Round Table China

Episoder

• Encore: Closing the care gap with AI 17.07.2026 32min

  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
• Encore: Milk tea shops turn mini mart 17.07.2026 20min

  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
• The ice cream identity crisis 16.07.2026 25min

  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
• Hainan bans gas car sales 16.07.2026 26min

  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
• The $50 million throwaway problem 15.07.2026 21min

  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
• Digital friend or digital file? 15.07.2026 31min

  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
• One traveler, one taxi ride, 21 million likes 14.07.2026 19min

  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
• Did the social media crackdown work? 14.07.2026 32min

  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
• Tick tock goes the checkout clock 13.07.2026 21min

  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
• China's road tax debate heats up 13.07.2026 30min

  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
• Lights, camera... football? 10.07.2026 24min

  What happens when the movies are no longer the main attraction? Across China, cinemas are reinventing themselves as all-in-one entertainment destinations, hosting everything from live sports and concerts to gaming, cafés, and restaurants. We explore how the big screen is finding a whole new role. / Are you napping wrong (18:19)? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun
• Is your car more than a car? 10.07.2026 28min

  Forget traffic jams and parking headaches. In China, the car is becoming more than transportation. From RV campsites and smart mobility hubs to a booming culture of customization, the automotive aftermarket is transforming how people travel, unwind, and connect. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun
• The joint degree reputation reversal 09.07.2026 24min

  For years, Chinese-foreign cooperative programs were seen as backup options for students who missed their top choice universities. Inflated tuition fees only fueled the perception that families were buying degrees from easy schools. But attitudes are changing. These programs are raising their game with cutting-edge majors and better quality. So are they finally shedding that reputation, and is the dual degree now worth the price? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
• New rules for China's "flying" doctors 09.07.2026 27min

  For years, China's "Fei Dao" system let rural hospitals fly in top city surgeons for a few thousand yuan extra. It saved lives, but it was a legal gray zone. Now new rules mandate hospital-to-hospital payments and establish clear rules on who pays when things go wrong. Will these changes ultimately drive away the very specialists who made the system work in the first place? On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushun
• Do you need a 3D printer? 08.07.2026 24min

  Chinese malls are rolling out something new: 3D printing stations that let anyone design and print a custom object in under ten minutes. It's easy to dismiss as a fun distraction, but there's a serious push to bring this technology into our homes. The real question isn't about how well the machines work, but whether we'd use one if we had it. / How safe is your delivery meal (17:09)? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Ding Heng
• Robo-students are off to school 08.07.2026 28min

  We send kids to school for reading, math, and the occasional history class snooze. But what if the students are made of circuits and steel? In Hangzhou, a school just welcomed humanoid robots as its newest pupils. As machines get smarter, building them is only half the battle. They might need a curriculum, too. On the show: Steve, Yushan & Ding Heng
• Can ancient hacks beat modern heat? 07.07.2026 18min

  We are in the thick of summer, cranking the AC and reaching for anything cold. But for thousands of years, people survived blazing heat without a single modern convenience. China's traditional playbook was full of clever, low-tech fixes that kept things bearable. As temperatures keep rising, can these ancient hacks actually be smarter than our energy-guzzling gadgets? / Can you wear last year's sunscreen (12:29)? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
• China's bid to electrify trucks 07.07.2026 34min

  China reshaped the global auto industry with electric cars. Now it is targeting the heavy-duty trucks that move the world's goods. But truckers respond to hard numbers, not hype. If the math works, the price of everything from groceries to gadgets could drop. Will China pull off the same magic twice? On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
• Are we meeting ourselves to death? 06.07.2026 25min

  The average worker spends more than an entire workday each week in meetings. Calendars are overflowing, focus is fractured, and meaningful work keeps getting pushed aside. Meetings are necessary at times, but the real question is whether we are simply holding too many or whether we have forgotten what a good one actually looks like. / Do you need more oxygen (18:28)? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu
• Eldercare Is now a recognized profession 06.07.2026 27min

  China is turning eldercare into a licensed occupation. A new national certification is formalizing the workforce that will shape how millions of seniors are cared for. This is not about expanding beds or abstract policy. It is about who delivers care, how they are trained, and what that means for the future of growing old in China's cities. On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu