Chat Lounge

From proposing the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to championing a community with a shared future for mankind, China has transformed from an isolated nation in the early days of the People's Republic to a key player shaping international relations. What milestone events have had or are expected to have far-reaching implications in China's diplomatic history? How come it was China that successfully helped broker historic accords between rivals for decades in the Middle East? And how may China’s role continue to evolve in the international arena? In this episode of our special series commemorating 75 years of the PRC, host Tu Yun sits down with George Yeo, former foreign minister of Singapore and Founding Patron of the Asia Competitiveness Institute, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore and Dr. John Milligan-Whyte, Executive Chairman of the America-China Partnership Foundation for their insights.

From one of the least developed countries in the world to a significant driving force for global growth, China's phenomenal economic transformation has sparked not only acclaim, but also suspicion. How has the nation made the achievements once thought impossible? What game-changing measures did China take every time others predicted the economy would collapse? And as China faces another turning point in its economic development, what is the biggest challenge in making a smooth transition towards high-quality development? Host Tu Yun talks to Justin Yifu Lin, the former chief economist of the World Bank, on the first episode of our special series commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Chinese and African leaders will meet in Beijing next week for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. What progress has been made in Sino-Africa economic and trade since the last FOCAC summit? How is China’s trade with the continent driving Africa’s high-level industrialization? What opportunities and challenges lie ahead? In this special episode of Chat Lounge, host Xu Yawen joins Gao Junya, a reporter and former correspondent with CGTN Radio in Zimbabwe, Jainaba Sonko, a news presenter and reporter with QTV Gambia, Mary Kadoke, a reporter with The Guardian Newspaper in Tanzania, and Momodou Jallow, a Presidential Affairs Reporter with Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS), for a closer look at these issues.

Germany's investment in China has hit a record high despite the German government's strategy to "de-risk" from the Chinese economy. What does the continued growth of German investment in China tell us? Will the momentum risk being interrupted by any external force? And will German companies' soaring investment in China serve as a reference for investors from other countries? Host Tu Yun joins Dr. Hans-peter Burghof, a professor and the Chair of the Banking and Finance Department at the University of Hohenheim, Germany, Dr. Josef Mahoney, a professor of politics and international relations at East China Normal University, and Dr. John Gong, a professor of economics at the University of International Business and Economics, for a close look at the issue on this episode of Chat Lounge.

Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, has developed new business expansion plans in China. The scenario seems contrary to reports that Foxconn is accelerating its exit from China. What prompted the move? What's the implication of Foxconn's new business plan at a time when China steps up efforts to attract foreign investment? Host Tu Yun joins Dr. Zhiguo He, the James Irvin Miller Professor of Finance at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Dr. Qu Qiang, a Fellow of the Belt and Road Research Center, Minzu University of China, and Dr. Zhou Mi, the Deputy Director of the Institute of American and Oceania Study, Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation for a close look at the issue on this episode of Chat Lounge.

Apple is inflaming tensions on the world's largest smartphone market. The US mobile phone maker is pressing Chinese tech firms Tencent and ByteDance to eliminate payment loopholes affecting Apple's fees, or it will reject future updates for the Chinese apps in the Apple app store. What's the background of Apple's warning? How will the wrestling between them pan out? What implications does Apple's monopoly-like behavior have for the Chinese market? Host Tu Yun joins William Lee, the Chief Economist at the U.S.-based Milken Institute, Dr. Zhou Mi, the Deputy Director of the Institute of American and Oceania Study, Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, and Dr. Li Lun, an Assistant Professor of Economics, School of Economics, Peking University for a close look at the issue on this episode of Chat Lounge.

The World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA, is stepping up efforts to defend its authority. For the first time, WADA will take the US Anti-Doping Agency, also known as USADA, to an independent court for compliance review as the latter is allegedly involved in data breach activities. What signal is WADA trying to send out with this landmark move? If USADA is found in breach of the world anti-doping code, what consequences will it face? And what implications does WADA’s move mean for the global sporting community? Host Tu Yun joins Dr. Qu Qiang, a Fellow of the Belt and Road Research Center, Minzu University of China, Dr. Wang Zhengxu, a professor from the School of Public Administration, Zhejiang University, and Edward Lehman, the Founder and Managing Director of China-based law firm Lehman, Lee & Xu for a close look at the issue on this episode of Chat Lounge.

China's latest reform resolution, which includes over 300 measures, aims to transform the nation into a high-standard socialist market economy by 2035. How will it affect the rest of the world? In this episode on the recent third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Turkish economist Caglar Kuzlukluoglu says that as emerging economies face challenges stabilizing their economies, China’s approach is a valuable model. Wang Dan, Chief Economist at Hang Seng Bank China, sees the resolution as a move to adjust China's infrastructure for its evolving demographics, suggesting increased private sector involvement in areas like railways and energy for better efficiency. American scholar Josef Mahoney from East China Normal University believes that despite external pressures, China's focus on innovation positions it as a competitive force in the fourth industrial revolution, offering a model for other developing nations facing similar challenges.

NATO is again rattling international nerves. This time, China. NATO officials are reportedly deliberating actions to reclaim Chinese-owned infrastructure projects in Europe if, as they claim, a wider conflict with Russia arises. How realistic is NATO's move? What countermeasures may China take if NATO makes the move? And what broader implications does it have for global security and stability? Host Tu Yun joins Harvey Dzodin, a Senior Fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, Dr. Qu Qiang, a Fellow of the Belt and Road Research Center, Minzu University of China, and Mike Bastin, a China observer and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Southampton for an in-depth look at the issue on this episode of Chat Lounge.

The United States is again threatening to stop funding the World Anti-Doping Agency. It claims the doping watchdog exercised favoritism in a doping incident involving Chinese swimmers before the Tokyo Olympics. Why did Washington bring up the issue weeks before the Paris Olympics? How may the criminal investigation launched by US authorities affect the Chinese swimming delegation and the World Anti-Doping Agency? And what implications does the growing tendency of U.S. long-arm jurisdiction mean for the sports world? Host Tu Yun joins Shang Ximeng, a research fellow at the Center for International Sport Communication and Diplomacy Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University; Bai Xianyue, Partner of Grandall Law Firm Tianjn Office, and Dr. Qu Qiang, a fellow of the Belt and Road Research Center, Minzu University of China for an in-depth look at the issue on this episode of Chat Lounge.