The co-host of “Hybrid Talk”, Chaoting, was invited by the Institute for Customs and International Trade Law at the University of Münster, Germany, to deliver a lecture on “Strategic and Economic Competition Between China and the United States” on December 20, 2025, as part of their part-time master's program. This episode is the recording of that lecture.

For video, please click https://youtu.be/gFYaNeuciGs

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In this episode, Yating, Dimitri, and Chaoting discuss the weaponisation of interdependence, which is a hot topic of economic statecraft or geo-economics. For video, please click https://youtu.be/-GFq7cgdxO4

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In this episode, Yating and Dimitri discuss and compare economic reforms in China and Russia. For video, please click https://youtu.be/EEaG69CaVDQ

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hybridtalk.substack.com

Last week I, Chaoting Cheng, attended the Sixth Eurasian Studies Conference in Armenia. After the conference, I interviewed Dr. Mher D. Sahakyan, the organizer of the event, whom I consider a role model. Please enjoy our conversation. For video, visit https://youtu.be/PFTCh-KSiAk

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hybridtalk.substack.com

In this episode of Hybrid Talk, we had a discussion with a young Russian researcher living in Germany to explore a surprisingly rich journey, from muscles to body politics, from quantum ideas to intellectual thinking, and from studying experiences in Russia to rebuilding one’s intellectual world abroad.

We begin with something simple and human: the motivations for working out every day. Why do muscles matter in Russia? What does “feeling safe” have to do with strength after the 1990s? And how do fitness culture, capitalism, and body politics shape how we understand freedom?

Our guest speaker explains why he named his podcast “Universal Wavefunction”, and how quantum ideas became a metaphor for thinking about uncertainty, world politics, and intellectual life beyond academia.

We also discuss:

* Why he left Moscow to restart his studies in Germany

* How Russian academia differs from the German system

* Why young scholars today feel the need to communicate ideas outside academia

This is a conversation about bodies and minds, power and knowledge, freedom and constraint, and what it means to build a life, physically and intellectually, in a world full of change and distractions

Timeline:

00:00-00:35 Preview clips

00:36- 01:02 Brief intro of the guest speaker

01:07- 07:53 Fitness, body politics, and sports as a body need

7:54 -14:12 Sports in Russia, China and US

14:13-15:42 Beauty Standards in China

15:44- 19:35 Getting muscles in Russia is a way of self-defense

19:36- 21:53 Chinese preferring to be intellectuals rather than being jacked

21:56- 24:27 Everyone needs to do some sports

24:28- 28:51 Diet, fitness, steroids and capitalism

28:52- 30:46 Sports and intellectual work

30:51- 42:12 Universal Wavefunction, quantum metaphor, motivation for making podcast, problems of academia

42:16- 49:20 Studying experiences in MGIMO University

49:21- 55:06 Unspoken rules, corrupted system in Russia, and silent dissents

For video, please click https://youtu.be/qmlXbJBlmus

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hybridtalk.substack.com

Speakers

Cheng, Dimitri

Summary of the Discussion

1. Trump’s Ukraine-Russia Peace Plan

Cheng and Dimitri discussed from the 28-point peace plan proposed by the Trump administration regarding the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Both participants agreed that the plan favors Russia by requiring Ukraine to cede territory and accept Russian demands, while also preventing Ukraine from joining NATO. They analyzed the geopolitical motivations behind the U.S.’s shift from supporting Ukraine under Biden to pressuring both sides under Trump, with a focus on maintaining balance in Eurasia to counter China’s rise and prevent any dominant power from challenging U.S. hegemony.

2. Russia’s Geopolitical Realignment Strategies

Dimitri and Cheng discussed the potential realignment of Russia’s geopolitical position, with Trump’s approach offering incentives for Russia to reengage with the West, potentially at the expense of its relationship with China. They explored the challenges and opportunities of such a shift, including Russia’s historical identity as a European country and its current reliance on China for economic and strategic support. They also discussed the complexities of achieving a unified Eurasian continent, noting the historical tensions between maritime and continental powers and the difficulties in overcoming existing conflicts and contradictions among the region’s countries.

3. EU’s Global Influence and Dynamics

Cheng emphasized the complex dynamics between the EU, Ukraine, and other global powers. He highlighted the EU’s economic strength, military capabilities, and cultural influence, challenging the perception of European weakness. The discussion also touched on Germany’s economic prospects, defense spending, and its role in shaping global relations with China and Russia.

4. Geopolitical Shifts in Europe

The discussion focused on the evolving geopolitical landscape, particularly the shifting dynamics between Europe, China, and Russia. Cheng emphasized that Europe, especially Germany, has significant potential and should not be underestimated, noting a recent opportunity for Germany to take over NATO’s top military command in Europe. The conversation also explored China’s changing investment patterns in Europe, with a shift from aggressive acquisition to more cautious engagement due to financial constraints and increased European scrutiny. The discussion concluded with an analysis of the complex Sino-Russian relationship, suggesting that as the ideological threat from the U.S. diminishes under the current administration, the motivation for Russia and China to collaborate may also wane, potentially leading to a more multipolar world order.

