On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the first few days of the Two Sessions and what to make of the messages sent by Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Then: Reactions to a few recent columns expressing concern at the bipartisan consensus in DC, a new plan for Chinese data, and the draft budget provides more signs that self-sufficiency is a priority across several sectors in the PRC. From there: Tracing the origins of the United Front Work Department and examining the political uproar in Canada after a series of intelligence leaks regarding allegations of PRC election interference. At the end: Kevin McCarthy’s rumored meeting with Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen, memories of a visit from Lee Teng-hui in 1995, the Ft. Detrick conspiracy theory that refuses to go away, China’s green energy ambitions, and a slightly different take on corruption.
Bill will be on a virtual Brookings panel Friday morning to discuss “the recent policy shifts within China, their underlying causes, …
