Sinopinion

The 2026 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting will take place in Shenzhen on November 18–19. The gathering may also provide an opportunity for direct talks among the leaders of China, the United States, and Russia. The international context and the balance of power among the three states have changed substantially since the Cold War. How well does the traditional strategic-triangle framework explain their relations today?In this episode of Sinopinion, Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, and Shao Yuqun, Director of the Institute for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), are joined by Zhao Long, Deputy Director of the Institute for International Strategic and Security Studies and Senior Research Fellow at SIIS. Using the strategic triangle as a reference point, they reassess today's China-U.S.-Russia relations and their implications for the international order. They explore the scope for cooperation despite persistent differences, and whether mutual vulnerability can contribute to strategic stability.01:19 From the Cold War Strategic Triangle to Today's China-U.S.-Russia Relations09:04 The Limits of a “Reverse Nixon” Strategy14:53 Great-Power Roles in a Changing International Order and Concerns About a “New Yalta”23:58 Great-Power Responsibilities in Resolving Regional Conflicts30:13 Great-Power Stability and Regional Security 33:23 Trilateral Coordination on Nuclear Risk Management, AI Safety, and Energy Security41:17 Mutual Vulnerability as a Possible Basis for Strategic Stability48:57 Shared Vulnerabilities Arising from AI and the Urgency of CooperationExecutive Producer：GUO JiaProducer：GUO MingxinyiPodcast Editor：CHAI JingruContent Assistant：RUAN XinyiGraphics Designer：CHAI Jingru

For nearly a decade, "strategic competition" has served as the dominant framework for understanding U.S.-China relations. However, amid increased high-level diplomatic engagement and emerging risks and opportunities in areas like advanced technology and climate change, "constructive strategic stability" is gaining traction as a new paradigm for defining this dynamic equilibrium.With President Xi’s state visit just around the corner, critical questions arise: Will this summit signal a fundamental shift in U.S.-China relations, and can the consensus on "strategic stability" endure beyond a single meeting and translate into institutionalized mechanisms?In this episode, Prof. Da Wei, Director of CISS, and Prof. Shao Yuqun, Director of the Institute of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, sits down with Senior Colonel (Ret.) Zhou Bo, Senior Research Fellow at CISS. The panel explores evolving perceptions of the U.S.-China power balance, the interplay of competition and interdependence in areas like trade and artificial intelligence, and how these forces establish guardrails for bilateral engagement and the broader international order.01:22 Is China–U.S. Relations Entering a New Phase?07:31 What Is Driving Changes in U.S.-China Relations?17:01 Economic Leverage and Mutual Vulnerability28:51 U.S. Policy Toward China: Decoupling, De-risking, or Localization34:45 Shifts in U.S. Taiwan Policy49:20 How U.S.-China Competition Is Shaping China’s External Environment58:38 U.S.-China Dynamics and Their Implications for Global Order and Emerging Multipolarity01:05:51 From Summit Consensus to Functional MechanismsExecutive Producer：GUO JiaProducer：QIAN JiatongPodcast Editor：CHAI JingruContent Assistant：RUAN XinyiGraphics Designer：CHAI Jingru

Marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the Chinese name “Meiguo”，literally “the beautiful country”，embodies a century-long complex perception among Chinese people to America. In this episode, Prof. Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), Tsinghua University, and Dr. Shao Yuqun, Director of the Institute for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), sit down with Prof. Xie Tao, Professor and Dean of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, and Huang Ying, a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University. Drawing on their own experiences studying, working, and traveling in the United States, the four guests explore how Chinese people have viewed America over time, whether the U.S. is actually in decline, the challenges facing American democracy nowadays, and the changing perceptions and attitudes of the younger generations in China towards the U.S.03:20The Chinese Cognitive Framework Regarding the U.S.08:16 Is the U.S. Truly in Decline?15:40 A “Beautiful Country”: Governance and Global Leadership18:02 The US in the Eyes of China's Younger Generation23:06 Shifts in China‑U.S. Educational Exchange24:34 Crises and Challenges Facing American Democracy Today33:25 Is America’s Self-correcting Mechanism Still Working?41:48 American Soft Power and Its Global AppealExecutive Producer：GUO JiaProducer：QIAN JiatongPodcast Editor：CHAI JingruContent Assistant：ZHONG HuiqingGraphics Designer：CHAI Jingru

Fentanyl has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans, becoming a public health catastrophe that has torn apart countless families and communities. It has also gradually evolved into one of the most sensitive and controversial issues in China–U.S. relations. In this episode, Prof. Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, sits down with Ms. Shan Yehua, Deputy Secretary-General of China’s National Narcotics Control Commission and Deputy Director-General of the Narcotics Control Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. Together, they delve into the root causes of the fentanyl crisis, common misunderstandings, China’s role in precursor chemicals control, and the current state and future prospects of China-U.S. counternarcotics cooperation.02:20 The Origins of the Fentanyl Crisis08:59 The Drug Tragedy in American Society11:00 The Complexity of the Global Fentanyl Illicit Supply Chain16:26 U.S. Claims vs. China’s Counters20:00 China’s Regulatory and Enforcement Measures28:22 Key to Resolving the Fentanyl Crisis in the U.S.36:11 The Importance of China–U.S. Counternarcotics Cooperation38:33 The History and Current State of China–U.S. Counternarcotics Cooperation45:59 The Future of Counternarcotics CooperationExecutive Producer：GUO JiaProducer：QIAN JiatongPodcast Editor：CHAI JingruContent Assistant：RUAN XinyiGraphics Designer：CHAI Jingru

