Best PXi Jinping Podcasts (2025)

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Ep 45 - China’s perspective on the trade ceasefire + 15th Five-Year Plan breakdown 1:11:24

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19h ago1:11:24

1:11:24

It was another monumental week on the China front. On Tuesday, the Party released its sprawling 15th Five Year Plan (FYP) Proposals – laying out the sheer scale of Xi Jinping’s policy ambitions over the next half-decade Then on Thursday, Xi and US President Donald Trump got together in South Korea – their first meeting in six years – and agreed to …

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Ep 44 - Xi’s make or break moment + USCBC’s Sean Stein on US-China volatility 1:13:25

8d ago1:13:25

1:13:25

Alright folks, this one is a banger. In this week’s Trivium China podcast, host Andrew Polk is joined first by colleagues Dinny McMahon and Joe Peissel. The three discuss: The most recent China macro data Economic headwinds and tailwinds as we move into 2026 Their early read of the 4th Plenum – and Xi Jinping’s make or break moment with the upcomin…

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Ep 43 - Volatility and fragility: US and China seek path back to negotiating table 41:37

14d ago41:37

41:37

It’s been a frenetic and exhausting couple of weeks on the US-China front. After tensions heightened again last week – in the wake of China’s major expansion of export controls – the two sides continued to jockey, both privately and publicly, over the past few days. At this point, it appears that both sides are willing to continue negotiating – but…

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Translating China — Prizes, pressures and prospects for Chinese literature today 45:49

16d ago45:49

45:49

The inaugural US-based Baifang Schell Book Prize for Chinese language fiction in English translation was recently awarded to the Taiwanese writer Yang Shuang-zi’s novel 'Taiwan Travelogue'. And with an ever-growing number of Chinese to English translators, and a well-resourced mainland Chinese publishing industry keen to expand globally, this could…

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Ep 42 - Back on the escalatory spiral 55:44

21d ago55:44

55:44

Policymakers in Beijing wasted no time getting back into the swing of things after the week-long October holiday. On Wednesday, officials at the Ministry of Commerce unveiled sweeping updates to China’s export control regime – with new controls on rare earths and lithium batteries in particular focus. The moves also further Beijing’s drive toward l…

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Ep 41 - China's economy is strong and weak at the same time 56:26

29d ago56:26

56:26

Tired of listening to the same old Trivium voices? Wishing for more variety in your podcast diet? Well, do we have a treat for you! In this week's podcast, Trivium Co-founder Andrew Polk and Dinny McMahon, Head of Markets Research, are joined by Gerard DiPippo, associate director at the RAND China Research Center and a senior researcher in RAND's D…

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Innovation in China — After the 'DeepSeek moment' 39:19

29d ago39:19

39:19

After the sudden emergence of the Chinese company DeepSeek’s generative AI model in January, there has been much excitement about the future of innovation in China. But continuing US efforts to limit the sale of the latest AI chips to China are a reminder of the tensions surrounding this area. The recently announced deal for a partial US takeover o…

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Ep 40 - China's AI+ Initiative – why the AI race is not the Manhattan Project 1:00:12

1M ago1:00:12

1:00:12

Chinese policymakers are looking to diffuse AI into key industrial, commercial, and governance fields as deeply and quickly as possible. The overarching framework for their approach is captured in the AI+ plus initiative. Officials published the overarching policy architecture for AI+ in late August. And more granular AI+X plans (e.g. AI+Energy, AI…

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Ep 39 - China's new economic growth model 52:11

1M ago52:11

52:11

For decades, China's economy was driven by debt-fueled construction of housing and infrastructure. But once the housing market collapsed in 2021, China needed to find a new growth model. The key parts of that new model are well known: Industrial upgrading Aggressive export growth Technological innovation What's less well understood is how these par…

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China, the US and WWII — Wartime memories and contemporary resonances 47:36

1M ago47:36

47:36

This month’s huge parade in Beijing for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Asia prompted much debate — both about the array of new missiles, drones and other military technology on display, and about the presence of not only Vladimir Putin, but also the North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. But while Beijing is happy to demonstrate its n…

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Ep 38 - Back in black: Beijing’s efforts to turn around falling tax revenue 38:50

2M ago38:50

38:50

China’s GDP growth has been unexpectedly strong this year. But paradoxically, tax revenue has been contracting. That’s not supposed to happen: Tax revenue typically falls during a recession, but not when the economy is expanding by more than 5% annually. In this podcast, Trivium Co-founder Andrew Polk and Dinny McMahon, Trivium’s Head of Markets Re…

