

The Hub with Wang Guan
China Plus
The Hub covers hot-button geopolitical and economic issues, as well as interesting stories and trends in culture, education, technology and lifestyle. It aims to connect people, cultures and societies across the East and the West.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 22, 2026 • 26min
Inside China–Ghana cooperation
2026 marks 70 years of diplomatic engagements between China and Africa. China–Ghana cooperation is gaining new momentum. As global uncertainty rises, what makes China–Ghana cooperation stand out, and what does it signal for the future of China–Africa relations?

Jan 20, 2026 • 26min
China's economic milestone and the next phase of growth
China's economy hit a major milestone in 2025, surpassing 140 trillion yuan in GDP. What has driven this growth — and what challenges lie ahead? In this episode of The Hub, host Wang Guan is joined by a panel of experts to discuss economic resilience, technological and industrial upgrading, the priorities of the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, and China's evolving role in the global economy. What forces are shaping China's next phase of development?

Jan 13, 2026 • 26min
How global flashpoints could reshape international order
Recent U.S. actions in Venezuela, rising tensions with Iran, and its interest in Greenland may look separate — but are they? Is might prevailing over right? In this episode of The Hub, host Wang Guan and guests examine the strategic logic connecting these flashpoints and what they may reflect about deeper trends in shifting power, sovereignty, and the global order.

Jan 6, 2026 • 26min
ROK President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to China
China and the Republic of Korea are at a pivotal moment as President Lee Jae Myung begins his first state visit to Beijing. What does this visit mean for the future of China-ROK relations, and how can cooperation between the two neighbors shape regional stability and growth? Where do China-ROK relations stand today and where are they headed next?

Jan 1, 2026 • 26min
Chinese President Xi Jinping's New Year address 2026
China stands at a new juncture as it looks ahead to 2026 with development, governance, and global engagement in focus. What signals shape China's economic priorities for the year ahead? How does China view its role in a rapidly changing world? In this first episode of The Hub for 2026, we explore the key messages from Chinese President Xi Jinping's 2026 New Year address, discuss economic progress and innovation-driven growth, and examine priorities under the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan.

Dec 30, 2025 • 26min
2025 in review with Professor Martin Jacques
As China prepares to launch its 15th Five-Year Plan, it enters a new phase of modernization driven by innovation and long-term planning. What does this mean for the global economy – and for a world facing rising uncertainty?
In this year-end special on The Hub, Huang Jiyuan speaks with Martin Jacques, former senior fellow at the University of Cambridge, on China's development path, the outlook for China-U.S. relations, China's role in the Global South, and whether cooperation and civilizational understanding can help rebuild trust in a fragmented world.

Dec 25, 2025 • 26min
2025 in review with Kishore Mahbubani
Throughout 2025, Asia has continued to drive the global economy. China is advancing high-quality development while playing a stabilizing role in international affairs. Following a year of high-level engagement, what lies ahead for China-U.S. relations? Among shifting global currents, how will Asia's growth contribute to shared global prosperity? In a CGTN year-end special, The Hub brings you a 2025 review with Professor Kishore Mahbubani. As a distinguished diplomat, scholar, and author of influential books on Asia and global affairs, he examines the future of major-power relations, explores the global implications of China's development path, and underscores the necessity of cooperation over rivalry.

Dec 23, 2025 • 26min
Grzegorz W. Kolodko on international cooperation
As the world faces increasing challenges—from global governance and regional security to climate change and food security—international cooperation has never been more important. How can nations work together to build sustainable partnerships that can transcend geopolitical tensions and promote long-term mutual benefits? How can we ensure that global challenges are addressed through collaboration rather than confrontation? We speak with Grzegorz Kolodko, a renowned economist and former Deputy Prime Minister of Poland.

Dec 18, 2025 • 26min
Setting sail from Hainan FTP
This is a big moment as Hainan, the Free Trade Port in South China, officially launches its special customs arrangements that will allow more goods, services, investments, data, and people to move more freely into the island. This is a major policy move, demonstrating China's resolve to become more open and inclusive in this new era. How will all this work in reality? What will these special customs operations mean for global investors and companies?

Dec 9, 2025 • 26min
Climate pressure on food
Climate change is no longer unfolding in the background — it is now a major driver of the global food crisis. Heatwaves, droughts, floods and widespread crop failures are disrupting harvests and threatening livelihoods of millions of people, particularly in the world's most vulnerable regions. As the United Nations Environment Assembly meets this week at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, one urgent question comes to the forefront: how can countries strengthen resilience and transform their food systems to withstand a rapidly warming planet?


