States of Play with Sam Olsen

Hello and welcome to the Episode 5 of the What China Wants podcast.The impact on the world economy from Covid and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been heavy, creating the worst cost of living crisis in the West in years. Yet this is only an amuse bouche compared to what could happen in the near future. There is a strong chance that China, which is central to the world’s supply chains and the second largest economy, could be about to force unification with Taiwan - an event that could trigger a

Hello and welcome to the fourth episode of the What China Wants podcast.Southeast Asia - an area of 680 million people, countless raw materials, and located in a strategically important corner of the world - has long been fought over by foreign powers. In this week’s episode, Sam and Stewart ask if it is still true today: is the region being contested by China and America, and if so, why? And what does this mean for the superpowers’ wider struggle?You can also listen to the podcast on Apple, Amazon,

Hello and welcome to the third episode of the What China Wants podcast.Beijing has long said it will reunite with Taiwan, apparently whether or not the Taiwanese want to do so. But do Russia’s difficulties in Ukraine change China’s calculations and make such an adventure less likely? Sam and Stewart talk the economic, political, and military calculations involved. You can also listen to the podcast on Apple, Amazon, or Spotify.As always please do share, comment, and subscribe. We’ll be back next

Hello and welcome to the second episode of the What China Wants podcast. Today Sam and Stewart are exploring China’s global military and security footprint, asking how much international reach it has here, whether its war-fighting and logistics are up to the job, and whether it is better to look at what its doing from a more general security standpoint than just counting naval bases. Note that you can also listen to the podcast on Apple, Amazon, or Spotify. As always please do share, comment, and

Welcome to our first What China Wants podcast. Sam Olsen and Stewart Paterson discuss whether, after decades of breakneck growth, China’s economy is now shrinking - and if so, what this means for the West. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatchinawants.substack.com