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Ep 37 - Welcome to the New World Order 49:10

2M ago49:10

49:10

Xi Jinping’s growing diplomatic clout was on full display over the past week. Things kicked off in the Chinese port city of Tianjin, where Xi hosted the annual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The enduring image from that meeting will be a beaming Russian President Vladimir Putin, walking hand-in-hand with Indian Prime Minister Nar…

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Calibrating China Ties - Indonesia 39:10

2M ago39:10

39:10

Indonesia has been trying to find its footing as a major international player over the past decade. These efforts include trying to deepen investment and trade relationships with the People's Republic of China while skirting around differences over territorial claims and addressing Beijing’s rising prominence across Southeast Asia. Of concern as we…

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Ep 36 - China's surging stock market 30:57

2M ago30:57

30:57

China's stock markets have been on a tear over the last few months, with the benchmark CSI 300 Index – which tracks the biggest companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen – up 25% since its low point in February. Beijing has wanted the market to rally for quite some time – but this upsurge has come as something of a surprise. China’s economic fundam…

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Ep 35 - How much dependence on China is too much? 50:21

2M ago50:21

50:21

China's export controls on rare earth elements have exposed major US supply chain vulnerabilities. Now the US is scrambling to plug the holes – and China is working to maintain its leverage. The big question is: how far will each side go in these efforts? In this podcast, Trivium Co-founder Andrew Polk and Cory Combs, Head of Critical Mineral and S…

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Ep 34 - Beijing's curious plan to stimulate services consumption with more investment 40:03

3M ago40:03

40:03

The quest to understand Beijing's views on consumer spending continues. The latest: On August 13, China's finance ministry (MoF) said it would bring down borrowing costs for service sector firms by providing them with rebates on their interest payments. Curiously, authorities framed the measure – which is clearly designed to increase investment – a…

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Calibrating China Ties - Korea 35:53

3M ago35:53

35:53

Caught between economic opportunity and security imperatives, South Korea finds itself navigating one of Asia's most complex relationships with China. Seoul has constantly sought to calibrate the management of economic gains and security concerns, but growing U.S.-China competition complicates its options. South Korea must consider its trade and in…

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Ep 33 - It's turning out to be a good year for China's economy 51:41

3M ago51:41

51:41

When the Politburo met to talk about the economy at the end of July, the general tone was one of contentment. Despite the disruption of the Trump tariffs, China's economy has outperformed expectations this year, led by truly remarkable export growth. In this podcast, Trivium Co-founder Andrew Polk and Dinny McMahon, Head of Markets Research, discus…

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Ep 32 - Dueling AI development strategies 55:39

3M ago55:39

55:39

China and the US are both rapidly refining their approaches to global AI development, through newly released AI actions plans. In this week’s Trivium China podcast, host Andrew Polk is joined by Trivium’s Head of Tech Policy Research Kendra Schaefer to discuss what’s in the latest plans. The two discuss: The Trump administration’s pivot on chip sal…

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Calibrating China Ties - Malaysia 39:36

3M ago39:36

39:36

Malaysia has developed a reputation for hewing closely with the PRC on economic matters in recent years. Yet, it had been a big beneficiary of the de-risking and China plus One strategies undertaken by various companies from earlier rounds of the U.S.-PRC trade war by being able to tap on U.S. capital and access the U.S. market. Malaysia also ongoi…

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After the Dalai Lama — China, India and the Tibetan Succession 38:47

4M ago38:47

38:47

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, marked his 90th birthday earlier this month with an announcement that his successor as Tibetan Buddhism’s most senior religious figure would be a reincarnation, to be identified after his death by the staff of his office in Dharamsala in northern India — where he has lived since fleeing Tibe…

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Calibrating China Ties - Vietnam 35:18

4M ago35:18

35:18

Vietnam has long had to carefully calibrate its relationship with, China, its giant neighbor to the north. The two sides have a history of cultural and economic exchange as well as invasion and occupation going back to antiquity. Today, the People’s Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam have similar political systems and successfu…

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Ep 31 - The involution will not be televised 47:27

4M ago47:27

47:27

Is Beijing finally gearing up to address chronic oversupply – and resulting price wars – in its NEV and other cleantech sectors? Trey McArver joins Trivium China Podcast host Andrew Polk this week to discuss just that question. Specifically, they examine what may be the early signs of a major policy shift – meant to break through the structural cau…

