In Pursuit of Development

What the West does not understand about China — Liu Baocheng

Episode Summary

Dan Banik speaks with Liu Baocheng on the impact of Covid on the Chinese economy and Beijing's reputation abroad.

Episode Notes

Much of the discourse in the Western media in recent months has highlighted the rising tensions between the United States and China and the growing assertiveness of Chinese diplomats on social media and in other international forums, where they have passionately defended their country’s response to the Covid outbreak. 

There has also been a growing interest in trying to decode how Beijing is reconfiguring its aid and investment policies and how and to what extent it will offer debt relief to developing countries. There are numerous media reports questioning the real motives behind Beijing’s attempts to further strengthen diplomatic ties with countries in all corners of the world and push the narrative that as the good brother, friend and partner, China is concerned with upholding the principle of building itself up while also supporting other countries at the same time.

And then there is all of this talk about a potential Covid vaccine, which when developed by the Chinese, could potentially be made available for free or at a subsidized price to countries that Beijing considers its friends.

But the perspectives of Chinese scholars and commentators on these matters do not receive the kind of attention they deserve. 

Liu Baocheng is a professor at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) and Director of the University’s Center for International Business Ethics. I have collaborated with Prof. Liu for the past few years on a project that explored corporate strategies to promote sustainable development in China. Prof. Liu frequently appears as a news commentator on CCTV International.

Twitter: @danbanik @GlobalDevPod

Website: https://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com/