Asia Matters Podcast - Chinese Economy: Mounting Debt, Deeper Headaches

Chinese Economy: Mounting Debt, Deeper Headaches

02/12/20 • 35 min

China’s economy is facing its biggest challenges for years as growth slows and debt piled up. How worried should we be?
This week Andrew is joined by Stephen Roach, former Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia and Senior Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs; and Dinny McMahon, author of the book ‘China’s Great Wall of Debt’, which chronicles the country’s growing debt problem.

A note to listeners - this episode was recorded before the true scale of the coronavirus outbreak was revealed.
As ever, get in touch if you have any comments at [email protected]. You can also follow us on Twitter: @AsiaMattersPod

Previous Episode

COVID-19 and SARS: Lessons Learnt?

There's only been one story in the region over the last few weeks: the coronavirus - or COVID-19 - and its spread from Wuhan to the rest of China, then Asia, now the world. There's still a lot we don't know about the virus itself; and even analysis of its handling by the Chinese authorities seems premature.
Instead, this week we're looking back into the past, to see what if anything we can learn from previous epidemics in China. Our guest this week is Professor Sian Griffiths, who co-chaired Hong Kong’s enquiry into the SARS epidemic in 2003.
As ever, get in touch if you have any comments at [email protected]. You can also follow us on Twitter: @AsiaMattersPod

Next Episode

India: Is Hindu Nationalism Endangering its Democracy?

In December last year, Narendra Modi's government passed the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act. It's raised concerns that India's secular constitution is at risk, and critics say it discriminates against Muslims.
Last week, in Delhi, the hitherto peaceful protests against the law erupted into the worst violence the Indian capital has seen in decades. More than 40 people were killed, hundreds were wounded and some remain missing. There's also mounting evidence that Muslims were targeted in a planned manner. Parliamentary proceedings have been disrupted for three days straight as opposition MPs continue to protest the riots.
Madhav Kosla is a constitutional expert from Ashoka and Columbia universities. He joins us to discuss the protests, and the roots of rising Hindu nationalism in India. Drawing on Madhav's books, we also discuss the wider question of the challenges facing a modern Indian state, and its constitution.