Trending Now
We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
{{ subpage.title }}
Why China's Xi Jinping needs Jack Ma
Jack Ma, the billionaire founder of tech giant Alibaba, was once synonymous with entrepreneurship in China. But in 2020, he disappeared from public view after criticizing the country’s financial system amid President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on the tech sector. Recently, however, it seems Jack Ma may be back in the Communist party’s good graces. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer spoke with China analyst and Sinocism author Bill Bishop about the meaning behind Ma’s apparent reemergence and rehabilitation. He appeared alongside Xi at a symposium for business leaders in February, an indication that the Chinese president is trying to engage with the private sector as he works to revive China’s sluggish economy. But is this a fundamental realignment of Xi’s priorities or a temporary reprieve?
“I don't think there's a lot of people who believe that the Communist Party changed its view of private business, which is they're there to be harnessed and managed and controlled,” Bishop explains “But they understand that they need people like Jack Ma, they're not just the best entrepreneurs in China, they're some of the best entrepreneurs in the world.”
Watch full episode: China’s next move
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.
China’s next move
As the Trump administration continues to reshape US foreign policy and retreat from global commitments, does that create an opportunity for China to step in? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer is joined by Bill Bishop, writer of the Sinocism newsletter, for a wide-ranging conversation on China's political and economic landscape under President Xi Jinping and global ambitions in the wake of Trump 2.0. So far, 2025 is off to a decent start for China—the release of DeepSeek sent tech stocks soaring and Chinese diplomats have cast Beijing as a “steadfast” global partner while the US ramps up criticism of European allies. But China’s economy is still struggling from a property market in crisis, high youth unemployment, and the specter of deflation. So what’s next for the People’s Republic? How strong is Xi's hold on power? Will Beijing benefit from US retrenchment and increasing global uncertainty, or will its domestic issues hold it back?
“One of the big goals of the Chinese over the last several years has been to pry the US and EU apart,” Bishop says, “From Beijing's perspective, Trump has just created more space and opportunity.”
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.
Will America's global retreat open new doors for Beijing? Insights from Bill Bishop
Listen: In seven short weeks, the Trump administration has completely reshaped US foreign policy and upended trade alliances. Will China benefit from US retrenchment and increasing global uncertainty, or will its struggling economy hold it back? On the GZERO World Podcast, Bill Bishop, a China analyst and author of the Sinocism newsletter, joins Ian Bremmer for a wide-ranging conversation about China—its domestic priorities, global administration, and whether America’s retreat from global commitments is opening new doors for Beijing.
President Xi Jinping has consolidated power and control in China, but its economy is still dealing with sluggish growth, a property market in crisis, and the specter of deflation. Yet Xi is confident he can bring the People’s Republic into a new era, pushing through major structural reforms, working to transition to a more high-tech economy, and ramping up territorial aggression in the South China Sea. So what’s next for the People’s Republic? Can China shake its economic blues? Has the Trump administration's foreign policy approach created new opportunities for Beijing to expand its influence? Bishop and Bremmer break down China's political and economic landscape.
Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.
Chinese national flags flutter near Tian'anmen Square ahead of China's annual sessions of its top legislature and political advisory body, known as the "Two Sessions," on March 3, 2025, in Beijing.
Viewpoint: China’s annual NPC meeting to address lackluster economy and Trump threat
A sluggish economy and new headwinds created by Donald Trump’s return to the White House will be prominent themes when the nearly 3,000 delegates of China’s National People’s Congress, or NPC, convene in Beijing starting Wednesday. The legislative session will run for about seven days (time not fixed) in parallel with that of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, or CPPCC. The so-called Two Sessions represent China’s biggest annual political gathering and provide insight into the leadership’s priorities for the year ahead.
We asked Eurasia Group expert Lauren Gloudeman what to watch out for.
What are the NPC and CPPCC?
The NPC is China’s highest governmental organ and national legislature. It usually convenes just once a year to advance legislation and approve national policy plans; the smaller Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress meets more often to continue the body’s legislative work. The CPPCC unites about 2,000 representatives of different social and political groups, giving them the opportunity to make their views known to the country’s leadership. Its role is more symbolic than anything else.
How does the NPC fit into China’s broader governance framework?
On the one hand, you have organs of government such as the NPC and the State Council, which implements legislation passed by the NPC and supervises the bureaucracy. On the other hand, you have the Chinese Communist Party, with its decision-making bodies such as Politburo and the Central Committee. The relationship between the government and the party has changed over time. Xi Jinping – general secretary of the party and president of the Chinese state – has made it a priority to assert the party’s authority over the government. Li Qiang, the party’s No. 2 official is premier of the State Council; Zhao Leji, the party’s No. 3 official, heads the NPC.
Are the Two Sessions’ proceedings open to the public?
The first couple of days will be open-door sessions of public speeches, reports, and press conferences. Li will present his so-called government work report. Like the US president’s state-of-the-union speech, the work report reviews the achievements of the past year and identifies key tasks ahead for the government. It usually sets economic targets. In addition, Xi will give remarks and the Ministry of Finance will give a budget report. Then there will be several days of closed-door sessions, during which not much information will emerge. At the end, different ministries will follow up with press conferences about their plans to advance policies discussed at the NPC.
What do you expect will be the main topics of discussion?
One major topic will be what to do about weak consumer spending, which has been a challenge for years now – especially since the COVID-19 lockdowns, when some people couldn’t leave their homes for months. Nonetheless, we’re not expecting a sea change in the policy approach to stimulating spending. More likely is an expansion of existing trade-in programs that offer subsidies for consumers to trade in their old EVs, household appliances, and other consumer goods for new ones.
What else would you highlight?
On a related note, officials will discuss measures to promote private enterprises. One of the reasons consumer spending is weak is that so many businesses struggled during the pandemic and continue to struggle, which has affected hiring. Authorities aggravated these problems in the private sector with an aggressive regulatory campaign against major companies they thought were insufficiently aligned with the party’s national development strategy. Now they are trying to repair the damage. Xi met last week with the leaders of 20 or 30 companies to reassure them that the government cares about stabilizing the private sector, and the NPC is expected to discuss a so-called private economy law. This measure could, for example, codify into law that private companies have equal rights and status with state-owned companies and offer guarantees of payment for private companies doing business with local governments.
How do you expect tensions with the Trump administration – which has slapped new tariffs on China and threatened more – to play into the NPC discussions?
The NPC is not an event that reacts to or is calibrated around recent events. That said, since Trump took office, we’ve been seeing the party’s high-level talking points acknowledging “external uncertainty” – which is code for Trump-related risks. Its response has been to make it clear to the country that it is committed to increasing support for the domestic economy to boost confidence. I expect these themes to be prominent at the Two Sessions.
Edited by Jonathan House, senior editor at Eurasia Group.
Is President Trump's Russia pivot a win for China?
Is the Trump administration’s rapid shift in diplomatic relations with Russia and push for a ceasefire deal in Ukraine a win for China? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer asked US Senator Elissa Slotkin for her reaction to the 90-minute phone call between President Trump and Vladimir Putin, a move that upended three years of US-led efforts to isolate Russia from the West diplomatically. Slotkin, a former CIA officer, and Pentagon official warned that China is closely watching how the US handles Ukraine, viewing it as a test of America’s resolve that could have major implications for Taiwan and global stability. The Trump administration has made it clear it doesn’t want to play global peacemaker and that Europe needs to step up to maintain its own defenses. With global power dynamics quickly shifting, will America maintain its leadership role or leave a leadership vacuum for China to fill?
“This is a bigger issue than just Russia-Ukraine. The Chinese are watching everything that’s going on here,” Slotkin says, “They’re watching American staying power. They’re trying to understand if America cares about democracies getting invaded or if they’ll roll over eventually.”
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).
China's President Xi Jinping attends a meeting in Brazil in November 2024.
Tensions between China and the West heat up amid military exercises
Just days after a Chinese naval helicopter nearly collided with a Philippine patrol plane over a contested reef, China’s military started live-fire drills in waterways near Vietnam on Monday and between Australia and New Zealand over the weekend in an “unprecedented” display of firepower.
Beijing’s democratic critics put up their own show of force. On Sunday, France held military exercises with the Philippines and vowed to deepen their defense ties. On Monday, Japan followed suit, forging a security pact with Manila.
France, which is looking to assert its status as a Pacific power through its overseas island territories across the region, is now negotiating an agreement with the Philippines to allow troops to train on each other’s land, similar to the deal Manila has with the US and Australia.
At a meeting in Manila on Monday, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, agreed to work together to counter “unilateral attempts by China and other countries to change the international order and the narrative.”
After Vietnam released new maps marking what Hanoi considers its maritime boundary with Beijing, China on Monday began four days of live-fire military exercises in the Gulf of Tonkin. Vietnam has yet to respond.
Last week, Australia and New Zealand accused China of failing to announce the live-fire component of its military drills in international waters in the Tasman Sea. The abrupt shift in protocol forced commercial airlines to reroute flights last Friday morning. On Sunday, China’s Defense Ministry denied what it called “unreasonable accusations” from Canberra and Wellington.
It’s just the latest tensions between Australia and its largest trading partner. Earlier this month, a Chinese J-16 fighter plane released flares that passed within 100 feet of an Australian P-8 Poseidon surveillance jet flying over the South China Sea.
Where does it all go? Beijing has been trying to seize on the Trump administration’s cuts to international aid and America-first foreign policy to tighten its grip over the Pacific. But China’s early success at promoting economic and diplomatic relations are overshadowed by its “beefs” with most of its neighbors over sovereignty and national security, said Jeremy Chan, a senior analyst at the Eurasia Group.
“China can’t make friends with anybody,” Chan said. “If you zoom out and look at the South China Sea, China basically has a border dispute with almost every country in the Indo-Pacific. That puts a limit on Beijing’s ability to leverage Trump 2.0.”
World leaders give Valentine's advice
Need Valentine's Day tips? Don’t ask these world leaders. Trust us. #PUPPETREGIME
Watch more of GZERO's award-winning PUPPET REGIME series!
Stacked containers in American and Chinese national colors symbolize a trade war between the US and China.
Beijing and Brussels react to Trump tariffs
Of greater interest are nontariff measures, including anti-monopoly investigations launched into Google and the placing of Calvin Klein’s parent company, PVH, on China’s “unreliable entities” list, limiting the brand’s operations there. Beijing also imposed export controls on 25 rare metals, including tungsten, critical for electronics and military equipment.
In the US, consumers might not like Trump’s cancellation of the “de minimis exemption,” which allowed the purchase of goods under $800 without duties. The move is expected to hurt low-income Americans who rely on direct shipping from online vendors while having a minimal impact on Chinese firms. While Trump has said he’s in “no hurry” to talk to President Xi Jinping, we’re watching whether public backlash in the US changes his tune.
Next, the European Union? Trump has put Brussels on his hit list but has not given any dates or specifics. EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said on Tuesday, "We are ready to engage immediately“ and hoping “to avoid the measures which would bring a lot of disturbance to the most important trade and investment relationship on this planet.”