Best Xijinping Podcasts (2025)

1
‘Russia is a superpower of the past’. Meduza asks China expert Alexander Gabuev what Trump’s ‘12 out of 10’ meeting with Xi Jinping means for Putin

Play Pause

3h ago

—

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea. October 30, 2025. On October 30, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the first time in six years. Trump described the meeting, which came after a months-long trade war, as “amazing” and a “12 out of 10.” He also announced plans to immediately re…

1
Russia’s new reservist law looks like another ‘quiet mobilization’. It’s October 31, 2025. Here are two stories worth your attention.

2h ago

—

Who ya gonna call when the country’s not ready for Round Two? The reservists! Both houses of Russia’s Parliament have passed legislation allowing the state to call up reservists to protect “critical infrastructure” during special drills. In practice, this will likely involve defending energy, transport, and industrial sites from Ukrainian drone att…

1
Could Russia occupy all of Donbas in a year? And what if Ukraine’s ‘fortress belt’ falls? Meduza’s military analysts answer readers’ biggest questions about the war

4h ago

—

Destroyed apartment buildings in the city of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region. July 2025. Last week, we asked our Russian-language readers to send in their most pressing questions about the Russia–Ukraine war. We received hundreds of messages in response, and our Explainers team reviewed each one, grouped similar questions by topic, and then selected the…

1
Kenya's Chinese Debt Swap Comes With a Hidden Currency Risk 31:57

21h ago31:57

31:57

The Kenyan Treasury last month announced a breakthrough in its years-long effort to restructure billions of dollars still owed to the China Exim Bank that were used to build the Standard Gauge Railway. The two sides agreed to convert the remaining $3.5 billion of debt from higher-interest-rate U.S. dollar-denominated loans to more affordable yuan-d…

1
How Russian and American signaling turned nuclear again. It’s October 30, 2025. Here are three stories worth your attention.

9h ago

—

Gee, I wish we had one of them doomsday machines Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time in 33 years. The announcement, made during the president’s tour of Asia and following Moscow’s recent tests of two nuclear-powered weapons, appears intended as a message to rival nuclear powers China and Russi…

1
‘Clothing has nothing to do with public safety’. Chechen officials plan to ‘educate’ women who go out without headscarves

14h ago

—

A woman poses with cherry blossoms in Grozny. April 3, 2024. Officials in Russia’s Chechnya have announced plans to summon women who appear in public without headscarves for so-called “informational talks.” The authorities say the campaign will promote modesty and respect for local traditions. Rights advocates say it’s a thinly veiled attempt to ti…

1
Grokipedia vs. Ruwiki. Elon Musk’s Wikipedia rival uses AI to push its creator’s views — something Moscow already tried. Meduza compares the results.

1d ago

—

This week saw the launch of Grokipedia, a large language model-powered online encyclopedia created by Elon Musk. The U.S. billionaire claims the new product is a less “biased” alternative to Wikipedia, the decades-old reference site widely seen as one of the last surviving relics of a healthier, more democratic Internet. However, users have found m…

1
One bad apple . Meduza explains why the Kremlin is cracking down on Russia’s Yabloko party and its floundering campaign for peace

17h ago

—

Ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections, the Kremlin is cracking down on the liberal party Yabloko, which opposes the war in Ukraine. Just this month, authorities arrested one of its leaders, spread rumors about another, and placed a third under house arrest. At the same time, Yabloko’s approval rating only hovers around 3–4 percent, and the p…

1
‘Like stepping into a mousetrap’. Russian military academies won’t let cadets drop out. Legal experts say Putin’s 2022 mobilization decree is to blame.

1d ago

—

First-year cadets at a maritime technical academy attend an oath ceremony in the naval port of Kronstadt outside of Saint Petersburg. October 3, 2025. In a new report, iStories revealed that the Budyonny Military Academy in St. Petersburg refuses to let its cadets drop out. One now-former cadet told iStories that his withdrawal request was ignored.…

1
America’s ‘force posture adjustment’ in Europe, and how Russia lost Nyash-Myash. It’s October 29, 2025. Here are two stories worth your attention.