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China, Iran and the Middle East — After Trump's Airstrikes 40:49

4M ago40:49

40:49

The shockwaves from Donald Trump’s airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear programme continue to reverberate. China condemned the attack as violating the UN Charter and warned that it risked destabilising the Middle East, an area where Beijing has fast-growing economic and diplomatic links — indeed China is now the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, and after…

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Ep 30 - China preps for demise of US dollar dominance 39:17

4M ago39:17

39:17

At the Lujiazui Financial forum in June, central bank (PBoC) Governor Pan Gongsheng gave a speech that we believe redefined Beijing's attitude toward RMB internationalization. Since the policy was launched in 2009, RMB internationalization has been a struggle, with Beijing's commitment to maintaining capital controls making it difficult to claw mar…

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Ep 29 - Consumer upswings + geopolitical downswings 37:35

4M ago37:35

37:35

In this week’s Trivium China podcast, host Andrew Polk is joined by colleagues Ether Yin (Trivium’s head of policy research) and Joe Mazur (Trivium’s head of geopolitical research) – who all got together in Beijing. The three discuss a variety of topics including: China’s improving consumer data The current vibes in Beijing, as tourists flock in Th…

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Left-Behind Men and Rebellious Women — Dating, Relationships and the Gender Imbalance in China 35:52

5M ago35:52

35:52

China's one child policy may have ended a decade ago — but its consequences are still being felt — not least in the continuing gender imbalance in the country's population: for several decades, the combination of restrictions on family size with traditional attitudes favouring male children, especially in rural areas, led to many female babies bein…

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Calibrating China Ties – Japan 37:37

5M ago37:37

37:37

In this episode, Ian Chong, a nonresident scholar with Carnegie China, discusses how Japan seeks to navigate its complex economic and security ties with the People’s Republic of China. Japan’s economy has become deeply integrated with that of the PRC over decades of globalization and cooperation remains important, but mounting concerns about coerci…

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Ep 28 - Exiting the US-China trade death spiral 43:45

5M ago43:45

43:45

In the latest episode of the Trivium China podcast, Trivium Co-founders Andrew Polk and Trey McArver discuss this week’s phone call between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump that appears to have gotten trade talks back on track, for now. The two discuss: The developments and misperceptions from both sides that almost derailed the Geneva truce over the pa…

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Is China Winning the Tech War? A conversation with James Kynge 44:21

5M ago44:21

44:21

The sudden emergence of DeepSeek’s AI chatbot earlier this year reminded the world of just how fast Chinese technology is developing. But it’s also highlighted continuing tensions over China’s technological rise — US Vice President JD Vance recently spoke of America being in an ‘arms race’ with China for control of Artificial Intelligence: the US h…

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Ep 27 - Weaponizing supply chains + the real-time breakdown of the Geneva détente 40:54

5M ago40:54

40:54

On this week’s Trivium China podcast, host Andrew Polk is joined by his colleagues Kendra Schaefer (Trivium’s head of tech policy) and Ether Yin (Trivium’s head of policy research) to talk through the latest tech controls from the US on China – and China’s likely reaction. The three discuss: The Trump administration’s move to restrict sales of elec…

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Ep 26 - China explores its key points of trade leverage: rare earth export control updates + sanctions threats 53:54

5M ago53:54

53:54

In this week’s podcast, Trivium Co-founder Andrew Polk is joined by Trivium’s head of critical mineral and supply chain research, Cory Combs, to address the mounting confusion over whether and how China will ease off on its rare earth export curbs. The gents discuss: The implications behind China’s recent approval of a handful of rare earth magnet …

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China US tariff talks — Is a deal possible? 42:45

5M ago42:45

42:45

After the drama of Donald Trump’s Liberation Day and the 145 percent tariffs he imposed on China, and Beijing’s retaliation with 125 percent tariffs, the two countries have agreed a 90 day pause while they engage in further negotiations. But with the US recently announcing that it would seek to punish any business using advanced chips made by the C…

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Ep 25 - Trivium Markets - Trade war ceasefire + export control latest + courting LATAM 36:45

6M ago36:45

36:45

In this week’s pod, Trivium co-founders Andrew Polk, Trey McArver, and Ether Yin all sat down together in DC to discuss the recent de-escalation in the US-China trade war. They guys also drilled down on China’s move to grant licenses for critical mineral exports to the US, as part of the temporary trade reprieve. And finally, the gents discussed wh…

