Podcast · News

Drum Tower from The Economist

by The Economist · English · News

<p>Gain a deeper understanding of China with Jeremy Page and Sarah Wu. The Economist’s China correspondents report from across the country and the places it influences beyond its borders. Jiehao Chen joins the discussion from London. This award-winning podcast takes on everything from the CCP to EVs

New episodes: Now and then
Typical length: 31 min
Latest: 22 Jun 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

22 Jun 2026 · 3 min

Trailer: Tocqueville Road Trip

When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His book “Democracy in America” was a big influence on later generations of writers and thinkers, including The Economist ’s US Editor John Prideaux. Now, 250 years after its birth, the vitality of that democracy is under question. In this series, John retraces the route Tocqueville took to find out how much of what inspired Tocqueville about America remains—and how worried we should be about what’s changed. Out now Find the show on The…

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Earlier episodes 14 most recent

26 Nov 2025 · 2 min
Trailer: Drum Tower
Gain a deeper understanding of China with Jeremy Page and Sarah Wu. The Economist ’s China correspondents report from across the country and the places it influences beyond its borders. Jiehao Chen joins the discussion from London. This award-winning podcast takes on everything from the CCP to EVs and from ageing to AI. Published every Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 Apr 2025 · 2 min
Trailer: Boss Class Season 2
Good bosses are rare. They don’t have to be. The skills of management can be learned. The Economist ’s management columnist, Andrew Palmer, is here to help. The second season of Boss Class features leaders at some of the world’s best performing companies, from Levi’s to Novo Nordisk to Google. New episodes are out weekly starting May 12th. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ . https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist , you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information…
28 Jan 2025 · 4 min
Trailer: Scam Inc
A sophisticated, predatory, multi-billion dollar industry is emerging from the shadows. It already rivals the size of the illicit drug trade. And it’s about to get bigger and much more powerful. The Economist ’s Sue-Lin Wong follows a trail that starts with the collapse of a bank in rural Kansas to uncover a global, underground scam economy built around human trafficking, corruption and money laundering. Can it be stopped? Available now. To listen to the full series subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
8 Oct 2024 · 42 min
Climbers (part one): A way out of China
Necoclí is a tiny town on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Beach bars blast party music and sell brightly-coloured cocktails. But Necoclí is not just a tourist destination. It is also a stopping point for migrants heading to the United States. The fastest-growing group among them are Chinese. They are on a journey they call zouxian , or walking the line. Disillusioned with the Chinese dream, they have decided to chase the American version. But first they face a journey that is fraught with peril. Necoclí is the place migrants stock up on supplies and cash, before putting their trust in smugglers…
5 Jun 2024 · 5 min
Trailer: The Modi Raj
Narendra Modi is one of the most popular politicians on the planet. India’s prime minister is eyeing a third term atop the world’s biggest democracy. A tea-seller’s son, Mr Modi began life an outsider. The man behind the political phenomenon remains hard to fathom. India has become an economic powerhouse during his ten years in charge. But he’s also the frontman for a chauvinistic Hindu nationalist dogma. Can Mr Modi continue to balance both parts of his agenda and finish the job of turning India into a superpower? The Economist ’s Avantika Chilkoti finds out what makes him tick. Launching…
14 May 2024 · 31 min
Run part one: Why are Chinese people running to Japan?
At the height of China’s zero-covid restrictions, a Chinese character that sounds like the English word “run” became a coded way of talking about emigration. Since then many Chinese people have left their country for better opportunities abroad. In the first episode of a three-part series on the “run” phenomenon, we travel to Japan and meet educated, urban Chinese who have made the decision to move. Alice Su, The Economist ’s senior China correspondent and David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, ask: what does their choice say about the country they’ve left behind? Transcripts of our…
9 Apr 2024 · 37 min
Drum Tower: Xi’s doomed economic plan
The Economist ’s editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes was recently in Beijing for the China Development Forum, an annual gathering where senior Chinese officials meet foreign business bosses. She joins our Beijing bureau chief David Rennie to assess Xi Jinping’s new plan to escape economic stagnation. Plus, what is the outlook for China’s relationship with America? Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video…
