First aired: Alpine Macro Feature Report, 1 September 2026
This is an interview with Alpine’s Chief US Strategist and Director or Research,
Inside China’s great game for the Arctic
The People’s Republic of China has long harboured ambitions in the High North, and now seeks to extend its influence by exploiting the effects of climate change and rifts within the transatlantic alliance.
Trump’s cards to play in China
President Trump will want Xi Jinping to increase diplomatic pressure on Iran, but not at any price.
Why the war in Iran is not a gift to China
The notion that Beijing is the chief beneficiary of the US-Iran conflict is wide of the mark.
China’s National People’s Congress 2026, Five-Year Plan, and the economy
China’s leaders recognise gathering, domestic problems, and the dangers of protectionism. Yet policies to address them will have limited effectiveness as they play second fiddle to high growth targets and industrial policy obsessions.
China’s Best-Laid Plans Hit Reality
The turmoil in the Middle East has already put Beijing’s forecasts for 2026 in doubt, while the latest Five Year Plan offers no fresh thinking on the country’s top challenges.