Best MERICS Podcasts (2025)

1
„China in 25": Xis Reisediplomatie, Chinas Wirtschaft im 1. Quartal und deutsche Unternehmen 26:17

5h ago26:17

26:17

„China in 25“ – in maximal 25 Minuten sprechen Mikko Huotari, Bernhard Bartsch und Claudia Wessling über aktuelle Entwicklungen in China. In dieser Folge geht es um die Reisediplomatie von Partei- und Staatschef Xi Jinping, der sich bei Besuchen in Südostasien darum bemüht hat, Unterstützer im Handelskrieg mit den USA zu gewinnen. Wir sprechen auch…

1
The China-US trade war and implications for the EU, with Jacob Gunter 35:40

7h ago35:40

35:40

Global tariffs introduced by the US government under the second Trump administration on April 2nd have rocked global markets. While they have been reduced to a blanket rate of 10 percent a week later, they have increased for China to 145 percent. In retaliation, the Chinese government raised tariffs on all US goods to 125 percent. Johannes Heller-J…

1
"China in 25": Einschätzungen zum Handelskrieg und China im Koalitionsvertrag 23:52

16d ago23:52

23:52

„China in 25“ – in maximal 25 Minuten sprechen Mikko Huotari, Bernhard Bartsch und Claudia Wessling über aktuelle Entwicklungen in China im laufenden Jahr 2025. In dieser Folge geht es um den eskalierenden Handelskrieg zwischen den USA und China sowie um den Koalitionsvertrag zwischen CDU, CSU und SPD. Diese Folge wurde am 10. April um 15:30 Uhr au…

1
How China sees Europe during Trump 2.0, with Grzegorz Stec 30:51

1M ago30:51

30:51

The widening rift between the United States and Europe will have an effect on the EUs relationship with China. How does Beijing see the EU in the first months of the second Trump administration? Is there an appetite for closer engagement? And what does this mean for Europe? Johannes Heller-John talks to Grzegorz Stec, Head of our Brussels Office an…

1
Is automation the key to more human, personalized experiences? (feat. Bal Mahal and David Wachs) 26:51

1M ago26:51

26:51

On this episode, we explore practical strategies for maintaining authentic customer connections and how, paradoxically, automation can make your experiences more human — not less. As brands scale, creating personalized customer experiences becomes increasingly challenging. Automation, when thoughtfully implemented, can create space for human team m…

1
Die Bundestagswahl von China aus gesehen, mit Kristin Shi-Kupfer 21:58

2M ago21:58

21:58

Die Wahlen zum Deutschen Bundestag vom 23. Februar wurden auch in China aufmerksam verfolgt. Kristin Shi-Kupfer, Professorin für Sinologie an der Universität Trier und Senior Associate Fellow bei MERICS, berichtet in dieser Ausgabe unseres Podcasts, warum Alice Weidel in den Online-Foren so stark diskutiert wird, was die Netizens über Friedrich Mer…

1
Kontrollierte Vielfalt – Chinas soziale Medien, mit Kristin Shi-Kupfer und Katja Drinhausen 29:24

2M ago29:24

29:24

Einige der weltweit größten und erfolgreichsten Social Media Plattformen sind in China – mehrere davon mit hunderten Millionen Nutzern. Sie sind Ort für soziale Interaktion, Unterhaltung, Nachrichten und Wissensaustausch. Auch politische Themen werden diskutiert wie beispielsweise Debatten zur Anhebung des Rentenalters, zur Familienplanungspolitik …

1
Is experience management the new customer experience? (feat. Ian Golding and Diane Magers) 37:14

2M ago37:14

37:14

On this episode, we explore whether it’s time for leaders to reframe their thinking from traditional customer experience to experience management. Although brands may understand that customer experience is essential to success, they often overlook the importance of other stakeholders. The term “experience management” goes beyond that interaction be…

1
"China in 25": Zölle, USA, China in Wahlprogrammen 18:22

2M ago18:22

18:22

„China in 25“ ist ein neues Podcast-Format von MERICS: In maximal 25 Minuten sprechen Mikko Huotari, Bernhard Bartsch und Claudia Wessling über aktuelle Entwicklungen in China im laufenden Jahr 2025. In der ersten Folge geht es um den Zollstreit zwischen den USA und China, die Herausforderungen einer transatlantischen Koordination in der China-Poli…

