The Beijing Brief

What Beijing got from the Trump-Xi summit

President Trump came home from China on May 15 hauling trade deals and stability. But how did Beijing read the visit? On this episode, Ryan Hass sits down with China Center scholars Patricia Kim, Kyle Chan, and Jon Czin to unpack what the summit really means for the future of the relationship. Transcript and show notes [https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-beijing-got-from-the-trump-xi-summit]. The Beijing Brief is part of the Brookings Podcast Network [https://www.brookings.edu/podcasts/]. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu [podcasts@brookings.edu].

Beijing's playbook for the US-Iran war

What does Beijing really want from the war in Iran, and what do Washington and Tehran want from China? On this episode of The Beijing Brief, Jon Czin speaks with co-host Ryan Hass and experts Suzanne Maloney and Mara Karlin about the triangular interplay among the United States, China, and Iran. They explore China-Iran relations, Beijing's role in regional dynamics, and Washington's strategic positioning vis-à-vis China considering the conflict. Transcript and show notes [https://www.brookings.edu/articles/beijings-playbook-for-the-us-iran-war/]. The Beijing Brief is part of the Brookings Podcast Network [https://www.brookings.edu/podcasts/]. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu [podcasts@brookings.edu].

Is China's military as strong as it looks?

Ryan Hass speaks with Jon Czin and John Culver, a top expert on China's military, about how sweeping leadership purges and rapid military modernization are reshaping the People's Liberation Army. What do these competing forces mean for the risk of conflict with the United States? And what lessons are China's military leaders learning from the U.S. war with Iran? Transcript and show notes [https://www.brookings.edu/articles/is-chinas-military-as-strong-as-it-looks/]. The Beijing Brief is part of the Brookings Podcast Network [https://www.brookings.edu/podcasts/]. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu [podcasts@brookings.edu].

What to know about China's economic ambitions and its Five-Year Plan

In early March, Beijing released its fifteenth Five-Year Plan, detailing the Party leadership's economic and technological ambitions for the years ahead. Jon Czin sits down with China Center colleague Kyle Chan and Andrew Polk of Trivium China to discuss Beijing's push to move up the value chain — from low-end manufacturing toward high-tech industries like AI, robotics, and semiconductors. The two experts offer their analysis of what the plan reveals about where China's leaders want its economy to go, how it plans to get there, and how Western countries are reacting to its increasing economic global influence. Transcript and show notes [https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-to-know-about-chinas-economic-ambitions-and-its-five-year-plan]. The Beijing Brief is part of the Brookings Podcast Network [https://www.brookings.edu/podcasts/]. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu [podcasts@brookings.edu].

The delayed Trump-Xi summit, Iran, and the US-China relationship

President Trump's planned visit to Beijing has been postponed to May 14 to 15 because of the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. What does the delay signal about the state of U.S.-China relations, how does Chinese leadership read this moment? On the inaugural episode of The Beijing Brief, Ryan Hass, Jon Czin, Pattie Kim, and Kyle Chan unpack what the postponement reveals about the trajectory of U.S.-China relations during the second Trump administration. They discuss China's strategic calculus amid the Iran conflict, the Taiwan issues likely to dominate when the two leaders finally meet, and the deeper question of whether time is really on America's side in its competition with China. Transcript and show notes [https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-delayed-trump-xi-summit-iran-and-the-us-china-relationship/]. The Beijing Brief is part of the Brookings Podcast Network [https://www.brookings.edu/podcasts/]. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu [podcasts@brookings.edu].