Round Table China

China's path to universal childcare

The pink salt illusion

The podcast examines the trend of pink Himalayan salt, questioning its purported health benefits and exploring the consumer psychology driving its popularity. Despite being marketed as a premium, nutrient-rich alternative to regular salt, experts contend that it offers minimal nutritional value and sometimes contains h...

How close is too close with AI?

The "hard discount" supermarket sector in China

In this episode of Round Table, Niu Honglin, Steve, and Yangyang discuss the rise of hard discount supermarkets in China, a retail model characterized by offering consistently lower prices than average supermarkets through extreme cost control and efficiency. They explore the origins of this concept, its relatively new...

Beyond the scale: How China's youth redefine fitness and wellbeing

When a meme prescribed self-care

In this episode of Round Table, Steve, Yushan, and Fei Fei discuss the cultural phenomenon of the Chinese internet meme 爱你老计 (Ài nǐ lǎo jì), which translates to "love yourself." They explore the phrase's linguistic nuances, explaining how it uses familiar terms to create a sense of intimacy and self-compassion. The dis...

New Year's Day celebrations in China

Round Table recommends: XINQI Discovers China

In this episode of the "XINQI Discovers China" podcast, Emma, Sean, and Steve wrap up their 2025 year in China by discussing their travels, new ways of spending money, and the increasing coolness and accessibility of China. They share personal travel experiences to cities like Xi'an, Tianjin, Yangshuo, and Datong, high...

The Round Table team's year-end message!

In the final Round Table podcast of 2025, Steve Hatherly, along with Niu Honglin, Yushan, Laiming, and Fei Fei, gather to bid farewell to the year and two long-standing segments: Motivational Mondays and Happy Place. The team reflects on the past year, sharing personal insights and motivations. Laiming emphasizes the i...

2025's defining soundtrack

Your earphones are ready for anything

In this episode of Round Table, Steve, Yushun, and Fei Fei discuss the evolving trends in the headphone market in China, where shipments of Bluetooth headphones have surged. The conversation shifts from a focus on sound quality and noise cancellation to prioritizing comfort, safety, and integration into everyday life. ...

Our year, defined by words

50,000 km of defiant rail engineering

In this episode of Round Table, Niu Honglin, Steve, and Yushun discuss China's high-speed rail network, which has surpassed 50,000 kilometers. They highlight the recent launch of the Xi'an-Yan'an high-speed railway and other new lines, emphasizing the engineering challenges and technological advancements involved, such...

China's 2025 tech year-end review

Navigating the 2025 flu season

In this episode of Round Table, Niu Honglin, Steve, and Xingyu discuss navigating health choices during flu season in China, focusing on the rise in flu cases and the available at-home testing options. They explore the convenience and potential pitfalls of at-home rapid tests offered by platforms like Meituan and JD He...

Feeding the soul: Shenzhen's food bank initiative

Podcasts are no longer just for listening

In this episode of Round Table, Steve, Fei Fei, and Yushun discuss the rising trend of video podcasts, particularly in China. They explore the format's flexibility, its appeal to a broader audience including celebrities, and the surprising engagement with longer-form content. The hosts highlight the increasing populari...

China drafts law to protect Antarctica's environment

Reading signs of depression in Chinese children: why 'measurements' are failing us

Round Table is a panel discussion podcast featuring Steve, Yushan, and Fei Fei. In this episode, they discuss two main topics: the inconsistency and potential flaws in diagnostic tools for youth depression in China, highlighting cultural and age-related differences in symptoms and the use of Western-designed tools. The...

How new laws shape health management in China