Cindy Yu Cindy Yu

On Trump, President Xi had no idea what was coming

When Donald Trump took the US presidency in 2016, China was wary, but hopeful. Here’s was a businessman for whom money was important, and China could offer economic growth for both countries through trade. But three years on, Trump has waged a trade war against China and boycotted its national tech champion, Huawei. The Wall Street Journal‘s Editor at Large, Gerard Baker, writes this week’s cover piece, and argues that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the containment policy that America is taking against China. He joins Isabel Hardman on the podcast. We also hear from China expert Yu Jie from Chatham House, who points out that, like many of us, the Chinese leadership hasn’t quite got its head around Trump’s America.

It also wouldn’t be a Spectator Podcast without talking about Boris Johnson. This week, he’s finally surfaced, in an effort to put out the fire lit by the row with Carrie Symonds. James Forsyth argues that this is merely a flesh wound, a wobble in the campaign. But the real question is how Boris Johnson will hit the ground running when/if he gets into Downing Street. On the podcast, James wargames Boris’s first 100 days with the Telegraph‘s Associate Editor, Camilla Tominey.

And last, Melissa Kite has a bone to pick with the Boris critics who pry into his personal life. Why don’t they go after Westminster’s other womaniser, Jeremy Corbyn? Corbyn is in his third marriage, and to someone more than 20 years his junior; there are rumours of a love child lost in South America; and don’t forget that whole affair with Diane Abbott. Melissa joins the podcast with Paul Staines of the Guido Fawkes blog, for a bit of political gossip.

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