The US-China Podcast

China’s economy is infused into every aspect of the U.S.-China relationship. With tighter U.S. export controls on chips, new technology developments in China, a slowdown in consumer activity, rising electric vehicle competition, and prickly government relations, the Chinese and American economies were inextricably linked in 2023. What will happen in 2024 as the U.S. presidential election brings more uncertainty to U.S.-China relations? Understanding where China’s macroeconomic trends are heading – and how they may affect American consumers – is crucial to managing other areas of the bilateral relationship. Economists are split on whether the Chinese economy is stable or on the edge of a debt crisis. In this program on March 14, 2024, National Committee President Stephen Orlins joins Amy Celico and Barry Naughton to help make sense of different economic and policy projections for China’s economy in 2024 (and beyond). About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/chinas-economy-2024/ Follow Amy Celico on X: @AmyCelico Follow Barry Naughton on X: @bnaughton Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

Delve into China's Two Sessions of 2024 discussing economic goals, cancellation of Prime Minister's press conference, emphasis on high-quality growth and tech self-reliance. Explore leadership succession and power struggles in Chinese politics, with a focus on foreign policy strategies and relationships with Russia.

Second Thomas Shoal, a feature in the South China Sea, is highly contested: both China and the Philippines claim sovereignty over this area and have confronted each other repeatedly around the shoal, stirring tensions that have escalated into a military confrontation between the two countries. The Chinese Embassy in Manila announced that the Chinese Coast Guard would continue law enforcement activities around the Second Thomas Shoal and condemned the Philippines’ presence in the region; the government of the Philippines insists that it has sovereignty. Both sides state that the other is violating international law. China’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea have long been a point of contention for some Southeast Asian countries, the United States, and others. Conflict management in the Second Thomas Shoal has lasting implications for China's neighbors. On March 8, 2024, Jennifer Staats discusses rising tension in Second Thomas Shoal and China-Philippine relations with Jay Batongbacal and Frances Wang. About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/south-china-sea-second-thomas-shoal/ Follow Jay Batongbacal on X: @JayBatongbacal Follow Frances Wang on X: @YapingW Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

Exploring Serbia's partnerships with China and the U.S., the podcast delves into how Serbia navigates between these superpowers. It discusses the economic and political ties with China, Serbia's transition to democracy, and the U.S.'s efforts in the Western Balkans for stability amidst growing Chinese influence.

Part 1 In 1997, Marketus Presswood was the only Black student in his language program in Beijing, China. His experience navigating race, culture, and identity between China and the U.S. shaped his current research into socio-cultural interactions between Africa, the African Diaspora and China in the twentieth century. Studying abroad in China is not just crucial for American national security, but an important way for young Americans and Chinese to see they have more in common than not.  Part 2 In the early twentieth century, Black and African American musicians brought jazz to China via the ballrooms and music halls of Shanghai. Musical connections between Chinese and Americans flourished through personal interactions and left an indelible imprint on the global state of jazz and China’s own music history.  In an interview recorded January 25, 2024, Spelman College Assistant Professor Marketus Presswood discusses the history of people-to-people relations between Chinese and American musicians, and the necessity of study abroad equity for underrepresented groups of young Americans. About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/china-black-history-month/ Follow Marketus Presswood on X: @Marketusp Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

U.S.-China & the World is an interview series investigating how the U.S.-China relationship impacts societies, economies, and policies around the globe. Through short interviews with local experts, this series takes a closer look at the countries and regions affected by and navigating through U.S.-China tensions—and ultimately, how the United States and China together can build a better future for the international community.  In the time since Kenya and China normalized relations in 1963, China has become Kenya’s largest trading partner in addition to large economic involvement, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the establishment of Chinese businesses in Kenya. What does Kenya need to consider when navigating its separate relationships with the United States and China? Professor Elijah Munyi joined the National Committee on August 18, 2023 to help us understand Kenya’s diplomatic balance between China and the United States.  About the speaker Read the transcipt Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at communications@ncuscr.org Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

NCUSCR staffers Elisabeth Fisher and Bailey Johnson discuss their experiences studying in China, how they balanced exploring a new culture and developing their own identities, and the importance of Black History Month through the study abroad experience.  Find their bios here: https://www.ncuscr.org/staff/ Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).  

U.S.-China & the World is an interview series investigating how the U.S.-China relationship impacts societies, economies, and policies around the globe. Through short interviews with local experts, this series takes a closer look at the countries and regions affected by and navigating through U.S.-China tensions—and ultimately, how the United States and China together can build a better future for the international community.  As a NATO member and bordering country of the Russia-Ukraine war, Poland juggles the complex yet necessary social, political, and security factors. How does China impact Poland’s goals, and how will the United States respond to Chinese involvement in the region? On September 13, 2023, Alijca Bachulska joined the National Committee and dove into the concerns and desires of Poland.   About the speaker Read the transcript Follow Alijca Bachulska on X: @a_bachulska Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at communications@ncuscr.org Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

Meg Rithmire’s book, Precarious Ties: Business and the State in Authoritarian Asia, compares state-business relations in China, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It explains why initial partnerships for growth between political and business elites disintegrated into corruption and financial instability in all three countries, and why some patterns of corruption and cronyism are more destructive for economic and political stability than others. She argues that China is similar to Indonesia in many ways, with endemic distrust between business and political elites creating a form of “mutual endangerment.” In both countries, fraud, asset expatriation, and cronyism reflect mutual enmeshment in illegal dealings to guarantee safety. In recent years, the CCP has pursued discipline of the private sector that seems to borrow from Malaysia, especially the party-state in corporate governance roles. In an interview conducted on January 18, 2024, Meg Rithmire, in conversation with Yeling Tan, focuses on the relationship between business and the state in China. About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/business-state-authoritarian-asia/ Read the transcript: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/business-state-authoritarian-asia/ Follow Meg Rithmire on X: @MegRithmire Follow Yeling Tan on X: @YelingT Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

According to a Chicago Council survey conducted in September 2023, Americans are more concerned about China’s rise now than at any point since the end of the Cold War. A record level of Americans consider China’s transformation into a global power to be a threat to U.S. interests, and are more likely to say that the U.S. government’s efforts to counter China’s rise have been insufficient. Although those surveyed are confident in U.S. military power compared to China’s military power, Americans are divided on which country is stronger economically. From human rights to intellectual property rights, Americans are more likely to say that the U.S. government’s response to China has not gone far enough than to say it has been about right. In an interview recorded on January 19, 2024 with Kate Kaup, Craig Kafura discusses the findings of the Chicago Council’s survey on U.S. attitudes towards China. About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/chicago-council-china-threat/ Read the transcript: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/chicago-council-china-threat/ Follow Craig Kafura on X: @ckafura Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).