Round Table China

Prices are rising across the entire consumer electronics sector, yet this surge does not follow the usual pattern. The driving force is neither a raw material crunch nor a logistics breakdown. A far larger transformation is recalibrating the cost of every gadget in your home. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

We tend to picture Chinese cities as endless expansion machines. But the next five years are about retrofitting, not rebuilding. The national strategy has pivoted to upgrading existing neighborhoods. By 2030, your street might not look radically different, but it could function like a completely new place. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

You are settled into your seat and finally relaxing. Then someone starts blasting videos without headphones. One airline says that is now a punishable offense, and the penalty could go as high as a permanent ban. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

For millions of commuters, the daily trek is a draining puzzle of schedules and traffic jams. Now China is weaving suburban rail, subways, bikes, and roads into a smarter transportation web across its megacities. If the slog shrinks, people might reclaim more than just minutes on the clock, and when cities begin to feel closer without anyone moving an inch, the way we live and connect could move i...

Digital babysitters, AI doctors, and AI authors walk into a story. It sounds like the start of a joke, but it's actually the beginning of something bigger. In The Full Circle, we find the unexpected link between three very different scenes. / Have you ever eaten a train (17:19)? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

Something has shifted in the grocery aisle. Store brands now dominate grocery shelves, and major retailers are competing head‑to‑head with the brands they once stocked. From the rise of private labels to the strategies that power them, the real question is whether shoppers are getting better value or simply falling for clever marketing. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

Artificial intelligence is a useful tool for many people, but what does it mean for writers? A prize-winning sci-fi author has admitted that part of her new book came from AI. A bestselling novelist now uses AI chat bot for research. Platforms are promising million-word novels with a single click. So what exactly are readers paying for? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan

The Class of 2026 is entering a job market that no longer follows the old rules. The megacity dream is fading, and patents are replacing theses for a growing number of graduates. Success is being redefined by a generation that is choosing careers which barely existed a decade ago. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan

We celebrated the work-from-home revolution with no traffic, no commute, and total freedom. But the research is in, and the findings are unsettling. Days without face-to-face contact are taking a real toll. Isolation is rising, relationships are fraying, and the digital leash keeps tightening. So what are we actually trading for that extra hour in bed? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

The Gaokao is over, but a new pressure has just begun. What to study? What to become? This year, Chinese universities are rewriting the rules with flexible tracks and unconventional majors. Their message is simple. Your major is not your destiny. So how do you pick a path in a job market that refuses to stand still? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

Smart glasses promise to translate any language, recognize every face, and capture life hands-free, all without a phone in sight. But when a device can see, store, and remember everything you do, the line between helpful and invasive starts to blur. / Should you come down hard when a child lies (23:00)? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

In early June 2026, a cruise slipped out of Shanghai. The Adora Magic City steamed into open water with no foreign dock in sight, then looped back to where it began. They call it a 'voyage to nowhere,' and travelers are booking. Why is this non-trip the most buzzed-about experiment in Chinese tourism? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

If you have ever watched a drama and wondered why fans lose their minds over the opening credits, it all comes down to billing order. In China's entertainment industry, a name's position is everything. But new rules arriving this summer will standardize billing across all dramas. What does this mean for your favorite stars, and is the fight for top billing really over? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei...

Finding a place to live in a new city is supposed to be exciting. Then you start scrolling listings and realizing those perfect photos are probably from a decade ago. Renting in China has changed. Young renters want something their parents never expected. The market is shifting, hidden pitfalls catch first-timers off guard, and turning a lease into a home takes more than just signing. On the show:...

For years, "A" grades have been piling up like participation trophies. Now Harvard University is hitting the brakes. A strict 20 percent cap on top marks has students nervous and corporate recruiters thrilled. Why the sudden crackdown, and will other elite schools follow suit? / Does your fruit look different at home than in the market (22:41)? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yangyang

June 19 marks this year's Dragon Boat Festival, one of China's oldest traditions. These days, it is about more than rice dumplings and boat races. The holiday now includes study tours, DIY herb bouquets, healthier takes on zongzi, and race events built around tourism. How can ancient celebrations evolve without losing their soul? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yangyang

Open a music app in China and you might find a poet from a thousand years ago sitting alongside today's biggest pop stars. Ancient lyrics are being set to fresh new melodies, and young listeners are trading textbooks for playlists. This is how the past goes viral in the present. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

China welcomed more than 150 million international visitors in 2025, and the usual postcard sights are only part of the story. Easier visa rules and a new wave of discovery driven by social media are flipping the old narrative on its head. From reimagined heritage sites to experiences that blend tradition with modern flair, the country is offering something fresh at every turn. On the show: Steve,...

Walk into a milk tea shop these days, and you may leave carrying more than just a drink. Crisps, cakes, and even surprise snack packs now line the shelves alongside the bubble tea. Chinese brands are transforming a quick sip into a full‑fledged shopping experience. It is affordable, convenient, and rapidly becoming the norm! / Are personality tests picking the best hires (09:14)? On the show: Stev...

Getting a child the right care sometimes meant a long trip to a big city hospital. Local clinics just did not inspire enough trust. But now, doctors are teaming up with artificial intelligence to give community physicians a powerful backup tool. This is not about replacing doctors. It is about giving them on‑demand access to an AI second opinion that never sleeps. On the show: Steve, Yushun &...

We trust online reviews. We buy what influencers recommend. But what happens when those reviews are faked or secretly paid for? China just rolled out new rules targeting influencers who rig demos, hide sponsorships, and fabricate test results. The era of fake reviews may finally be ending. / What is a "mango pineapple" (21:35)? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun

China's new policy allows you to share your health insurance wallet with parents, grandparents, siblings, and children across the country. One app and one tap create a national safety net for your entire family. That digital connection bridges the distance when the people you love live provinces away. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun

There's a growing backlash against the throwaway culture most of us grew up with. Enter the Repair Café movement. Strangers sit down together, pull out their broken stuff, and actually fix it. They bring in toasters, sweaters, lamps, and anything else you can imagine. What started small has turned into a global wave of people who refuse to replace what they can repair. / The Soapbox:"Photo-Perfect...

The takeout bag that shows up at your door doesn't look or feel like it used to. Same goes for the straw, the container, and the little box holding your noodles. The guidelines for delivery packaging are getting stricter, which means everything from the materials to the design is being redesigned to be more efficient and better for the planet. So what exactly has changed, and how did we get here?...

Every four years, the World Cup takes over the planet. But behind the viral moments and dramatic goals lies a much bigger story. We're talking global brands, local businesses, wild tech experiments, and debates no one saw coming. This isn't just about football. It's about what the world's biggest event reveals about all of us, including the people who never watch a single game. On the show: Steve,...