European Guanxi Podcast

China is leading the world in solar, wind, EVs, battery storage, and clean-tech manufacturing. It is also adding coal capacity at a massive scale. How does that even work? In this episode of European Guanxi, Audrey Berder speaks with Belinda Schäpe from CREA about the real forces shaping China's energy transition; a story far more complex than conventional analysis suggests. Some key points of oft...

Are we witnessing the slow erosion of dollar dominance? For decades, the US dollar has been the undisputed backbone of the international financial system. Yet growing geopolitical tensions, sanctions, and shifting patterns of trade have posed a question once considered unthinkable: can the world reduce its dependence on the dollar? In this episode, we explore China’s ambitious effort to internatio...

Indonesia is now the world's largest nickel producer, supplying 64% of global output in 2024 — yet the mineral powering the EV revolution remains one of the most carbon-intensive to produce. Most of Indonesia's fast-growing nickel processing industry relies on captive coal, locking in one of the world's most carbon-intensive industrial pathways — and China, which controls about three-quarters of I...

What does it take for European businesses to succeed in China today? How are Ireland–China economic relations evolving in a shifting geopolitical landscape? And where do opportunities still exist amid growing competition and changing supply chains? In this episode, Xaver Haack speaks with Tadhg O’Callaghan, Director of Enterprise Ireland in China. Together they discuss Tadhg’s professional journey...

"Limitless partnership"- that's how Xi and Putin proclaim their countries' relations in 2022. However, are the ties between China and Russia actually without limits? How do China and Russia interact on different levels and what impact does this alliance have on the EU and the global order? In this episode, Kiara Link Link hosts Sören Urbansky and Martin Wagner, authors of the book "Entangled Empir...

What does Europe actually want from China, and does it even know? In this episode, we sit down with Mathieu Duchâtel, Director of International Studies at Institut Montaigne, to untangle one of the most consequential and misread Duchâtelships in global politics. From Taiwan’s semiconductor strategy to Brussels’ electric vehicle tariffs, from Macron’s failed diplomatic charm offensive to Beijing’s...

What are the real-world challenges of learning Chinese as a foreigner in China? What does it take to integrate into Chinese society and move beyond the typical textbook approach? Is there a deeper connection between language, culture, and society? In today’s episode, host Francesca Pala sits down with Alla Garside, creator of Sino.sphere, a fully media-based Chinese school offering an innovative,...

The green and digital transition runs on critical raw materials. And rare earths — used in everything from wind turbines to EV motors to defence systems — are the most strategically vital of all. China has been building its rare earth dominance since the 1980s. Today, it mines 70% of global rare earths, processes 90% of them — and in 2024, 95% of all EU rare earth imports came from China. That&#39...

In this episode we speak to Fongyee Walker, founder of Dragon Phoenix Wines and the first Master of Wine resident in China. As the first of our two part series on China and wine, this episode covers the exciting developments of China’s growing wine industry. From the highs to the lows, from the heaven to earth, and from the ancient past to the exciting days ahead, we cover all the need-to-know top...

In this episode of the European Guanxi Podcast, we are joined by Bijan Ahmadi, Executive Director of the Canada-China Business Council, for a timely conversation on the future of Canada–China economic relations. As political tensions rise but trade flows continue, what does a more “pragmatic relationship" with China actually look like? How should Canada balance security concerns with economic oppo...

Alibaba, Shein, and now Temu - Chinese e-commerce remains highly competitive despite policy efforts to curb it. What makes such companies so succesful and dynamic? In this episode of the European Guanxi Podcast we host Ed Sander, analyst of China's tech landscape at Tech Buzz China, to offer more insight into innovative e-commerce business models and the EU policy measures failing to counter t...

In this episode, we welcome Thomas 阿福 Derksen, one of the best-known German creators in China, to reflect on his journey from influencer to media entrepreneur. We talk about finding a niche, staying authentic even when everyone has an opinion, why consistency matters more than anything, and what motivated Thomas to launch his new venture Asiabits. We also discuss how learning by doing, constantl...

