logo
episode-header-image
Sep 1
1m 52s

Trailer: The rise of China's military an...

The Telegraph
About this episode

How significant is China’s military buildup? What does Xi Jinping’s ongoing purge mean for the People’s Liberation Army? And how likely is an invasion of Taiwan in the next few years?


Dive into the strengths and weaknesses of China’s military and its remarkable transformation over the last few decades from obsolete to world-class in a three-part mini series with Battle Lines host Venetia Rainey.


As the US pivots to the Indo-Pacific and the threat of a truly global war looms, understanding the evolving role of China’s military on the world stage has never been more important.


Featuring insights from the world's top China experts, including: Dr Phillip Saunders and Joel Wuthnow from the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the Institute for National Strategic Studies, Oriana Skylar Mastro from the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, Meia Nouwens from the China Programme at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Timothy Heath at RAND, Amanda Hsiao at Eurasia Group, and The Telegraph’s Asia Correspondent Allegra Mendelson. 


Search 'Battle Lines China' wherever you get your podcasts to listen now.


Or Telegraph subscribers can find all episodes here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/08/battle-lines-podcast-inside-the-rise-of-chinas-military/


https://linktr.ee/BattleLines


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

Up next
Nov 2022
5: What next for China and Xi Jinping?
Spoiler Alert. Make sure you're fully caught up on the series before listening to this bonus episode.Join the Telegraph's award-winning China correspondent Sophia Yan and senior foreign correspondent Roland Oliphant as they explore how likely a conflict for Taiwan is, what we've ... Show More
45m 20s
Nov 2022
4: Build a superpower
A look inside how Xi Jinping has turned China into a superpower to rival the US, by growing its military and taking an increasingly aggressive approach to expanding Chinese influence abroad, from Taiwan and the South China Sea to spies in the UK and US. Meanwhile, The Telegraph’s ... Show More
39m 33s
Nov 2022
3: Create a personality cult
A look inside how Xi Jinping permeates every aspect of daily life in China, from the streets to schools to people’s phones. The extraordinary new levels of propaganda and censorship under him mean one thing: he is turning himself into Mao Zedong 2.0. Meanwhile, The Telegraph’s So ... Show More
39 m
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
Angela Merkel on Dealing with Strongmen and Demi Moore on Aging
In his first trip abroad as President-elect, Donald Trump attended the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Dispensing with protocol, world leaders like Emmanuel Macron are eager to meet with him to take the measure of the man they know as a deliberate disruptor to the world st ... Show More
42m 39s
Oct 6
One peace at a time: hopeful Gaza talks
As negotiators gather in Egypt, appetite for a short-term peace seems high on all sides. But there is much ambiguity surrounding a lasting accord. In New York, renters fear being evicted far less than they once did—but pity flat-hunters. And remembering Kim Seong Min, a North Kor ... Show More
22m 54s
Aug 2024
More than Sheikh could stick at: Bangladesh’s PM resigns
Sheikh Hasina, who led the country for 20 of the past 28 years with an increasingly authoritarian grip, was ultimately undone by student protests that would not be quelled. China may be world-leading in autonomous taxis—but our ride in one is not without complications (9:00). And ... Show More
24m 16s
Aug 2024
More than Sheikh could stick at: Bangladesh’s PM resigns
Sheikh Hasina, who led the country for 20 of the past 28 years with an increasingly authoritarian grip, was ultimately undone by student protests that would not be quelled. China may be world-leading in autonomous taxis—but our ride in one is not without complications (9:00). And ... Show More
24m 16s
Oct 2024
The Weekend Intelligence: Black boxes (part one): Michael Kovrig on how he became a political hostage in China
One evening, Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, grabbed a late dinner in Beijing with his partner. When they arrived back at his apartment, men in black were waiting for them. Mr Kovrig was pushed into a waiting SUV. Handcuffed and blindfolded, he was driven to a detenti ... Show More
29m 47s
Mar 2025
Sects and balances: a violent flare-up in Syria
Horrifying attacks on Alawites, the sect of deposed leader Bashar al-Assad, throw into question the power—or the will—of Ahmed al-Sharaa, the country’s leader, to maintain peace. For the first time in decades it now makes more sense to pay off a mortgage early (10:36). And high-e ... Show More
22m 36s
Oct 6
One peace at a time: hopeful Gaza talks
As negotiators gather in Egypt, appetite for a short-term peace seems high on all sides. But there is much ambiguity surrounding a lasting accord. In New York, renters fear being evicted far less than they once did—but pity flat-hunters. And remembering Kim Seong Min, a North Kor ... Show More
22m 54s
Oct 2024
The Weekend Intelligence: Black boxes (part one): Michael Kovrig on how he became a political hostage in China
One evening, Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, grabbed a late dinner in Beijing with his partner. When they arrived back at his apartment, men in black were waiting for them. Mr Kovrig was pushed into a waiting SUV. Handcuffed and blindfolded, he was driven to a detenti ... Show More
29m 47s
Jun 2025
Live from Warsaw: Polling European politics under Trump’s shadow
Recorded live from ECFR’s Annual Council Meeting 2025, this week’s podcast features Mark Leonard in conversation with Ivan Krastev, Chair of the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia and permanent fellow at the Institute of Human Sciences in Vienna, and Carl Bildt, former prime ... Show More
29m 55s
Oct 2023
The Future of Incarceration: A Discussion with Colleen P. Eren
The United States has long been associated with a very harsh criminal justice system with, in some cases, people serving long sentence for minor crimes. But attempts to reform the system have proven very difficult. In her new book Reform Nation: The First Step Act and the Movemen ... Show More
43m 18s