Finding Answers in China

Dec 27, 2023

Promoting Rural Preschool Education: What Has A German Contributed in Yunnan for 18 Years?

As a vital portion of children’s education, preschool education has been receiving increasing attention from the Chinese government, especially that in rural areas. At present, China’s kindergarten enrollment rate has progressed to a new level of 89.7 percent. In China’s southwestern Yunnan Province particularly, remarkable effort has been invested in ensuring rural children receive high-quality early education. 18 years ago, Michael Herman, an education expert from Germany, came to Zhenkang County of Yunnan, China. What results have been achieved in his 18-year experience and cooperation with the local government? What does Herman feel when looking back on his team’s enduring support in Yunnan? With these questions in mind, China Matters’ American host Jack Klumpp came to Taozi Village in Yunnan, together with Herman, to seek the answers of how preschool education in Yunnan is witnessing continuous progress.

Dec 21, 2023

Unraveling the Secret Behind the Success of China’s Engineering Machinery

From relying on imports to achieving independent innovation, and from obscurity to global excellence, how does China’s machinery manufacturing undergo such a transformative journey? With this question in mind, Devinder Kumar from the CICG Center for Europe and Asia visited XCMG, a heavy machinery manufacturer that ranks among the world’s top three. Alongside Thomas Mavrudis, chief designer at the XCMG Road Machinery Research Institute, Devinder sought answers through hands-on experience with technological breakthroughs such as the world’s largest tower crane, the “Iron Mantis”, and the 5G remote-controlled cockpit.

Dec 18, 2023

How Did a Seed from Yangling Take Root in Kazakhstan?

Over 4,000 years ago, Hou Ji, who is said to be the earliest agricultural official in Chinese history, taught people how to plant and cultivate crops in Yangling. Today, the Yangling demonstration zone, known as a national agrarian hub, plays a crucial role in advancing China’s agricultural modernization. It not only gathers a cluster of agricultural universities such as Northwest A&F University, seed research and development companies, and agricultural innovation teams, but also attracts an increasing number of scholars and experts from Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries. Located in the central hinterlands of China, the small town of Yangling has become a demonstration zone for the modernization of Chinese agriculture. How did it achieve this status? Alexander Kubyshkin, a host of the CICG Center for Europe and Asia, visited Yangling in Shaanxi Province with Pakistani student Abdul Ghaffar Shar to find the answers.

Dec 15, 2023

Why Has Dunhuang Become a Global Model for World Cultural Heritage Protection?

Dunhuang, a crossroads on the ancient Silk Road, once witnessed bustling trade brought to the city by constant fleets of merchants. Dunhuang, a prominent international city in ancient times, was where East and West met, sparking cultural exchange. It stands as a palace of Buddhist art, radiating timeless beauty for millennia. Today, Dunhuang is still vibrant and attracts many tourists every year. What is the secret behind Dunhuang’s sustainable development in cultural tourism? In this episode, Pamela Ann Tobey, an anchor for CICG Americas, joins Dr. Duong Bich Hanh, Programme Specialist for Culture of UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia, on a journey to Dunhuang in search of answers.

Dec 13, 2023

The Secret Behind China’s Rise as an Infrastructure Powerhouse

China’s rapid infrastructure development over the past decade — including tunnels and bridges to energy transport and communication networks — has earned it the reputation as an “Infrastructure Powerhouse”. Now, Chinese-built infrastructure projects can be found worldwide, bringing significant benefits to countries around the globe. What is the secret behind these remarkable achievements? Let’s find out!

Oct 26, 2022

Understand China’s Democracy Through a Proposal for Invoice Reform

What is “democracy in China”? How are the businesses and the people involved in the “whole process democracy”? Do they find themselves relevant and engaged? With these questions in mind, our host Ivan has an interview with Li Minghua, member of the CPPCC, and Bian Jinping, expert from the CPPCC Expert Pool for the Deliberation and Administration of State Affairs. Ivan makes a field visit to China Telecom, a leading telecommunications company in the country, and exchanges insights with Harvey Dzodin, senior fellow from the Center for China & Globalization.

Oct 21, 2022

Rural Revitalization Through Multiple Approaches

Professor Liu was teaching at a university before, now she is working in a village in Inner Mongolia to help local people develop cultural industry and tourism. She is lovingly recognized by local people as their leader for cultural affairs. How did this accomplished?

Oct 17, 2022

From Combating Plagues to COVID-19 — Why Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Excel?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a thousand-year-long history in treating pandemic diseases. In the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic most recently, TCM has impressed the world with the magic it has unfurled. While many Westerners are marveled at the power to cure of TCM, they still find it a bit mysterious. After all, compared with Western medicine, TCM is based on widely different philosophies, culture and theories. What is exactly the magic of TCM? We’ve had an interview with Zhang Boli, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and master of traditional Chinese medicine. Let’s unveil the mystery and dive into the world of Chinese medicine.

Oct 10, 2022

Pre-made Delicacies from the Greater Bay Area Go Global

The rising Guangdong-HongKong-Macao Greater Bay Area is an important window for China to further its opening-up policies. Apart from an open and inclusive business environment, the Greater Bay Area also entices people with its charming culture, which brings us to the popular Cantonese food. How does the burgeoning pre-made food go global from the Great Bay Area? Let’s find out!

Oct 9, 2022

Finding Answers in China | Season 2 Official Trailer

How can China ensure that “no one is left behind” in a country of 1.4 billion people? How can the “world’s factory” protect nature and preserve the natural environment? How can a developing country make revolutionary breakthroughs in science and technology? Armed with such questions, observers from around the world have set out on a mission to find answers in China and discover the secrets behind its incredible development. Through their journeys, we may discover China’s solutions, learn from China’s experience, and benefit from China’s wisdom.

Apr 29, 2021

Beautifying China

Got a burning question on China​? ChinaFocus​ has got you covered with #FindingAnswersinChina. In episode five, we take a look at how China is battling the greatest existential crisis of our time: Climate Change. For decades, economic expansion was prioritised over environmental protection in China, but over the past few years, a significant shift has been made to focus on a greener future. At last week’s Leaders Climate Summit, China reiterated its biggest statement yet on climate change, promising to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2060. Achieving it will require a complete overhaul of how ordinary Chinese people live. So how does it plan to achieve it?

Mar 31, 2021

China’s Post-COVID Recovery

Got a burning question on China​? ChinaFocus​ has got you covered with Finding Answers in China. In episode four, we take a look at how China is dealing with the world’s biggest health emergency for a century: COVID-19. More than a year has passed since the outbreak of the pandemic, and many countries worldwide continue to adopt severe restrictions to people’s movements, in China, a combination of vaccines and stringent health measures are helping people’s lives bounce back from COVID quicker.