Chat Lounge

The U.S. is attempting to revive its shipyards—not with innovation, but with tariffs. A hefty 1.5-million-US-dollar fee on China-made bulk ships could shake global shipping. Will it backfire on the U.S.? Can America rebuild its industry? Will business pressure sink the plan before it sets sail?Host Tu Yun joins Dr Jane Haider, a Reader in Transport, Logistics and Operations Management at Cardiff...

China's economic growth is outperforming expectations. But questions remain: when will the property slump end? Can consumer confidence keep rising? And how much will US tariffs bite?Host Tu Yun joins William Lee, the Chief Economist with the U.S.-based Milken Institute, Dr Li Wei, a Senior Lecturer at the Business School of University of Sydney, and Dr. Li Lun, an Assistant Professor of Economics...

Once upon a time, fat people were believed to be more blessed. Now, they are urged to watch their weight. On this week's Chat Lounge, host Tu Yun joins Dr. Lauren Johnston, an associate professor of the China Studies Centre, University of Sydney, Australia, Dr. Julie Ju Shi, an associate professor of health economics at the School of Economics and the School of Global Health Development, Peking...

Private firms drive China's economy. They represent 90% of all enterprises, 60% of GDP, and over 80% of urban jobs. But with global supply chains in turmoil, how can they keep growing and thriving? Host Tu Yun and co-host Professor Qu Qiang from Minzu University of China join Michael Woo Kim-kong, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference,...

China's Two Sessions, the country's major political event, is underway in Beijing and drawing global attention. During the meetings, Chinese lawmakers set economic, trade, and diplomatic policies and goals for key strategic areas in the year ahead. What key economic goals are highlighted in this year's Government Work Report? How can China achieve its growth targets of "around 5%" amid external...

Gold prices are soaring, hitting new highs more than 10 times this year! How unusual is this? What's driving the surge in addition to US President Donald Trump's tariff plan? How long might this trend last? What ripple effects will it have on the global economy and on our daily lives?Host Tu Yun joins Dr. Hans-peter Burghof, a professor and Chair of the Banking and Finance Department, University...

China has conducted another major asset reshuffle to overhaul its financial sector. The Ministry of Finance has transferred all of its controlling stakes in a group of financial companies to Central Huijin Investment, a sovereign fund under the State Council. What prompted the reshuffle? Is it just an asset transfer between different pockets of the central government? To what extent will it help...

Chinese equities are hot right now. Global hedge funds have been snapping up Chinese stocks this year, fueled by the emergence of artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek. What are the implications of the buying spree for the country's equity market and the whole economy? How long will the momentum continue? How may the world's investment landscape change as a result? And as global institutional...

Some say it’s the art of the deal. Others argue it’s merely extortion and blackmail. As US President Donald Trump wields his tariff stick around the world, how big will it impact the U.S. domestic market and the global economy? What can the rest of the world do in response? How far will the U.S. tariffs go? And what’s the outlook for Trump achieving the vision of revitalizing manufacturing?Host...

Wall Street has been stunned. A Chinese quantitative hedge fund fueled a massive selloff of tech stocks, not with quant trading, but with the release of its large-language model, DeepSeek R1. How could a Chinese hedge fund trigger such a shockwave in the AI sector? How may it reshape AI-related industries? Does it signal an acceleration of China catching up or surpassing the U.S. in AI? And is it...