Round Table China

Across China, more and more people are leaving their cities behind for a few days or even an entire month, trading crowded streets and sweltering heat for mountain villages and northern retreats where summer feels mild and manageable. Local towns are adapting quickly, building longer-stay accommodations and outdoor experiences tailored to these new visitors. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun.

Powerful AI used to belong to a handful of tech giants, but that's no longer the case. Today, anyone can download, tinker with, and build on these models, and that shift is reshaping everything from how apps are made to who controls the technology in your daily life. Some call it progress, while others see it as a risk we're underestimating. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushun.

A thousand years ago, scholars from across Asia made their way to China to study governance, science, and philosophy. Some even sat for the imperial exams alongside local students. That era eventually faded, and for decades, studying abroad meant one destination: the West. But that map is now being redrawn. So is China becoming a major study destination once again? /
The internet's biggest user is no longer human. For the first time, bots generate more traffic. That doesn't mean the web is broken, but it does mean the rules have changed. Advertising, pricing, and even the way we search are all being rebuilt around software, not people. So if the internet was a car built to serve us, what happens when we are no longer the ones driving it (34:58)? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Yushun

We all reach for the AC when temperatures soar past 35 degrees. But in one Chinese city, residents are trying something different. In Xuzhou, homes are being cooled with cold water pumped from an abandoned coal mine deep underground. No hot exhaust on the streets. No overworked power grid. Just a smart, low-carbon solution that could change how we think about staying cool in a warming world. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan

August 8 is National Fitness Day in China, but for millions of people here, staying active has already become a daily habit, from sunrise park goers to late-night gyms, from cycling clubs to square dancing and smart fitness apps. So what actually turns exercise from a chore into something you stick with for life? We explore the habits, mindsets, and unexpected motivations that keep people moving long after the new year's resolutions fade. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan