Exports, joblessness, property in slow economy

China’s property market prospects

Europe being seen as an 'ageing concubine'

EVs, cognac and bubble tea

You don’t need to get fat on Chinese ice-cream

‘Involution’ and its imperatives

Shrugging off Hormuz

China’s watching US destroy itself

Female power in China

What more should we know now about this country that is central to the global economy and is playing an ever greater role in geopolitics?

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.

In this first-ever joint episode of Asian Insider and Radio Davos, he is joined by the World Economic Forum’s Robin Pomeroy as they speak with Qian Liu, whose Wusawa Advisory helps companies understand China. 

It was recorded in late June at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 in Dalian, China.

Ravi and Robin discuss with Qian about how a Chinese economy built on innovation and scale is impacting the world, the mainland’s internal worry lines such as high youth unemployment and lagging consumption, and why female power could drive China’s next growth phase.

Highlights (click/tap above)

4:00 Exports, joblessness, property in a slowing economy

9:00 China’s property market prospects

11:10 ‘Ageing concubine’ Europe ‘cooking up’ negativity

15:00 EVs, cognac and bubble tea

19:40 You don’t need to get fat on Chinese ice-cream

23:10 ‘Involution’ and its imperatives

25:00 Shrugging off Hormuz

27:00 China’s watching US destroy itself

33:00 Female power in China

More at wef.ch/amnc26 and across social media using the hashtag #AMNC26

Produced and edited by Radio Davos:

Editing - Seamus Hart, Louie Carroll

Studio production: Gareth Nolan

---

Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP

Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg)

Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

---

Discover more Radio Davos podcasts:

From 'US innovates, China imitates' to 'Opportunity 2.0' - lessons from Summer Davos: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/strategic-intelligence-amnc26-debrief-china-innovation/

The Hormuz shock, AI and China: the state of global energy, with Jason Bordoff: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-energy-china-hormuz-oil-gas-renewables-bordoff/

AMNC26: What just happened at the Summer Davos?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-what-just-happened-summer-davos/

All podcasts: wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

Radio Davos: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues: https://pod.link/1574956552

---

#STAsianInsider

What more should we know now about this country that is central to the global economy and is playing an ever greater role in geopolitics?
Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times&rsquo; senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.
In this first-ever joint episode of Asian Insider and Radio Davos, he is joined by the World Economic Forum&rsquo;s Robin Pomeroy as they speak with Qian Liu, whose Wusawa Advisory helps companies understand China.&nbsp;
It was recorded in late June at the World Economic Forum&rsquo;s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 in Dalian, China.
Ravi and Robin discuss with Qian about how a Chinese economy built on innovation and scale is impacting the world,&nbsp;the mainland&rsquo;s internal worry lines such as high youth unemployment and lagging consumption, and why female power could drive China&rsquo;s next growth phase.
Highlights (click/tap above)
4:00 Exports, joblessness, property in a slowing economy
9:00 China&rsquo;s property market prospects
11:10 &lsquo;Ageing concubine&rsquo; Europe &lsquo;cooking up&rsquo; negativity
15:00 EVs, cognac and bubble tea
19:40 You don&rsquo;t need to get fat on Chinese ice-cream
23:10 &lsquo;Involution&rsquo; and its imperatives
25:00 Shrugging off Hormuz
27:00 China&rsquo;s watching US destroy itself
33:00 Female power in China
More at <a href="http://wef.ch/amnc26" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://wef.ch/amnc26&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786646003887000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ocYH_2vm1eWImFzRLDenF">wef.ch/amnc26</a> and across social media using the hashtag #AMNC26
Produced and edited by Radio Davos:
Editing - Seamus Hart, Louie Carroll
Studio production: Gareth Nolan
---
Read Ravi's columns:<a href="https://str.sg/3xRP"> https://str.sg/3xRP</a>
Follow Ravi on X:<a href="https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor"> https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor</a>
Sign up for ST&rsquo;s weekly Asian Insider newsletter:<a href="https://str.sg/sfpz"> https://str.sg/sfpz</a>&nbsp;
Host: Ravi Velloor (<a href="mailto:velloor@sph.com.sg">velloor@sph.com.sg</a>)
Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:
Channel:<a href="https://str.sg/JWa7"> https://str.sg/JWa7</a>&nbsp;
Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://str.sg/JWa8"> https://str.sg/JWa8</a>&nbsp;
Spotify:<a href="https://str.sg/JWaX"> https://str.sg/JWaX</a>
YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/rF3qR">https://str.sg/rF3qR</a>
Feedback to:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel:<a href="https://str.sg/wvz7"> https://str.sg/wvz7</a>
Get more updates:<a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts"> http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store:<a href="https://str.sg/icyB"> https://str.sg/icyB</a>
Google Play:<a href="https://str.sg/icyX"> https://str.sg/icyX</a>
---
Discover more Radio Davos podcasts: From 'US innovates, China imitates' to 'Opportunity 2.0' - lessons from Summer Davos:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/strategic-intelligence-amnc26-debrief-china-innovation/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/strategic-intelligence-amnc26-debrief-china-innovation/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786646003887000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3vEFLgtKWhnuqaQ6J7RX7V">https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/strategic-intelligence-amnc26-debrief-china-innovation/</a> The Hormuz shock, AI and China: the state of global energy, with Jason Bordoff:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-energy-china-hormuz-oil-gas-renewables-bordoff/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-energy-china-hormuz-oil-gas-renewables-bordoff/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786646003887000&amp;usg=AOvVaw12R2X0nDHU7EkGqfRdNXEy">https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-energy-china-hormuz-oil-gas-renewables-bordoff/</a> AMNC26: What just happened at the Summer Davos?:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-what-just-happened-summer-davos/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-what-just-happened-summer-davos/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786646003887000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0UXh6wlvtEDwwQmWU7sObw">https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-what-just-happened-summer-davos/</a> All podcasts: <a href="http://wef.ch/podcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://wef.ch/podcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786646003887000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0sAoCRYbBm2AiU4RpPJwL9">wef.ch/podcasts</a>:
YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786646003887000&amp;usg=AOvVaw190TOh1GwiITscHkur82Li">https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts</a>
Radio Davos: <a href="https://pod.link/1504682164" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pod.link/1504682164&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786646003887000&amp;usg=AOvVaw35Y_orDXJNpQNJRZ_Cqi-k">https://pod.link/1504682164</a> Meet the Leader:&nbsp;<a href="https://pod.link/1534915560" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pod.link/1534915560&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786646003887000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0bD_mPIUKz3fLCzzUDhKDs">https://pod.link/1534915560</a> Agenda Dialogues:&nbsp;<a href="https://pod.link/1574956552" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pod.link/1574956552&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786646003887000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1OaEQ_bkKopBTKhcJdj_RI">https://pod.link/1574956552</a>
---
#STAsianInsider

Get our uniquely Asian perspective on global issues, with ST’s correspondents from around the world.

Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.

Produced and edited by: Fa'izah Sani

Executive producer: Ernest Luis

A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.
Produced and edited by: Fa'izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Asian Insider

Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.
Produced and edited by: Fa'izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.