I'm in Shaxi, a wonderful little town in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and I was joined here by the Columbia economic historian Adam Tooze, who shared his thoughts on what he sees happening on the ground in China. Adam's been in China for the last month and reflects on his experiences learning about the country — and even attempting the language!

03:49 - The economic situation in China

10:42 - Patterns of consumption in China

14:38 - China’s industrial policy and renewable energy

18:52 - China vs. the U.S. on renewables

26:15 - China’s economic engagement with the Global South

33:13- Beijing’s strategic shift and Europe’s rethinking

37:49- The recent European Parliament paper

42:43 - Learning about China as an “Outsider”

51:31 - Adam’s evolving views on China

59:30 - Paying it Forward

01:01:07 - Recommendations

Paying it Forward: Kyle Chan, Pekingology.

Recommendations: Adam: Caught by the Tide, Jia Zhangke (movie).

Kaiser: Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI, Karen Hao (book), Vera, or Faith, Gary Shteyngart (book).

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Adam Tooze Climbs the China Learning Curve

Sinica Podcast