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Bureaucracies at War, Featuring Tyler Jost 19:59

6M ago19:59

19:59

Center Executive Director Lei Guang recently sat down with Tyler Jost to discuss his new book, Bureaucracies at War. This podcast features highlights from their conversation, focusing on how Jost’s analysis sheds light on the dynamics of today’s U.S.-China tensions.By UC San Diego School of Global Policy & Strategy (GPS)

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Rebooting China's Economy — Lessons from the 2008 Crisis 39:11

6M ago39:11

39:11

In the face of Donald Trump's tariffs, will China's plans to boost its domestic consumer economy succeed — or could the government in Beijing be tempted to introduce massive stimulus measures, as it did after the financial crisis in 2008? In this episode of China in Context, leading scholar Yasheng Huang, professor of global economics and managemen…

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Ep 24 - Trivium Markets - China ramps up economic support + doubling down on exports 48:22

6M ago48:22

48:22

It’s been a long time coming, but Beijing is finally ramping up economic support to counter the fallout from tariffs. In this week’s podcast, Trivium Co-founder Andrew Polk and Dinny McMahon, Head of Markets Research, discuss the wave of monetary policy measures rolled out by financial regulators on Wednesday. The gents get into the nitty gritty of…

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Ep 23 - Trivium Markets and Politics - On Protracted (Trade) War 43:46

6M ago43:46

43:46

In this week’s podcast, Trivium co-founders Andrew Polk and Trey McArver examine Beijing’s latest thinking on trade tensions with the US – as both sides settle in for a sustained confrontation. The two discuss: Whether Beijing has Trump’s number The shifting narrative on China’s ability to sustain hostilities Conflicting reports as to whether China…

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Trailer: Boss Class Season 2 2:03

6M ago2:03

2:03

Good bosses are rare. They don’t have to be. The skills of management can be learned. The Economist’s management columnist, Andrew Palmer, is here to help. The second season of Boss Class features leaders at some of the world’s best performing companies, from Levi’s to Novo Nordisk to Google. New episodes are out weekly starting May 12th. To listen…

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Ep 22 - The tariffs “have become a joke” + rare earth controls 46:29

7M ago46:29

46:29

In this week’s podcast, Trivium Co-founder Andrew Polk is joined again by Cory Combs, Trivium’s head of supply chain research, to unpack the latest US-China trade war twists. The two discuss: Friday’s pause in the tariff escalation China’s pointed efforts to signal it won’t escalate further Whether the pause has staying power Why a painful stalemat…

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Ep 21 - Trivium Markets and Politics - US-China tariff dumpster fire 44:12

7M ago44:12

44:12

In this week’s Trivium China podcast, Trivium co-founders Andrew Polk and Trey McArver unpack the whirlwind tariff tit-for-tat between the US and China over the past week. The two discuss: Whether we are now locked in an unstoppable escalatory spiral Possible off-ramps for de-escalation How each side is misreading the other The best- and worst-case…

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Taiwan's Controversial Budget Cuts — The KMT goes DOGE? 31:59

7M ago31:59

31:59

Taiwan is facing a range of challenges — from Donald Trump's threat of 32% tariffs on its crucial exports to the US, to massive Chinese military exercises off its coastline aimed at intimidating the island's leaders. If that weren't enough, the DPP administration, led by President William Lai, has seen its budget slashed by Taiwan’s legislature, wh…

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Ep 20 - Trivium Markets and Politics - Xi meets foreign execs, China’s Liberation Day reaction, and Beijing’s latest efforts to develop flying cars 54:01

7M ago54:01

54:01

In this week’s podcast, Trivium China Co-founder Andrew Polk links up with Trivium Co-founder Trey McArver. The two: Pick up on last week’s conversation about foreign businesses in China, walking through Xi Jinping’s big meeting with foreign CEOs on Friday Discuss China’s intervention in the Panama port deal between BlackRock and CK Hutchison Previ…

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Ep 19 - Trivium Markets and Politics - Beijing courts global CEOs + sharpens economic coercion tools 52:22

7M ago52:22

52:22

This week, Trivium China Co-founder Andrew Polk sat down in Shanghai with fellow Co-founder Ether Yin and Trivium’s Head of Geopolitical Research Joe Mazur to discuss: Global businesses in Beijing for the China Development Forum The messages Chinese leaders are sending to the business community The stark contrast in mood between domestic and foreig…