The US-China Podcast

As President Biden’s first year in office coincides with the 50th anniversary of President Nixon’s announcement that he would visit the People’s Republic of China, it seemed like a good time for a group of experts to try to re-imagine U.S.- China relations. "From Trump to Biden and Beyond" is the result of their efforts. It provides insights into global issues that will define America and China now and in the future, including tech innovation, energy and climate cooperation, engagement with Latin America, cross-Strait relations and the Indo-Pacific, among others. It suggests ways for Washington to articulate a new set of values, objectives, and tactics to define the most important bilateral relationship in the world and address the challenges it presents.

In an interview conducted on November 12, 2021, Earl Carr and Carolyn Kissane discussed ways in which the Biden administration might deal with the challenges presented by the Sino-American relationship.

The Sixth Plenum of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee was held in Beijing November 8-11, laying the groundwork for a twice-a-decade party congress in 2022. The gathering of approximately 375 Central Committee members and alternates was expected to review the work of the CPC over the last 100 years and to set goals for the next 100 years. In recent decades, the party has devoted the final plenary session to discussions of party affairs, especially key appointments, ideology, and party-building.

In an interview conducted on November 12, 2021, Jude Blanchette and Diana Fu discuss the implications of what was and was not announced at the Sixth Plenum.

In the past, supply chains were primarily understood through a lens of economic efficiency and competitiveness. Today, the conversation has shifted to a prism of various new concepts such as resiliency, decoupling, reshoring, self-reliance, and mostly notably, national security.

In an interview conducted on August 12, 2021, moderated by Mark Dallas (Union College), Peter Cleveland (TSMC) and Brittany Masalosalo (3M) discuss global supply chains and how the United States and China can better work with one another and with business practitioners to ensure that markets are adequately secure and open.

On September 15, U.S. President Joe Biden, Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new trilateral security partnership described by PM Morrison as “a next-generation partnership built on a strong foundation of proven trust.”

What does the partnership, known as AUKUS, suggest for the three countries involved, for France and the rest of the European Union, and for China and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region? 

In an interview conducted on October 12, 2021, Theresa Fallon and Richard McGregor analyze the significance of AUKUS in conversation with Jason Kelly.

Li Shuo discusses the importance of biodiversity loss as an issue of mutual concern in the bilateral relationship and highlighted specific areas where cooperation is essential to the future of the planet.

In September 2021, China formally submitted its application to join the large regional free trade agreement known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The CPTPP, which currently has 11 member countries with 495 million people and a combined GDP of $13.5 trillion, originally started as the U.S.-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) before the United States withdrew from the deal in 2017 following bipartisan pushback.

In order for China to join the CPTPP, it would need approval by all 11 member countries. What is the likelihood that China’s application will be successful? Is China able to deliver on the high-level trade standards required by the CPTPP? Will the United States remain on the sidelines as China continues to deepen its economic integration in the Asia Pacific region and beyond?

In an interview conducted on October 6, 2021, Scott Kennedy discusses China’s request to join the CPTPP, the likelihood of approval, and the potential impact on the global trade landscape.

China’s massive real estate market has been shaken by recent news of property developer China Evergrande Group’s increasingly dire financial situation. What explains the company’s predicament, and how has the Chinese government responded? How did giant conglomerates such as Evergrande become so prominent in the Chinese economy? What is the significance of real estate for individual households and China’s economy as a whole, and what does the government handling of Evergrande reveal about the relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and big business?

In an interview conducted on October 5, 2021, Meg Rithmire analyzes the domestic and global economic and political implications of the troubles facing real estate giant China Evergrande Group in conversation with Keith Abell.

The results of China's 2020 census, released in May 2021, reveal that population growth over the past decade has been the lowest since the 1950s. China's government has now loosened some restrictions, allowing married couples to have as many as three children. This signals increasing concern by policy makers, and may suggest further measures in the near future as the wide-ranging repercussions of demographic changes reverberate across Chinese society.

In an interview conducted on September 14, 2021, Dr. Ye Liu and Professor Carl Minzner discuss the social implications of China’s accelerating demographic crisis, with specific attention to the varied reactions of women in China to recent policy shifts and comparisons of China's demographic challenges with those in other parts of East Asia.

In July, China’s State Council banned after-school tutoring. Companies that operate ed tech platforms or provide online education were forbidden from raising capital through IPOs, and listed companies and foreign investors were barred from investing or acquiring stakes in education firms that teach school subjects. 

The industry is enormous: some $10 billion of venture capital flowed into China’s edtech sector in 2020 alone. According to a listing prospectus from New Oriental Education, a major tutoring company, the total number of K-12 student enrolments in after-school tutoring increased from 202.6 million in 2015 to 325.3 million in 2019 and was expected to increase to 659.5 million by 2024. 

In an interview conducted on September 1, 2021, Ms. Wenchi Yu discusses the recent crackdown on private tutoring in China.

Journalist and author Lenora Chu and senior associate consultant at The Bridgespan Group Willie Thompson discuss how their exchange experiences have shaped their views of, and enabled them to speak effectively about, China.