President Xi’s purges
May 13, 2026•28 min
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Episode description
For the first time in nearly a decade a sitting American President is travelling to China. While tensions between the US and China have been simmering for a while now, over everything from tariffs to Taiwan, Donald Trump has expressed admiration for his powerful Chinese counterpart.
Meanwhile in China, President Xi has been conducting a years long “purge” on the military elite.
The BBC’s Celia Hatton joins us to discuss whether this should be seen as a weakness… or a strength.
Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Xandra Ellin
Executive producer: Bridget Harney
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior News Editor: China Collins
Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit in 2019.
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