On The Ground in China

Hi friend, Welcome to On The Ground in China Episode 16 ! Subscribe now Professor Doug Guthrie is back from an intensive two-week, boots-on-the-ground research trip across China. Traveling through major economic hubs like Shanghai, Ningbo, and Shenyang, Doug embedded himself with local officials and industry leaders to see how the country is truly navigating its next economic chapter. Despite the...

Hi friend, Welcome to On The Ground in China Episode 15 ! The long-anticipated, highly telegraphed summit between President Trump and Chairman Xi Jinping in Beijing has concluded. Despite widespread expectations for an explosive, 2017-style meeting defined by aggressive tariff blockades , the post-summit news reflects a vastly different outcome. In this episode, Aubrey Martinson and Doug Guthrie a...

Hi friend, Welcome to On The Ground in China Episode 14 ! The wait is over. President Trump has arrived in Beijing for high-stakes meetings on May 13th and 14th, 2026. In this episode, Aubrey Martinson and Professor Doug Guthrie analyze the composition of the U.S. delegation and the massive geopolitical hurdles facing both leaders. From the ongoing conflict in Iran to the non-negotiable “One China...

Hi friend, Welcome to On The Ground in China Episode 13! Subscribe now With less than a few days to go before President Trump’s high-stakes visit to Beijing, the world is watching to see if the U.S. and China can return to a “G2” partnership. In this episode, Aubrey Martinson and Professor Doug Guthrie discuss the immense pressure on both nations as the war in Iran continues to disrupt global oil...

Hi friend, Welcome to On The Ground in China Episode 12 ! In this episode, Aubrey Martinson and Doug Guthrie explore the high-stakes evolution of U.S.-China relations as we approach a critical mid-May summit between President Trump and Chairman Xi. We dive into why the “G2” concept—the recognition of the U.S. and China as the world’s two indispensable economic leaders—remains the most powerful nar...

Hi friend, Welcome to On The Ground in China Episode 11 ! Aubrey Martinson and Doug Guthrie are back to discuss the massive shifts occurring in the global political economy. This episode centers on the formal passage of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan : a strategic roadmap that dates back to the 1950s but has never been more relevant to the West than it is today. We also dive into how the conflict in...

Who is Winning the "Global Popularity" War? Hi friend, Welcome to On The Ground in China Episode 10! In this episode, Doug Guthrie is joined by David to discuss the critical state of U.S.-China relations. As Gallup releases its most recent Global Approval Ratings in April 2026, China’s global approval surpass that of the U.S for the first time. This unprecedented rating comes at a time w...

Challenges of a Neurodivergent Working in the C-Suite Hi friend, Welcome to a special edition of the OGL Podcast ! In this episode, Doug Guthrie is joined by OGL co-founder and creative leadership expert Prof. David Slocum . While our “On The Ground in China” series usually focuses on the ebbing and flowing of geopolitics, we are taking a deep dive into the second pillar of our organization: Creat...

Is China's Rise a Problem to the World? Hi friend, Welcome to On The Ground in China Episode 09! In this episode, Aubrey Martinson and Professor Doug Guthrie explore the deep historical roots of China’s modern economic rise. We revisit the 1922 classic, The Problem of China by British philosopher Bertrand Russell. Written during a time of national chaos, Russell’s book predicted that China wou...

Hi friend, Welcome to On The Ground in China episode 8! In this episode, Aubrey Martinson and Doug Guthrie discuss the shifting landscape of global politics as the highly anticipated meeting between President Trump and Chairman Xi is delayed. Originally scheduled for beginning of April in Beijing, this diplomatic pause comes at a critical moment when U.S. attention is increasingly pulled toward in...

Hi friend, Welcome to On The Ground in China Episode 7! The upcoming summit between President Trump and President Xi, scheduled for late March to early April 2026, marks a critical pivot point in modern geopolitics. As the geopolitical landscape shifts, the relationship between the United States and China remains the most consequential factor in global stability. Will the U.S-China Decoupling Happ...

Hi friend, Welcome to On The Ground in China Episode 6! Why do we believe that China will outpace the U.S and secure the top economic spot? China now possess a trillion-USD-trade-surplus, a superior manufacturing supply chain and a fostered culture of innovation seen everywhere in the political machinery of Beijing and local governments. Is the “Collapse” narrative that is so popular in Western me...

We are married to China. And tariffs might not be the best solution. The ground is shifting beneath the global economy. In this episode, Doug Guthrie and Aubrey Martinson unpack the recent Supreme Court ruling declaring certain tariffs illegal and what it means for the "G2" relationship between the US and China. Expect to hear: How can officials in China advance their career within the Chinese Com...

In this episode, Doug joins Aubrey to recount his recent two-week trip to Beijing and Shanghai, highlighting a major push for a new university collaboration between Arizona State University and Chinese partners. The conversation explores a significant "rupture" in global geopolitics, examining Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s strategic visit to China and what it signals about the diminishing...

Welcome to On Global Leadership's (https://ongloballeadership.com) most recent podcast/video. In this podcast/video, we discuss the relationship between China and Japan. On November 7, 2025, Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, suggested in parliament that a hypothetical Chinese attack on island Taiwan could constitute an existential threat to Japan and could trigger a military response from T...

Welcome to episode 2 of On Global Leadership's (https://ongloballeadership.com) podcast. In this podcast/video, we discuss three important topics the OGL Team has been engaged with in recent months. In particular, we discuss OGL’s work on the China’s Consumption Economy, our work on the Rare Earths Economy, and the US actions in Venezuela and the implications of these actions for US-China relation...

Welcome to On Global Leadership's ( https://ongloballeadership.com ) most recent podcast/video. In this podcast/video, we discuss the hot topics OGL has engaged in over the last year and over the last month. In particular, we discuss AI in China and Chinese companies going global. Please watch our podcast/video, and we will look forward to hearing dialogue over these important topics. 00:00 --...