Professor Stephen Chan OBE discusses the potential implications of China’s backchannel diplomacy with the Taliban and the ramifications of Beijing’s cessation of foreign coal-related investment.

Professor Shaun Breslin explores several key issues about the BRI and China’s rise, from questioning whether the initiative has entered into a new phase of its existence in the post-pandemic era, to scrutinising possible scope for Chinese engagement in Taliban-governed Afghanistan.

Associate Professor Niv Horesh is a China specialist with over 20 years of experience ranging across the private sector, public sector, and academia. He lived and worked in China for several years and has held various teaching and research positions. 

James Chau is a journalist, television presenter, and a United Nations goodwill ambassador. He discusses the issues of tolerance and co-existence in modern politics, the absence of modern visionaries in global affairs and equality of education in China. 

Dr. Zha Daojiong is a Professor of International Political Economy at the School of International Studies at Peking University and actively consults Chinese government agencies including subsidiaries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Investor, business leader and author, Louis-Vincent Gave discusses China’s need to raise capital domestically, rather than focusing on the US; issues faced by the EU in its engagement with China; and questions surrounding Chinese debt accumulation emerging from the BRI.

Associate Professor Sara Hsu’s expertise covers everything from China’s economy to supply chain management. She holds a PhD in economics from the University of Utah, has produced over 30 publications and has shared expertise on international broadcasting platforms. 

Anzetse Were is a development economist with over a decade of experience working in Africa on economic research, analysis, and strategy development. She holds a master’s in economics from the University of Sydney and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University.

Tom Miller is a senior Asia analyst at Gavekal. He shares his insights on: Beijing’s relationship with Pakistan and its implications for the West; and Russia’s role in wider China-West political competition.

Dr. Maria Adele Carrai is an Assistant Professor of Global China Studies at NYU Shanghai. Maria addresses several crucial topics, including: the relationship between private enterprises and the BRI; and a comparison between the BRI and the B3W.

Assistant Professor Jonathan Fulton has carved a career for himself as one of the foremost experts on China-MENA studies. He imparts his expertise on numerous crucial topics including Chinese interests in West Asia and the feasibility of the Sino-Iranian 25-year partnership.

Afshin Molavi is an author and expert on global geo-political risk and geo-economics, specialising in Asia and the Middle East. He shares compelling insights on a variety of crucial topics including China’s impressions of the Ukraine crisis.

Durham alumnus, Andrew Critchlow is the regional Head of News in EMEA for S&P Global Platts. He addresses several crucial issues including the current challenges associated with sharp increases in the prices of oil and gas.

China-MENA studies titan, Dr. John Calabrese teaches US foreign policy at an American University in Washington, DC. He shares his thoughts on several crucial topics, including: the positionality of MENA countries amid great power competition and the JCPoA.

Dr. Mohammed Turki Al-Sudairi is one of the Middle East’s most prolific China-MENA experts. He shares his wisdom on several vital matters including the orientation of the Gulf Cooperation Council states amid great power competition.

Dr. Cobus van Staden is a senior researcher on China-Africa relations at the South African Institute of International Affairs. He shares his wise insights on several topics of great relevance including the question of China’s brand management in Africa.

Dr Andrea Ghiselli is an Assistant Professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University. He shares his wise insights on several topics including China's diplomatic method of protecting Chinese citizens and investments in the Middle East.

CEO, Hannah Ryder and Policy Analyst, Ovigwe Eguegu at Development Reimagined, share their wise insights on several issues related to development challenges in Africa, including transferring the development experience of others in African states.

Professor Min Ye of Boston University offers her wisdom on the genesis, the metamorphosis and what China’s Belt Road Initiative will be evolving into on its 10th anniversary in 2023. 

Professor Jinghan Zeng of Lancaster University shares his wise insights on the 20th CCP Congress, its importance in Chinese domestic terms and its significance in a broader geographical context.

Dr Yu Tao of the University of Western Australia dissects the 20th Party Congress in Beijing, and the ramifications of a potential decoupling between China and United States.

Mr. Ronnie C. Chan is the Chair of Hang Lung Group Limited & its subsidiary Hang Lung Properties Limited. Here, he offers his wisdom on the challenges being faced by a rising civilizational power.

Dr. Maria Repnikova of Georgia State University shares her insight on the evolution of soft power at large, and how China is creating and developing its own narrative in today’s global competition for reputation management with the United States.

Dr Chengxin Pan of the University of Macau shares his wisdom on the complicated, intertwined and in many ways the interdependent relationships between Australia and China. 

George Magnus is an independent economist and commentator, and Research Associate at the China Centre, Oxford University and the at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. Here he shares his insight regarding the growing NIP posturing of EU and US. 

Jörg Wuttke, the President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, shares his insight on the inefficiencies in EU’s industrial, economic, geopolitical and strategic posturing towards China and its geo-economic conundrums. 

Diana is Chief Economist at Enodo Economics @EnodoEconomics, an independent macroeconomic and political forecasting company she set up in 2016 to untangle complexity, challenge the consensus, and make sense of the future.

Charlie Parton a leading expert on policy formulation and a key observer of diplomatic developments and relations with China. He has been a Specialist Adviser on China to the UK Parliament’s House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee.

Dr. Robert Mogielnicki a Senior Resident Scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (AGSIW) @GulfStatesInst as well as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Georgetown University @Georgetown and a Professorial Lecturer at the George Washington University @GWtweets.

Andrew Critchlow @baldersdale, the regional Head of News in EMEA for S&P Global Platts @SPGCI. Andrew has over 21 years of experience managing news teams and writing about energy, commodities, and international business. 

Dr. Gangzheng She is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing @Tsinghua_Uni. 

Simeon has been the Financial Times correspondent in West Asia since 2007, covering politics, business and finance across the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security and Head of Department, Political Science and International Studies, at the University of Birmingham, as well as the co-coordinator of the OSCE Network of Think Tanks and Academic Institutions.

Time flies-it is just over 1 year & we could not be prouder to have curated 35 amazing episodes BRIDialogues with some of the most intriguing guests, experts & opinion leaders. We are delighted to have been able to bring this season to an end & cannot wait to welcome you back.