Round Table China

We plan trips around monuments, museums, and must-see sights, and they're incredible for a reason. But years later, what actually sticks? A new report on young Chinese travelers suggests that human connections matter more than a museum ticket. They're choosing destinations not just by what's on the postcard, but by how welcome they feel. / What if your TV could follow you from room to room? That's...

China's buffet restaurants used to be the pinnacle of dining out. Then they lost their shine and nearly disappeared from the dining scene. But now they are making a surprising comeback, this time in shopping malls with much lower price tags. So what changed, and have diners' expectations changed along with the price? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Xingyu

For years, China's delivery riders have been trapped in a cruel dynamic. Their apps track every second, but algorithms have no idea when riders are stuck at red lights. Late penalties pile up for delays completely out of their control. Now Suzhou is integrating traffic signal data with delivery platforms, so the countdown pauses when riders wait at intersections. Will this change be enough to alle...

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Binge-watching once reigned supreme. Entire seasons consumed before the weekend was through. But the landscape is shifting. Streamers are pacing releases, audiences are scrolling past, and that "next episode" prompt no longer guarantees instant gratification. Was the binge a revolution or a fleeting moment? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

Every summer, heaps of university students trade campus life for rural communities, arriving with laptops, lesson plans, and big ideas. They teach children, sell produce online, and lend a hand wherever they're needed. But the brochures leave something out. The real story isn't just what they bring to the countryside. It's what they bring back. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

It's 5 AM. You've finally dozed off after a night of beeping monitors and creaky gurneys, only to be shaken awake for vitals. Infuriating? Or lifesaving? Patients are furious, but medics stand by their protocols. Because in a hospital, rest and recovery don't always play nice. / Watch out for Sanfu in summer (13:24)! On the show: Steve, Yushan & Xingyu

Robots filling prescriptions. AI assistants planning your day. Machines accelerating scientific discovery. This year's World Artificial Intelligence Conference offered a glimpse into a future arriving faster than many expected. As AI becomes more capable, the challenge is no longer just building smarter machines. It's building the trust, safeguards and governance to keep pace. 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 & Xing...

China's ice cream market has gone cold, but not in the way you might think. Warehouses are quiet. Distributors are on edge. The familiar summer frenzy for frozen treats is losing its grip. It is no longer just about escaping the heat. It is about changing tastes, rising prices, and a generation that views indulgence differently. / When was the last time you updated your social media profile photo...

Hainan just pulled the plug on gasoline cars. By 2030, no new sales, period. For some, it's a bold leap forward. For others, it raises hard questions. What happens to millions of drivers still filling up at the pump? Can an all-electric future really work on the road, with charging, grid strain, and a massive mindset shift all in play? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan

A rocket booster costs tens of millions of dollars. For decades, the industry has been throwing them away after a single launch. China just proved there's another way, and the ripple effects could change who gets to space and how often. / Would you send your doggy to doggy daycare (14:32)? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

You tell it your secrets. It knows your routines, your worries, and your bad days. Then one morning, it's gone because a company decided to pull the servers. Across China, millions of users are waking up to that silence as various companies have shut down the AI characters people built, talked to, and even fell in love with. When that digital voice fades to nothing, are you just clearing storage,...

One traveler, one taxi ride, and 21 million likes later, a viral video earned its creator a life-changing payday from Xizang's tourism officials. But that check came with a catch. When a government pays for your "authentic" story, is it still genuine? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

Every generation worries about what young people do with their time, but today's screens are designed to never let go. As a result, governments stepped in with various measures to solve the problem. Now a newly released Tsinghua University report questions if all the bans and regulations have helped to make things better. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

For decades, hotels worldwide have followed the same rule. Check in after two in the afternoon, check out before noon the next day. Most travelers never question it. But some Chinese hotel chains are now tearing up that script, letting guests keep their room for a full twenty-four hours from check-in. Travelers love the idea. Yet for hotels, the reality is more complicated. On the show: Steve, Yus...

Gasoline drivers have long funded roads through fuel taxes, while electric vehicles have contributed nothing. But with six in ten new cars in China now running on batteries, that old system is cracking. The debate is no longer about whether EV owners should pay, but about what happens to road infrastructure if they don't. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

What happens when the movies are no longer the main attraction? Across China, cinemas are reinventing themselves as all-in-one entertainment destinations, hosting everything from live sports and concerts to gaming, cafés, and restaurants. We explore how the big screen is finding a whole new role. / Are you napping wrong (18:19)? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

Forget traffic jams and parking headaches. In China, the car is becoming more than transportation. From RV campsites and smart mobility hubs to a booming culture of customization, the automotive aftermarket is transforming how people travel, unwind, and connect. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

For years, Chinese-foreign cooperative programs were seen as backup options for students who missed their top choice universities. Inflated tuition fees only fueled the perception that families were buying degrees from easy schools. But attitudes are changing. These programs are raising their game with cutting-edge majors and better quality. So are they finally shedding that reputation, and is the...

For years, China's "Fei Dao" system let rural hospitals fly in top city surgeons for a few thousand yuan extra. It saved lives, but it was a legal gray zone. Now new rules mandate hospital-to-hospital payments and establish clear rules on who pays when things go wrong. Will these changes ultimately drive away the very specialists who made the system work in the first place? On the show: Fei Fei, S...

Chinese malls are rolling out something new: 3D printing stations that let anyone design and print a custom object in under ten minutes. It's easy to dismiss as a fun distraction, but there's a serious push to bring this technology into our homes. The real question isn't about how well the machines work, but whether we'd use one if we had it. / How safe is your delivery meal (17:09)? On the show:...

We send kids to school for reading, math, and the occasional history class snooze. But what if the students are made of circuits and steel? In Hangzhou, a school just welcomed humanoid robots as its newest pupils. As machines get smarter, building them is only half the battle. They might need a curriculum, too. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Ding Heng

We are in the thick of summer, cranking the AC and reaching for anything cold. But for thousands of years, people survived blazing heat without a single modern convenience. China's traditional playbook was full of clever, low-tech fixes that kept things bearable. As temperatures keep rising, can these ancient hacks actually be smarter than our energy-guzzling gadgets? / Can you wear last year's su...