The making of Chinese President Xi Jinping

10/21/22 • 29 min

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This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to receive an unprecedented third term, which would make him the longest serving leader since Mao Zedong. It comes as more than two thousand members of the Chinese Communist Party are gathering in Beijing to determine the government’s priorities for the next five years. This week on Nothing is Foreign, we look at Xi’s path to consolidating power in the country, and how events like his father’s imprisonment, and the Cultural Revolution, brought him to this point. Featuring: Sue-Lin Wong, The Economist’s China correspondent and host of “The Prince”, a podcast about Xi Jinping’s rise to power.

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As Brazil votes, the Amazon burns

Brazil's Amazon rainforest is in peril. During incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro’s time in office, researchers have seen an increase in deforestation, land invasions and violence against Indigenous peoples in the area. Ahead of the runoff vote in the country’s presidential election, we speak with an Indigenous leader who says his tribe’s very existence is at stake with this election. Guests: André Karipuna, chief of the Karipuna tribe. Claudio Angelo, former climate journalist.

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The crisis behind the political circus in the U.K.

Almost eight million people in the United Kingdom are struggling to pay their bills right now, according to recent financial surveys. From heat to food, the cost of living has risen astronomically. Some people are even opting out of utilities to save money. This is the backdrop to the political turmoil that's been dominating the headlines in recent weeks, with Liz Truss' resigning from the prime minister's office after only 45 days of leadership, and Rishi Sunak being chosen as Britain's next leader earlier this week. This week on Nothing is Foreign, we hear from two U.K. residents about their day-to-day challenges, and what they think about the current political landscape. Featuring: Sharron Spice, in her 30s and lives in London. Christina Adane, Campaigner in residence at Bite Back 2030.