The Heat: China’s foreign policy priorities for 2020

The Heat

Chinese President Xi Jinping walks past Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe wearing face masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak as he arrives for the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 22, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

China is holding its most important political event.

The annual Two Sessions meetings, delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, outline the country’s domestic and foreign policy agenda.

The virus is also causing changes in the diplomatic arena – bringing China closer to some countries, but also causing rifts with the United States.  We start with this report from CGTN’s Zheng Yibing.

To discuss all of this:

  • Sourabh Gupta is a senior Asia-Pacific international relations policy specialist at the Institute for China-America Studies.
  • Bert Hofman is the director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore.
  • Pepe Escobar is a geopolitical analyst and author.
  • Zou Yue is a CGTN anchor based in Beijing.

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