5. Global Power Shift Analysis

The discussion focused on the shifting global power dynamics, with Cheng analyzing how the U.S. is transitioning its focus from Europe and the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific and Latin America due to its reduced hegemonic position. They explored China’s efforts to create an alternative reserve currency system to challenge U.S. financial dominance, and discussed the complex relationship between China and Russia, noting deep-seated distrust despite their geopolitical alignment. The conversation concluded with an examination of Russia’s cultural identity and its struggle to find meaning in a multipolar world, while acknowledging that Russia-China relations remain primarily elite-driven rather than rooted in popular sentiment.

For video, please click https://youtu.be/yA5uqhpFuUM

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hybridtalk.substack.com

As of 2024, Germany counts roughly 3 million people with Turkish background—the largest single origin group by migration background—and about 1.22 million people with Syrian background. In Berlin, kebab shops, Turkish grocers, and Arab-run businesses shape everyday street life, especially in Neukölln and Kreuzberg. Their visibility has fueled anxieties in some circles—including parts of the Chinese community—that Muslim-background migrants don’t integrate, drive crime, strain the welfare state, and damage Germany’s image. In this episode, we set those claims beside lived reality: a Turkish-German citizen joins us to share his experience growing up in Germany, and to discuss immigration and integration, the welfare state, and contemporary German politics.

For video, please visit https://youtu.be/ZpQ8yHtw26M

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hybridtalk.substack.com

Over the past week, the U.S. President Trump has visited Asia, with Malaysia as his first stop, followed by Japan, and concluding in South Korea, where he met with the Chinese supreme leader. This Asian tour offers a valuable opportunity to observe U.S. foreign policy and strategy.

Undoubtedly, Trump is an unconventional U.S. president. Whether his second-term foreign policy is underpinned by a grand strategic logic or driven by transactional thinking and short-term gains remains a matter of debate. Skeptics argue that Trump lacks strategic vision, relying on instincts to navigate international relations while prioritizing personal relations over systematic approach. John Bolton, Trump’s National Security Advisor during his first term, espouses this view. Supporters, however, contend that Trump possesses a grand strategy and is vigorously implementing it.

Yet even among these supporters, there is no consensus on what grand strategy Trump actually pursues. Three prominent arguments exist: First, the “Priority Strategy,” where Trump seeks to shed burdens in Europe and the Middle East to focus entirely on countering China in the Indo-Pacific. Second, the “Sphere of Influence” theory, positing that Trump no longer pursues global hegemony but instead divides spheres of influence with China and Russia—China controlling Asia, Russia controlling Eastern and Central Europe, and the U.S. controlling Western Europe and the Americas. Third, the “Isolationist” view, suggesting the U.S. withdraws from the world stage to concentrate on domestic matters.

By examining Trump’s recent tour of Asia, we can empirically evaluate these diverse opinions, thereby acquiring a more precise, nuanced, and thorough comprehension of his prospective foreign policy over the coming 3 years.

For video, please visit:

https://youtu.be/IWTMHz_eYTA

or https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Fh1YB3EWr

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hybridtalk.substack.com

In this episode, Yating shares her journey as a PhD student in Germany.

Timeline:

00:00 Opening Theme

00:31 Start of conversation

01:30 Why did Yating move to Germany for PhD studies?

06:51 Research topic

09:42 Experiences of moving to Germany in the Covid Time

19:00 Reverse cultural shock, Hierarchy in Chinese and German academia, Alcohol culture in China

27:00 Encountering different views about China? Negative or just curious about China?

31:30 Do Chinese eat dogs?

33:30 The broader image of China in Germany

35:39 Comparing China’s image with Korea and Japan, soft power, stereotypes, Anime, K-pop, video games

44:00 Cultural differences between China and Germany, Payment

45:00 Is Bairenfan (White people’s food) helathier than Chinese food？

47:50 Social media, emoji languages and flirting

54:50 Are Germans friendly to strangers?

56:00 Being friendly, network, socialist society and social code

58:42 Commons and differences of dating culture in China and Germany

01:05:42 Chinese parents dress their daughters like boys? Feminism and beauty duty

01:09:27 Fitness, individualism, masculinity, male attractiveness

01:18:10 Beauty standards in China and Germany

01:20:35 Girls are encouraged to be strong in Germany

01:23:13 Concluding remarks

For video, please visit https://youtu.be/wUDjOgNRoTc or https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1YZW2zYEt3

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hybridtalk.substack.com

On Sunday, September 14, 2025, we discussed the death of Charlie Kirk and its cause, impact, particularly for ordinary people, and possible solution……

For video, please visit:

https://youtu.be/EkBlduGm88c

or

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1XrpuzRE47

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hybridtalk.substack.com