POPULARITY
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.
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
The fireworks have faded, the reunions have ended, and the last dumpling is a distant memory. Now the numbers are in. The receipts, the records, and the data that reveals what kind of holiday this year's Spring Festival really was. From tourism hauls to box office gold, we break down how China rang in its Year of the Horse. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Once the fireworks fade and the tables clear, reality creeps back in. Your thoughts move at molasses speed, your energy flatlines, and that cozy holiday haze suddenly feels suspiciously like a coma. It's not just exhaustion. It's your body coming down from weeks dialed up to eleven, crash-landing straight into the office. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
As a change of pace, the Round Table team is bringing horse stories to life! But this time, we've swapped a story from the past for a story from... the future? Enjoy the third and final installment: Round Table's Unexpected Guest. On the show: Steve, Yushun, Fei Fei & the team
As a change of pace, the Round Table team is back in the saddle with another horse drama! Grab your headphones and enjoy the second installment: Bo Le and the Thousand-Li Horse. On the show: Steve, Yushan, Fei Fei & the team
The final night of the year carries unusual weight. For centuries, China's ritual has been quiet but deeply symbolic: staying awake together as the old year slips away. When did this tradition begin? How did people spend Spring Festival Eve in ancient times? And how did staying awake become inseparable from watching sketches, spotting celebrities, and asking if the Gala is better than last year? On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
Across history, three rhythms define Spring Festival: the journey home, the way people gather, and the form celebration takes. In this series, Round Table traces these transformations through a sustained conversation between ancient and modern China. We explore how going home, celebrating together, and holiday fun have been reshaped across dynasties, technologies, and generations. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
Forget New Year's Eve in Times Square. The real spectacle unfolds across China, where one broadcast commands a billion viewers. The Spring Festival Gala is less a television show than a shared ritual, part time capsule and part fever dream, weaving ancient tradition with viral spectacle. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun
This Chinese New Year, why not let cinema inspire your China travel itinerary? As many international visitors still hit a digital wall, China is rolling out the welcome mat with new guidelines. How will it open its digital doors? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun
A new American private school has replaced the teacher at the front of the classroom with a personal chatbot for every child. The model swaps the standard six-hour academic day for hyper-efficient, two-hour learning sprints. It is an exchange that places supreme value on personalized data transfer over human-led instruction. But can it work? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
While the nation powers down for Spring Festival, some workers are powering up. They are skipping the family banquet to deliver yours, guard the temple fairs, and keep the city humming through the holiday lull. Meet the new wave of urban stayers choosing holiday shifts over hometown reunions and cashing in on the busiest downtime of the year. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Traditional marketing tries hard to pull everyone in. But what if your most powerful move was to willingly lose a customer? It sounds counterintuitive, yet a strategy called "dissuasion" is proving just that. Sometimes, the clearest way to attract your true audience is to politely show others the door. / At what time of the day do you crash(14:46)? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun
Robots are on vacuum duty, apps are delivering feasts, and AI is writing your greetings. The most traditional holiday of the year is being powered by the "Lazy Economy." Is technology saving the Spring Festival traditions or simply replacing them? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun
The Full Circle: Senior gamers, airplane hospitals, tasteless tomatoes / The classic bathhouse has been reinvented. Today, sprawling 24-hour mega-complexes have replaced it, transcending their original purpose. These are not merely for bathing; they are destinations where you can work from a private pod, enjoy a high-end meal, watch films, and essentially live for a full day (18:31)! On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Ding Heng
In the warmth of southern China, winter means something different: it's a construction project. Venture into a mall to find a mountain of steel and manufactured snow, where professional skiers train and the après-ski includes spicy hot pot. This is how a region defies geography to bring the quintessential hobbies of the frozen north to its warm, southern shores. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Ding Heng
You slice into a flawless tomato with glossy skin and bright red flesh, only for a letdown to follow. There is no sweetness, no acidity, just water and fiber. This small disappointment has become so common, many people assume that's just how tomatoes are now. China is tackling that exact issue by biotech, smart innovation and more. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
Around the world, specialized healthcare is often limited by geography. China is now testing a novel solution to close that gap. Instead of evacuating patients, this experiment brings care to them by flying the hospital itself. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
Winter is the ultimate stress test for our energy system. As temperatures plunge nationwide in China, the demand for electricity surges. From heating millions of northern homes to powering the non-stop factories in the south, this seasonal surge creates a complex, high-stakes challenge that is unmatched in scale and intensity anywhere on Earth. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei.
Markets are seen as rational systems driven by data, while weather seems purely physical and unpredictable. China's meteorological authorities and the Fudan University are now bridging this divide. They have unveiled "Shangji," a pioneering AI model designed to decode the hidden patterns that connect weather forecasts directly to stock market moves. / Can your workout actually be hurting you (18:02)? On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei.
