Chat Lounge

From nickel-rich rainforests to battery plants on the rise, Indonesia is teaming up with China to chase the EV prize. A massive battery project in the Southeast Asian country promises new jobs, growth, and green power. But there are also doubts and questions. Is it a clean-energy leap, or a high voltage gamble? With big hopes, how could this shape Asia's green future? Host Tu Yun joins Andy Mok, a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, Putra Adhiguna, the Managing Director of the Indonesia-based non-profit thinktank, Energy Shift Institute, and Kevin Nauen, a Senior Research Fellow at the Asian Vision Institute for a close look.

The newly launched Payment Connect scheme between China's mainland and Hong Kong is set to transform cross-border payments, making transfers faster, cheaper, and as simple as using a phone number. How may it reshape trade, tourism, and convenience across the Greater Bay Area? Will it pave the way for broader use of the digital Chinese currency and future breakthroughs in global finance? And how does the digital yuan fit into a bigger picture of monetary innovation and strategic competition? Host Tu Yun joins Dr. Kwan Ok Lee, Professor and Dean's Chair, Business School, National University of Singapore, Joseph Chan, Associate Professor of Practice and Associate Director, Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Hong Kong University, and Chen Jiahe, Chief Investment Officer, Novem Arcae Technologies for a close look.

China's biopharma boom is on, and foreign investors are flooding in. As we dive into the billion-dollar wave of foreign investment reshaping China's biotech landscape, check out Why pharma giants like Roche and AstraZeneca are expanding their footprint here. What strategic edge does China offer in global drug development? And can the country become a global biopharma innovation powerhouse by 2030? Host Tu Yun joins Dr. Zhou Mi, the Deputy Director of the Institute of American and Oceania Study, Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Warwick Powell, an Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, and Chen Jiahe, the Chief Investment Officer of Beijing-based Novem Arcae Technologies for a close look.

As we look ahead to the upcoming second China-Central Asia Summit, we take this opportunity to explore the critical role of media in shaping and supporting regional cooperation. How can media in China and Central Asian countries serve as a bridge for understanding and trust? What can we do to promote a more balanced and objective global discourse about our region? How do we make sure the voices of China and Central Asia are effectively heard on the international stage? Host Xu Yawen is joined by Zhanna Shayakhmetova, Editor-in-Chief with The Astana Times, in Kazakhstan; Utkir Alimov, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the International Relations Department at the Uzbekistan National News Agency; Henry Kuvin, contributor for The Times of Central Asia; and Xu Xinchen, reporter with CGTN, to delve deeper into these questions.

In a world increasingly divided, can diplomacy speak with a new voice? From Hong Kong, a bold new initiative is taking shape: the International Organization for Mediation, or IOMed, promises to settle disputes not with judges and rulings but with conversation and consensus. Is this a fresh, flexible alternative to the courtroom or a so-called challenge to the existing global legal order? What's the future of peaceful dispute resolution? Host Tu Yun joins Helen Han, Co-founder and Secretary General of the Beijing Club for International Dialogue, Edward Lehman, Founder and Managing Director of China-based law firm Lehman, Lee & Xu, and Bai Xianyue, Partner of Grandall Law Firm Tianjn Office to take a close look on this week's Chat Lounge.

China is strengthening its ties with Pacific Island nations following the conclusion of a major diplomatic event – the Third China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held in Xiamen. The meeting, chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, brought together senior diplomats from 11 Pacific nations with formal ties to Beijing. What were the key takeaways from the meeting? How is China’s growing partnership with Pacific Island nations shaping sustainable regional development? As China’s role expands, is there opportunity for traditional and emerging partners to collaborate on Pacific-led priorities? Host Xu Yawen joins Chen Xi, Assistant to the Director at the New Zealand Studies Center at East China Normal University; Professor Sandra Tarte, Associate Professor in the School of Law and Social Sciences at the University of the South Pacific; and Professor Warwick Powell, Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology, to decode the meeting at the Chat Lounge.

Washington is tightening its containment of China's tech industry, launching a global crackdown on AI chips from Chinese firms, with Huawei squarely in the crosshairs. What's fueling this escalation? And how might it reshape the global semiconductor landscape? Host Tu Yun joins Andy Mok, a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, Dr. Warwick Powell, an Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, and Dr. Qu Qiang, a Fellow of the Belt and Road Research Center at Minzu University to break down the power plays, potential blowback, and China's next move in this high-stakes silicon showdown.

It's a deal, but not a done deal. The temporary tariff agreement reached between China and the United States has brought a glimmer of positivity to a world shrouded in Washington's tariff war. What immediate impact will the deal have on the course of two-way trade? Does the agreement have any implications for other countries currently in talks with the U.S.? How may Beijing respond if Washington backtracks? And what may we expect after the three-month pause expires? Host Tu Yun joins Dr. Zhou Mi, the Deputy Director of the Institute of American and Oceania Study, Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, William Lee, the Chief Economist with the U.S.-based Milken Institute, and Dr. Warwick Powell, Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology in Australia for a close look at the Chat Lounge.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has had a state visit to Russia. The visit coincides with Russia's Victory Day celebrations on May 9, marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, which brought an end to the Second World War in Europe. This year also marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, signifying the complete triumph of the global fight in the World Anti-Fascist War. How will President Xi's visit to Russia further deepen bilateral strategic ties? Why are stable China-Russia relations crucial for regional and global stability? And will the world draw lessons from 80 years ago to preserve peace, or are we heading toward a more turbulent future? CGTN Radio host Xu Yawen speaks with Chen Weihua, the EU bureau chief of China Daily, Evgenii Pavlov, a journalist with Sputnik, Beijing, and Angelo Giuliano, a Swiss-Italian political analyst based in Hong Kong, to delve into these topics.

A mischievous little monster packed in mystery boxes is setting off a global craze from Asia to North America. Labubu, the fluffy, toothy toy from China, is sending fans camping out overnight and driving resale prices sky-high. How did a China-made plush punch through the thick wall of tariffs and land in America's hottest new stores, opening one after another across the country? What's behind the China-made toy's unstoppable rise? Host Tu Yun joins Helen Han, Co-founder and Secretary General of Beijing Club for International Dialogue, Professor Liu Baocheng, the Director of the Center for International Business Ethics at University of International Business and Economics, and Subramania Bhatt, Founder and CEO of China Trading Desk for at the Chat Lounge.