1d ago

—

The U.S. military to Europe: Don’t call it a withdrawal! The thousand-odd U.S. soldiers who rotated out of Romania last month won’t be replaced, Bucharest revealed on Wednesday. The withdrawal follows months of signals from the Trump administration that America’s military presence on NATO’s eastern flank could be sustained at lower levels. In its o…

1
‘Zeroed out’. How Russian army officers are executing their own men — and getting away with it

1d ago

—

Russian soldiers on the front line aren’t just dying in combat with Ukrainian troops — many are being killed by their own commanders. In a new investigation, the outlet Verstka identified 101 servicemen accused of involvement in field executions, referred to within the Russian army as “zeroings out.” Their alleged crimes include cases where soldier…

1
Russia adds Meduza co-founder and CEO Galina Timchenko to international wanted list

2d ago

—

Russia has placed Galina Timchenko, co-founder and CEO of Meduza, on its international wanted list, the country’s Investigative Committee announced on Wednesday. The measure comes in connection with Russian authorities’ charges against Timchenko for allegedly organizing the activities of a designated “undesirable organization.” According to the Inv…

1
Russia changes military recruitment tactics, a mayor threatens a constituent for ‘dislikes,’ and Ukraine will start exporting weapons. Meduza breaks down today’s biggest Russia-related news stories, October ...

3d ago

—

Below, you’ll find a digest of news reports from October 28, 2025, in Russian and English. Do you enjoy daily news briefs? Are you starved for direct, hand-crafted, microbrewed stories and commentary about Russia? If you shouted “Yes!” to any of these questions, check this out: Listen up, Europe and America 🕊️ State Duma deputies have cautiously we…

1
‘We traveled across the whole world’. YouTuber MrBeast removes mention of Ukraine from Russian-language version of video showing war-torn zoo

3d ago

—

The world’s most popular YouTuber is facing criticism after censoring the Russian-language voiceover in one of his videos to avoid mentioning Ukraine — even though part of the video is set there and shows destruction from Russia’s ongoing war. In his latest release, 27-year-old Jimmy Donaldson, better known by his username MrBeast, claims to have r…

1
Raising the pressure. Trump is hitting Russia with sanctions that even Biden shied away from. Can its war-weary economy handle them?

3d ago

—

Mooring ropes at the Port of Murmansk The Russian economy is under pressure, with civilian industries struggling and growth barely holding up. The Central Bank has so far acted cautiously, cutting its key rate by just half a percentage point. Inflation, meanwhile, shows no signs of slowing, keeping loans expensive and demand muted. On top of that, …

1
‘Negative messaging doesn’t work’ . Meduza asks foreign policy experts about Kyiv’s challenges in Africa

3d ago

—

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Pretoria, South Africa. April 24, 2025. After Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine in February 2022, only about half of Africa’s countries backed a U.N. resolution condemning Moscow’s invasion. In the years since, Kyiv has stepped up its diplomatic and humanitarian o…

1
The Lithuanian–Belarusian balloon war, Putin’s disappearing cousin, and Domodedovo’s fire sale. Meduza breaks down today’s biggest Russia-related news stories, October 27, 2025

4d ago

—

Below, you’ll find a digest of news reports from October 27, 2025, in Russian and English. Do you enjoy daily news briefs? Are you starved for direct, hand-crafted, microbrewed stories and commentary about Russia? If you shouted “Yes!” to any of these questions, check this out: This concerns you directly, Europeans 🇱🇻 Latvia’s State Security Servic…

1
‘Not an appropriate thing’. Russia says its experimental Burevestnik nuclear missile completed a 15-hour test flight. Trump isn’t impressed.

4d ago

—

A screenshot from a Russian Defense Ministry video of a Burevestnik missile test. July 19, 2018. On Sunday, President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik missile. According to the Kremlin, the test took place on October 21, as part of a strategic exercise involving all three components of Rus…

1
‘A perverse game with death’. Russia’s moral guardians are once again trying to ban Halloween. Could this year be different?

4d ago

—

Halloween hasn’t even arrived, but Russia’s moral guardians are already on the offensive. Officials and activists have urged teachers to cancel festivities, warning that the holiday goes against Russia’s “traditional values” and could harm children’s psyches. Event organizers have even been reported to authorities for supposedly “promoting Satanism…

1
Nothing but the anti-Kremlin hits . Performing songs by blacklisted musicians made this Russian street band famous. Then it landed them in jail.

