When it comes to Chinese politics, reading the tea leaves is never easy. In this episode Hamish and Geraldine are joined by Rana Mitter, the man dubbed the 'rockstar' of China studies by former PM Kevin Rudd, to break open the black box of the Politburo and reveal just how stable (or unstable) Xi Jinping's leadership is, given the economic and demographic headwinds that China is facing. Guest: Rana Mitter - ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School. Recommendations: Rana - Listening: Face-Off: US vs China podcast, dropping on April 9. Hamish - Reading: Restless Empire: China and the World Since 1750 by Odd Arne Westad Geraldine - Watching: Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War docuseries on Netflix Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

What's really going on inside Beijing's Black Box?

A war breaks out, a leader emerges, a revolution unfolds. How did it happen, and what are the implications for you?

Two award-winning journalists with decades of experience reporting on major world events, Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald join forces for a fresh conversation about global news and how to make sense of it.

Along with expert guests, they take a single topic and examine it with Australian eyes. Challenging, thoughtful and fun, Global Roaming is your user's guide to what the world is talking about.

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​The high-profile visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang signals warming relations between Canberra and Beijing, but could it be indicative of deeper economic and political anxieties in China? What is it, really, that China wants from us?  Guest: Richard McGregor - former Beijing bureau chief for the Financial Times, author of Xi Jinping: The Backlash and Senior Fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute. Recommendations: Geraldine - reading: We’re in 1938 now’: Putin’s war in Ukraine and lessons from history article by Patrick Wintour Hamish - reading: The Hollow Crown: Shakespeare on How Leaders Rise, Rule, and Fall book by Eliot Cohen You can also listen to Hamish's interview with Eliot Cohen and Fintan O'Toole on the Big Weekend of Books on the ABC Listen App  Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Panda politics: What does China really want from Australia?

In India, Mexico and South Africa, frustrations and hopes have been borne out at polling booths, with extraordinary results. Geraldine and Hamish take an in depth look at South Africa, which is about to enter an exciting new phase both at home and abroad. Guests: Lynsey Chutel - reporter for The New York Times based in Johannesburg.  Melanie Verwoerd - former Member of Parliament for the ANC, the former Ambassador to Ireland, and the former Director of UNICEF- Ireland.  Recommendations: Geraldine - watching: A Life in Ten Pictures Season 2 - Nelson Mandela on ABC iView Reading: Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage book by Jonny Steinberg Hamish - watching: Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nkosi Sikelela (Live At Montreux 1989) on Youtube Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

What do India, Mexico and South Africa have in common?

One week into the UK election campaign and to say things have been unexpected is an understatement. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come out firing, announcing a controversial national service scheme that caused Gen Z to have a meltdown. But is it enough to close the gap between the Tories and Labour, led by Sir Keir Starmer?  Guest: Krishnan Guru-Murthy - one of the main anchors of Channel 4 News. He also fronts the podcast Ways to Change the World and reports for the foreign affairs series Unreported World. Recommendations: Hamish - reading: The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict with Itself book by Nick Bryant Geraldine - reading: In death as in life, Yael Dayan is an inconvenient Israeli by Noah Efron Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

Sunak vs Starmer: Who will rule Britannia?

Well, it's happened. Donald Trump is a convicted felon. In this bonus episode, former Republican speechwriter David Frum reacts to the historic verdict and discusses whether Trump has any hope now of being re-elected. Guest: David Frum - staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of 10 books, most recently Trumpocracy (2018) and Trumpocalypse (2020). In 2001 and 2002, David was a speechwriter for President George W. Bush.  You can read his latest on the Trump verdict here. 

The International Criminal Court is considering whether to issue an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu - the first time in history such a move has been made against a pro-Western leader. It's sparked a mixed reaction, internationally, but it's unclear whether Israeli or Hamas leaders will ever be held accountable for potential war crimes. It's also unclear what impact, if any, this development will have on the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.  Guest: Julian Borger - World Affairs Editor at The Guardian; author of The Butcher's Trail and I Seek A Kind Person. Recommendations: Geraldine: Reading - Friendly Fire: How Israel Became Its Own Worst Enemy and the Hope for Its Future book by Ami Ayalon Hamish: Reading - Netanyahu and Khamenei find themselves in a tightening vice article in the Financial Times by Kim Ghattas  Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au

What's really going on inside Beijing's Black Box?

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