Round Table China
Round Table China
China Plus
Round Table is a premier English radio/podcast show, straight from Beijing. Hear what's buzzing on the Internet and the main streets, see the latest lifestyle trends, and feel the pulse of life in China, Round Table is your golden ticket. With dynamic cultural exchanges between hosts from diverse backgrounds, we take you on a journey deep into modern China. We invite you to join our conversation! Shoot us an email or a voice memo at [email protected]. Let the fun begin!
Encore: Milk tea shops turn mini mart
Walk into a milk tea shop these days, and you may leave carrying more than just a drink. Crisps, cakes, and even surprise snack packs now line the shelves alongside the bubble tea. Chinese brands are transforming a quick sip into a full?fledged shopping experience. It is affordable, convenient, and rapidly becoming the norm! / Are personality tests picking the best hires (09:14)? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu
Jul 17
20 min
Encore: Closing the care gap with AI
Getting a child the right care sometimes meant a long trip to a big city hospital. Local clinics just did not inspire enough trust. But now, doctors are teaming up with artificial intelligence to give community physicians a powerful backup tool. This is not about replacing doctors. It is about giving them on?demand access to an AI second opinion that never sleeps. On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu
Jul 17
32 min
The ice cream identity crisis
China's ice cream market has gone cold, but not in the way you might think. Warehouses are quiet. Distributors are on edge. The familiar summer frenzy for frozen treats is losing its grip. It is no longer just about escaping the heat. It is about changing tastes, rising prices, and a generation that views indulgence differently. / When was the last time you updated your social media profile photo (18:40)? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan
Jul 16
25 min
Hainan bans gas car sales
Hainan just pulled the plug on gasoline cars. By 2030, no new sales, period. For some, it's a bold leap forward. For others, it raises hard questions. What happens to millions of drivers still filling up at the pump? Can an all-electric future really work on the road, with charging, grid strain, and a massive mindset shift all in play? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan
Jul 16
26 min
The $50 million throwaway problem
A rocket booster costs tens of millions of dollars. For decades, the industry has been throwing them away after a single launch. China just proved there's another way, and the ripple effects could change who gets to space and how often. / Would you send your doggy to doggy daycare (14:32)? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu
Jul 15
21 min
Digital friend or digital file?
You tell it your secrets. It knows your routines, your worries, and your bad days. Then one morning, it's gone because a company decided to pull the servers. Across China, millions of users are waking up to that silence as various companies have shut down the AI characters people built, talked to, and even fell in love with. When that digital voice fades to nothing, are you just clearing storage, or are you losing someone who mattered? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu
Jul 15
31 min
One traveler, one taxi ride, 21 million likes
One traveler, one taxi ride, and 21 million likes later, a viral video earned its creator a life-changing payday from Xizang's tourism officials. But that check came with a catch. When a government pays for your "authentic" story, is it still genuine? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Jul 14
19 min
Did the social media crackdown work?
Every generation worries about what young people do with their time, but today's screens are designed to never let go. As a result, governments stepped in with various measures to solve the problem. Now a newly released Tsinghua University report questions if all the bans and regulations have helped to make things better. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
Jul 14
32 min
Tick tock goes the checkout clock
For decades, hotels worldwide have followed the same rule. Check in after two in the afternoon, check out before noon the next day. Most travelers never question it. But some Chinese hotel chains are now tearing up that script, letting guests keep their room for a full twenty-four hours from check-in. Travelers love the idea. Yet for hotels, the reality is more complicated. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun
Jul 13
21 min
China's road tax debate heats up
Gasoline drivers have long funded roads through fuel taxes, while electric vehicles have contributed nothing. But with six in ten new cars in China now running on batteries, that old system is cracking. The debate is no longer about whether EV owners should pay, but about what happens to road infrastructure if they don't. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun
Jul 13
30 min
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