China and the United States agreed to work together on climate issues in 2021. However, since then, a deterioration in their relationship has hampered efforts to curb emissions and work towards the Paris Agreement's goals for tackling climate change. In this podcast, Isabel Hilton of China Dialogue discusses China’s environmental dilemmas with guest host Zuri Linetsky, from the Eurasia Group Foundation in Washington DC.

China is on course to reach its targets for wind and solar power five years ahead of time, helping shore up its position as the world leader in renewable energy. However, the Chinese government is also building many new coal-fired power stations and fossil fuels are expected to make up a significant proportion of the country’s energy mix for decades to come. In this podcast, host Duncan Bartlett discusses China’s power paradox with Dorothy Mei and Martin Weil from Global Energy Monitor.

For decades, South Korea has sought to maintain harmonious relations with both the US and China. But as the competition between the great powers intensifies, the balancing act has become more tricky. In this podcast, Dr Edward Howell, a lecturer in politics at New College, University of Oxford, explains how China-South Korea relations have developed since Yoon Suk-yeol became South Korea’s president in the spring of 2022. The podcast host is Duncan Bartlett, Editor of Asian Affairs.

China's leaders have taken a sharply critical tone against Israel over its war with the Palestinian militant group, Hamas. They have also suggested that the United States is exploiting and exasperating long-running conflicts in the Middle East. In this podcast, Richard Spencer, a correspondent for The Times newspaper, warns that a regional conflagration would be damaging for both China and America. The host is regular presenter, Duncan Bartlett.

Powerful military forces are amassed in East Asia and in war games, America and China role play deadly encounters. China says America is stoking the fire of regional tensions, while the US insists it is the duty of its armed forces to keep the peace through deterrence. In this podcast, Dr Zuri Linetsky, a research fellow at the Eurasia Group Foundation, explains what he learned about the balance of power during training exercises with the US Air Force. The host is Duncan Bartlett, editor of Asian Affairs.