logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2023
8m 49s

Another coup in Africa

Financial Times
About this episode

Military officers in oil-rich Gabon said they had seized power, US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo wrapped up a visit to China, and the billionaire founder of Apple supplier Foxconn is running for president of Taiwan. 


Mentioned in this podcast:

Fed warned Goldman Sachs over risks and compliance oversight at fintech unit

Military leaders seize power in oil-rich Gabon

US commerce secretary hails ‘new approach’ to handling China business frictions

Foxconn founder Terry Gou launches bid for Taiwan presidency


Correction: An earlier version of this episode said hat Terry Gou, the Taiwanese tycoon and Foxconn founder was running for president with an opposition party closely aligned with China. That was a mistake. Gou has urged opposition parties to join forces with him in the forthcoming election, but they haven’t agreed to do so.  And Taiwan’s opposition parties are not closely aligned with China, although they do favour an easing of tensions with Beijing.


Looking for a fresh perspective on the news? Meet FT Edit - the new app from the Financial Times. FT Edit brings you eight hand-picked stories to surprise and inform you, every weekday. Try FT Edit now: https://on.ft.com/446sxYS


The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Monique Mulima, Monica Lopez, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com



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

Up next
Today
Canada’s push to become an energy superpower
The UK and France have pledged for the first time to co-ordinate the use of their nuclear weapons, the copper markets are reeling from US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 50 per cent tariffs on the metal, and Canada has a plan to offset American energy levies by exportin ... Show More
11m 17s
Yesterday
BCG tries to limit Gaza work fallout
EU negotiators are closing in on a trade deal with Donald Trump that would cement higher tariffs than those granted to the UK, and Boston Consulting Group’s chief executive said the group’s involvement with a postwar plan for Gaza had been “reputationally very damaging”. Plus, Eu ... Show More
10m 31s
Jul 8
Liechtenstein's zombie-trust apocalypse
US President Donald Trump extended tariff deadlines, and Liechtenstein’s trust industry is in a crisis spurred by American sanctions against Russia. Plus, Shein filed for an initial public offering in Hong Kong, and Elon Musk is trying to save Tesla from Trump. Mentioned in this ... Show More
11m 18s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2024
Britain’s China conundrum
The government is preparing a crackdown on Chinese entities operating in the UK, following malicious cyber campaigns linked to Beijing. But there are tensions among ministers over how to protect the UK’s national interests without heavily damaging trade with China. The FT’s Lucy ... Show More
34m 26s
Aug 2022
China’s Taiwan Warning
Beijing is planning military drills near Taipei after reacting with fury to a controversial visit by US Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The BBC’s China correspondent Stephen McDonnell examines the possible outcomes.And Adam speaks to Chris Kamara and Ben Shephard about the launch of their ... Show More
27m 3s
Aug 2023
Could a reshuffle revitalise Sunak’s government?
It’s almost time to wave goodbye to the summer, but is Rishi Sunak also poised to bid farewell to some of his ministers? The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by columnist Stephen Bush and political editor George Parker to discuss a cabinet shake up. Plus, the FT’s US p ... Show More
35m 52s
Jul 2022
Will Speaker Pelosi go to Taiwan? If she does, how will China react?
As Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi departs for her trip to Asia, Fareed asks Adm. Mike Mullen (Ret.), former Joint Chiefs Chairman, if she will visit Taiwan and how China might react. Pivoting to the war in Ukraine, Fareed asks Mullen if Kyiv can be successful in its attempts t ... Show More
40m 28s
May 2023
China’s next generation
Gideon talks to economist Keyu Jin about China’s goal of becoming the world’s biggest economy despite a falling population, the impact of the deterioration in US-China relations, and the way in which the aspirations of its younger generation are shaping policy in Beijing. The pod ... Show More
29m 54s
May 2022
US-China Tech Race: The great decoupling
In the final episode of this season of Tech Tonic, we ask if the growing tensions between the US and China could split the world into two competing technological spheres. It has been dubbed 'the great decoupling'. Some in the US want to see Chinese companies cut off from American ... Show More
26m 3s
Dec 2021
Checks and Balance: Taiwan wonder
Taiwan is arguably America’s defining foreign-policy challenge. The calibrated ambiguity over whether the US would defend the island democracy from a Chinese attack is hard to sustain as China’s power grows. Would the US go to war over Taiwan? The Economist's Beijing bureau chief ... Show More
39m 26s
Oct 2021
October 24, 2021 | On GPS: Would the U.S. really protect Taiwan against a Chinese attack?; China’s reported test of a hypersonic missile; the life and legacy of Angela Merkel; the new normal in Taliba
Would China and the U.S. go to war over Taiwan? Fareed talks to Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, and Oriana Skylar Mastro of The American Enterprise Institute about the complex relationship the U.S. must navigate between China and Taiwan. Haass also r ... Show More
39m 16s
Apr 2023
Liz Truss, the deep state and China
China's President Xi Jinping has told his troops they should be ready for real combat. So now we are wondering if Taiwan will be the next Ukraine. It comes after a week of China sabre-rattling in the Taiwan straits - surrounding the island on all sides with a blockade. France's P ... Show More
37m 52s
Oct 2022
The Prince episode 3: Patriot number one
A villager’s campaign against corruption highlights the Chinese Communist Party’s weakening grip. As Xi Jinping stands on the brink of power, the emergence of a flamboyant rival deepens the crisis. Subscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted o ... Show More
32m 51s