GZERO World with Ian Bremmer
China's year of unpredictability
China's Year of Unpredictability | Putin, COVID & Xi’s 3rd Term | GZERO World with Ian Bremmer
April 12, 2022
Russia's war in Ukraine has put China in an awkward spot: they condemn the invasion, but not the invader.
Still, it's not really a "limitless" partnership because Xi Jinping has many reasons to be careful about supporting Vladimir Putin, his toxic BFF.
On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Melinda Liu, Newsweek's veteran Beijing bureau chief, who describes the relationship between the two autocrats as a "marriage of convenience."
More broadly, she explains why Xi's biggest problem right now is not Putin, but rather COVID — more specifically China's zero-COVID policy, which has 26 million people under lockdown on Shanghai.
Also, why will it be so hard to prosecute alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine? We explain what is classified as a “war crime” under international law.
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China was largely absent from the core conversations at the 2026 Munich Security Conference. That, says Ian Bremmer, is telling.
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At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, Brad Smith announces the launch of the Trusted Tech Alliance, a coalition of global technology leaders, including Microsoft, committing to secure cross-border tech flows, ethical governance, and stronger data protections.
When the US shift from defending the postwar rules-based order to challenging it, what kind of global system emerges? CFR President Michael Froman joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World Podcast to discuss the global order under Trump's second term.
TODAY at 12 pm ET: Watch our Global Stage live premiere from the Munich Security Conference
Feb 13, 2026
Tune in today at 12pm ET/6pm CET for the live premiere of our Global Stage from the 2026 Munich Security Conference, where our panel of experts takes aim at the latest global security challenges. NY Times National Security Correspondent David Sanger moderates the discussion with Benedetta Berti, Secretary General, NATO Parliamentary Assembly; Ian Bremmer, President & Co-founder, Eurasia Group & GZERO Media; Dr. Wolfgang Dierker, Global Head of Government Affairs, SAP; and Brad Smith, Vice Chair & President, Microsoft.
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