The US-China Podcast

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. 

The Pacific Islands lie in China’s and the United States’ backyards. How can the two countries become better neighbors to the region to better the lives of those living in the Pacific? Graeme Smith, professor and podcast host, joined the National Committee on July 27, 2023 to broadly discuss the perspective from the Pacific Islands.  

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Follow Graeme Smith on X: @GraemeKSmith

Listen to The Little Red Podcast

Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at [email protected]

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The United States and its allies have been combating Houthi attacks that have left vital Red Sea shipping lanes vulnerable. China, however, has contributed little to these international efforts. Tensions have risen amid calls for China to join the international effort, prompting discussions on the nation’s role in safeguarding maritime security in the Red Sea.

How can China and the United States work together or separately to help restore stability and security in the crucial Red Sea region, and what is holding back cooperation? In a discussion moderated by Dawn Murphy on March 18, 2024, Isaac Kardon and Sun Yun analyze the shipping lane crisis and China’s role in Red Sea security.

About the speakers

Follow Dawn Murphy on X: @DawnMurphyChina

Follow Isaac Kardon on X: @IBKardon

Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

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).

The annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), known as the “Two Sessions” (“Lianghui”), feature the gathering of political leaders in Beijing each spring to announce plans and goals for the coming year. In 2024, faced with concerns over stalling economic growth, increased tension in the South China Sea, and elections in Taiwan and the United States, the Two Sessions has been in the spotlight for both international and domestic audiences. What are the key implications of the 2024 Two Sessions for the state and trajectory of U.S.-China relations?

In an interview conducted on March 14, 2024, Jessica Teets and Jack Zhang discuss the implications of the 2024 Two Sessions for China’s economy, politics, and foreign policy with Mary Gallagher.

About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/2024-two-sessions/

Follow Mary Gallagher on X: @MaryGao

Follow Jack Zhang on X: @HanFeiTzu

Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

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).

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. 

Serbia-China relations are woven together by free trade agreements and national security. What do Serbians think of the U.S.-China relationship? How does the country navigate a path between the world’s two greatest superpowers? Stefan Vladisavljev joins the National Committee on September 21, 2023 to help us understand what Serbia wants and its attitudes towards China and the United States. 

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Follow Stefan Vladisavljev on X: @vladisavljev_s

Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

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

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Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at [email protected]

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.  

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Follow Alijca Bachulska on X: @a_bachulska

Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).