Digital life is rewiring our instincts. In China, eating alone is no longer seen as lonely. It's a curated luxury. From viral solo booths at fast food chains to an entire economy profiting from our collective comfort with solitude, we're exploring the rise of the "social anxiety economy." Why is being blissfully alone in public becoming the new normal? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
The Soapbox: Is Beijing deserving of its fashion critique? / You get a wedding invite. You click. They know. In China, digital invites are turning curiosity into a new kind of social pressure. A simple "save the date" is now a data mine. So, is this the end of the casual RSVP (14:04)? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Chunyun, the annual Spring Festival travel rush in China, is the world's largest human migration. Each year, it tests the absolute limits of the country's transportation network. In 2026, however, it will test something new: how data, platforms, and policy can fundamentally reshape the experience of mass mobility itself. / Is boredom good for us (15:25)? On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
For the first time, the story of space isn't just about astronauts. It's about farmers using satellite data, engineers designing zero-gravity labs, scientists discovering new drugs, and policymakers crafting the rules. The architects of our future in space are building it from the ground up. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
More protein. Whole milk returns. Ultra-processed foods take a step back. The latest U.S. dietary guidelines have triggered a wave of reactions—some cheering, others confused. Has nutrition science changed its mind, or are we simply rediscovering what was overlooked? On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
A rocket retrieved from the ocean and a strategy to deploy over 200,000 satellites across 14 constellations are not isolated headlines. They are signals of a deeper structural shift redefining the global space industry. We explore the rise of China's commercial space sector and examine its tangible, far-reaching implications for our collective future. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
The 2026 consumer goods trade-in program presents a streamlined process for consumers: claim a voucher, place an order, and receive an immediate discount. Behind this user-friendly interface, however, lies a highly complex system. It requires the exact coordination of central funding, local execution, integrated digital platforms, and real-time verification mechanisms. So what's everyone buying? On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
This is the story of a river that shapes a nation. In the final episode of our series, we trace a decade of evolution along the Yangtze, where regions producing half of China's GDP have rewritten their growth model. They have shifted from a focus on scale to a new paradigm of smart, coordinated integration, a transformation that now offers the world a distinct blueprint for building a sustainable future. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
What connects the quantified self movement, a major fishing ban, and a viral“cry-cry horse"? On the surface, these three stories from this past week appear to exist in separate worlds—one in personal technology, another in environmental policy, and the last in internet culture. We trace how they intersect to reveal a surprising, singular theme about modern systems of monitoring, compliance, and emotional response. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
Imagine a hospital visit where the longest wait is the elevator ride. Now, picture paying for care with a single glance, or shielding your family with one shared insurance wallet no matter where in the country they live. This is not science fiction. It is the new reality in China's healthcare system. Today, we explore the digital keys to this future and how they are transforming the patient experience from stressful to seamless. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
How do you revive a great river? In the first episode of our three-part series, we look at the boldest move yet on the Yangtze: a total fishing ban. And it's working. Native fish are returning and the finless porpoise has reappeared in growing numbers, all while hundreds of thousands of fishermen have traded their nets for new lives on land. Join us for a story of ambitious ecological healing and profound human adaptation along one of China's most important waterways. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Our cities' greatest resource isn't buried underground; it's hidden in plain sight within the very waste we discard. We journey into the world of urban mining to discover how yesterday's forgotten trash is being reclaimed as tomorrow's essential materials and how this process is turning our cityscapes into a new frontier of resource wealth. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
What if every green purchase earned you tangible rewards? A major new national plan is betting that a points-for-discounts system is the key to unlocking mass green consumption. This is how the initiative could turn your environmental choice into real savings, making sustainability the smartest buy on the shelf. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
China has officially entered a new era of demographic governance with the unveiling of the draft Childcare Services Law. While only about 8% of children under three are currently enrolled in formal childcare, the central government is now positioning it not as a private luxury but as a "basic public service." The draft introduces a mandatory national qualification system and comprehensive background checks. This marks a significant step toward professionalizing a sector long dominated by less regulated and often costly private providers. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
After ten years of "Do Not Disturb" signs, the most powerful room in the Forbidden City is back in business. Want to see where the Qing emperors actually lived, worked, and… gossiped? The Hall of Mental Cultivation is finally open. / Why do we doom-scroll our partner's ex (14:49)? On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
What happens when your closest confidant is an algorithm? As millions form bonds with AI companions, China is responding with pioneering rules for this wild new frontier of digital intimacy. The crackdown on synthetic dependency seeks to build guardrails against emotional manipulation and preempt real-world harm. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun.
Pink Himalayan salt sells for ten times the price of ordinary table salt, wrapped in an aura of wellness and luxury. But what are you really buying? Is it a superior mineral source, or are you paying for little more than a pretty color and clever marketing? We investigate the surprising truth behind the pink. / The Soapbox (14:44). On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun.