Asian Insider S2E23: Trump is ‘doing a Mao Zedong’ on the US
Why our expert guest speaker draws parallels with the chaotic Cultural Revolution in China in 1966.
Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 40 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.
In this episode - recorded on March 4 - Ravi speaks with Wang Xiangwei, the eminent Hongkong-based China scholar and former editor-in-chief of South China Morning Post. Mr Wang, who currently teaches at Hongkong Baptist University, offers a Chinese perspective on the vast changes being brought to the United States by President Donald Trump.
He draws parallels with the chaotic Cultural Revolution ordered by foundational Chinese leader Mao Zedong in 1966, and discusses what strategic openings this could present China.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:30 Comparisons with Mao’s chaotic Cultural Revolution
5:30 ‘The enemies are within’
9:00 Trump popular despite chaos unleashed
14:40 China too needs to drain the bureaucratic swamp
17:50 China gains as Trump undoes Biden policies
20:30 Putin won’t burn China bridges to please Trump
22:40 US-China confrontation will continue until there’s a winner
Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg)
Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP
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Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
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