China watching with Lauren Gloudeman

Description

Donald Trump is everywhere: at the UN General Assembly, at special press conferences, at meetings of his military leadership and in the White House - condemning Europe and climate change one day, announcing a Gaza deal the next, doubling down on tariffs the third, doing nothing about Russia throughout. In the meantime the US seems to be ever more in turmoil, with the Federal government shut down, a sliding economy, intense political and social division.

China is seemingly enjoying the show, lapping up the Global South and assembling world leaders for international meetings and a vast military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. Backing Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine, it is clearly happy to pick up world leadership as the new US seemingly sheds most vestiges of it. Yet all the while it is also negotiating a trade deal with the US, flooding the global market with over production and watching its own economy in turmoil.

So what is China really doing? Can it survive the tariffs? Can it pick up where the US leaves off or is it just part of the turmoil? Lauren Gloudeman, Director, China at Eurasia Group joins Ilana Bet-El to talk through the current China challenge in all its aspects. A deep and interesting conversation with someone who knows people, language and culture!

This episode was recorded 30 September 2025

Mentions

Eurasia website

Lauren’s previous episode “Trade Wars”

Trump at the UNGA - China commitments at the UN Climate conference

Other episodes “China, the world, and power” “China All Around”

Chapters

Understanding China's role in global affairs

Trump's objectives with China

How China's economic is doing?

China's relationship with Russia

Is it a new Cold War between China and the West?