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China In Context

Author: SOAS China Institute

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China In Context is a weekly podcast providing expert analysis on politics, culture and international relations, featuring voices from the SOAS China Institute, University of London. The podcast is hosted by Duncan Bartlett.
168 Episodes
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North Korea is a troublesome neighbour for China. At one level, its Workers' Party, led by Kim Jong-Un, claims fraternity with the Chinese Communist Party. But Marshall Kim follows his own agenda, including belligerent rhetoric against South Korea, the United States and Japan. He's also nurturing his relationship with Vladimir Putin. In this podcast, former BBC China editor Howard Zhang explains how China views the situation in the region. The host is regular presenter, Duncan Bartlett.
China has a strategy to forge partnerships with countries in the so-called Global South. This pits it against other influential nations which also claim to be international leaders. Furthermore, many people in developing countries resent being pressed to pick sides. The podcast includes a discussion on Chinese foreign policy between Professor Steve Tsang, Director of the SOAS China Institute and regular host, Duncan Bartlett.
Tibet, on China's border with India, is seen as having great strategic importance to Beijing. The region, which has been prone to unrest, has been under Chinese control since 1950. Its spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama is in exile in India but plans to visit the United States this summer. In this podcast, Michael Bristow, China Correspondent for the BBC World Service, discusses Tibet's political significance with regular host, Duncan Bartlett.
China's leaders have taken a sharply critical tone against Israel over its war with the Palestinian militant group, Hamas. They have also suggested that the United States is exploiting and exasperating long-running conflicts in the Middle East. In this podcast, Richard Spencer, a correspondent for The Times newspaper, warns that a regional conflagration would be damaging for both China and America. The host is regular presenter, Duncan Bartlett.
China is becoming a dominant force in the online realm in Southeast Asia. Partnerships through a network known as the Digital Silk Road enable China to have extensive influence on how people access the internet in countries such as Cambodia, Nepal and Thailand. In this podcast, campaigner Michael Caster explains what he sees as a battle for free speech in the region. The podcast is presented by regular host, Duncan Bartlett.
The prime minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, regards China as a "pillar of the new world order." Mr Orban admires leaders such as Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, who are challenging the western-led system. Professor Hanns Maull from the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) believes that Xi Jinping’s visit to Hungary in May 2024 showed that he is "promoting autocracy." The podcast host is Duncan Bartlett.
Xi Jinping is urging Chinese companies to compete vigorously with other countries in the development of advanced technology, including high end computer chips. There is an ideological basis to the strategy: Xi Jinping has spoken about China becoming much more self-reliant. But the battle for supremacy in tech causes tension in the realm of international relations, as Dr Olivia Cheung, Research Fellow at the SOAS China Institute explains to regular host, Duncan Bartlett.
Japan has taken a tough stance on China, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida firmly committed to upholding the American vision of a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” But China is also a huge market for Japanese companies for which talk of “decoupling” from China is regarded as commercial folly. In this podcast, Duncan Bartlett, a Research Associate at the SOAS China Institute, offers his views on how the two Asian rivals see each other. The host is John Andrews, former Asia Editor of The Economist.
China's factories have pumped out so many solar panels that other countries are complaining. Some people are said to be lining their garden fences with the panels, due to a global glut of the product. This is being held up as an example of a new type of "China shock". Previously, China’s economic rise caused a shock to trade and the labour markets. Companies which were unable to withstand the intense competition often laid off staff. In this podcast, Rory Green, China Economist, GlobalData TS...
How China sees Gaza

