“China Watch” is a weekly deep dive that pulls back the curtains on one of the world's most enigmatic powers. Join Epoch Times contributor Terri Wu as she deciphers where China is headed next and how its politics, technology, and business affect Americans.
Latest episodes
-
32 min
Succession—the CCP Edition
Days after Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported that he needed unusual rest breaks at the White House. Now, the Chinese Communist Party’s top le…
-
1 h 00
Japan’s Red Line on Taiwan, and Why Its China Trade Boom May Not Last, ft. Stephen Nagy
Chinese leader Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are expected to be in Shenzhen in November for the APEC summit. How does Tokyo vi…
-
18 min
China’s Banks Built the Boom. Now, They’re Hiding the Bust.
In 2025, China eliminated 670 small rural banks—nearly one in five—as they were facing elevated financial risks. Most weren’t shut down; they were folded into larger banks. It was…
-
51 min
China's Rare Earth Control Is Fading—How We'll Know When It's Over
China's control over rare earths is already fading, but only industry insiders seem to know it, says Christopher Ecclestone, mining strategist at the financial advisory firm Hallga…
-
22 min
Spy Hunting During Xi’s Visit to Washington—Terri Wu Style
Beijing waited until 48 hours before takeoff to confirm Xi Jinping's trip to Washington. Why so late?China expert June G. Liao has a theory. She thinks Xi used the visit as leverag…
-
16 min
Drained Gift Cards: Inside the Fraud DHS Says Funds Fentanyl and Human Trafficking
Gift cards are a great thing to receive, until you realize the card has no money on it! Did your friend make a mistake, or is something more sinister going on?Unfortunately, it’s o…
-
23 min
Back to Mao: China's Playbook for Taking What's Yours
China has updated its laws, in what looks like a move to gear up for war. The threshold for a “national threat” is lower than ever.And one of the major targets is private ownership…
-
43 min
The Honeytrap That Reached Capitol Hill: Fang Fang, Swalwell, and China's Election Playbook
Newly declassified FBI files reveal how alleged Chinese intelligence asset Christine Fang—also known as "Fang Fang"—used a years-long sexual relationship, illegal straw donations,…
-
31 min
The Hidden China Factor in the US-Canada Trade War
Neither the Canadian prime minister nor the U.S. trade chief, in their own public accounts, has named China as a reason the U.S.–Canada trade talks collapsed.However, the China fac…
-
37 min
The Million-Dollar Question: Will Taiwan Fight If Mainland China Invades?
What is the best strategy when one is up against overwhelming odds? That’s the Empty City Strategy that Terri Wu shares in this week’s episode of “China Watch,” in the context of T…
-
27 min
Degrading China’s Supply Chain—Battling for the Spirit of a Nation
For years, "decoupling" and "de-risking" have been the go-to words for describing U.S.–China economic relations.Host Terri Wu argues that neither term captures what's actually happ…
-
18 min
Could China Cut Off Taiwan? War Games Test the Scenario
In 1958, China tried and failed to cut Taiwan off from American help. Taiwan's 2026 war games rehearse the same scenario on a much larger scale—a blockade of the entire island, not…
-
22 min
Beijing’s Hidden AI Playbook—Why the Latest ‘Win’ Is Not What It Looks Like
Chinese artificial intelligence is making another push for world leadership. But the actual value of the services may be exaggerated and tailored to look good, misleading users on…
-
20 min
Fired for Talking: The Leak That Exposed China's Dam Secrets
A sacked Chinese hydroelectric executive. A shocking death toll. A leaked analysis of what a full collapse of the Three Gorges Dam would look like.Record rainfall has caused a dam…
-
25 min
Xi Is All In on AI. Can China’s Economy Fund That?
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is all in with his gamble on artificial intelligence. AI will have to perform magic by pulling China’s economy out of its current downward spiral and help…
-
11 min
10 Years After Tribunal’s Ruling: Keeping the South China Sea From Becoming the Next Hormuz
A major anniversary of an international tribunal ruling passed over the weekend—one that the Chinese regime hates and has continuously violated for 10 years.While many people are f…
-
8 min
My Own Kingdom: A Chinese Immigrant's Tribute to America's 250th
Terri Wu marks America's 250th birthday with a personal reflection on what freedom really meant to her as a Chinese immigrant.She recalls the culture shock of her U.S. visa intervi…
-
44 min
When Biotech Purifies Rare Earths—Outdeveloping China in Its Key Industry
When China cut off rare earth exports to the United States, most rare earth companies scrambled to copy China's technology.Curtis Wu, founder and CEO of Maglut Heavy Industries, ha…
-
57 min
Rare Knowledge About Rare Earths—the Hope, Solutions, and Imminent Threat
China controls the rare-earth chokepoint that nearly every modern industry depends on: from smartphones and EVs to missiles and fighter jets.Rare earths are a tiny market—just $20-…
-
35 min
A Strange Email, a Five Eyes Warning, and the New Front Line of Chinese Espionage
It started with a strange email: an unsolicited invitation for host Terri Wu to become a "senior geopolitical analyst" for a shadowy "defense advisory trust"—confidential, decouple…