The Global Story - Has Xi Jinping outsmarted his rivals?
Download Has Xi Jinping outsmarted his rivals?
How will China respond to a new era of US assertiveness? Could the spectacular events of Trump’s second term change President Xi Jinping’s calculations about whether to flex China’s muscles in Taiwan?
All this week, we are teaming up with our sister podcasts to explore how power and influence around the world is shifting. We’re exploring who has a sphere of influence and who finds themselves in one.
Today we’re joined by Mariko Oi, host of Asia Specific from the BBC World Service, and the BBC’s China correspondent, Laura Bicker.
Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Valerio Esposito
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: China’s President Xi Jinping. Maxim Shemetov/Pool/Reuters
Published on Tuesday, 13th January 2026.
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