Drum Tower

In the past, Xi Jinping and Vladmir Putin have described their relationship as a “friendship with no limits”. Some in the West have dismissed it as more of a “marriage of convenience”. Either way, it is undeniable that China and Russia are more aligned than they have ever been since the Cold war. David Rennie, The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief and Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, ask: how strong has the China-Russia relationship become? And what’s in it for China?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.

Narendra Modi is one of the most popular politicians on the planet. India’s prime minister is eyeing a third term atop the world’s biggest democracy. A tea-seller’s son, Mr Modi began life an outsider. The man behind the political phenomenon remains hard to fathom. India has become an economic powerhouse during his ten years in charge. But he’s also the frontman for a chauvinistic Hindu nationalist dogma. Can Mr Modi continue to balance both parts of his agenda and finish the job of turning India into a superpower? The Economist’s Avantika Chilkoti finds out what makes him tick. Launching June 2024.To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

While Washington worries about a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, China is deploying a set of tactics that could see it take its neighbour without firing a shot. Day after day, Chinese planes and ships are going steadily closer to the island. Called “grey-zone” tactics, this intimidation is eroding Taiwan’s borders and undermining Taiwanese confidence. Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent and Anton La Guardia, our diplomatic editor, travelled to hot spots of grey-zone aggression in Taiwan to find out if China’s strategy is working.Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Get a world of insights for 50% off—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.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Japan was a sanctuary for Chinese intellectuals, reformers and revolutionaries. Now, over 100 years later, Tokyo has once again become a hub for liberal-minded Chinese. And unlike others who have “run” from China, they still nurture hopes of returning to a better, freer homeland.  In the final episode of our series on why Chinese people are leaving their country, Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent and David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, ask: how is this new generation of exiles keeping hope alive?Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Get a world of insights for 50% off—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.

Fed up with a system they feel has let them down, blue-collar Chinese workers are moving to Japan. And they have bleak views about the society they’ve left behind.  In the second episode of our series on why Chinese people are leaving their country, Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent and David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, ask: how political is the “run” phenomenon?Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.Get a world of insights for 50% off—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.

China is about to be hit by a wave of Alzheimer’s, as its population ages and shrinks. The disease will place great strains on Chinese society and test the country’s health-care system to its limits. David Rennie, The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, and Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, ask: how will dementia expose China’s weak points? 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.

China faces a demographic crisis. Its birth rate has halved over the last ten years. When asked about their ideal family size, many young women say they want one child or no children at all.David Rennie, The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, and Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, consider the lingering effects of the one-child policy. Eight years after it ended, how does the policy affect how Chinese people imagine the ideal family size?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.

New religious regulations in Xinjiang stipulate that mosques should look Chinese and religious figures should behave patriotically. What do those rules look like on the ground, and did they affect Ramadan celebrations for Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities this year? David Rennie, The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief visited the far-western region to find out if people are still allowed to fast, and whether—contrary to what officials say—mosques really are being destroyed.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.