logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2021
20m 49s

Taken for a ride: why China is leaning o...

The Economist
About this episode

Just after the ride-hailing giant made a splashy stockmarket debut, Chinese regulators came down hard. Why is the country crimping its tech champions? There is something missing at many American embassies around the world: American ambassadors. We ask why so few are in post, and what risk that poses. And the not-so-simple task of counting the Earth’s oceans.

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
Even-more-maximum pressure: sanctions on Iran
After much hullabaloo America announced its “Operation Economic Outcast”, a new tranche of sanctions. It is thin gruel, and might in fact invite military reprisals from Iran. Call centres form a large part of the economy of the Philippines; surprisingly, AI is not stopping the in ... Show More
23m 25s
Aug 24
Elbows up, again: a US-Canada trade flare-up
Promising trade talks imploded after a literal 11th-hour change from the American side. We examine the new trade barriers being erected, and the complex calculation for Prime Minister Mark Carney. In Japan Gen X workers are even still bearing the costs of an economic bubble-burst ... Show More
21m 48s
Aug 21
I, robot? AI and consciousness
The rise of generative AI has put new urgency into ancient questions. What is consciousness, and can machines ever have it? We dive into the data that reveal a surge in sexually transmitted infections in Europe. And our obituaries editor considers the life of Mary de Rachewiltz, ... Show More
24m 48s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
The Intelligence: Surveilling China’s diaspora
<p>There are fears about TikTok, but it’s not the only social media platform that the Chinese state might be using to monitor the rest of the world. That’s especially worrying for those in its <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2024/02/26/living-outside-china-has-become-mor ... Show More
23m 3s
Aug 2023
Teutonic plague: is Germany the sick man of Europe?
<p>Owing to a host of deep-rooted economic and political challenges, it could be the only G7 economy to contract this year. How might it <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/08/17/is-germany-once-again-the-sick-man-of-europe?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.n ... Show More
24m 55s
Mar 2023
Home affairs: America’s revealing property market
<p>Economists and politicians around the world are consumed with one question: is the world headed for a recession, or a relatively soft landing? We’ll tell you what clues the <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/03/01/americas-property-market-suggests-re ... Show More
22m 24s
Jun 2022
Uprising tide: the coming inflation-driven unrest
<p>In a global period of belt-tightening, popular anger <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/06/23/costly-food-and-energy-are-fostering-global-unrest?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous. ... Show More
21m 58s
Dec 2021
Unsafe as houses? Evergrande and China’s big plans
<p>The wildly indebted property firm has defaulted at last. That poses big risks as China’s leadership works to <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/12/11/china-courts-global-capital-on-its-own-terms?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintellige ... Show More
24m 7s
Jun 2023
Trouble in Shangri-La: Sino-American tensions escalate
<p>At a meeting of defence ministers from the Asia-Pacific region, heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington were all too apparent. A naval spat in the Taiwan Strait looms large over relations. What will it take for both sides to talk? In Brazil, Lula faces an uphill bat ... Show More
24m 54s
Feb 2024
The Intelligence: Faith-based reeling
<p>China’s firms are <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/02/08/can-xi-jinping-win-back-the-markets?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="n ... Show More
23m 29s