The Party’s Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping
The US-China Podcast
is the first English-language biography of Xi Zhongxun, the father of China’s current leader, Xi Jinping. It is both a story of the Chinese revolution and the first several decades of the People’s Republic of China and a personal account of developing one’s own sense of identity within a larger political context. Drawing on an array of documents, interviews, diaries, and periodicals, Joseph Torigian introduces Xi Zhongxun. He helped build the Communist base area that saved Mao Zedong in 1935, worked closely with top leaders Zhou Enlai and Hu...
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Why is the US selling NVIDIA's H200 chips to China?
The US-China Podcast
On December 8, 2025, President Donald Trump stated that . This decision departs from previous U.S. policy that prevented the export of H200 chips to China to preserve the United States’ lead over China in the . Industry leaders touted , such as U.S. companies’ desire to strengthen market shares in China, urging President Trump to change the course of the United States’ advance compute export policy. Some experts fear that this decision will yield...
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Security Without Exclusivity – Why Countries Choose to Cooperate with Both the U.S. and China
The US-China Podcast
As tensions continue to mount in the U.S.-China relationship, the traditional understanding of international security, with many countries choosing between U.S.-led security and China-led economic growth, is increasingly outdated. Instead, , where many countries now seek security cooperation with both the United States and China at the same time. In an interview conducted on July 24, 2025, Sheena Greitens and Isaac Kardon joined Phillip C. Saunders to discuss the of third countries’ “security hybridization” and the implications for...
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The Vatican in Transition: China, Religion, and the Legacy of Pope Francis
The US-China Podcast
The death of Pope Francis came at a delicate moment in the Vatican’s relationship with China. Since 2018, the Holy See has pursued a cautious and often controversial diplomatic engagement with Beijing to maintain the Church’s relevance in China while navigating the Chinese Communist Party’s strict control over religion. This approach has unfolded against a backdrop of repression of underground clergy and growing pressure from Beijing for the Vatican to . For observers, this period offers insight into how a global religious institution operates in which space...
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The Next Chapter in U.S.-China Science and Technology Collaboration
The US-China Podcast
The (STA), the first bilateral agreement signed shortly after the United States and China established diplomatic relations in 1979, has been renewed multiple times. Scientists from the two countries have collaborated on cancer prevention, malaria treatment, vaccines, and more; the results of their efforts have benefited the people of both countries and the world. In August 2024, the STA expired, but on December 13, 2024, the two countries signed a protocol amending the STA and extending it for another five years, suggesting that rumors of the death of collaboration were premature....
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China & The Hill: Trump Greenlights Nvidia Chip Sales to China, U.S. Softens Its China Strategy, and Foreign Service Morale Plummets
The US-China Podcast
🚨 Check out the new ! 🚨 China & the Hill is now on China & the Hill is a weekly covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the .
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China & the Hill: Taiwan Unveils $40B Defense Plan, Beijing Courts Europe Amid Japan Tensions, and Chinese Restaurant Brands Grow A U.S. Presence
The US-China Podcast
🚨 Check out the new ! 🚨 China & the Hill is now on China & the Hill is a weekly covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the .
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China's Power Sector, Explained
The US-China Podcast
How has China added so much green energy to its grid in such a short time? As in China's industrial, commercial, and residential sectors, energy providers are adding sources to the grid at record rates. However, China’s power sector needs to manage the between market liberalization, decarbonization, and energy security to ensure everyone, from policymakers to the people, is happy. Chinese local government officials navigate these complex situations through hundreds of thousands of experiments – the results of which...
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China & the Hill: Congressional Committee Warns of Rising China Threat; U.S. Approves $330M Jet Parts Sale to Taiwan
The US-China Podcast
🚨 Check out the new ! 🚨 China & the Hill is now on China & the Hill is a weekly covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the .
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"Reflections on a Relationship that Shapes the World" - Amb. Daniel Kritenbrink, 2025 Barnett-Oksenberg Lecture
The US-China Podcast
Daniel Kritenbrink delivered the 2025 in Shanghai on October 27. Now in its fourteenth year, this annual lecture affords the opportunity for a frank and forthright discussion of current and potential issues between the two countries; it is the first and only ongoing lecture series on U.S.-China relations that takes place on the Mainland. Daniel Kritenbrink is a former ambassador to Vietnam and assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs. He is currently a Partner at The Asia Group. Watch the full lecture, including the question and answer section, .
info_outlineHow does religion work in China? Officially, the government recognizes five religions, but people and their practices don’t fit neatly into these categories. Spiritual folk traditions are widely practiced and look like religious activity, but the Chinese government labels these actions as “intangible cultural heritage,” sometimes supporting and subsidizing them. However, the government still views some religions with skepticism, especially those with possible foreign ties, such as Christianity or Islam. Nonetheless, underground churches, mosques, and temples persist in the gray zone between what is officially allowed and what actually plays out on the ground. As people in China continue to flock towards religion, the government will need to navigate its role as a referee in religious life and the tension that arises from the intricate dynamic.
Ian Johnson joined us in September 2025 to explore how religion is viewed by the government and people in China and how its practice is managed in everyday life.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the video here