MERICS China Podcast

To understand the Communist Party today requires an understanding of its history. To that end, Joseph Torigian and MERICS Analyst Alexander Davey join Johannes Heller-John to talk about a person who devoted more than 70 years of his life to the cause of the CCP, namely Xi Zhongxun, father of China’s party and state leader Xi Jinping.Joseph Torigian is an Associate Professor at the School of International Service at American University and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is the author of the book “The Party’s Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping”.

2025 has seen the Chinese government act with increasing confidence in its own power and agency on the international stage. Is this confidence mirrored in Chinese self-perceptions? MERICS Analyst Alexander Davey and professor for sinology at the University of Trier Kristin Shi-Kupfer join Johannes Heller-John to cast a spotlight on domestic debates in China.Together with Christina Sadeler from MERICS and Wutao Wen from the University of Trier they are the co-authors of the report “China’s domestic debates under the shadow of geopolitics: How views about the economy, commercial culture, and trending topics reveal self-perceptions”.The report and this podcast are part of the China Spektrum, a joint project of the China institute of the University of Trier (CIUT) and MERICS, supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

Eighty years after its foundation, calls for a reform of the United Nations are abundant. Since 2021, China has put forth ideas for such reforms and a different world order in the form of international initiatives like the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative or Beijing’s most recent addition, the Global Governance Initiative launched in September 2025. Katja Drinhausen, Head of the MERICS Politics and Society Program, and Manoj Kewalramani, chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Studies Program at the Takshashila Institution, non-resident Senior Associate at the Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS, and until the end of November 2025 Senior Associate Fellow at MERICS, join Johannes Heller-John to examine China's vision for the global order as it is aspired by the government, discussed by think tankers, and operationalized by policymakers. This podcast episode is part of China Spektrum, a joint project of the China institute of the University of Trier (CIUT) and the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS). The project is made possible by a grant from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

In dieser Folge des "China in 25"-Podcasts wagen Bernhard Bartsch, Mikko Huotari und Claudia Wessling einen Blick ins Jahr 2026. Dabei schauen sie auf die Ergebnisse unseres MERICS China Forecast, die anstehenden Themen des kommenden Jahres und die Chinareisen des französischen Präsidenten Macron und des deutschen Außenministers Wadephul.Für Mikko Huotari haben die Beziehungen zu China eine neue Dimension: „Das ist ein China, mit dem wir uns noch auf Jahre, Jahrzehnte auseinandersetzen müssen. Ein China, das einen ganz anderen Anspruch hat, die Welt zu steuern und zu definieren, unter welchen Bedingungen die Beziehung mit uns ablaufen können.“Mehr Informationen:MERICS Essentials: China im Jahr 2026MERICS China Forecast 2026: High expectations for Chinese innovation, low expectations for relations with US and EUResilient engagement playbook: How Europe can navigate relations with a more confrontational Beijing

In dieser Folge des "China in 25"-Podcasts sprechen Bernhard Bartsch, Mikko Huotari und Claudia Wessling über die China-Reise von Finanzminister und Vize-Kanzler Lars Klingbeil, über Chinas globale Handelsüberschüsse und über den Einbruch der chinesischen Inlandsinvestitionen.Während die Reise von Vize-Kanzler Klingbeil eine Art Rückkehr zur Normalität in Zeiten turbulenter internationaler Beziehungen suggerierte, mahnt Bernhard Bartsch nicht zu vergessen, dass sich Dynamik der Beziehungen gerade grundlegend verändert. „Wir haben gesehen, wie verletzlich wir sind und China hat uns gezeigt, dass es unsere Verletzlichkeiten auch ganz hart politisch ausspielt.“Mikko Huotari sagt hinsichtlich der Werbung der chinesischen Regierung um mehr Importe: „das symbolisiert alles Offenheit, aber ändert überhaupt nicht die strukturellen Probleme, weil die Ursachen dieser schwachen Importe unangetastet bleiben.“

The relationship between the US and China has been fraud with conflict for many years and its twists and turns have global effects. In this episode, George Yin joins Johannes Heller-John to decipher the China policy of the US and its continuities and changes over the last administrations. They also discuss what the EU can do to find its place amidst the rivalling superpowers.George is a Senior Fellow at MERICS and a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for China Studies, National Taiwan University. He is also Senior Advisor to the Straits Exchange Foundation and holds research affiliations with Harvard and Oxford Universities. Among other topics he looks at the China policy of the US.The conversation was recorded on September 26.For more on the topic, read George's comment piece "Art of the deal meets great power politics: Trump 2.0’s approach to China" here.

In dieser Folge des "China in 25"-Podcasts sprechen Bernhard Bartsch, Mikko Huotari und Claudia Wessling über die mit Spannung erwartete Begegnung von Donald Trump und Xi Jinping in Südkorea, über den Stand der deutsch-chinesischen Beziehungen nach der Absage der China-Reise von Außenminister Wadephul und den nächsten Fünfjahrplan, dessen Schwerpunkte die chinesische Führung gerade auf dem Vierten Plenum des Zentralkomitees der KPC vorgezeichnet hat.Mikko Huotari sagt, China und die USA hätten sich durch die Einigung auf eine Aussetzung der von China erlassenen Exportkontrollen Zeit gekauft. "Jetzt ist die Frage, wofür sie diese Zeit verwenden." Europa sei in dem Kontext nur "Zuschauer", merkt er kritisch an. Auch in den deutsch-chinesischen Beziehungen knirscht es, und die Bundesregierung muss sich strategisch klug auf schwierige Gespräche einstellen, wie Bernhard Bartsch sagt. Beijing sehe, wie europäische Staatsführer nach Washington pilgerten um Trump zu schmeicheln, und wolle "genauso respektiert und gefürchtet werden". Auch Chinas Entwurf für den nächsten Fünfjahrplan macht deutlich, Europa muss dringend seine Hausaufgaben machen, wie unsere Diskutanten sagen: Er reflektiert die Kontinuität, mit der Beijing industrielle Innovation ins Zentrum seiner Wirtschaftsstrategie stellt. "Der Rest der Welt muss reagieren", sagt Mikko Huotari. Zu Resilienz und Verletzlichkeiten von EU-Mitgliedstaaten im Verhältnis zu China lesen Sie mehr in unserem am 29. Oktober 2025 veröffentlichten "Europe China Resilience Audit". Analysen zum nächsten Fünfjahrplan und dem Vierten Plenum finden Sie im aktuellen "MERICS China Essentials". 

China has designated cyberspace, outer space, the polar regions and the deep sea as “strategic new frontiers”. It sees competition with the US and Europe extending into these areas as well. Helena Legarda, Head of the Foreign Relations Program at MERICS, joins Johannes Heller-John to talk about what interests China has in these areas and how Europe can catch up ground it has lost over time. Helena is the author of a new MERICS Report titled "The Arctic, outer space and influence-building: China and Russia join forces to expand in new strategic frontiers". Read the report here. ----This podcast is part of the project “Dealing with a Resurgent China” (DWARC) which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 101061700.Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Ahead of the Fourth Plenum of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), this episode of the MERICS China Podcast looks at three issues that are high on the priority list for Chinese decisionmakers, namely urban development, social welfare and global trade tensions. Alexander Davey, Analyst in the Politics and Society Program at MERICS, joins Johannes Heller-John to talk about some of the CCP’s priorities for the next months, the upcoming Fourth Plenum from October 20 to 23 and the 15th Five-Year Plan.You can also watch our media briefing on the Fourth Plenum and 15th Five-Year Plan or read our latest MERICS China Essentials for more coverage.

Governing the people and keeping society “harmonious”, stable and united is seen by the CCP leadership as a core task. The party is now systematically inserting itself into all layers and spheres of society. Johannes Heller-John talks to MERICS Experts Katja Drinhausen, Head of the Politics and Society Program, and Nis Grünberg, Lead Analyst. Together with Alexander Davey they are the authors of the report “Serving the people by controlling them: How the party is reinserting itself into daily life”. From their observations, the CCP is merging public service and control at the very local level. In their view “this is something that Xi Jinping really has put a lot of effort and resources into it since he came to power: to put the party as an organizing and structuring factor into social organization.”----This podcast is part of the project “Dealing with a Resurgent China” (DWARC) which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 101061700.Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.