Drum Tower

China’s internet used to be a rambunctious place. But over the past 10 years the country’s leaders have sought to tame it. A recent natural disaster and a comedy mishap reveal an online world where the flow of information is narrowing and the list of “safe topics” changes constantly. How did China’s censors gain such decisive control—and what might it cost the Communist Party? Guests and hosts:Simon Rabinovitch, The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief and Chaguan columnistSarah Wu, co-host of “Drum Tower” Xiao Qiang, founder of China Digital Times  Topics covered:Censorship in ChinaSpeech under Xi JinpingAI and censorship 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 The Economist.

Call it Jensanity. When Jensen Huang, boss of the chip giant Nvidia, visits his native Taiwan he is greeted like a rock star. Our correspondent spent a week with the man at the centre of the geopolitical battle for AI dominance. We examine how Mr Huang cultivated his nice-guy image, and ask how much longer he can keep China, America and Taiwan on side. Guests and hosts:Jensen Huang, CEO of NvidiaShailesh Chitnis, The Economist’s global business writerJeremy Page, co-host of “Drum Tower”  Topics covered:Jensen HuangNvidiaAI raceTranscripts 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 The Economist.

China’s Cultural Revolution was hard on Xi Jinping. His father was purged, and at age 15, he was sent down to the countryside, where he spent years living and working as a peasant. Yet Mr Xi particularly dislikes public-handwringing about the decade-long period of violence and upheaval when more than a million people died. Fifty years after the Cultural Revolution ended, why do China’s leaders want to play down its horrors? Guests and hosts:Jiehao Chen, co-host of “Drum Tower”James Miles, The Economist’s China writer-at-large  Topics:China’s Cultural RevolutionXi Jinping and Mao ZedongChinese Communist Party historyTranscripts 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 The Economist.

China is rushing ahead on AI integration. The Communist Party wants every industry to adopt the technology in the hope it will boost growth. But behind the enthusiasm, the country’s leaders worry about workers being displaced by the tech they are promoting.  Guests and hosts:Sarah Wu, co-host of “Drum Tower”Jeremy Page, co-host of “Drum Tower”  Topics:Chinese AI China’s economyChina’s jobs market 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 The Economist.

China has strict laws protecting its cultural artefacts. Even so, they pop up all over the world. Hong Kong serves as a major gateway for the illicit trade of smuggled Chinese antiquities. Why does the territory still have an ancient English legal principle that gives dodgy goods a clean bill of health?Guests and hosts:Emma Irving, news editor at The EconomistJiehao Chen, co-host of “Drum Tower” Topics:Chinese antiquitiesHong Kong’s black marketRepatriation of cultural relicsTranscripts 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 The Economist.

China is becoming more cautious about AI. Since the start of the year the government has tightened controls on domestic labs, intervening in cross-border deals and restricting the movement of its best talent. Now it is limiting how Chinese citizens interact with some chatbots. Is this the beginning of a new era for China’s AI industry? Guests and hosts:Sarah Wu, co-host of “Drum Tower” David Rennie, The Economist’s geopolitics editor and Telegram columnist Joshua Spencer, The Economist’s Asia news editor  Topics:Chinese AI Open-weight AI models AI companions 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 The Economist.

Hong Kong was once a shopper’s paradise. Today the city’s residents are more likely to head to mainland China to spend. As Hong Kong’s economy recovers from the double-punch of the pandemic and protests, officials are taking a novel approach to get customers spending again. Guests and hosts:Sarah Wu, co-host of “Drum Tower” Simon Cox, The Economist’s China economics editor  Topics:Hong Kong economyStanley, Hong KongShenzhen effect 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 The Economist.

Like its Western counterparts, China’s manosphere has its ugly, hostile corners. But China is also home to a large number of traditionally-minded men whose views on gender are supported by the Chinese government. Add to that a generation of women who are better-educated and more assertive than their forebears and the stage is set for a battle of the sexes. How worried are China’s leaders?  Guests and hosts:Sarah Wu, co-host of “Drum Tower” Jeremy Page, co-host of “Drum Tower”  Topics:ManosphereChinese gender politics Bride pricesTranscripts 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 The Economist.

Study hard, score well, and you’ll get a good job. For decades that was the promise of the gaokao, China’s university-entrance exam. But as China’s job market stagnates and youth unemployment soars, that social contract is beginning to fray. In the second of two episodes, Drum Tower explores whether taking the gaokao is still the best way for China’s young people to get ahead. Guests and hosts:Jiehao Chen, co-host of “Drum Tower” Mark Johnson, senior editor at The Economist  Topics:GaokaoChinese education system China’s economy 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 The Economist.