Round Table China

May 4th marks Youth Day in China, and to mark the occasion, Round Table's Yushun sat down with Alex Lamb, an AI professor at Tsinghua University. Their topic? How young people are engaging with AI these days.

What happens when a 24-year-old tech worker walks away from her desk job... and into a room where strangers ask her to wash them? On the International Workers' Day, we bring you "Bathing," a radio drama about the work nobody sees and the dignity everybody needs.

Have you imagined your career in five years? This International Workers' Day, we examine human value in the age of automation. Who loses ground and who finds an unexpected path? The jobs that last might surprise you, because digital skills only go so far. The real advantage is something slower, messier, and deeply human. On the show: Fei Fei, Niu Honglin & Steve

What if perfection is boring? A Chinese reality show is putting that question to the test live on air. No retouches. No second takes. Just glorious, awkward, unfiltered authenticity. When did we stop wanting perfection and start wanting someone who sounds exactly like the rest of us? / Awake at night? Don't check the time (13:50) On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

The May Day holiday is nearly upon us, but the booking trends and flight maps tell a different story this year. It's not just where people are going, but how they're thinking about travel altogether. The old rules of a "good vacation" don't seem to apply anymore. Because behind this diverse and more accessible tourism is a safety net, one that's giving people the confidence to truly explore the co...

For decades, rest followed a simple rhythm: work hard all week, recover on the weekend. But that old pattern no longer fits how people actually live and work. Now a quiet new behavior is emerging. Young professionals are subtly reclaiming a few hours in the middle of the week, carving out rest where none officially exists. / Viral diets: Shortcut or risk (17:24)? On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve &...

At a time when many parts of the world are raising trade barriers, one major economy is moving in the opposite direction. China's decision to remove tariffs on imports from 53 African countries is making a clear statement about openness, partnership, and the future of global supply chains. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Gao Junya

One partner here, the other there. Different cities for some. Separate homes in the same crowded metro for others. And strangely, they all say the distance keeps them together. Is planned weekend intimacy the future of love, or just a slow goodbye? / Would you give up your lunch break to go home early (14:02)? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

One of the biggest auto shows in history is happening right now in Beijing, with nearly 1,500 vehicles and over 180 world premieres. But this isn't just about shiny new models. China is rewriting the rules of the road, from next generation batteries to smarter assisted driving. So what are the biggest trends coming out of Beijing, and how will they reshape the cars you drive? On the show: Steve, F...

On this week's edition of The Soapbox, a young woman in southern China has stirred up controversy. She posted about taking a five hour nap at her company in protest of what she calls a low salary. Online, she received very little support. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

At the Sixth Asian Beach Games in Sanya, the wind and waves become part of the game, where every move looks effortlessly shaped by the sea. But how does an entire city transform into the main stage? This is where sport meets the shoreline, and the result is anything but ordinary. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

To close our World Book Day series, Round Table invites you into two richly different worlds: Lu Min's "Dinner for Six" and Di An's "Dear Fengmi", read by authors themselves.

National Reading Week has come and gone. According to a fresh report, China's online literature scene isn't just bigger than ever; it's a genuine economic force. / Also today, we wrap up our distinguished Chinese author series with its fifth and final guest, writer Ren He. He shares a book that deeply resonates with him: "I Clean Up Garbage in a Wasteland World." (10:54) On the show: Steve, Yushun...

AI can already book your hotel and order your food. Now it's coming for your ride. In China, platforms are turning ride-hailing into a single sentence. You say what you need, like a smooth trip, a stop along the way, or a car that fits a child or a pet, and AI handles the rest. On the show: Steve, Yushun & Yushan.

A stranger shatters a car window not to steal, but to save. He grabs an AED from the back seat and uses it to rescue a life. If a single device works that fast, and a stranger risked everything to get it, why don't we all have one? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

April 23 is World Book Day. Across China, a week-long celebration of reading has been taking place. And more specifically in Nanchang, the Fifth National Reading Conference has turned books into something more: experiences that blend history, poetry, and cutting-edge technology. / Book recommendation from Chinese writer Lu Min (19:59) On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

Writer Di An wrote the books that defined your teenage years. Now she's writing for the adult you've become. In this third episode of our World Book Day series, we talk about "Dear Fengmi," a novel about a single mom, a twice-divorced man, and a little girl named Honey who asks why ice cream melts. / Does diamond still mean love for eternity to you (14:22)? On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushan

For decades, environmental action has been built on a simple idea: plant more trees. But in many places, especially cities, space is limited, and the real challenge is no longer just planting. It is maintaining what already exists. That shift has sparked a new approach. Instead of planting a tree, you adopt one! On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushan

For World Reading Day, Round Table meets Chinese sci-fi writer Chen Qiufan. He introduces his new book “Ocean Break”: a green utopia island in the Indian Ocean, built by global elites and powered by AI. But beneath the perfect surface lie sacrificed lives, buried histories, and a dangerous faith in technology. Part 2 of our 5-part series on Chinese authors. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

AI is already inside classrooms across China, personalizing homework, grading essays, and tracking student data. None of that is new. But what about the teachers? They are being retrained and redefined, asked to evolve from knowledge providers into ethical guides for a digital world. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

April 23 is World Book Day, and this week on Round Table, we're taking part in the celebration. Today we launch a special five-part series featuring acclaimed Chinese writers, each sharing a book that changed their perspective. The first features Qi Jinnian with her book "Wandering the Hengduan Mountains". / The Soapbox: Shenzhen, the city saying NO to its people (10:20). On the show: Steve, Fei F...

Robots just ran a half marathon in Beijing. They weren't just moving. They were competing, stumbling, and pushing through like real racers. So is this a fun spectacle, or a serious glimpse into where technology is taking us? And when humans and machines share the same track... who are we really cheering for? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

France just made it easier to return looted artifacts from the colonial era. Sacred objects. Royal treasures. So what does that mean for China, a country that lost countless relics to foreign powers over the past two centuries? /For Travel China through film EP3, our picks today is "The Grandmaster". So where will this journey take us (18:10)? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

Several Chinese cities are rewriting their parking rules. Lower fees, shorter billing increments, free overnight and holiday parking. The goal is to free up spaces and ease costs for drivers. But will these changes actually work or just create new problems? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

What started as a tongue-in-cheek tool to help a friend suddenly went viral. Enter the SBTI Test: a fast, funny, wildly shareable personality quiz that hands you a four-letter label and says, "this is basically you." It lives somewhere between "that's so true" and "is this a joke?" On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushun