Drum Tower

More than a third of the world’s population have used a ByteDance app. But following a deal to sell 80% of the US arm of its most famous creation, TikTok, regulators abroad have continued to hamper the company’s international growth. At home, competitors are challenging its dominance in a cut-throat domestic market. Can China’s tech behemoth still be everything, everywhere, all at once?Guests and hosts:Sarah Wu, co-host of “Drum Tower” Don Weinland, The Economist’s China business and finance editor Topics:ByteDanceChina’s tech industryAmerica’s TikTok dealTranscripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Snooker is more often associated with Sheffield than Shenzhen. But at the start of May, Wu Yize became the second consecutive Chinese player to win the sport’s World Championships. Why are so many Chinese players rising through the ranks of this quintessentially British pastime? Guests and hosts:Jiehao Chen, co-host of “Drum Tower” Duncan Robinson, The Economist’s Britain political editor and Bagehot columnist Topics:SnookerSport in ChinaWu Yize  Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Presidents Trump and Xi talked of friendship and stability in Beijing. But beyond the headlines, the announcements that followed the long-awaited summit were scant on detail. What does the meeting reveal about the balance of power between America and China?Guest and hosts:Wu Xinbo, professor and dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in ShanghaiJeremy Page, co-host of “Drum Tower” John Prideaux, co-host of “Checks and Balance“  Topics:Trump-Xi summitUS-China trade warTaiwan  Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Under Xi Jinping, China’s media environment has become steadily more restrictive. Journalists face surveillance and intimidation and some foreign media have been expelled from the country. Recorded live at the Asia Society, this episode examines the challenges faced by those reporting on China today, and how journalists inside and outside the country are responding.  Guests and hosts:Sarah Wu, co-host of “Drum Tower”Jeremy Page, co-host of “Drum Tower” Li Yuan, New York Times columnist and host of the Bumingbai podcast  Topics:Reporting on ChinaChinese censorship Chinese politics Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Chinese tech firm Xpeng is known for its high-tech EVs. Now its CEO He Xiaopeng is betting it all on “physical AI”—from humanoid robots to robotaxis and flying cars. Will his gamble pay off?Guests and hosts:He Xiaopeng, CEO of XpengSarah Wu, co-host of “Drum Tower”Jeremy Page, co-host of “Drum Tower”  Topics:He XiaopengPhysical AI China’s tech industry  Join us for a live recording of Drum Tower at The Asia Society in New York City on 8th May 2026. Ticket information here.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Tens of millions of ethnic Chinese live outside China’s borders. As the country’s international image changes, and the Chinese Communist Party tries to assert influence over these communities, it’s raising some very personal questions.Guests and hosts:Wang Gungwu, sinologist and historian of the overseas ChineseJiehao Chen, co-host of “Drum Tower”Sue-Lin Wong, The Economist’s Asia correspondentTopics: Chinese diaspora  South East Asia  The Chinese Communist Party  Join us for a live recording of Drum Tower at The Asia Society in New York City on 8th May 2026. Ticket information here.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.