How China sees Gaza

2024-04-1613:49

China has emphasised its pro-Palestinian stance during the Israel-Gaza war. It has been critical of Washington’s handling of the situation, especially the American policy of arming Israel. In this podcast, Dr Mercy Kuo from Pamir Consulting considers how China’s role in the Middle East has developed since President Xi Jinping came to power. The host is regular presenter, Duncan Bartlett.
The introduction of advanced surveillance technologies has given the Chinese Communist Party powerful tools. It collects information related to people’s spending habits. It is also able to record how they act at work, and even in their homes. Is the state justified in using these tools to influence people’s behaviour? In this podcast, Professor Minxin Pei at Claremont McKenna College in California, USA discusses his recent book The Sentinel State: Surveillance and the Survival of Dictatorship...
The escalating Houthi attacks in the Red Sea region are creating economic and security concerns globally. The US and UK have responded with airstrikes against Houthi sites in Yemen, in an attempt to prevent the group from endangering freedom of navigation and disrupting trade. The repercussions are also felt in China, a powerful maritime nation. On this podcast, Christopher S. Tang, a professor in Business Administration at the Anderson School of UCLA in California, considers how China and ot...
China is quickly amassing weapons and systems to militarily overwhelm Taiwan, according to a senior US admiral. John Aquilino told a recent hearing in Washington that China could be poised to take such an action within the next six years. If conflict breaks out, it would be a grave matter to deal with, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel. In this podcast, Dr Gerrit van der Wees, who teaches Taiwan’s history and current affairs at George Mason ...
The government of Anthony Albanese in Australia has sought to stabilise the relationship with China and avoid heated rhetoric. As a result, China has agreed to relax a 200% tariff on Australian wine, which was imposed during a period of diplomatic strife. Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong says: “We seek to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must and engage in our national interest.” In this podcast, James Laurenceson, Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute...
The Chief Executive of Hong Kong, John Lee has been instructed by his superiors in mainland China to enact further strict security legislation in the city without delay. Pro-democracy advocates warn the move will have a detrimental impact on civil liberties. The proposed new laws cover treason, insurrection, incitement and collusion with external forces. Penalties range from a few years in jail to life imprisonment. In this podcast, renowned law professor Michael C Davis - who lived in Hong K...
The authorities in China are trying to put an end to a three-year stock market decline and win back the confidence of overseas traders. It is not proving an easy process. Investors cite a range of reasons to be cautious about the Chinese market, including a slowdown in growth, doubts about the reliability of information and opaque policymaking. In this podcast, Duncan Wrigley, Chief China Economist at Pantheon Economics, discusses the volatility on the Chinese market with regular host, Duncan...
Just a few years ago, it would have been inconceivable that a Chinese company would disrupt the automotive industry by exporting vast quantities of cheap, reliable electric vehicles. But the Chinese company BYD has overtaken Tesla in terms of overall sales and it is determined to win market share from long-established car giants, such as Volkswagen and Toyota. Does BYD's success result from generous government subsidies? Or, as its bosses claim, it is just better at taking risks than its riva...
Protest art was everywhere in Hong Kong a few years ago. Then the Chinese authorities introduced tough new laws which they said were designed to prevent sedition. Most of the art was torn down and some of its creators fled the city in fear. However, memories are kept alive online, especially of a statue portraying a young female protestor, dubbed Lady Liberty, who brandished a flag reading “Free Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times.” San San F. Young - director of the documentary Hong Kong Mixt...
Xi Jinping Thought

Xi Jinping Thought

2024-02-1314:47

Chinese politics have been transformed since Xi Jinping became paramount leader in 2012. He has accumulated power in a way unprecedented since the era of Mao Zedong and he expects China's people to study his ideology, just as Chairman Mao's supporters studied his 'Little Red Book'. Professor Steve Tsang, Director of the SOAS China Institute, and Olivia Cheung, Research Fellow at the SOAS China Institute, have co-authored a new book on the philosophy of the Chinese leader, 'The Political Thoug...
Believers in the Chinese zodiac say that this could be an auspicious year for Xi Jinping. It’s been 12 years since he replaced Hu Jintao as general secretary of China’s Communist Party. Xi uses sophisticated media systems to ensure that all citizens study his thoughts. This has helped to ensure that he has overwhelming control of the Chinese political system and society. In this podcast, Chun Han Wong, a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, discusses how Xi views leadership, Taiwan and ...
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