past seven decades. Official data reveals that the average years of schooling for Chinese people has surged to 11 years, a significant jump from just 1.6 years back in 1949. So, how did China manage to build the world’s largest education system? What key reforms have helped this populous nation shift from quantity to quality in terms of human resources? And now, as socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a new era, how should the country tackle challenges, such as the gap between people’s increasing demand for quality education and its unbalanced development? Host Xu Yawen talks to William Brown, professor at Xiamen University, on the fourth episode of our special series commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

From determining economic and social development strategies to formulating defense budgets and legal framework, China's unique domestic governing system has ensured a steady and fruitful voyage of the nation over the past 75 years. Unlike what's described as a rubber stamp by the Western media, the People's Congress plays a pivotal role in the management of domestic affairs by the Chinese government, which has been found to be the world's most trusted government by Western research institutes including Harvard. Why the misunderstanding of the Chinese political governance system? How has China's democratic system evolved? And what's behind the resilience of China's domestic governance? Host Tu Yun joins Victor Gao, Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization, on the development of China's domestic governance.