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German companies ramped up their China investment by roughly one-third in the first half of 2026, even as Berlin draws up tougher economic measures toward China. Why are German firms stepping up investment in China amid growing political pressure? And what lies ahead for Europe's economic ties with Beijing? Host Xu Yawen is joined by Dr. Yao Shujie, Cheung Kong Professor of Economics, Chongqing University; Prof. Hans-Peter Burghof, Professor and Chair of the Banking and Finance Department at the University of Hohenheim, Germany; and Prof. Muhammad Ali Nasir, Visiting Fellow at University of Cambridge, Visiting Professor at Peking University, and Professor of Economics at the University of Leeds, to make sense of this tension.

As BRICS countries look to make greater use of local currencies, the New Development Bank is playing a growing role in this effort. It is helping developing countries finance projects and move money across borders. What's driving the change? How does local-currency lending actually work in practice? And to what extent can it help countries reduce financing and currency risk? Song Ruixin is joined by Dr. Zhou Mi, Senior Research Fellow with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Prof. Warwick Powell, Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology, and Prof. Muhammad Ali Nasir, Professor of Economics at the University of Leeds, to look at what the NDB is doing, the challenges it faces, and whether BRICS can build a more resilient financial framework beyond reliance on the US dollar.

China has successfully demonstrated a two-way laser communication link across more than 400,000 kilometers between Earth and the Moon. How significant is this breakthrough? Why do we need it, and what could it mean for humanity as we begin to explore, work and perhaps one day live beyond Earth? Host Xu Yawen is joined by Zhang Fan, Associate Professor, Department of Astronomy, Beijing Normal University; Xu Yansong, the Director-General of the Asia Pacific Space Cooperation Organization; and Dr. Jon Clarke, President, the Mars Society of Australia, and an associate member of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology at the University of New South Wales, to explore how this technology could reshape the way we communicate in deep space.

China's economy is facing pressure at home and abroad. Growth has slowed, while property, local government debt and weak demand remain challenges. Yet exports and manufacturing continue to show resilience. So, is China's economy really in serious trouble? And with Washington eyeing new tariffs and Brussels tightening scrutiny of Chinese companies, where does Beijing go from here? Host TU Yun joins Dr. Yan Liang, Professor of Economics, Willamette University, the United States, Dr. Liu Baocheng, the Director of the Center for International Business Ethics, University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, and Dr. Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation to look at the fiscal policy options, the room for further stimulus, and the bigger question: what will drive China's next phase of growth?

The Arctic is opening a new frontier for global shipping. China has launched a seasonal weekly container service linking its eastern port city Ningbo with Europe through the Northeast Passage, cutting shipment times between Asia and Europe by nearly half. But can the Arctic route move beyond a seasonal shortcut to become a major global shipping corridor? And what will it take to overcome the challenges of ice, infrastructure, geopolitics and environmental protection? Host TU Yun joins LIU Dan, a professor at the Law School, Tong Ji University, Halldór Jóhannsson, the Director of Arctic Portal, an Iceland-based non-profit organization supporting sustainable development in the Arctic, and LIANG Linlin, a Brussels-based commentator on China-EU economic and trade relations to explore the opportunities and challenges of the emerging Ice Silk Road.