Podcast
Sinopinion
Hosted by CISS Tsinghua · EN
The CISS Podcast features conversations with experts from CISS Tsinghua, a research institute that analyzes international security and strategy issues based in Beijing. In the CISS Podcast, scholars and experts will address their thinking on the most pressing challenges in international relations. It will also present China Forum series conducting one-on-one discussions with top-level officials, diplomats, well-known entrepreneurs, academics, and media experts from both China and abroad.
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
An Insider’s View on Confucius Institute
Feb 2600:51:47Tap to summarizeOver the past decade, Confucius Institutes have consistently remained a focal point in international discussions concerning China’s global influence. While these institutes are dedicated to promoting Chinese language teaching and enhancing China's soft power, they have also been perceived by many Western countries as instruments for exporting the "China Model," finding themselves in a challenging environment. In this episode, Prof. Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, sits down with Prof. Michael Jinghan Zeng from the Department of Public and International Affairs at City University of Hong Kong, who is also the former director of the Confucius Institute at Lancaster University, to discuss his new book, Memoirs of a Confucius Institute Director, Volume 1: Challenges, Controversies, and Realities. Professor Zeng shares his firsthand experiences and observations of Confucius Institutes, offering an in-depth discussion on their operational mechanisms, internal and external pressures, requirements for localization, and pathways for survival and development.
Transcribe →Davos and the Emerging International Order
Feb 900:42:05Tap to summarizeAgainst a backdrop of mounting uncertainty in global politics and economics, the World Economic Forum in Davos once again provided a revealing lens into an international order in flux. This episode of Sinopinion is co-hosted by Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, and Shao Yuqun, Director of the Institute of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. They are joined by Zhao Hai, Director of the Department of International Political Studies at the National Institute for Global Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Drawing on first-hand observations from Davos, the three scholars explore whether the world has already entered a new international order, or whether it remains in a transitional phase, and what these evolving dynamics mean from China’s perspective.
Transcribe →A Chinese Perspective on Trump’s Foreign Policy One Year In
Jan 2300:48:57Tap to summarizeOne year into Donald Trump’s return to the White House, U.S. policy has taken a dramatic(?) turn. From abrupt moves in Venezuela and strains with traditional allies to an unexpected steadiness in U.S.-China relations, the Trump administration’s approach continues to reshape global dynamics. How do Chinese experts assess this eventful year? What opportunities and challenges does America’s shifting posture create for China and the world at large? In this episode of Sinopinion produced by CISS, Tsinghua University, our host Prof. Da Wei, Director of CISS and co-host Prof. Shao Yuqun, director of the Institute for Taiwan, Hong Kong & Macao Studies at Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, sit down with Senior Colonel (Ret.) Zhou Bo, and offer a multi-dimensional Chinese perspective on Trump’s foreign policy. Together, they explore topics such as whether the U.S. is truly in retrenchment, how China is navigating a more polarized world, and what the coming year may hold for great-power relations.
Transcribe →Bridging the Narrative: Wang Zichen on communicating China to the world
Dec 3000:26:55Tap to summarizeIn recent years, China has become increasingly prominent in global affairs, yet its narratives and perspectives remains somewhat peripheral in international discourse. In this episode, the China Forum of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) Tsinghua University invites Mr. Wang Zichen, Director of International Communications at the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and editor of the widely-read newsletter “Pekingnology,” to share his on-the-ground experience and insights on cross-cultural communication. He will explore: Why does China’s narrative remain marginalized abroad? How has his storytelling evolved from his time in official media to his current role in think tanks? How can China’s voice not only be heard but also substantially debated in a Western-led discursive environment? And what guidance does he offer the younger generation navigating today’s complex global discourse?
Transcribe →Bridging Divides: How Can People-to-People Exchanges Shape the Future of U.S.-China Relations?
Nov 2800:47:11Tap to summarizeFrom November 16 to 19, 2025, the US-China People-to-People Dialogue, co-organized by the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University and the National Committee on US-China Relations, was successfully held in Los Angeles. During the event, Prof.DA Wei, Director of CISS, interviewed four distinguished guests: Steve Orlins, President of the National Committee on US-China Relations; TIAN Wei, host at CGTN; Robert Daly, former Director of the Kissinger Institute at the Wilson Center; and YANG Bin, Vice Chancellor of the Tsinghua University Council. The guests shared their insights and experiences in education, media, cultural exchange, and bilateral cooperation, providing in-depth analysis of the challenges and opportunities in US-China people-to-people exchanges, and offering fresh ideas to strengthen collaboration and mutual understanding between the two countries.
Transcribe →Expectations and Stakes: A Look into the APEC 2025 Korea
Oct 2900:43:12Tap to summarizeAgainst the backdrop of heightened geopolitical complexities, global attention turns to the Asia-Pacific as leaders gather for the APEC summit. In today’s episode, we are glad to have with us Dr. SHAO Yuqun, director of the Institute for Taiwan, Hong Kong & Macao Studies and Senior Research Fellow at the Center for America Studies, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, and Dr. ZHAO Hai, director of International Political Studies at the National Institute for Global Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. They will join Prof. DA Wei, director of CISS, for a dialogue delving into the potential for leader-level summits, analyzing South Korea's role as the host nation, and assessing APEC's relevance in today's international landscape.
Transcribe →Post-pandemic Future of Europe-Asia Relations
Oct 29, 2020Tap to summarizeWith over 1 million died, COVID-19 has posed grave threat to the global health systems, rippled across the entire economy and further deteriorated the geopolitical tensions. Zhang Lirong, Secretary-General of the China Forum at Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy will look ahead the EU-China relations in a post-pandemic world, and in what ways could the two great powers work together to cushion the downturn and stimulate the economic recovery.
Transcribe →