Today

No middle ground: Iran’s dangerous division

As the smoke of a murderous crackdown clears, Iranians have hardened into two camps. Moderates and reformists are out; a sense of looming civil war is in. As America nears its 250th birthday, we launch our series examining the highlights and low points of its history. And why the ... Show More

22m 2s

Yesterday

We’ll be right over here: Europe’s populists sour on Trump

Many of the continent’s populist-right leaders once saw President Donald Trump as an example-setting fellow traveller. But his actions and policies on Venezuela, Greenland and Canada have them pulling back. Dating apps from the West failed to make inroads in India; now the countr ... Show More

19m 15s

Jan 27

General ejection: China’s military purge

The two men under investigation are in the army’s highest echelon, and are some of President Xi Jinping’s closest counsel. We examine the probable motives for a surprising purge. In Ukraine’s freezing capital thousands upon thousands of people suffer unpredictable cuts to electri ... Show More

22m 37s

Oct 24

The great brawl: China is winning the trade war

This weekend American and Chinese officials are meeting to try and ease tensions over trade after China’s recent decision to restrict rare-earth exports. How has China gained the upper hand? Anxiety about screen time is focused on young people, but the elderly are addicted to dev ... Show More

23m 20s

Nov 2024

The Peking order: Can China’s army surpass the US?

China is enacting a rapid project of military modernisation. Though in some areas its forces are already stronger than America, that does not mean China is ready for war. Why luxury shoppers are no longer buying so much online (10:16). And remembering Balthazar Uscha, Ecuador’s l ... Show More

24m 9s

May 2025

Duty falls: US and China reach a deal

Tariffs against China were the centrepiece of Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” trade plans. Our correspondent explains the significance of a new 90-day hiatus. Will Ukraine and Russia come to the negotiating table this week (7:51)? Why new techniques to compress the contrast betwe ... Show More

21m 41s

Oct 2024

Yuan for the money: China stimulates its economy

After years of slowing growth, the Chinese government is finally attempting to bolster consumer demand, business confidence and the stock market. Our correspondent analyses the surprise shift in policy (10:25). How will immigration policy play with swing voters in Arizona? And Sa ... Show More

26m 54s

Apr 2025

The great brawl: China v America

Donald Trump is now aiming his trade war squarely at China. As the tit-for-tat tariff battle keeps escalating, investors are fleeing to safe assets. What will happen next? Germany’s Friedrich Merz finally signs a deal for a coalition government (10:12). And remembering Betty Webb ... Show More

26m 45s

Sep 2025

Sino-the-times: China gathers global allies

World leaders flocked to China this week for an international summit followed by a giant military parade commemorating the end of the second world war. Xi Jinping is capitalising on the chaos of Donald Trump’s second term. AI is helping fraudsters and hackers become more producti ... Show More

21m 17s

Jul 2024

China Is Exporting Unemployment | Michael Pettis on Global Trade Imbalances, American Capital Controls, and the End of The Chinese Growth Miracle

Forward Guidance is sponsored by VanEck. Learn more about the VanEck Morningstar Wide MOAT ETF (MOAT) at https://vaneck.com/MOATFG. Follow Michael Pettis on Twitter https://x.com/michaelxpettis Follow VanEck on Twitter https://x.com/vaneck_us Follow Jack Farley on Twitter https: ... Show More

1h 31m

Sep 2025

Fortunes of war: is Russia’s economy slowing?

The collapse of Russia’s wartime economy has long been foretold, yet massive fiscal stimulus has compensated for the effect of sanctions. Though the pinch is now being felt, the labour market is surprisingly resilient. Protesters in China are getting more creative. And why car to ... Show More

23m 30s

Nov 12

The little green look: China’s energy revolution

America has boycotted this week’s COP climate talks, but China has sent a giant delegation. The world’s biggest polluter is increasingly pivotal to tackling global warming. Why young protesters around the world brandish a pirate flag. And since sports leagues cannot stamp out pir ... Show More

22m 27s

Apr 2025

Tariffs, tensions, and trade: Trump’s gamble on China

Two weeks after Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement shook global markets, he has now offered most countries a 90-day reprieve—while simultaneously escalating trade tensions with China by imposing harsher penalties. So far, China has responded by matching each tariff hike ... Show More

30m 26s

The great brawl: China is winning the tr...