26 Mar 2024 · 38 min
Drum Tower: Tick tock for TikTok
On March 13th America’s House of Representatives passed a bill that could ban TikTok nationwide unless its Chinese owner, Bytedance, agrees to sell its stake. Alice Su, The Economist ’s senior China correspondent, and David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, look at China’s side of the story. Joined by Don Weinland, our China business and finance editor, they ask: does Chinese ownership of TikTok really pose a threat to America? Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access…
13 Feb 2024 · 27 min
Drum Tower: The sounds of old Beijing
In some ways, Beijing now sounds like a lot of other mega cities. Yet, back in imperial times, sound was used in creative ways to display wealth, to conduct everyday business and, most importantly, to keep order. David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, takes us on a sonic journey through the places where Beijing’s ancient soundscape is being kept alive. He meets Colin Chinnery, a sound artist and archivist, to find out why sound has long been a vital part of Beijing’s spirit, and the ways in which it still is today. Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ Sign up…
30 Jan 2024 · 32 min
Drum Tower: Competing for kids
China’s decades-long economic boom was powered by workers who migrated from the countryside to cities to find jobs. But to do so, many of them had to leave their children behind. Now some cities are vying to attract migrant workers' children . Zhejiang province is piloting an experimental policy which should make it easier for migrants to bring their children with them to cities and send them to school. David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, and Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, examine Yiwu, a city in Zhejiang that has enacted this policy. Sign up for a free trial of Economist…
9 Jan 2024 · 44 min
Drum Tower: Taiwan goes to the polls
China is watching Taiwan’s next presidential race closely. The results will influence Xi Jinping’s next steps when it comes to resolving the “Taiwan question”. Ahead of the vote on January 13th, Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, goes to campaign rallies of the 3 parties in the race. We meet voters, young and old, who each have a different idea of who should win and why. Together with David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, they ask: is the election of Taiwan’s next President really a choice between war or peace, as some candidates are saying? If you’re interested in Taiwan, listen to…
5 Dec 2023 · 35 min
Drum Tower: Stand-up feminists
Tickets for “Nvzizhuyi”—a monthly stand-up comedy show in New York City— often sell out in less than a minute. The show invites Chinese citizens, mostly women, to tell jokes, perform skits and recount the absurd challenges they’ve encountered as feminist activists in China—things they could never utter in public back home. This week, Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, reports from the dark basement of a comedy club. Together with David Rennie, The Economist’ s Beijing bureau chief, they ask: Why are some of China’s exiled feminists doing stand-up comedy abroad? And can their…
24 Oct 2023 · 47 min
Drum Tower: What does it mean to be Taiwanese?
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many have worried: is Taiwan next? China is giving Taiwan a terrifying choice: unify with China, or face war. People in Taiwan want neither of these. For this special four-part series, David Rennie, The Economist ’s Beijing bureau chief, and Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, ask whether Taiwan can preserve its freedoms and decide its own future . In this first episode, they explore how Taiwan’s divided and changing identity impacts how close Taiwanese people want to be to China. They meet Chen Yao-chang, a doctor turned novelist, whose idea of what…
7 Nov 2022 · 2 min
Introducing Drum Tower
Two of The Economist 's China correspondents, Alice Su and David Rennie, analyse the stories at the heart of this vast country and examine its influence beyond its borders. They’ll be joined by our global network of correspondents and expert guests to examine how everything from party politics to business, technology and culture is reshaping China and the world. For almost seven centuries the beats of China’s most famous drum tower, or gulou, kept people in Beijing to time. The Economist ’s latest podcast keeps you up to date every Monday. Sign up to our weekly newsletter here and for full…

About Drum Tower from The Economist

Drum Tower from The Economist is a English news podcast from The Economist. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: The Economist
Language: English
Category: News
New episodes: Now and then
Typical length: 31 min
Latest episode: 22 Jun 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1651657142

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