1
DeepSeek and the upcoming AI Action Summit, with Rebecca Arcesati 36:57

3M ago36:57

36:57

The Chinese startup DeepSeek has rattled Silicon Valley’s confidence in the United States’ lead in artificial intelligence (AI) technology. DeepSeek’s first free Chatbot App became the most downloaded app on the iOS App Store as well as on the Google Play Store by the end of January. These developments come ahead of the French AI Action Summit, whi…

1
The era of AI-driven personalization is here. What now? (feat. Mark Abraham and David Caudle) 31:47

3M ago31:47

31:47

On this episode, we discuss the evolution of personalization in the customer experience — and how brands can leverage AI to create personalized experiences at scale. According to TELUS Digital research, 62% of consumers would choose a more personalized experience over a faster experience. But despite the demand, the BCG Personalization Index indica…

1
EU-China relations in 2025, with Abigaël Vasselier 30:17

3M ago30:17

30:17

Abigaël Vasselier, Director Policy & European Affairs at MERICS, just returned from a trip to Washington DC where she discussed transatlantic China policies with US counterparts. In this conversation with Claudia Wessling, MERICS Director of Communications & Publications, Abigael talks about the challenges that lie ahead for the EU in the coming mo…

1
China’s economy in 2025, with Max Zenglein 14:14

3M ago14:14

14:14

China’s economy ended 2024 on a stronger-than-expected note. GDP expanded by 5.4 percent in the fourth quarter, bringing full-year growth to five percent – exactly as forecasted by the Chinese leadership. This momentum gives the leadership a good position to face an uncertain 2025, but significant challenges remain. In this episode Johannes Heller-…

1
China and the race for quantum leadership, with Antonia Hmaidi and Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau 26:47

4M ago26:47

26:47

China is vying for leadership in quantum research and applications. But it is still early days, and front runners and technical approaches have not yet been consolidated. Johannes Heller-John talks to Antonia Hmaidi, Senior Analyst at MERICS and lead of the MERICS' data task force, and Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau, Head of Program "Science, Technology an…

1
Beijing's politics of history, with Daniel Leese 26:10

4M ago26:10

26:10

Chinese history – while containing a wealth of cultural, scientific and social achievements – has always been deeply political: China’s emperors tasked scholars to rewrite the past and document the present to justify and glorify their rule. In today’s China, Xi Jinping has launched extraordinary efforts to “tell China’s story well”. In the final ep…

1
What big questions should CX leaders ask to improve customer outcomes? 20:13

5M ago20:13

20:13

On this episode, our expert guests from past episodes each share one big question that customer experience leaders need to ask themselves to deliver better customer outcomes — and explore practical ways to find the answers. We’ve revisited some of our most impactful topics and compiled eight of the best questions that you, a CX leader, need to ask …

1
China is dominating exports, but lacking in global integration, with François Chimits 37:04

5M ago37:04

37:04

China’s dominance in industrial exports leads to an overestimation of its global role. This is the conclusion of a new report called: “China is the world’s factory – but less integrated into the global economy than the US and Japan”. Johannes Heller-John talks to the author, MERICS Senior Economist in the Brussels Office François Chimits, about the…

1
Fighting local government debt, with Victor Shih and Max Zenglein 35:50

5M ago35:50

35:50

After months of weak economic performance, Beijing has introduced a series of measures aimed at stabilizing the economy. They include a 10 trillion yuan local government debt restructuring package. To shed light on the blatant levels of local government indebtedness, Claudia Wessling, Director Communications and Publications at MERICS, talks to Vic…

1
China and Trump's election victory, with Jude Blanchette and Katja Drinhausen 31:19

5M ago31:19

31:19

What will the renewed election of Donald Trump to the White House mean for the United States’ already complicated relations with China? How does China discuss Trump, both on an informal and expert level, but also in the official realm? And how does all of this concern the EU and member states? To answer these questions Claudia Wessling, Director Co…

1
How can brands turn customer success into their second growth engine? (feat. Daphne Costa Lopes of HubSpot) 30:51

5M ago30:51

30:51

On this episode, we discuss how B2B brands can turn customer success into a powerful engine for sustainable growth. While new customer acquisition acts as the primary growth driver for most B2B brands, the potential for customer success to contribute to growth should not be overlooked. Customer success teams play a critical role in reducing churn a…

1
Europe’s resilience vis-à-vis China, with Grzegorz Stec and Helena Legarda 28:31

5M ago28:31

28:31

Building resilience, i.e., the ability to manage risks without compromising long-term development, is at the heart of Europe’s adjustment of its China policy. To contribute to this process, we recently launched the MERICS Europe-China Resilience Audit, which is based on a database of 98 indicators for the economy, security, politics and society. Th…

1
China’s global port politics, with Clark Banach and Jacob Gunter 45:13

6M ago45:13

45:13

Beijing’s global push to establish a global network of ports with Chinese involvement is slowing. Today’s guests Clark Banach, Program Director at the Alethia Research Institution and former MERICS Futures Fellow, and Jacob Gunter, Lead Analyst at MERICS, discuss the development and changes in China’s global infrastructure investments. In this conv…

1
How can leaders win and optimize investment in CX? (feat. Jeannie Walters, Mark Raffan and Alain Méric) 36:08

6M ago36:08

36:08

On this episode, we explore strategies for building a compelling business case for customer experience (CX) investment — and how to optimize the budget you’ve secured. According to Forrester’s Budget Planning Guide 2025: Customer Experience, while 99% of CX decision-makers list CX improvements as a top priority of senior executives, only 40% antici…

1
What's next in US export controls targeting China, with Kevin Wolf and Rebecca Arcesati 45:34

6M ago45:34

45:34

The rivalry between the US and China about technological and military leadership has one key component: export controls. What is the cutting edge of the United States’ export controls? What do they entail and what role do Washington’s international partners play? Can and will they be effective? In this episode, MERICS Lead Analyst Rebecca Arcesati …

1
China strebt nach Unabhängigkeit in kritischen Technologien, mit Antonia Hmaidi 25:47

7M ago25:47

25:47

China ist zu einer bedeutenden Wissenschafts- und Technologiemacht geworden. Über Chinas Streben nach Unabhängigkeit in kritischen Technologien wie künstliche Intelligenz, Quanten- oder Bio-Technologie spricht Johannes Heller-John mit Antonia Hmaidi, Senior Analystin am MERICS. Sie leitet die Daten-Taskforce des Instituts und das vom Bundesminister…

1
The global sale of Chinese arms, with Helena Legarda and Jacob Gunter 37:45

7M ago37:45

37:45

Over the last decade, China’s arms makers have gone beyond solely supplying the People’s Liberation Army and began to look for overseas markets to supplement sales and support Beijing’s geopolitical goals. Arms sales are an often-overlooked aspect of China’s global security and economic footprint and can present challenges to European policy makers…

1
How can you maintain customer affinity while rebranding? (feat. Billie Loewen and David Soberman) 33:13

7M ago33:13

33:13

On this episode, we explore the connection between brand and customer experience — and how to maintain positive customer sentiment while undergoing a rebrand. An effective rebranding strategy can serve to reposition a company, product or service to better align with customer expectations. But it’s not a given; to retain existing customers and attra…

1
What does customer loyalty look like in the age of AI? (feat. Shep Hyken and Colin Shaw) 33:16

8M ago33:16

33:16

Note: Since publishing this episode, we’ve rebranded to TELUS Digital. On this episode, we ask big questions about how customer loyalty is formed — and how AI can be leveraged to build stronger connections with customers. According to TechSee, a visual customer experience solutions provider and technology partner of TELUS Digital, more than one in …

1
Unsicherheit in Chinas Innen- und Außenpolitik, mit Shi Ming 23:08

8M ago23:08

23:08

Das Jahr 2024 birgt viele Unsicherheiten für China: Die wirtschaftliche Lage im Land ist schwierig. Vielschichtige Konflikte auf regionaler und internationaler Ebene und die Ergebnisse der Wahlen in der EU und den USA werden sich auch auf China auswirken. Wie geht Beijing die Herausforderungen an? Podcast-Moderator Johannes Heller-John spricht mit …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

MERICS Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide