S9 Ep8: US and China: behind the rhetoric with Rana Mitter
About this episode
Professor Rana Mitter discusses the complexities of US-China relations beyond the prevailing doom narrative.
Joining Will Hutton for the final episode of Season 9 is Professor Rana Mitter, an authority on contemporary China and U.S relations. He is the ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School. In the conversation, Professor Mitter argues that we should look past the often prevailing sense of doom regarding U.S.-China relations to explore the realities - both nations have distinct aspirations that do not lead automatically to conflict. He argues that the tendency of apocalyptic framing oversimplifies reality. Professor Mitter puts forward his view that rather than a clash of liberalism versus authoritarianism, today’s geopolitics is defined by competing antiliberal views. They talk about China’s booming economy, especially now that the green energy market is open to investment following America’s renewed focus on fossil fuels. In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems. Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on…
Sponsors
Academy of Social Sciences, Nuffield Foundation, Leverhulme Trust
More episodes of The We Society
- S10 Ep8: Harnessing Creative Destruction with Philippe Aghion
- S10 Ep7: Whoever holds our data holds the power with Carissa Véliz
- S10 Ep6: Climate action: small human acts can make a big difference with Tim Lenton
- S10 Ep5: AI and the Future of Public Services with Imogen Parker
- S10 Ep4: How happy is the world in 2026? With Jan-Emmanuel De Neve
- S10 Ep3: Using virtual reality to build a more inclusive NHS with Stephani Hatch
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The We Society podcast page.