The 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue was held in Singapore from May 29 to 31, 2026. As the first major regional security forum following the Beijing summit between the Chinese and U.S. presidents, the Dialogue provided an important opportunity to assess the trajectory of China-U.S. relations and the evolving security landscape in the Asia-Pacific.In this episode of Sinopinion, Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, and Shao Yuqun, Director of the Institute for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), are joined by Zhou Bo, Research Fellow at CISS, and Jerry Jin, journalist with the International Communication Center of the Oriental Broadcasting Center. Drawing on their observations and first-hand experiences at the Dialogue, they examine the strategic messages conveyed in U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s keynote speech, discuss developments in the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy and alliance network, regional multilateral security mechanisms, and broader security dynamics in the Asia-Pacific, and explore how China and the United States can work toward building a constructive framework for strategic stability between China and the United States.02:12 Key Differences in This Year's Shangri-La Dialogue06:49 The Taiwan Question and New Dynamics in China-U.S. Relations15:23 Why China's Delegation Drew Attention19:47 Strategic Messages from Pete Hegseth's Speech26:35 Alliance Burden-Sharing and the Future of U.S. Partnerships35:20 Can “Constructive Strategic Stability” Become a New China-U.S. Framework42:07 ASEAN Perspectives on Improving China-U.S. Relations43:12 Quad, AUKUS and the Evolution of Regional Minilateralism49:00 ASEAN Centrality and Strategic Autonomy52:10 Japan's Security Policy and Historical Memory56:52 The Future of the Asia-Pacific Security OrderExecutive Producer：GUO JiaProducer：GUO MingxinyiPodcast Editor：CHAI JingruContent Assistant: ZHONG Huiqing

From May 12 to 15, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump visited China for the first time in nine years, drawing widespread attention. In this episode, Prof. Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, and Dr. Shao Yuqun, Director of the Institute for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, sit down with Senior Colonel (Ret.) Zhou Bo, Senior Fellow at CISS, and Prof. Xie Tao, Dean of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University. Together, they analyze the core outcomes of the summit and engage in an intriguing discussion on whether both sides achieved their respective expectations, the impact of this visit on the trajectory of U.S.-China relations and the broader international landscape, as well as its potential implications for the U.S. midterm elections.

From April 7 to 12, 2026, at the invitation of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee, a delegation led by Cheng Li-wun, Chairperson of the Kuomintang (KMT), visited the Chinese mainland—a move that has drawn significant global attention.In this episode of Sinopinion, Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, and Shao Yuqun, Director of the Institute for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau Studies at SIIS, are joined by Wang Zichen, Director of International Communications at CCG and founder of the renowned newsletter Pekingnology.Together, they analyze the significance of this "Journey of Peace" in fostering communication and promoting the peaceful development of cross-strait relations. The discussion delves into the "1992 Consensus," the "maintenance of the status quo," and addresses common misinterpretations of these concepts. They also explore how China-U.S. relations and the regional security landscape impact stability across the Taiwan Strait.

As companies begin to train “digital replicas” on employees’ chat histories, writing styles, and decision-making patterns, a fundamental question emerges. Is AI simply improving workplace efficiency, or is human labor being further datafied and turned into an organizational asset?In this episode, Dr. Dong Ting, Associate Research Fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University, and Dr. Xu Jia, Research Fellow at the Shanghai AI Laboratory, speak with Ms. Zhu Lingfeng, Head of Data and Privacy Legal Affairs at Meituan, author of AI Compliance and Data Compliance, and creator of the WeChat account “那一片数据星辰.”Drawing on her frontline experience in AI and data compliance, Ms. Zhu discusses the rise of “digital employees” in the age of large language models, their legal status, the governance challenges they pose, and the shifting boundaries between human labor and machine agency. The conversation examines who should be responsible for AI actions, how existing legal frameworks respond to these changes, and what the future of human–AI labor relations may look like.

From Bletchley to New Delhi, the roster of participants at global AI summits continues to grow, and the discourse around AI governance has become increasingly plural and fragmented. Yet has rule-making power truly shifted toward a broader range of actors? Are the Global South and middle powers active shapers of emerging rules, or merely limited participants within a predetermined agenda? In this episode, Xiao Qian, Deputy Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), and Vice Dean of the Institute for AI International Governance (I-AIIG), Tsinghua University, hosts a conversation with Wang Jingyu, assistant research fellow at I-AIIG, to examine the real role and practical limitations of the Global South and middle powers in shaping the global AI governance landscape.

The U.S.-Iran war has now dragged on for over a month, sending shockwaves across the globe. In this episode, Prof. Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), and Prof. Shao Yuqun, Director of the Institute for Hong Kong and Macao Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), sits down with Prof. John Gong from the University of International Business and Economics. Prof. Gong draws on his experience living and working in both the United States and Israel to provide in-depth analysis of the current situation. The discussion focuses on the military and energy stalemate one month after the U.S.-Israeli "Epic Fury" operation against Iran, examining the trajectory of the conflict, its impact on the global economy, the prospects for U.S. policy, and China’s strategic options.