World Insight with Tian Wei

Global AI governance 17.07.2026 26min

In this special series "Season of AI & Basic Sciences", we talk to three Turing Award winners, who shared their views on topics about artificial intelligence.

AI & basic sciences 16.07.2026 26min

The global artificial intelligence community gathers in Shanghai for the 2026 World Al Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global Al Governance, bringing together top minds in science, policy and industry. The forum looks at where Al is headed next and the role of global governance of Al, which is now lagging much behind the development of technologies. AI is changing science. How is it conducted, what questions scientists can ask and how quickly discoveries can benefit society? I talked to Professor Omar Yaghi, the 2025 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry who is one of the world's foremost chemists and material scientists.

Should we embrace humanoid robots now? 15.07.2026 26min

Today we are stepping into one of the most decisive conversations in global tech: the race to build humanoid robots. Capital is flooding in worldwide. Tesla is retooling factories, Nvidia and SoftBank are placing major bets. China, meanwhile, is scaling manufacturing at record speed. Behind this gold rush lies a real disagreement: is the humanoid form the inevitable future of embodied intelligence or just a compelling story we tell ourselves? The choices we make today could shape who leads this field for the next decade and also the fate of mankind. We are putting forward this question: whether the world's biggest players should be betting specifically on humanoid robots.

The global debate on AI and governance 14.07.2026 26min

Artificial intelligence is reshaping our world at an unprecedented pace, bringing us to a critical crossroads. On the one hand, the opportunities are immense. There are promises to revolutionize how we tackle global challenges from climate change to curing diseases. On the other hand, the risks are profound. Deep fakes threaten reality, opaque algorithms can influence critical decisions, and autonomous weapons challenge human control over warfare. And all the while, the geopolitical race for Al dominance is intensifying.

Extreme weather 13.07.2026 26min

Over two million people have been evacuated, and a multi-province emergency mobilization activated as Typhoon Bavi hits China. Early warnings and mass evacuations have minimized the casualties, and Bavi is weakening as it moves northwest. But flooding and landslides persist, and so does an even bigger issue: the warming sea is fueling more violent storms. Is this gonna be the new normal? How do we prepare for what's to come?

Iran-US conflict 10.07.2026 26min

The US and Iran have renewed strikes against each other, just three weeks after both signed a memorandum of understanding on ending the war. The international community has been keenly watching developments, as both sides have yet to fix differences over their agreement. What should we make of the latest situation in Iran? As conflicts persist in the Gulf region, what do these mean for the Strait of Hormuz, global energy supplies and the broader future of the Middle East?

Season of AI & basic sciences 09.07.2026 26min

Tremendous resources are being put into developing the latest large language models in the US and in China. However, enterprise Al, the complete system that helps an organization solve business problems, also enjoy great business potential. That suggested by Doctor Kai-Fu Lee, founder and CEO of 01.Al. He hopes this company can strive to become China's first profitable Al 2.0 company.

China-Europe eye closer relations 08.07.2026 26min

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has concluded his visit to Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway, reaching broad consensus with Nordic leaders on stabilizing China-Europe relations. The visits have helped push for global green transition and collaborative governance for artificial intelligence. Tian Wei recently talked to Sir Robin Niblett, Warden of New College from the University of Oxford. Cultural exchanges have long anchored relations between China and Europe. Tian Wei also spoke with British Ambassador to China Peter Wilson about the enduring legacy and impact of cultural diplomacy.

Turing awardees on AI 07.07.2026 26min

This summer, let's celebrate the season of basic science and artificial Intelligence. Tian Wei is going to bring you a series of interviews, discussions, and debates with the hope to bring more public literacy of the latest scientific development and better understanding of Al and its impact. Today we meet three Turing Award winners. The Turing Award is the highest distinction in computer science, often called the Nobel Prize of computing.

Outlook on China-US ties 06.07.2026 26min

The United States marked its 250th anniversary this year. The changes taking place in the US and their implications for that country and the rest of the world is significant. On that and more, Tian Wei spoke with Thomas Fingar, a professor at Stanford University, on the sideline of the World Peace Forum. America is looking back at this past and ahead to its role in the changing world. One of the most important questions is how it manages its relationship with China. Howard Kennedy School Professor Graham Allison shared his perspectives saying that the two countries have been trying to reform and reshape their relationship.

