Round Table China

Three stories with no obvious connection. That is the easy way out. So instead, we picked three segments from this week that seem unrelated at first glance. Dig deeper, though, and something ties them together. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

Retirement isn't what it used to be. Shanghai has launched a sweeping plan to reintegrate seniors into the workforce, shifting the focus from caring for the elderly to empowering them. So why is retiring at 60 fading fast? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

Welcome to The Why, our new tech-focused segment. We take one story and go beyond the surface. In tech reporting, the spotlight is usually on the numbers, the launches, and the breakthroughs. But in The Why, we reveal the bigger picture of why this story matters to us. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushun

The Boao Forum for Asia, underway in Hainan, brings together governments, companies, and scholars to debate global challenges and test solutions. As the forum marks its 25th anniversary, discussions explore how economic growth, technological innovation, and environmental sustainability can move forward together. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushun

Imagine checking into a five-star hotel and never leaving. No short-term stays. No eventual move to a care facility when you need help. Across China, luxury hotels are being converted into permanent homes for an aging generation. / Is F1 the fastest growing sport in China(21:43) ? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

Spring greens have taken over. Suddenly, your friends are experts on what's in season. Grocery runs feel like scavenger hunts, and vegetables have become the main event. So why are we obsessing over these bitter, fleeting leaves? Is it about taste? Health? Nostalgia? Or is it just the vibe? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

Parenting advice often focuses on grades, extracurriculars, or screen time. But new research drawing on data from over 50,000 teenagers across 15 countries suggests something simple may also matter: household chores. Researchers are exploring how families share responsibilities influences whether children bully their peers(16:21). / Can eating well be bad for you? On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei

Picture a morning commute from a very different height. At just one meter tall, the world looks unfamiliar. When cities are built from an adult perspective, children navigate a world that isn't designed for them. But what happens when planners and communities begin to see the city from one meter high? On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei

THE SOAPBOX: If you exercise for less than 30 minutes, it's basically useless? / The Labubu craze has officially taken over Hollywood. We tell you everything we know about the little monster's upcoming movie (16:53). On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

It's spring job fair season, and the crowd isn't flocking to the usual names. AI is stealing the show. So what does that leave students with? A job market that's rewriting the rules before they even walk in the door. The question is: how do you show up ready when nobody's quite sure what "ready" even means? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

The Full Circle: Ganji, book covers, city pollen / A crumpled wrapper. A hotel clerk's request. A kindness relay across continents. This isn't a feel-good movie. It's the real story of how one piece of candy sparked a cross-cultural moment no one saw coming (12:55). On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

Spring in China isn't just pretty anymore. It's big business. We dig into the high-stakes economics behind the petals. How do these fleeting flowers turn to a sustainable goldmine? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

There's a lot happening beneath the surface, literally. New sites are emerging, long-studied relics are revealing fresh secrets, and the questions we're asking don't have tidy answers yet. We share our first installment of China Finds. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

Spring has arrived, and so have your allergies. That yellow dust covering everything looks like nature's confetti and the trees themselves might be the problem. We look at how city planners accidentally turned pollen season into a full-blown sneezefest and whether there's any hope for breathing easy again. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

In offices and bedrooms across China, a new kind of downtime has taken hold. People are hunched over trays of tiny plastic beads, arranging them one by one with tweezers. It is called Pindou, and it has become an unlikely escape from the noise of screens and notifications. / With everyone worried about the environment, why are we still covering our textbooks in plastic (15:17)? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

Brown bears are breaking into homes. Wild boars are stopping subway trains. In 2026, the wild isn't staying in the wild anymore. China's conservation efforts are working so well that animals are showing up where they don't belong. We look at what happens when success creates conflict and explore a new law trying to make coexistence possible. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

What if you could walk out of a bad movie 20 minutes in and get your money back? A theater in Hangzhou is trying exactly that, and China's film industry is taking notice. The experiment pits audience satisfaction against artistic vision in a billion-dollar market. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

Young people in China are walking away from their screens and heading to the market. We explore the revival of Ganji and why an old-fashioned way of shopping, full of noise, street food, and human connection, is resonating with a new generation. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

A major fast food chain is putting artificial intelligence in its employees' ears. Burger King is testing AI-powered headsets that do more than take orders. The devices coach workers on their performance, track inventory, and monitor customer conversations. The technology raises an uncomfortable question about whether this is helpful assistance or employee surveillance. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushan

Step into a Chinese mall today and you might be surprised. Crowds are back, but many younger shoppers are opting for a different retail experience. They are heading to flea markets and second-hand shops, where the thrill lies in the hunt. While middle-aged consumers fuel mall spending, youth culture increasingly revolves around pre-owned treasures. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushan

Different stories, different angles, no obvious reason they belong together. But hang tight, there's a link hiding in plain sight. Beneath the surface of China's digital landscape, a single thread connects them all, waiting to be pulled. Follow it closely enough, and the bigger picture begins to emerge. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun.

A digital crustacean is scuttling across China's internet, and the race is on to catch it. Known as the “lobster,” OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent that has developers, startups, and even municipal governments hooked. But just as the excitement reaches a fever pitch, regulators have issued a sharp warning over potential data leaks. Why is that? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun.

