The Edition: The China model

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4.4 • 785 Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2021

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this week’s podcast, we talk to the author of our cover story, eminent author, historian and broadcaster Niall Ferguson, who says that the West and China are in the throes of a new cold war. Joining the debate is Chatham House's Dr Leslie Vinjamuri. (01:05)

Next up, Laura Freeman writes in the magazine this week about the fake facades she has been increasingly noticing whilst out and about in London. She discusses the topic with architectural expert Samuel Hughes, a Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange think tank. (10:20)

Finally, as the Prime Minister considers how he’ll stump up the cash to pay for little Wilfred’s babysitter, Isabel Oakeshott writes in the magazine this week about the struggle many working parents have in affording childcare. Isabel is joined by the Labour MP Stella Creasy as they debate what needs to be done so working parents can ensure their children get the care they need. (15:35)

Presented by Lara Prendergast.

Produced by Arsalan Mohammad.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Spectator magazine combines incisive political analysis with books and arts reviews of unrivaled authority. Absolutely free. Go to spectator.com.uk forward slash voucher.
0:25.0	Hello and welcome to the edition podcast from The Spectator. I'm Lara Prendergast.
0:30.2	Every week we take a look at some of the most important and intriguing stories from the new issue with the writers behind them.
0:37.3	This week, we look at whether
0:39.0	Joe Biden's administration is mimicking China's policies on everything from lockdown to spending.
0:47.9	We also take a look at the fake building facades going up all around London. And finally, we wonder whether Boris Johnson's childcare costs will wake the Prime Minister up to the realities faced by working parents across the country.
1:06.0	So, first up this week, are we really now in a state of Cold War with China? And if so, why is the US now copying China?
1:15.6	In his cover story this week, the historian Neil Ferguson looks at these issues, and he joins me now
1:21.0	alongside Dr Leslie Vindamuri from Chatham House in London. Neil, in your cover story this week,
1:27.4	you put forth the case that we're in a second Cold War
1:29.7	with China.
1:30.9	What seemed to be the main characteristics of this Cold War?
1:34.6	Well, like Cold War I, Cold War II is ideological.
1:39.9	We can sometimes underestimate how much more ideologically communist China has become under Xi Jinping.
1:46.7	It's also conventionally geopolitical because China wants to expand its reach over the South China Sea
1:53.2	and beyond it's economic. There's an economic race on here.
1:56.7	China's doing a lot better than the Soviet Union in that race.
1:59.8	And then there's a sort of tech piece to it. There's a tech race to try to be first to quantum computing or artificial
2:05.9	intelligence or for that matter to come up with world beating vaccines against COVID.
2:11.1	All of the features of Cold War I think are already here today. And that's why I've been
2:15.6	speaking for a couple of years now about
2:18.1	Cold War II. And one of the main points you make in your piece is that America is no longer
	...

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