Round Table China

Meet Yin Yuzhen, China's pioneering desert fighter and the final honoree on the FAO's 100 Women Heroes list. For 40 years, she has fought desertification, transforming not only the landscape but also the lives of people she has inspired. Among them is American teacher Ronald Salkosky, who reconnected with Yin after more than two decades. What can her story teach us about the power of persistence t...

A robot makes your latte in under a minute. A Chinese motorcycle takes on the world's best on the racetrack. At the Canton Fair, these are more than eye-catching innovations. They reflect how Chinese manufacturing is evolving. As Chinese companies move beyond making products to offering complete solutions, how are they stepping up to compete in the global market? On the show: Fei Fei, Yushan &...

Remember when sneakers looked like tiny cars strapped to your feet? Those chunky soles are still around, but they are now sharing shelf space with something slimmer, softer and surprisingly delicate. Think ballet ribbons wrapped around rubber soles, pale pink mesh and straps that would not look out of place in a practice studio. Is the sneaker world trading bulk for grace because our feet are tire...

Across China, wildlife keeps turning up in places built for people, from shops and streets to parks after dark. The line between the built environment and the natural one is blurring in real time. Why is this happening now, and what is pulling these creatures closer? Is it a sign of environmental progress or the early stage of a collision waiting to happen? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Yangyan...

Two loaves sit side by side in the bread aisle. They look basically identical — but one says "artisan," one says "traditional," one is frozen, one is "freshly baked," and the labels mean almost nothing. The prices don't make sense. "Fresh" might be the most meaningless word in the bakery. And what's actually inside that beautifully packaged loaf? Bread is simple — buying it isn't. This season, we'...

Picture an elderly person standing alone in the lobby of a major Chinese hospital — staring at a check-in machine they've never used, a queue they can't find the end of, a payment screen that only takes a phone they don't have. For you, it's a hospital visit. For them, it's an obstacle course with no map. Now imagine a stranger walks up and plays the role of the son or daughter who isn't there — f...

Welcome to the skillcation, a holiday built around learning something new. And Gen Z travelers are embracing this trend. So why is Gen Z trading poolside naps for hands-on lessons? And what makes learning a skill part of the vacation experience? On the show: Fei Fei, Yushun & Yushan

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has honored 100 Woman Farmer Heroes from around the world, including two from China. With 2026 marking the International Year of the Woman Farmer, we bring you their stories and explore how women are making a difference in agriculture, rural communities, and far beyond. On the show: Fei Fei, Yushun & Yushan

A concert proposal meant to be romantic. But instead, it sparked outrage. In Beijing, a couple's onstage engagement blocked fans' views and triggered a viral debate. When does sharing your joy come at someone else's expense? And who gets to draw the line? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

China's electric bikes are everywhere, carrying commuters, deliveries, and even entire families. But new rules are changing who rides them, who sells them, and how they're made. Is the beloved "little electric donkey" still the affordable workhorse we know, or is it heading for a whole new future? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

What if fashion were made to be worn just once? In China, some young travelers are embracing "disposable clothes", cheap outfits designed to look good in photos, not to last. Why is this trend taking off? And what does it reveal about how we shop and what we value? On the show: Fei Fei, Yushan & Yushun

Everyone loves a park. It's an oasis to relax, recharge, and reconnect with nature. How can cities make them both accessible and sustainable? Beyond urban green spaces, China is also building a national park system to protect nature outside of cities. What makes national parks different from the parks in our neighborhoods? What does it take to protect nature on such a vast scale? On the show: Fei...

Round Table presents The Sound of a City, an original audio drama from CGTN Radio. The story is inspired by real cases handled through Beijing's 12345 Citizen Service Hotline.

You've probably scrubbed a pan with one. You could even have worn one on your feet or found it hiding in a skincare product. But the loofah is far more than a bathroom staple. It is the backbone of an industry that spans provinces, employs thousands, and ships products around the world. What does its rise tell us about how rural areas in China is reinventing itself? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei &am...

Long school hours, more screen time and less time outdoors are putting young eyes under pressure. But protecting children's vision may take more than limiting screens. From class breaks and PE to stronger parent-school cooperation, we check on how China is changing daily routines help protect children's sight? On the show: Fei Fei, Yushan & Xingyu

China's 2026 National Day holiday wasn't just about record crowds and packed trains. It was about where people went: small county towns filled up, concert neighborhoods stayed alive past midnight, and international visitors skipped the landmarks for local crafts and bullet train rides. On the show: Fei Fei, Yushan & Xingyu

As part of our National Day holiday specials, we are bringing you episodes from Ni How Are You. This is a series of cross-cultural conversations exploring how people in China and the United States see, experience, and understand each other. Today's episode brings you a conversation with Zhang Junnan, the translator behind the blockbuster Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, about what gets lost an...

You ask your kid to help clean up and they look around like there's nothing to do. It's not attitude, but a glimpse into something researchers call cognitive labor, the invisible load of noticing what needs to be done before anyone asks. That same divide shows up between partners, often without anyone realizing it, yet there are practical ways to bring everyone onto the same page. On the show: Ste...

As part of our National Day holiday specials, we are bringing you episodes from Ni How Are You. This is a series of cross-cultural conversations exploring how people in China and the United States see, experience, and understand each other. Today's episode brings you a conversation with Robert Dubrovsky, coach of the baseball team from Cornerstone College in Iowa, and Xia Mofeng, a student from Xi...

You nailed the interview. Then came the follow-up: a data analysis, a full presentation, a mock campaign, all unpaid, all before anyone says "you're hired." Turns out most job seekers know this drill. For plenty of them, the real frustration isn't the extra work, it's the silence that follows. So where's the line between proving yourself and getting used? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

As part of our National Day holiday specials, we're bringing you episodes from Ni How Are You. It's a series of cross-cultural conversations exploring how people in China and the United States see, experience, and understand each other. Today's episode brings you a conversation with Elyn MacInnis, founder of the Kuliang Families and Friends Groups, about a little-known chapter in the history of Ch...

Imagine paying good money to send your kid somewhere with no Wi-Fi, no electricity, and a whole lot of manual labor, on purpose. That is not a punishment; that is the pitch. It is called "eat bitterness" camp. Are these hardship camps actually building character, or just selling a feeling? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Yangyang.

As part of our National Day holiday special, we are bringing you episodes from Ni How Are You, a series of cross-cultural conversations exploring how people in China and the United States see, experience and understand each other. Today's episode features a conversation with three Yale University students who are members of the Whiffenpoofs, one of the world's oldest collegiate a cappella groups.

For years, shared bikes have made short-distance travel easier in Chinese cities, but they have also brought familiar headaches. This September, regulators moved to fix that. A new national standard for internet-based rental bicycles has been approved, setting out, for the first time in one document, exactly what operating companies must do, from hiring and training staff, to equipping bikes, to h...

As part of our National Day holiday specials, we're bringing you episodes from Ni How Are You. This is a series of cross-cultural conversations exploring how people in China and the United States see, experience, and understand each other. Today's episode brings you a conversation with Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, about the history of the Flying Tiger...