China In Context

It has been more than three years since former US president Donald Trump launched a 'trade war' against China. The Chinese government says it was a waste of time - it insists the clash with the US hasn’t suppressed China's development and there’s still a massive amount of trade going on between the two countries. China set an economic growth target of about six percent for 2021 and it’s likely to easily surpass that, if official figures can be believed. Tommy Wu, lead economist for China at Oxford Economics uses his data-analytic skills to compare China and the US. The podcast is hosted by Duncan Bartlett.   China In Context: Episode 31   Broadcast date: 7th September, 2021 ________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI) SCI Blog SCI on X SCI on LinkedIn SCI on Facebook SCI on Instagram ________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

China’s leaders often boast of their country’s economic achievements, especially recently, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The official narrative is simple. While the rest of the world continues to endure great economic pain, China is almost back to full strength. In reality, the situation’s much more complicated - partly because GDP growth can be measured in various ways and it’s always presented in a very flattering light by the official Chinese media. And while some sectors and regions in China do seem to be booming, others are struggling. Tommy Wu, lead economist for China at Oxford Economics scrutinises the data with Duncan Bartlett, Editor of Asian Affairs magazine.     China In Context: Episode 30   Broadcast date: 31 August, 2021 ________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI) SCI Blog SCI on X SCI on LinkedIn SCI on Facebook SCI on Instagram ________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

The People's Republic of China is officially an atheist country – yet gods and immortals still hold great influence over people’s lives. There are hundreds of millions of followers of the main religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and Islam – as well as Falun Gong, the largest of several banned new religious movements.  Those groups don’t have much in common theologically but each offers an alternative perspective on life to the ideology of the ruling Communist Party.  This often creates political tension. Stephen Chan, Professor of World Politics at SOAS looks at the changing perceptions of religion in China with podcast host Duncan Bartlett.   China In Context: Episode 29  Broadcast date: 24 August, 2021 ________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI) SCI Blog SCI on X SCI on LinkedIn SCI on Facebook SCI on Instagram ________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

Christianity has enjoyed a major revival in China in recent years. However, the relationship between the Christians and the Communists is growing increasingly uneasy. Given Christianity’s association in many Chinese people’s minds with western values, the line between religion and politics sometimes becomes blurred. In some places, particularly Zhejiang province, churches have been demolished and crosses torn down, drawing condemnation of China from religious leaders abroad. Stephen Chan, Professor of World Politics at SOAS, discusses China and Christianity with podcast host, Duncan Bartlett.   China In Context: Episode 28  Broadcast date: 17 August, 2021 ________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI) SCI Blog SCI on X SCI on LinkedIn SCI on Facebook SCI on Instagram ________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

Since Joe Biden became the American president, the United States has hinted it would consider holding a dialogue to resolve the issue of North Korea's nuclear and missile development. However, North Korea has made clear it’s not interested in the possibility of any contact with the US. The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the photogenic Kim Yo-jong, has warned of confrontation. So what could China do to help matters? Is it interested in reducing the tension between North Korea and the US? In this podcast, Dr Edward Howell, Lecturer in Politics at New College, University of Oxford, analyses the tense relationship between North Korea, China and the United States. The host is Duncan Bartlett, Editor of Asian Affairs magazine.   China In Context: Episode 27  Broadcast date: 10 August, 2021 ________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI) SCI Blog SCI on X SCI on LinkedIn SCI on Facebook SCI on Instagram ________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

A formidable iron curtain separates China and its neighbour, North Korea. Even before Covid-19, North Korea had a reputation as the most isolated society on Earth. Since the start of the pandemic, North Korea seems to have become even more isolated and its link to China is almost closed. Dr Edward Howell, Lecturer in Politics at New College, University of Oxford gives his appraisal of the complex relationship between China and North Korea in this discussion with podcast host Duncan Bartlett, Research Associate at the SOAS China Institute.   China In Context: Episode 26 Broadcast date: 3rd August, 2021 ________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI) SCI Blog SCI on X SCI on LinkedIn SCI on Facebook SCI on Instagram ________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

Xi Jinping has invested heavily in China’s armed forces, determined to create a world-class military with sophisticated, modern weapons. China’s People’s Liberation Army has more than a million men and women under arms. But questions remain about this unusual army. Is it actually the People’s army - or the Party’s army? How loyal are the troops to Xi Jinping? And what would provoke them into a battle? Gordon Arthur is the Asia Pacific editor for Shephard Media and knows China well, having lived in Hong Kong for 20 years. In this podcast, he considers the strength and sophistication of the PLA and assesses the risk of war. The podcast is hosted by Duncan Bartlett from Asian Affairs magazine. China In Context: Episode 25  Broadcast date: July 27, 2021________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI) SCI Blog SCI on X SCI on LinkedIn SCI on Facebook SCI on Instagram ________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

The seas around China are patrolled by the navy of the People’s Liberation Army, which is on constant standby for conflict. The primary threat, as far as China is concerned, is the United States of America. But there is another challenge to China’s growing dominance in the Indo-Pacific. In recent years, America, Australia, India and Japan have been conducting joint military exercises near China under the auspices of the Quad – a coalition focussed on defence and security. Gordon Arthur, Asia Pacific Editor for Shephard Media, gives his view on defence and security issues in the region. The podcast is hosted by Duncan Bartlett, Editor of Asian Affairs.  China In Context: Episode 24 Broadcast date: July 20, 2021________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI) SCI Blog SCI on X SCI on LinkedIn SCI on Facebook SCI on Instagram ________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases yet its government insists it is following a path towards a green transformation. So where does the rhetoric end and the action begin? And how much cooperation can we realistically expect between China and other countries which say they want to reach an international consensus on tackling climate change? Isabel Hilton, the founder of China Dialogue, a website that analyses environmental issues, discusses climate diplomacy with Duncan Bartlett, the Editor of Asian Affairs magazine.  China In Context: Episode 23 Broadcast date: July 13, 2021________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI) SCI Blog SCI on X SCI on LinkedIn SCI on Facebook SCI on Instagram ________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0

Chinese people enjoy a close relationship to nature and inhabit one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world. However, rapid industrialisation and pollution have had a terrible impact on the environment and caused some species to become critically endangered, or even extinct. There is particular concern about the damage caused by coal mining, one of the key sources of energy to fuel the Chinese economy. In this podcast, a renowned expert on China’s environment, Isabel Hilton, gives her view on what the authorities should do to promote biodiversity.  China In Context: Episode 22  Broadcast date: July 06, 2021________________________________________The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and are not necessarily those of the SOAS China Institute.________________________________________SOAS China Institute (SCI) SCI Blog SCI on X SCI on LinkedIn SCI on Facebook SCI on Instagram ________________________________________Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0