logo
episode-header-image
May 2022
25m 3s

The city that never slips: Beijing and c...

The Economist
About this episode

China’s Communist Party leaders have painted themselves into a corner: they cannot be seen to put the capital into lockdown, but permitting covid to spread could be catastrophic. We look into the myriad reasons behind America’s sharp shortages of baby formula, and how to solve them. And why it is illegal for women to get a manicure in Turkmenistan.

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
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
Aug 20
Bombs and bombshells: Zelensky under pressure
From anti-corruption probes to a disgruntled ex-minister calling for elections to disrupted grain shipments, headaches are mounting for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. China has until now coped with a patchy, pricey system for mental-health treatment. The government is no ... Show More
22m 45s
Aug 19
Wake-up haul: an Ozempic moment for the brain
Orexins are peptides involved in the body’s sleep-wake system—and are big pharma’s next big thing. Like multi-purpose GLPs, they may have far more uses than just regulating shuteye. We ask why Japan’s post-war innovation boom petered out, and what must be done to breed more unico ... Show More
22m 7s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2022
Zero's intolerance: Shanghai’s messy lockdown
China’s zero-covid policy is being <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/what-shanghai-lockdowns-mean-for-china-inc/21808450?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term= ... Show More
22m 34s
Jan 2022
Unsustainable envelopment goals: China’s zero-covid fight
<p>The Omicron variant is destined to test the limits of a policy that has already proved costly: consumption, growth and confidence are all <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/01/22/the-rising-cost-of-chinas-property-and-pandemic-curbs?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=au ... Show More
20m 4s
Mar 2022
All that Xi wants: China’s Ukraine dilemma
After backing Russia’s grievances against NATO, China now finds itself treading a <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/02/26/xi-jinping-drew-closer-to-russia-on-the-eve-of-war-in-ukraine?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content ... Show More
20m 44s
Dec 2022
One Thing: Zero Patience for Zero-Covid in China
China has signaled it may adjust some aspects of its strict zero-Covid policy following a massive show of defiance in cities across the country, with some openly calling for the removal of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. We examine the financial and psychological ramifications of the ... Show More
17m 30s
May 2022
The cost of China’s zero-Covid lockdown
<p>Xi Jinping’s renewed commitment to zero-Covid policy rattles investors in China, Africa’s top Covid vaccine plant faces an uncertain future after production halt, and plant-based meat maker Impossible Foods claims a rival, Motif, has infringed its patent on a beef-replica prod ... Show More
10m 4s
Jan 2022
Stocks rise after Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Congressional testimony - Morning Briefing - Marketplace Minute - January 12, 2022
U.S. airlines say China is refusing to allow flights to land…after some passengers tested positive for COVID; Shortages at grocery stores are growing more widespread because of supply chain kinks and COVID To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https:/ ... Show More
1m 50s
Feb 2020
Fear, Fury and the Coronavirus
<p><em>Note: This episode contains strong language in both English and Mandarin. </em></p><p>What started as a story about fear of a new and dangerous virus has become a story of fury over the Chinese government’s handling of an epidemic. Today, one of our China correspondents ta ... Show More
22m 52s