Eye on United States at 250 03.07.2026 26min

The United States celebrates 250 years of independence on Saturday. Two and a half centuries ago, the early settlers of this land broke free from the yoke of colonial rule. In the centuries that followed, waves of people of the globe arrived on these shores, their lives intertwining, their cultures colliding and ultimately fusing together on this vast new continent. Adam Tooze is a leading British historian currently teaching at Columbia University's History Department in the US. As a non-American living in the country, viewed from an international and historical vantage point, what does he make of America's 250-year history and its present-day reality?

China-Europe innovation outlook 02.07.2026 26min

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. Earlier, a joint statement marked the official launch of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism as both sides convened for the inaugural meeting. China-EU academic and trade cooperation continues to generate mutual benefits. For many European companies operating in China, close collaboration translates into significant investment in innovation. Our guests highlight how China has become a major hub for global innovation, and why long term cooperation with China is a rewarding strategy.

AI+ Initiative & cutting-edge AI 30.06.2026 26min

The Al+ Initiative is China's national action plan to drive Al into every corner of the economy. Few have witnessed this journey as closely as Feng Junlan. As the chief scientist of China Mobile, she has been working on large language models for more than 10 years. She believes Al should not be a magic box. It must be trustworthy, controllable and safe. Al building itself is a plain way to explain the phrase "recursive self-improvement," which is a process in which early artificial general intelligence, or AGI systems, rewrite their own computer code which might lead to, theoretically speaking, super intelligence. On that and more, Tian Wei spoke to computer scientist Mingcheng Zhuge, whose research focuses primarily on coding agents, recursive self-improvement, and neural computers.

China-US relations & innovation outlook 29.06.2026 26min

Innovation-driven development is the key to China's long term economic resilience and steady growth. From Al to green energy, home-grown breakthroughs are reshaping industries and opening more possibilities. As Harvard University Professor Graham Allison notes, these Chinese innovation efforts will be translated into products that can benefit people and redefine global competition. China's pharmaceutical-biotech sector is poised for sustained growth driven by policy support, corporate R&D and talent dividends. As Eric Tse puts it, China's innovation is not just for China, it translates into global innovation that benefits the world.

A new consensus on FTAAP 27.06.2026 26min

APEC trade ministers have issued a joint statement upon conclusion of their meeting in Suzhou. Will it open a golden era for the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific?

China-US ties & expanding innovation 25.06.2026 26min

Innovation-driven development is the key to China's long term economic resilience and steady growth. On the sidelines of the Summer Davos forum, Tian Wei sat down with Professor Graham Allison from Harvard University to talk about China's innovation and also China-US relations. China's pharmaceutical biotech sector is poised for sustained growth driven by policy support, corporate R&D and talent dividends. Tian Wei spoke with Eric Tse, CEO of Sino Biopharmaceutical.

Resisting autarky 24.06.2026 26min

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday delivered a special address at the opening plenary of the Summer Davos. He said China's innovation is earned through years of strengthening its capabilities and relentless hard work. It has also been driven by widespread application across industries and cultivated through a robust ecosystem. The premier also said China opportunity 2.0 represents comprehensive innovation-driven empowerment and high return investment prospect.

2026 Summer Davos 23.06.2026 26min

The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as Summer Davos, opens this week in Dalian, China. Its goal: to answer one question - how the world closes the gap between technological breakthrough and broad economic benefit. In my exclusive interview with WEF President Alois Zwinggi, he suggests scaling innovation is the key for good quality growth. This month, China unveiled an extensive array of financial opening-up policies. In an exclusive interview, Giovanni Tria, the former Italian minister of economy and finance, explains why China's push for RMB assets is the key to a more stable global financial system.

APEC business and AI development 22.06.2026 26min

The APEC economic leaders' meeting this year is to take place in November in Shenzhen. Over the weekend in Beijing, the APEC China CEO forum was held focusing on openness, connectivity and coordination. AI built itself. What does it mean for human beings? Those questions are being frequently asked today as Al is moving to the center stage of economies and society. I talked to a computer scientist on the sidelines of the BAAI conference, one of the leading forums in China bringing key Al stakeholders together.

Iran-US agreement: Friday's talks postponed 19.06.2026 26min

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs announced that the talks between the United States and Iran scheduled for Friday in Burgenstock have been cancelled. The mountain resort in Switzerland had been designated as the venue for initial negotiations between the two countries on the implementation of their agreement. Earlier this week, Iran and the US announced the finalization of the memorandum of understanding to end the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. Despite the official signing of the US-Iran agreement, Israel continues its strikes on southern Lebanon. What caused the scheduled talks to stall? What does this reversal mean for all parties involved? And in what areas can Iran and the US still engage in further detailed negotiations in the future?