The Economist’s editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes was recently in Beijing for the China Development Forum, an annual gathering where senior Chinese officials meet foreign business bosses. She joins our Beijing bureau chief David Rennie to assess Xi Jinping’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/04/04/xi-jinpings-misguided-plan-to-escape-economic-stagnation?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=drumtower&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new plan</a> to escape economic stagnation. Plus, what is the outlook for China’s relationship with America? Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</a> For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">our video</a> explaining how to link your account. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Drum Tower: Xi’s doomed economic plan

Governments particularly in the rich world are struggling to get young people in uniform. Will some form of conscription become necessary? In America, how <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/04/04/the-rise-of-the-remote-husband?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">remote working husbands</a> may be liberating their wives (10:19). And, the generational hunting prowess of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/03/26/killer-whales-deploy-brutal-co-ordinated-attacks-when-hunting?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">killer whale</a> (16:53). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</a> For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">our video</a> explaining how to link your account. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

The Intelligence: Your country needs you!

More than 1bn people around the world are obese. That means there should be extraordinary demand for drugs to cure or mitigate the condition. Novo Nordisk is now Europe’s most valuable company and Eli Lilly’s market value has more than doubled. Both make the “miracle” drugs that can help people shed up to a fifth of their body weight. But these drugs promise to do more than boost drug companies’ profits. How will they reshape the economy? Hosts: Alice Fulwood, Mike Bird and Tom Lee-Devlin. Guests: The Economist’s Georgia Banjo; pharmaceuticals analyst Michael Nedelcovych; and John Cawley, a professor of public policy and economics at Cornell University. Subscribers to Economist Podcasts+ can listen to our January 2023 episode on the <a href="https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2023/01/05/the-relationship-between-weight-and-success" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">economics of thinness</a>. Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at<a href="https://www.economist.com/moneytalks/?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=moneytalks&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> www.economist.com/moneytalks&nbsp;</a> Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</a> For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our<a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> FAQs page</a> or watch<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> our video</a> explaining how to link your account. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Money Talks: Why weight-loss drugs will reshape the world

A missile has reportedly struck a site in the Islamic Republic. If this is retaliation for Iran’s most recent attacks, then it is a muted response. But is there still a risk of escalation? As <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/04/16/gandhi-v-modi-crunch-time-for-congress-as-india-prepares-to-vote?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">India’s election</a> kicks off, a look into why the opposition is likely to have a poor showing (09:07). And, a tribute to the first foreign-born <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2024/04/18/akebono-was-the-first-foreign-born-grand-champion-of-sumo?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">grand champion of sumo</a> (19:15). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</a> For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">our video</a> explaining how to link your account. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

The Intelligence: Iran and Israel’s new era?

At a time when Russia has been making significant gains, an allocated <a href="https://www.economist.com/2024/04/20/finally-americas-congress-does-right-by-ukraine?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$61bn of aid</a> for Ukraine will be felt on the battlefield almost instantly. Will it help turn the course of the war? In a world of endless <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2024/04/11/who-wields-the-power-in-the-worlds-supply-chains?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">supply chain disruptions</a>, how can businesses shore up against the costs (11:26)? And the appeal of <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/04/04/perpetual-stew-an-ancient-way-of-cooking-has-won-gen-z-fans?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">two-month-old stew</a> (18:37). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</a> For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">our video</a> explaining how to link your account. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

The Intelligence: Ready, Aid, Fire

The companies behind this wonder of tech are facing <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2024/04/14/generative-ai-is-a-marvel-is-it-also-built-on-theft?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">allegations</a> of using copyrighted material to build their large language models (LLMs). But will the courts consider it fair use? Why <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/04/11/the-first-week-after-prison-is-the-deadliest-for-ex-inmates?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ex-inmates</a> are so likely to die just after they leave prison (10:15). And, the case for <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/04/12/are-indians-right-to-boo-hardik-pandya-a-star-cricketer?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">booing</a> in sports (16:13).&nbsp; Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</a> For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">our video</a> explaining how to link your account. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

The Intelligence: AI rest my case

Police clashes with <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/04/23/efforts-to-tackle-student-protests-in-america-have-backfired-badly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">protesters at Columbia University</a> have spilled over into other institutions, raising the question of how to protect free speech on campuses. Given America’s history with students’ anti-war protests going awry, should politicians be worried? Why most British voters now think <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/04/11/why-most-people-regret-brexit?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brexit</a> was a mistake (we did <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2015/10/17/the-reluctant-european" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">warn</a> you!) (08:53) And, could <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/04/11/new-technology-can-keep-whales-safe-from-speeding-ships?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new tech</a> protect whales from speeding ships (15:45)? Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</a> For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">our video</a> explaining how to link your account.&nbsp; <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

The Intelligence: America’s college crackdowns

Ravaged by a civil war, Sudan could see a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/04/15/after-a-year-of-war-sudan-is-a-failing-state?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nationwide famine</a> by August. With humanitarian aid being blocked on both sides, it is increasingly difficult to get supplies to those who need them the most. How to protect an <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/04/11/how-to-protect-an-endangered-language?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">endangered language</a> (09:01). And, why domestic cats have become an existential threat to <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/04/11/a-story-of-scottish-wildcats?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Scottish wildcats</a> (14:43). Additional audio courtesy of the <a href="https://www.elalliance.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Endangered Language Alliance</a> Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</a> For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">our video</a> explaining how to link your account. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

The Intelligence: The world’s biggest humanitarian crisis

As Parliament has now agreed to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, many members of the ruling Conservative party want to <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/04/25/why-britains-membership-of-the-echr-has-become-a-political-issue" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">quit the court</a> that tried to block it. It would be yet another costly mistake. Earth’s largest refrigerator, <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/03/27/antarctica-needs-a-lot-more-attention?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Antarctica</a>, is defrosting. What does this mean for the rest of the world (09:24)? And a tribute to the <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2024/04/25/terry-anderson-was-held-by-islamic-militants-for-2454-days?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American journalist</a> held captive by Hizbullah for almost 7 years (17:50). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</a> <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

The Intelligence: Britain’s latest bad idea

For months, a big foreign-aid deal looked like it was <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/04/20/the-house-of-representatives-just-gave-ukraine-the-best-news-it-has-had-for-a-year?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=checksandbalance&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">going nowhere</a> in the House of Representatives. Now $95bn of support is heading out the door. How did the bill get through? What does it mean for Ukraine and for <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/04/20/finally-americas-congress-does-right-by-ukraine?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=checksandbalance&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American leadership in the world</a>? Charlotte Howard hosts with James Bennet and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by The Economist’s Adam O’Neal and Anton La Guardia. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</a>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">our video</a> explaining how to link your account. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Checks and Balance: Aid, and a bet

The ruling military junta that seized power in a coup in 2021 is <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/04/11/myanmars-junta-is-losing-ever-more-ground?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">losing ground</a>, slowly—and the rebels are now thinking about what happens if they win. We examine the structural reasons behind Britain’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/04/16/where-are-all-the-british-robots?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dearth of industrial robots</a> (10:22). And climate change boosts Canada’s yields of <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2024/04/18/the-worlds-insatiable-appetite-for-canadas-maple-syrup?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">maple syrup</a>, but also threatens to make them unpredictable (15:44). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</a>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">our video</a> explaining how to link your account. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

The Intelligence: A civil society in waiting

The Economist was founded in 1843 "to throw white light on the subjects within its range".

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Drum Tower: Xi’s doomed economic plan

The Economist

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