Post diplomacy expert Shi Jiangtao pulls apart the language of the Xi-Putin meeting in Uzbekistan and looks at the agendas at play, how they relate to China’s troubled domestic politics and what this means for the future of the Sino-Russian partnership. Europe correspondent Finbarr Bermingham looks at the state-of-the-union speech from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and how it targets new aspects of the EU relationship with China.

Frosty China-India relations at the UN and BRICS; how Russia is losing Central Asia to China

Let’s talk… About Asia by looking deep into the stories unfolding on the world’s most populous continent. Each episode showcases the reportage of SCMP’s journalists across Asia and in-depth interviews with experts, putting context and analysis to current affairs.