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The Conversation WeeklyHow we got here, explained by experts Author: The Conversation
A show for curious minds, from The Conversation. Each week, host Gemma Ware speaks to an academic expert about a topic in the news to understand how we got here. Language: en Genres: News, News Commentary, Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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China’s long game on Trump’s tariffs
Thursday, 7 May, 2026
As Xi Jinping prepares to host Donald Trump for a delayed summit in Beijing on May 14-15, a lot has changed since the US president's last visit to China in November 2017. Trump's first trade war with China began in earnest the following year, ushering in a new era of trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.While Trump's second trade war raged in 2025, China reported a record trade surplus of US$1.2 trillion. Yes, direct trade with the US fell sharply, but China shifted its focus elsewhere, doubling down on an existing "great reallocation".In this episode, we speak to economist Jiao Wang at the University of Sussex, about how decisions China took over the past two decades meant it was able to protect itself from the worst of Trump's tariff wars.This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany and the executive producer was Gemma Ware. Mixing by Eleanor Brezzi and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Read the full credits for this episode and sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.If you like the show, please consider donating to The Conversation, an independent, not-for-profit news organisation.Supreme Court’s tariff decision still leaves a ‘mess’ for companies trying to grab refundsWith a shrinking population, China needs new drivers of growth. Consumer spending has yet to fill the gapAmid rising tensions, ‘friendshoring’ might keep global trade aliveHave US tariffs failed to bite? China’s trade surplus hits a record US$1.2 trillionMentioned in this episode:Voices of the South