Many think of artificial intelligence as merely playing a supporting role, automating the routine and optimizing the everyday. But China's latest move rewrites that script entirely. Enter the "smart economy," a full-scale fusion of industrial might and machine intelligence. Here, AI doesn't assist. It drives. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

China just unveiled an ambitious plan to shake up theater. It's probably not what you think. Forget dusty relics. This is ancient art meeting the algorithm, with vertical screen dramas, a youth surge, and serious momentum building. Can any of it turn traditional performance into the next big cultural wave? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

For many young people, the nine-to-five job is no longer the only or preferred option. Flexible schedules, multiple income streams, and digital entrepreneurship are increasingly part of the career landscape. In China, this has fueled the rapid rise of new forms of employment, from delivery services to livestream commerce. As lawmakers and political advisers gather at the Two Sessions, the country is taking a closer look at how this new generation of workers is reshaping the labor market. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushan

International relations aren't just shaped at summits. The real exchanges happen in classrooms and everyday conversations. In this episode of Generation Global, Round Table's Yushan talks with three young scholars from the US, the UK, and Indonesia living in Beijing. They arrived with expectations, but their time in China has reshaped how they see the country.

Forget awkward dinner dates. In China, singles are finding love through laughter at stand-up comedy matchmaking shows. With improv icebreakers and instant audience feedback, dating has turned into a live performance. But is this booming trend about real connection, or just comic relief from modern dating anxiety? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Xingyu

While university enrollment numbers are dipping, vocational schools are opening to bachelor's degree holders eager to learn hands-on trades. Some call it“upgrading to vocational college.”Others call it common sense. We explore why China's Gen Z is rethinking the value of another degree and what happens when the old formulas stop adding up. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Xingyu

How can a country transform vast industries while maintaining economic momentum? And how do green ambitions translate into change for communities and households? In this episode of Generation Global, Round Table's Fei Fei brings together a Chinese expert and a UK scholar. From policy signals at the Two Sessions to international insights, they explore how China's green transition is understood at home and abroad, and what it means for the future of development.

Healthcare systems around the world are grappling with a familiar challenge: delivering high-quality care while safeguarding the well-being of the medical workforce. During this year's Two Sessions, lawmakers and political advisers are actively debating how to address the long shifts, rising patient demand, and intense emotional pressure that are pushing medical professionals to a breaking point. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushan

Each week, we take a step back to re-examine three stories from the news cycle. Stories that, at first glance, appear to have no logical connection. Different sectors. Different stakes. No obvious overlap. And yet, beneath the surface, a single, unexpected thread ties them all together. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushan

Welcome to RoundTable new special series: Generation Global: Navigating a Changing World! In this debut episode, Steve and Yushun sit down with Ace Asim, a researcher and student focused on AI and ethics at Peking University, to explore how China's rapid technological advancement looks through the eyes of international youth.

Forget dusty storefronts. China's oldest brands are now crashing livestreams and racking up billions of views, making the "old-timers" cool again. But beneath the hype lies a brutal scramble for digital talent, a constant battle with the algorithm, and one lingering question about whether the magic survives when heritage chases trends. / Heart to Heart - please send your audio questions to roundtablepodcast@qq.com (17:17). On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

The Great Wall has survived centuries of wind and war. Now it also faces a new kind of challenge, not from nature, but from the millions who come to love it. This March, new regulations took effect in Beijing. Smarter technology. Tighter oversight. The question is whether these changes can save it from its own popularity. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

For many older Chinese, a quality life now has a global dimension. Beyond material comfort lies a deeper desire for growth and self-discovery, leading more seniors to pursue education abroad. These are not vacations. They are immersive experiences where language and art become gateways to new cultures and to rediscovering themselves. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

Think Chinese New Year ends when the fireworks stop? The real finale comes with the first full moon, during the Lantern Festival. On this night, lanterns illuminate the streets as families gather to honor centuries-old traditions. But technology is now crashing the party. Drones soar where paper lanterns once floated. So what happens when an ancient festival meets the modern world? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

The Soapbox: Tigers' fasting programs / There is a razor thin line between connection and cringe. You know the feeling. You say something real. Too real. And suddenly your brain screams, "Why did I just say that?" But what if that awkward, exposed moment is actually the point (18:24)? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

The holidays are done and the strategy is set. Chinese provinces have just released their game plans for the next five years. The focus? A full push into innovation, manufacturing, business environment and more . We map out where China is headed next. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun

Look closely, and a pattern begins to emerge from this week's stories. The pieces are all there, just not yet put together. But once they are, something surprising comes into focus. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushan

For years, cities across China have invested in cultivating "night-time economies," including restaurants, retail, and entertainment. Now, a new dimension has emerged: education after dark. Evening classes are becoming an integral part of urban infrastructure, offering a diverse range of fun, hands-on courses including makeup artistry, magic tricks, and wardrobe organization. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushan

Remember when a red envelope felt like magic? Not for the cash inside, but for the luck it carried. Somewhere along the way, that magic got replaced by a calculator. With campaigns now capping the cash, can we save the hongbao from the 'monetary arms race'? / Decoding the picky eater (18:36). On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun.

Forget the garage startup. Forget the big team. We are entering the age of the 'One-Person Unicorn.' Artificial intelligence has slashed the cost of building a business to nearly zero, turning solo dreamers into global competitors overnight. But here is the million-dollar question: When you stand alone, who catches you when you fall? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun.