Passeport

The unravelling of China's second largest property developer over recent months has led the conglomerate to rapidly divest its assets in an attempt to avoid a cash crunch. But with more than US$300 billion in total liabilities, the debt crisis enveloping China Evergrande Group is likely to have knock-on effects for China’s economy. In this episode, independent economist George Magnus explains how Evergrande’s liquidity crisis eventuated. George talks to Lois about the broader debt problems facing Chinese property developers, the government's efforts to regulate the sector, and what Evergrande’s looming collapse means for the Chinese and global economies. George Magnus is an independent economist, author and research associate at the China Centre, Oxford University and at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. He was the chief economist and then senior economic adviser at UBS Investment Bank from 1995 to 2012.

It’s the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001, when hijackers used commercial planes as missiles and crashed into New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon. These tragic events led to a new era of US counterterrorism efforts, including America’s longest war.  In this episode, Dr Srinjoy Bose helps us make sense of recent events in Afghanistan. Srinjoy talks to Lois about Afghanistan’s history since the Soviet invasion, the recent evacuation of the US and its allies, the Taliban’s new interim administration and how other nations have responded to the Taliban’s return to power.Srinjoy is a senior lecturer in politics and international relations at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He has conducted research in Afghanistan for more than a decade. Content warning: This episode makes reference to violence, terror attacks in the US and civilian deaths in Afghanistan. 

When Tim Marshall wrote Prisoners of Geography, he had no idea his book would become an international bestseller. One and a half million copies later, Tim has released his second book, The Power of Geography. His latest book explores how geography shapes international relations by analysing different nations and regions from Australia to outer space. In this episode, Tim talks to Lois about why we should pay attention to middle powers, how Australia found itself caught between two great powers, and why the US’ failure in Afghanistan is a major strategic defeat. Tim Marshall is an author, journalist and leading authority in foreign affairs. He was a foreign correspondent, foreign affairs editor and diplomatic editor at Sky News in the UK.