Chat Lounge

China’s economy grew by 4.8 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year. This growth rate is lower than the annual target of 5.5 percent set by the central government, but it is still higher than the predictions made by a slew of international institutes. Can the growth momentum last? Will the annual target be reached? Or does the growth rate really matter?

To find out, host Tu Yun is joined by Dr. John Gong, Professor of Economics at the University of International Business and Economics, Rodrigo Zeidan, Associate Professor of Practice of Business and Finance, New York University Shanghai, and author and commentator Thomas Pauken II.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have surpassed 500 million worldwide with the omicron variant accounting for over 99 percent of the total. A World Health Organization panel of experts in February found that Traditional Chinese Medicine has potential benefits in treating some COVID-19 patients. What role can TCM play in the management of the pandemic?

For answers to this and other questions, host Tu Yun is joined by Dr. Liu Baocheng, Director of the Center for International Business Ethics at University of International Business and Economics, Wang Lepeng, Associate Professor at the Chinese Medicine Culture Center of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and author and commentator Thomas Pauken II.

A recent report issued by the British Higher Education Policy Institute has urged the UK government to provide additional funding to build “China competency” in the country’s education system. The HEPI report found that the UK lacks sufficient knowledge and understanding of China to make sensible decisions. Host Tu Yun talked to Michael Natzler, author of the report, for more details.

For further discussion of the topic, Tu Yun’s joined by Liu Yunyun, Deputy Executive Editor of the Beijing Review, John Ross, former Director of Economic and Business Policy for the Mayor of London and Mike Bastin, MA Fashion Marketing and Branding Programme Leader at the University of Southampton's Winchester School of Art in this episode of Chat Lounge.

A study carried out by three international scholars has found that Chinese born after 1990 are more likely to hold unfavorable view of the U.S. The findings were published by researchers from the National University of Singapore, Rice University in Texas, United States, and the University of British Columbia in Canada.

For an in depth look at this phenomenon and its implications, host Tu Yun is joined by one of the researchers, Adam Yao Liu from Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS. We also have Will Zhou, lawyer in international business and one of the nearly 200 million Chinese born in the 1990s, and Sinologist and Professor David Moser with Beijing Capital Normal University in this episode of Chat Lounge.

Saturday marks the annual event of Earth Hour, which was initiated by the World Wide Fund For Nature, formerly World Wildlife Fund, fifteen years ago to encourage people across the world to support our planet Earth.

Apart from switching off lights and non-essential appliances for an hour, what else can be done to promote a low carbon lifestyle?

Host Tu Yun is joined by Scientia Professor Deo Prasad, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Built Environments, University of New South Wales, Australia, Changhua Wu, Executive Director of the Professional Association for China's Environment, and Dr. Patrick Yeung, Ocean Program Expert Consultant from the World Wide Fund for Nature Beijing Office in discussing how to lead a lower carbon life.

The United States is not directly involved in the fight between Russia and Ukraine on the ground. But its influence can be felt in almost every aspect of the conflict. In a new turn of events, the White House has held Zoom briefings with 30 popular TikTokers to help peddle its narrative on the conflict.

In this episode of Chat Lounge, host Tu Yun is joined by Dr. Zhao Hai, research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Andy Boreham, columnist and filmmaker with the Shanghai Daily, and author and commentator Thomas Pauken II in discussing the information war between the US and Russia.

China has launched a 10-month long national campaign against the trafficking of women and children.

Host Tu Yun is joined by Han Hua, Board Member of the China Forum at Tsinghua University, David Moser, Sinologist and professor at Beijing Capital Normal University, and CGTN Radio reporter Xu Yawen to discuss the causes behind this brutal criminal activity and some of the measures that could be implemented to root it out of society.

As Russia and Ukraine are engaged in fierce combat, join host Tu Yun, writer, and columnist Einar Tangen, and current affairs commentator Tom Pauken II for a close look at the causes leading up to the fighting, lessons learned about the conflict, and the possible solution to the crisis.

Half a century after Nixon's icebreaking trip, the Sino-U.S. relationship seems to have regressed in recent years. Join host Tu Yun for a closer look at whether the Pingpong diplomacy that paved the way for Nixon's China trip and the signing of the Shanghai Communique may provide any referential value to both sides.

Joining her in the chat are former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai Kenneth Jarrett, who serves as a senior advisor of Albright Stonebridge Group; Sarah Brooker, a Yenching Scholar and Masters student in China Studies, History and Archaeology at Peking University; and writer and columnist Einar Tangen.

As the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games draw to an end, join our host Tu Yun for a review of some of the exciting moments of the past two weeks and a look at how this year's event could become a stepping stone for the development of winter sports in the world's most populous country in the future.

Joining her in the chat are Mark Dreyer, host of the China Sports Insider Podcast and author of the newly released book Sporting Superpower, An Insider's View on China's Quest to Be the Best, author and commentator Thomas Pauken II, and CGTN Radio sports journalist Yang Guang.