The increasingly acrimonious U.S.-China relationship is the defining trend of this era, upending global politics, economics, and security, especially across the Global South. Countries that have worked hard to avoid having to pick sides in this new competition may no longer have that luxury as this rivalry intensifies.
Jane Perlez, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and a former longtime China correspondent for The New York Times, has been covering this story since the 1980s. Now, together with acclaimed Harvard University China scholar Rana Mitter, she’s launched season 3 of her award-winning podcast Face Off: The U.S. vs. China, where they explore the key trends reshaping ties between these two powers.
Jane joins Eric from Sydney to discuss the forces driving this rivalry: leadership personality, domestic pressure, technological competition, and the tightening link between geopolitics and economic strategy.
📌 Key topics explored:
How China defines and uses foreign aid
Aid vs development finance in China’s system
The role of Chinese development banks
Myths around “free” Western and Chinese aid
Aid as diplomatic influence
China’s engagement with regional blocs (AU, ASEAN)
What China’s aid strategy means for the West
Show Notes:
Listen to season 2 of Face Off: The U.S. vs. China on Spotify
Join the Discussion:
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