4d ago

—

Stoptime lead singer Diana Loginova in court. October 16, 2025. On October 16, a St. Petersburg court jailed the members of Stoptime, a street band that went viral for covering songs by popular artists the Kremlin has blacklisted as “foreign agents.” The three musicians were found guilty of “organizing a rally” that violated public order, a misdeme…

1
A big dam disaster. Russian authorities urge evacuation after Ukrainian strike on Belgorod dam sparks flood risk

4d ago

—

Satellite footage of the Belgorod Reservoir dam. September 8, 2024. A dam near the Russian city of Belgorod is leaking water after it was damaged by a Ukrainian strike over the weekend, according to local authorities. On Saturday, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported on Telegram that the Belgorod Reservoir dam had been hit by a Ukrainian drone. He …

1
Election officials battle Zaporizhzhia’s ‘governor,’ a crew in Kazan daringly frees a draft dodger, and an abortion stats milestone. Meduza breaks down today’s biggest Russia-related news stories, October ...

7d ago

—

Below, you’ll find a digest of news reports from October 24, 2025, in Russian and English. Today, we focus on the signs of wear and tear in Russia’s occupation of eastern Ukraine and other evidence that the invasion is straining life for many in Russia. We also look at developments in Kremlin propaganda, the ongoing human rights crackdown, and what…

1
The Archive Collection . Nothing can stop Meduza from releasing anniversary merch — even if we have to make it ourselves. Check out our latest drop now!

7d ago

—

We have a new tradition here at Meduza: every year on our birthday, we update the merch in our online store, Magaz. In 2025, we turned 11 — and despite the considerable challenges we’ve faced this year, we’ve found a pretty original way to bring you a new collection. Here’s a look at the latest clothing and accessories you can buy to rep Meduza and…

1
‘Like a zombie’. A Russian mayor is withholding her newlywed husband’s body after he died in Ukraine. Locals say this was her second marriage to a soldier.

7d ago

—

Ust-Barguzin, Republic of Buryatia, Russia. The mayor of a village in Russia’s Republic of Buryatia is refusing to release the body of a soldier who died fighting in Ukraine to his relatives — a man she had married just months before his death. It’s not the first time this mayor has lost a spouse: her previous husband also went to the front in Ukra…

1
‘Saltivka will never get back what it lost’ . How Russia’s war against Ukraine transformed Kharkiv’s hardest-hit neighborhood

7d ago

—

The following story appeared in The Beet, a weekly email dispatch from Meduza covering Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Click here to subscribe! The original reporting was first published by Meduza (in Russian) in August 2025. Located just an hour’s drive from the border with Russia, Saltivka used to be Kharkiv’s largest …

1
Folashadé Soulé on the Evolution of African Agency in China Relations 47:38

8d ago47:38

47:38

Ghana's negotiations for a China–Ghana free trade deal have sparked a fierce national debate. Political leaders are hailing it as a breakthrough for exporters, while manufacturers warn of being swamped by cheaper Chinese imports. At the heart of the discussion lies a deeper question: how much power do African countries really have to shape their tr…

1
Putin’s Budapest cope, fallout from new U.S. sanctions on Russian oil, and new war crimes allegations. Meduza breaks down today’s biggest Russia-related news stories, October 23, 2025

7d ago

—

Below, you’ll find a digest of news reports from October 23, 2025, in Russian and English. Today, we focus on Vladimir Putin’s glut of public comments on the collapsed Budapest summit, motherhood, and the impact of new U.S. sanctions on Russian oil. Germany and Belgium are having problems with the latest plans to pressure the Kremlin. Domestically …

1
Trump goes there. Lukoil and Rosneft account for half of Russia’s oil exports. Now both are under U.S. sanctions.

7d ago

—

A long-awaited first The U.S. and the European Union have jointly imposed sanctions targeting Russia’s two largest oil companies — the first such move since Donald Trump returned to the White House. On Wednesday, the U.S. president changed tack from previous days and opted to take a harder line with Moscow, canceling a planned meeting with Vladimir…

1
Russian military planes violated Lithuania’s airspace, president says

8d ago

—

Russian military planes violated Lithuania’s airspace on Thursday evening, according to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. Lithuania’s Defense Ministry reported that a Russian Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refueling tanker crossed the border from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad into Lithuanian airspace near the town of Kybartai. The aircraft…

1
‘I took a Russian passport to live’ . How Putin’s forced passportization campaign deprives Ukrainians living under occupation of medical care and other vital services

8d ago

—

An employee holds a stack of Russian passports at a citizenship application center in Berdyansk, an occupied city in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. July 12, 2022. In a March 2025 decree, Vladimir Putin ordered Ukrainians living in the occupied territories to obtain Russian passports or “leave” by September 10. In the weeks since this deadline passe…

1
Russia’s ‘terrorists and extremists’ list is now sweeping up journalists and academics. Soon, Navalny donors could face life in prison.

