MERICS China Podcast

MERICS
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The MERICS China Podcast, brought to you by the Mercator Institute for China Studies, a show that analyses current affairs in China and the latest developments in EU-China relations.

  1. 6D AGO

    Orbital geopolitics, with Antonia Hmaidi and Altynay Junusova

    Satellite internet has attracted increased attention in the last years and the possibility for its civilian as well as miliary use makes it a so called “dual use” technology. Antonia Hmaidi and Altynay Junusova, Senior Analyst and Analyst in the Science, Technology and Innovation Program at MERICS, join Johannes Heller-John to talk about China in the race for satellite internet, its competition with the US and what it will take for Europe to catch up. More on this topic: Orbital Geopolitics: China’s dual-use space internet, Rebecca Arcesati, Antonia Hmaidi, Altynay JunusovaChina Tech Observatory

    32 min

  2. FEB 2

    EU-China relations in 2026, with Grzegorz Stec

    Europe has found itself between a rock and a hard place in the last couple of months – between China leveraging export controls on rare earth elements and the US stating its desire to incorporate Greenland. Where does this leave the EU’s China policy? Do we continue to de-risk or do we reconnect with China to hedge in this great power confrontation? Grzegorz Stec, Senior Analyst and Head of the MERICS Brussels Office, joins Johannes Heller-John to talk about EU-China relations in 2026.  More on this issue: Resilient engagement playbook: How Europe can navigate relations with a more confrontational BeijingMERICS Europe-China Resilience Audit - Dashboard collecting graphics and analyses

    20 min

  3. 12/23/2025

    Xi Zhongxun and party history, with Joseph Torigian and Alexander Davey

    To understand the Communist Party today requires an understanding of its history. To that end, Joseph Torigian and MERICS Analyst Alexander Davey join Johannes Heller-John to talk about a person who devoted more than 70 years of his life to the cause of the CCP, namely Xi Zhongxun, father of China’s party and state leader Xi Jinping. Joseph Torigian is an Associate Professor at the School of International Service at American University and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is the author of the book “The Party’s Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping”.

    32 min

  4. 12/19/2025

    Domestic debates on China’s global impact, with Alexander Davey and Kristin Shi-Kupfer

    2025 has seen the Chinese government act with increasing confidence in its own power and agency on the international stage. Is this confidence mirrored in Chinese self-perceptions? MERICS Analyst Alexander Davey and professor for sinology at the University of Trier Kristin Shi-Kupfer join Johannes Heller-John to cast a spotlight on domestic debates in China. Together with Christina Sadeler from MERICS and Wutao Wen from the University of Trier they are the co-authors of the report “China’s domestic debates under the shadow of geopolitics: How views about the economy, commercial culture, and trending topics reveal self-perceptions”. The report and this podcast are part of the China Spektrum, a joint project of the China institute of the University of Trier (CIUT) and MERICS, supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

    35 min

  5. 12/10/2025

    China's global vision, with Katja Drinhausen and Manoj Kewalramani

    Eighty years after its foundation, calls for a reform of the United Nations are abundant. Since 2021, China has put forth ideas for such reforms and a different world order in the form of international initiatives like the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative or Beijing’s most recent addition, the Global Governance Initiative launched in September 2025.  Katja Drinhausen, Head of the MERICS Politics and Society Program, and Manoj Kewalramani, chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Studies Program at the Takshashila Institution, non-resident Senior Associate at the Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS, and until the end of November 2025 Senior Associate Fellow at MERICS, join Johannes Heller-John to examine China's vision for the global order as it is aspired by the government, discussed by think tankers, and operationalized by policymakers.  This podcast episode is part of China Spektrum, a joint project of the China institute of the University of Trier (CIUT) and the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS). The project is made possible by a grant from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

    45 min

  6. 12/05/2025

    China in 25: MERICS China Forecast + Ausblick 2026 + Macron und Wadephul in China

    In dieser Folge des "China in 25"-Podcasts wagen Bernhard Bartsch, Mikko Huotari und Claudia Wessling einen Blick ins Jahr 2026. Dabei schauen sie auf die Ergebnisse unseres MERICS China Forecast, die anstehenden Themen des kommenden Jahres und die Chinareisen des französischen Präsidenten Macron und des deutschen Außenministers Wadephul. Für Mikko Huotari haben die Beziehungen zu China eine neue Dimension: „Das ist ein China, mit dem wir uns noch auf Jahre, Jahrzehnte auseinandersetzen müssen. Ein China, das einen ganz anderen Anspruch hat, die Welt zu steuern und zu definieren, unter welchen Bedingungen die Beziehung mit uns ablaufen können.“ Mehr Informationen: MERICS Essentials: China im Jahr 2026MERICS China Forecast 2026: High expectations for Chinese innovation, low expectations for relations with US and EUResilient engagement playbook: How Europe can navigate relations with a more confrontational Beijing

    26 min

  7. 11/19/2025

    China in 25: Klingbeil in China + Handelsüberschuss + Chinas Inlandsinvestitionen

    In dieser Folge des "China in 25"-Podcasts sprechen Bernhard Bartsch, Mikko Huotari und Claudia Wessling über die China-Reise von Finanzminister und Vize-Kanzler Lars Klingbeil, über Chinas globale Handelsüberschüsse und über den Einbruch der chinesischen Inlandsinvestitionen. Während die Reise von Vize-Kanzler Klingbeil eine Art Rückkehr zur Normalität in Zeiten turbulenter internationaler Beziehungen suggerierte, mahnt Bernhard Bartsch nicht zu vergessen, dass sich Dynamik der Beziehungen gerade grundlegend verändert. „Wir haben gesehen, wie verletzlich wir sind und China hat uns gezeigt, dass es unsere Verletzlichkeiten auch ganz hart politisch ausspielt.“ Mikko Huotari sagt hinsichtlich der Werbung der chinesischen Regierung um mehr Importe: „das symbolisiert alles Offenheit, aber ändert überhaupt nicht die strukturellen Probleme, weil die Ursachen dieser schwachen Importe unangetastet bleiben.“

    24 min

  8. 11/07/2025

    US China policy under Trump 2.0, with George Yin

    The relationship between the US and China has been fraud with conflict for many years and its twists and turns have global effects. In this episode, George Yin joins Johannes Heller-John to decipher the China policy of the US and its continuities and changes over the last administrations. They also discuss what the EU can do to find its place amidst the rivalling superpowers. George is a Senior Fellow at MERICS and a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for China Studies, National Taiwan University. He is also Senior Advisor to the Straits Exchange Foundation and holds research affiliations with Harvard and Oxford Universities. Among other topics he looks at the China policy of the US. The conversation was recorded on September 26. For more on the topic, read George's comment piece "Art of the deal meets great power politics: Trump 2.0’s approach to China" here.

    25 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The MERICS China Podcast, brought to you by the Mercator Institute for China Studies, a show that analyses current affairs in China and the latest developments in EU-China relations.

Information

  • Creator
    MERICS
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    260
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mercator Institute for China Studies
  • Show Website
    MERICS China Podcast

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