As U.S. President Donald Trump and other Western leaders gathered in Normandy this week to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, Chinese President Xi Jinping was in Russia to deepen ties with his “best friend,” President Vladimir Putin. The resulting split-screen seemed to present a study in contrasts: a navel-gazing West that has passed the apex of its global influence versus an ambitious and forward-looking China—building bridges, paving roads and enhancing its stature on the world stage. But is either image really accurate?
In this week’s editors’ discussion episode of the Trend Lines podcast, WPR’s editor-in-chief, Judah Grunstein; managing editor, Frederick Deknatel; and associate editor, Elliot Waldman, discuss the reach and the limits of Chinese soft power, as well as the extent to which it is supplanting America’s global brand.
If you like what you hear on Trend Lines and what you’ve read on WPR, you can sign up for our free newsletter to get our uncompromising analysis delivered straight to your inbox. The newsletter offers a free preview article every day of the week, plus three more complimentary articles in our weekly roundup every Friday. Sign up here. Then subscribe.
Listen:
Download: MP3
Subscribe: iTunes | RSS | Spotify
Relevant Articles on WPR:
Have China’s Value Propositions Become More Attractive Than America’s?
China’s Communist Party Is Still Fighting for Its Survival 30 Years After Tiananmen
Is the U.S.-China Trade War Turning Into a New Cold War?
The U.S. Should Base Its China Strategy on Competitive Cooperation, Not Containment
Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.
To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.