Christopher McNally, an economics professor at Chaminade University in Hawaii, unpacks big ideas that are changing the world — starting with China's digital currency. This digital currency is being rolled-out in stages, including at the Beijing Olympics in 2022, where athletes will be able to pay for goods with wearable devices.

It was a rare moment when the leaders of China and the United States spoke on the phone — at a time when the world seeks clarity and direction. Our Host James Chau speaks with Senior Colonel (Ret.) Zhou Bo, senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy.

America's China policy has changed over the decades, says Doug Bandow, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. He says the one-time alliance against the Soviet Union during the Cold War now relies on trade as the "glue" in their relationship. But how will this evolve, now that disputes and talk of "decoupling" have replaced a once reliable partnership?

Doug Bandow was Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, earning a reputation for his work in foreign policy and civil liberties. Current Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, he looks at America's relationships with the world, how this has been molded by its own history, and the complexities this creates in the East Asia region, including China.

As the airlift continues at Hamid Karzai International Airport, questions continue to emerge on the withdrawal by America and its allies from what is described as the "forever war". Twenty years after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, and as criticism builds even in Western capitals, what's next in this humanitarian crisis? And what will happen to the millions of people left behind? This opinion piece is by Zhao Minghao from Fudan University's Institute of International Studies.

Trade tariffs have helped redefine the US-China relationship, as businesses pay the price. The impact is being felt by large brands to small family-run farms, with the current pandemic compounding the uncertainty. He Weiwen, a senior fellow at Renmin University says despite the damage, tariffs introduced in the Trump era are being extended by the Biden administration.

Chen Dongxiao, President of the Shanghai Institutes of International Studies, unpacks the burdens and opportunities ahead, and what it will require to correct the global course.

The US and China are two major countries at loggerheads. But international researchers like Shen Yamei say trade and foreign policies introduced by the Trump White House are being extended by President Joe Biden, who in his first six months in office has adopted similar positions towards America's relationships with the world. Shen Yamei is Director for American Studies at the China Institute of International Studies.