European tech sovereignty and industrial policy are under growing pressure amid intensifying EU-China competition. In this episode of the European Guanxi Podcast, we welcome Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa , geopolitics strategist and EU-China consultant. Through the Nexperia case, this discussion examines how foreign ownership, technology, and national security are increasingly debated in Europe...

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Austin Strange about the shifting landscape of global development aid following the Trump administration’s executive order pausing USAID for review. The conversation explores why Chinese development aid has become a central feature of global development finance, which countries it targets, and how it supports Beijing’s broader soft-power strategy. We also discuss...

In this episode, we speak with David Lubin, Michael Klein Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House, about how China manages capital flows, why it maintains capital controls, and what the consequences of a liberalization of China’s capital markets would be. We look at China’s current account surplus, the challenges of RMB internationalization, and the lessons we can draw from history—including the r...

This episode kicks off our new collaboration series with the Dutch China Knowledge Network (CKN) – a unique platform created to connect China experts and policymakers, and to strengthen understanding of China within the Dutch government and beyond. Funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed jointly with leading think tanks such as the Clingendael Institute and the LeidenAsiaCentre...

For over a year, Oxford PhD candidate Teresa Irigoyen-Lopez lived in Qingtian (青田), a small county in southern Zhejiang with unusually strong ties to Europe. Her ethnographic research on return migration offers a rare window into how people navigate life between two regions that are deeply connected. Learn about their search for a unique sense of identity and the challenges of returning to a Chi...

How is Southeast Asia navigating the age of automation and great power competition? In this episode of the European Guanxi Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Brian Wong, HKU-100 Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong, to explore how Southeast Asia is developing in an era of rapid technological change and intensifying geopolitical rivalry. Moving beyond traditional export-led manufacturing m...

What happens when the world’s most ambitious infrastructure initiative hits geopolitical headwinds, green scrutiny, and digital competition? In this episode of the European Guanxi Podcast , host Shristi More sits down with Keren Zhu —Assistant Professor of Political Science at Davidson College and co-host of the Belt and Road Podcast — to unpack how China’s Belt and Road Initiative is transforming...

Ever felt like you only know one side of China? Join us as Simone Pieranni , journalist and founder of China Files , peels back the layers—sharing what it meant to live, report, and observe a changing China from within. From the quiet rhythms of daily life to the undercurrents of censorship and youth discontent, this episode offers a rare, human portrait of a nation in transition. Step beyond the...

Why is Shangri-La Dialogue Asia’s most crucial defense summit? In this compelling episode of the European Guanxi Podcast, we unpack the Indo-Pacific’s rising strategic tensions with renowned Indo-Pacific and China expert, Philippe Le Corre. As a private forum for conversation and dialogue, Shangri-La Dialogue is both a space for de-escalation but also strategic posturing.  As U.S-China competition...

What does fortitude (韧) look like in an era defined by war, climate upheaval, and rapid tech shifts? Recorded in Lingshui, Hainan, this special episode captures the energy of more than 100 global delegates — from China to Mozambique — as they explore resilience through the lens of international relations, AI, ecology, culture, and youth leadership. Can AI foster peace? How do young voices cut thr...

Is the EU going green—or just getting strategic? In this fiery episode, Irina Patrahau (Strategic Analyst & Chair, Energy Security & Critical Minerals, HCSS) and Erlend Ek (Research Strategy & Energy Lead, China Policy) break down Europe’s latest climate moves, China’s clapbacks, and why the race for lithium and rare earths is heating up fast. We’re talking:⚡️ CRMA vs China’s mineral...

China is more than just its mega-cities. In this episode, we join Clémentine Pippa Ebel—trail runner, researcher, and China strategist—on a journey through second, third, and fourth-tier cities. From the lively streets of Shenyang and the entrepreneurial spirit of Northern Guangdong to the shifting traditions of Meizhou and the vanishing villages of Guangdong, discover the heart of local China thr...

China’s rise is reshaping global power, and nowhere is this more evident than in its approach to Taiwan. In this episode, we sit down with renowned China expert Frans-Paul van der Putten to unravel the deep historical roots of China’s ambitions, the shifting geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific, and what his upcoming book, China Resurrected , reveals about the future. From colonial legacies to modern p...