Round Table China

The global gaming industry, now larger than film and music combined, generates over $184 billion. Women make up nearly half of all gamers worldwide, profoundly shaping game design, esports, and culture. We explore the shift and its future impact. On the show: Heyang, Steve & Yushan

China's media landscape is shifting focus from traditional studios to artificial intelligence. The rapid ascent of "comic dramas," short form and automated productions, is revolutionizing the industry. This analysis explores how plummeting costs and massive scalability are fueling algorithmic storytelling and its wider implications. / Heart to Heart - please send your audio questions to roundtablepodcast@qq.com (14:48). On the show: Steve, Yushan & Guo Yan

Imagine the physical, emotional, and financial weight of caring for an aging parent with significant disabilities. This July, China launched a new subsidy program to lighten that load. The pilot response has been overwhelming, with over 243,000 vouchers used almost immediately. But is this innovative approach enough to lift the burden, and what hurdles must it still clear? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Guo Yan

Your short-form video app is having an identity crisis. One moment you're watching a viral clip, the next you're thrust into a live video chat with a stranger. These platforms are no longer just for passive viewing; they're making a massive bet that we crave conversation more than just tapping 'like.' Is this the next social revolution, or simply a more sophisticated trap for our attention? / Why are employees turning their desks into mini gyms (16:22)? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

Forget the guidebooks—the new travel itinerary is written in the stars. "Stargazing tourism" is booming, but why? We explore why travelers are now chasing celestial events and weather phenomena. On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

Chalk, test, grade, repeat. But what if school got a makeover? Out goes the one-size-fits-all lecture; in comes co-teaching, flipped classrooms, and "exit tickets" that feel more like reality TV than report cards. What if we stopped teaching AT students and started learning WITH them? We're exploring the classrooms breaking the old mold, one collaboration at a time. / Motivational Monday (20:19)! On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushun

If you've ever felt your stomach drop looking down from a tall building, imagine driving across a bridge nearly twice the height of the Eiffel Tower. This is the thrilling new journey in Guizhou, turning a two-hour drive into a two-minute spectacle. It's efficient, beautiful, and challenges everything we assume about crossing a gorge. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushun

Women in science have shattered barriers and redefined possibility—yet the path forward demands even greater strides. Join Heyang in conversation with Li Tianzhen of DP Technology as they explore the milestones worth celebrating, the systemic challenges still to overcome, and the power of women claiming their space and voice in the tech landscape.

The age-old experience of shopping for groceries is being redefined, as supermarkets evolve into sophisticated food halls. With the line between restaurant and market now dissolving, are these "grocerants" merely a transient trend, or do they signal the next chapter in the future of food? / Round Table's Happy Place (12:25)! On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

What does it mean to lead as a woman today? As the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women prepares to convene in Beijing, the story of Dr. Lin Li offers a compelling answer. A Guzheng virtuoso and a war studies scholar, Dr. Lin's journey is a powerful testament to a new paradigm of leadership—one that integrates, rather than separates, our deepest passions. Round Table's Niu Honglin sat down with Dr. Lin to explore this unique confluence of art and academia. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

How does an expedition to Antarctica prepare someone to lead a sustainability venture in Beijing? Round Table's Heyang sits down with Songqiao Yao, the founder of Wildbound.earth. She's a leader whose path is as unique as her mission. In the first of a special series on groundbreaking young women, we explore how a spirit of exploration fuels one entrepreneur's drive to tackle our planet's biggest challenges. On the show: Steve, Niu Honglin & Yushan

As China's National Day holiday wraps up, we look back at a week defined by massive movement, packed tourist spots, and a surge in consumer spending. Join us for a recap of the biggest stories from this year's Golden Week. On the show: Steve, Niu Honglin & Yushan

In Zheng'an County, Guizhou province, a thriving guitar manufacturing industry has emerged, supplying major international brands and providing thousands of jobs. In this episode, we meet the guitar-makers, the musicians, and the dreamers who've transformed an entire region by turning strings into stories.

Guizhou Province has long been known for its rugged landscapes and ethnic diversity, but today, it's making headlines for something else: the red hot chili peppers. Yes, Round Table is still in Guizhou province, and in this episode, we take you to see a city's fiery pepper boom!

What do spicy peppers, handmade guitars, and green cities have in common? Guizhou. In our new on-the-ground mini-series ChinaHorizons, we invite you to join our trip to Guizhou province. For the first stop, we record our podcast in a traditional Miao people's village cluster to appreciate diversified cultures, intangible cultural heritage items and delicious local cuisines.

With the digital preservation of the Potala Palace, and the growing popularity of Xizang style carpets, incense and handmade paper among young consumers, Xizang has found ways to keep its timeless culture up-to-date and trendy. In this episode, we explore the part of Xizang where heritage meets creativity.

From smart ranching to vegetable greenhouses, from cold-chain logistics to cross-border trade… We take a look at Xizang's industrial transformation and see how the plateau is leaping into a new era of development.

In Xinjiang, ancient traditions are not frozen in time but are dynamically evolving. This episode explores how daily life in the millennia-old Kashi Ancient City, and across all of Xinjiang, is being revitalized with modern comforts while carefully preserving its unique soul. From the enduring epic of Manas to the innovative fusion of Guangdong's Yingge dance with Uygur melodies, it's clear how dedicated cultural preservation, youthful creativity, and open exchanges are composing a vibrant new chapter for the region's diverse cultural mosaic.

The story of Xinjiang's industry is no longer just about sweet grapes and cotton fields. This episode travels from high tech cotton farms where AI and drones optimize harvests to the vast desert aquafarms that raise tasty seafood. We uncover how innovation is driving growth, from the massive wind farms of Hami supplying green energy to the nation, to the data centers of Karamay leveraging liquid cooling tech. It is a journey into how Xinjiang is diversifying its economy and harnessing cutting edge technology to build a robust and modern industrial ecosystem.

From the bustling lanes of the world's largest bazaar in Urumqi to the state-of-the-art logistics hubs at its 17 land ports, Xinjiang is rapidly transforming its geographical advantages into robust economic strength. As China's vital gateway to the west, the region now hosts a comprehensive opening-up network, highlighted by the groundbreaking Pilot Free Trade Zone. This dynamic integration of cross-border trade, an expansive web of China-Europe freight trains, and vibrant cultural exchanges is weaving Xinjiang into the very fabric of the Belt and Road Initiative, cementing its role as a pivotal hub for continental connectivity.