8d ago

—

A boom time for ‘terrorists and extremists’ In recent weeks, there’s been a sharp uptick in reports about new additions to Russia’s list of “terrorists and extremists.” Increasingly, the list includes not militants or separatists but ordinary opposition politicians, journalists, and public figures. In October 2025 alone, Russia’s Federal Financial …

1
Navalny’s ‘terrorism,’ a women’s advocacy group dies, and Trump denies WSJ report. Meduza breaks down today’s biggest Russia-related news stories, October 22, 2025

8d ago

—

Below, you’ll find a digest of news reports from October 22, 2025, in Russian and English. Today, we focused on the expansion of terrorism charges against Russia’s dissidents and setbacks for women’s rights and music freedom. Europe is currently hosting dueling nuclear readiness drills, while Ukraine negotiates for greater flexibility on a still-th…

1
第96集: 在中国的所见所闻 What I saw in China 23:08

12d ago23:08

23:08

茶歇中文又回来了。今年，我在中国度过了快两个月的时间。三年没有回过祖国，这次回去，我感觉到了很多变化。有的变化是我喜欢的。有的变化是我不喜欢的。在这一集里，我跟你分享我的所见所闻。 TeaTime Chinese is back. This year, I spent almost two months in China. Having not come back to the motherland for 3 years, the changes were astonishing. I am pleased by certain changes while disheartened by others. In this episode, I will share with you what…

1
[CGSP FORUM] Africa's Energy Future and China: Gauging the Price of Power 54:50

15d ago54:50

54:50

In CGSP's first-ever China–Africa Energy Forum, Managing Editor Cobus van Staden hosts three leading experts to explore how Chinese finance, technology, and policy are transforming Africa's power landscape: Frangton Chiyemura Lecturer in International Development, Open University Wei Shen Research Fellow, Institute for Development Studies Adjekai A…

1
Kenya's China Debt Deal Challenges Old Narratives 37:26

22d ago37:26

37:26

Kenya and China have reached a groundbreaking agreement to restructure $3.5 billion in railway loans, converting them from U.S. dollars into Chinese yuan. The move could save Kenya $215 million in debt servicing costs and marks the first time an African nation has shifted major sovereign debt into RMB — a potential model for other Global South coun…

1
Chinese Online Outrage Over $80 Billion Zambia River Suit 1:01:02

30d ago1:01:02

1:01:02

More than six months after 50,000 liters of toxic water from a Chinese-run mining site spilled into Zambia's Kafue River, there's still no resolution to what's become a massive environmental crisis. The government is siding with the company, Sino-Metals, while local farmers and activists remain unsatisfied with the response and have launched multip…

1
China's Play for Global Governance Leadership 57:06

1M ago57:06

57:06

In the weeks since Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the new Global Governance Initiative (GGI) during a speech at the SCO summit in Tianjin, Beijing's propaganda apparatus has been working overtime to build support for the new plan, particularly in Africa, Latin America, and other developing regions. The GGI is the latest in a series of Chine…

1
Africa Buys More From China Than Ever. That's a Problem. 45:37

1M ago45:37

45:37

China-Africa trade in the first eight months of the year increased by 15% to more than $220 billion, on track to break another annual record. A significant portion of that growth, however, stemmed from a surge in Chinese exports to African countries, exacerbating an already substantial $60 billion African trade deficit with China. South Africa, by …

1
Africa-Asia Relations Beyond China 1:01:28

1M ago1:01:28

1:01:28

Africa was especially hard hit by Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs, which ended years of duty-free access to the U.S. and triggered a rush to find new markets. China's announcement that it will remove all tariffs on African imports undoubtedly provides some relief, but it shouldn't be the only answer, say experts. India, Southeast Asia, and …

1
China's Gradual but Growing Security Influence in Africa 51:55

2M ago51:55

51:55

China is steadily expanding its security presence in Africa through deeper military ties, weapons sales, and multinational deployments as UN Peacekeepers. In fact, China is now the largest arms supplier to Sub-Saharan Africa, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. There are also mounting concerns over the prote…

1
Kenya Caught Uncomfortably Between the U.S. and China 35:15

2M ago35:15

35:15

The Kenyan government is under mounting pressure from the United States over its close ties with China. Influential lawmakers in Washington are furious over comments made by President William Ruto during a visit to Beijing earlier this year, where he said Kenya and China will be the "architects of a new world order." The remark was particularly ups…