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David Rennie on President Xi, the Belt and Road Initiative, and his time reporting in China

The Chinese national flag is seen on a flagpole in Beijing.
The Chinese national flag is seen on a flagpole in Beijing.

What happens in China matters for the rest of the world. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping, now secure in an unprecedented third presidential term, is reaching out to more potential global partners. He toured Europe earlier this year and last week he promised about $51 billion dollars of investment for African nations at a summit in Beijing.

It’s becoming harder to know what’s happening in China. The country, which boasts the second highest population and the second biggest economy in the world, is becoming a black hole for outsiders trying to look in.

The Economist’s David Rennie is an expert on the country. He’s reported in and around Chinese cities and towns since 2018, giving an international correspondent’s view into the country.

He also lived there in the late 1990s and has seen how the country has changed. Rennie says reporting from China has become increasingly difficult. Taken together,the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal employed27foreigncorrespondents in Chinain2018. Now, they employ five.

We talk to David Rennie about his time in China, what’s next for the country, and what’s next for him.

Copyright 2024 WAMU 88.5

Michael Falero