The China Current is proud to introduce its new Culture Contributor, Tasmin Little. The world renowned violinist first visited China in 1982 as a student at the Menuhin School. In this podcast, Tasmin pays tribute to Chi Chi, the giant panda born in the wild of Sichuan — who later made her home at London Zoo.

Ge Yang is a phenomenal table tennis player — a world champion and winner of six Paralympic gold medals across the Athens, Beijing, London, and Rio games. At the age of six, he lost his right hand in an accident at home in Hebei, a province just outside of Beijing. He shares his story of becoming an Olympian. Our Host James Chau met with him in Bangkok, where they talked about the beauty of the human spirit, and how he ultimately triumphed not only in sports, but also in life.

For the first time since the pandemic, the world gathers a major cultural event. Art Basel in Hong Kong is a truly hybrid fair with an audience that is physical and virtual. Local galleries are showing physically, but exhibitors from outside the city have flown in their works — while a new digital initiative called Art Basel Live offers online viewing rooms, virtual walkthroughs, and daily broadcasts. In this special interview, James Chau, Host of The China Current, speaks with Adeline Ooi, Director Asia of Art Basel. Watch and listen to this conversation on video and podcast.

The pandemic may have reshaped the world, but it has also triggered a surge of interest in public health education. Dr. Michelle Williams is Dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, which is seeing record applications from students striving to serve. Born in Jamaica, she moved to America as a child. In this conversation with James Chau, she explores the skills students require to become the global health experts of tomorrow — listening, analyzing, and communicating with communities — and the vision she brings to her role as an advisor to the Tsinghua Vanke School of Public Health.   Part 2: Wisdom in Health | Michelle Williams | From The Well

For a decade, Dr. Margaret Chan served as the world’s health chief. Now, she is the Founding Dean of Tsinghua Vanke School of Public Health, a center of innovation in Beijing that seeks to link "health" to "humanity" in a time of global need. It is reinventing how we approach health by addressing big global challenges in parallel, from the planet to the current pandemic. This is the first episode of 'From The Well', a new conversation series where our Host James Chau sits down with global experts.

Amidst a pandemic that continues to shake the world, we sometimes need reminding that we really are “all in this together.” Astronaut Ron Garan knew he wanted to be an astronaut since he was a child when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. Now, after 178 days in space and completing four spacewalks, he offers us an “orbital perspective” on the unity of humanity that becomes clear when looking at our planet from afar. Our Host James Chau speaks with Colonel Garan about the awe and wonder of space — and the contrast with the fear and anxiety in the world today.

As Chair of the Elders, Mary Robinson advocates for peace and justice for everyone. In this special conversation with our Host James Chau, the former leader of Ireland shares her insights on how we can achieve a future with the wellbeing of our planet at the center. In honor of the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, The China Current presents this special conversation with Mary Robinson.  

In a world still struggling to come to terms with a pandemic, Norway is one of the least impacted. Its leader Erna Solberg went in hard and early to prevent infections from taking root, a strategy that has protected the country's more than 5 million people. In this wide ranging conversation with our Host James Chau, she shares some of the fundamental lessons from this ongoing experience. This interview is in partnership with SHE—the community, conference, and movement to achieve equality in society. Join their call at sheinsight.com.

Millions have now experienced the physical and mental toll of the virus spreading globally—including Peter Piot, who in 1976 co-discovered Ebola in Central Africa. In this special interview, he revisits his recent hospitalization, and near-death experience, describing it as a state of moving “between heaven and earth.” Our Host James Chau speaks to Professor Piot who is the Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Follow us for stories on how the outbreak is shaping our modern world.   Part 1: I Moved Between Heaven and Earth Part 2: A Major Shift in power relations  Part 3: Protect Yourself, Protect Others

As global leaders continue to organize their pandemic response teams, U.S. leadership is balancing the need to maintain some sections of the economy while keeping people safe from the health crisis. It’s a hard-struck balance, and no one is exactly sure where it will lead us as some states begin to reopen. One organization, The Rockefeller Foundation, has set forth a national testing plan to meet the needs of this moment. President of The Rockefeller Foundation Dr. Rajiv J. Shah is leading this initiative to ramp up U.S. testing, all while working from home. We speak with him from his home in New York.   Part1: Meeting This Moment Part2: The International Experience Part3: Lessons From the Past  

Although they are not with us today, our ancestors shine a continuous reflection on our lives, influencing our perceptions and interactions with the world in subtle yet powerful ways. In her latest film—The Farewell—actor, author, comedian, and rapper, Awkwafina returns to her Asian roots—telling the story of her grandmother’s last days and the ancestral background underpinning a new generation. It reveals the cultural nuances of an American woman finding comfort—and conflict—with her family’s heritage. Our Host James Chau speaks to our Contributing Editor Laura de Belgique about the importance of identity and ancestry.

In 2006, Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions towards alleviating global poverty. Now, the "banker to the poor" is shifting his focus to today’s health crisis— to help transform a world already hurt by a range of inequalities. In a resounding call to action, he says every human being has unlimited capacity to change the future. Nobel laureate and social entrepreneur Professor Yunus speaks to our host James Chau in this special interview. Part 1: Our Fate Moving Forward Part 2: Restarting the Engine

Everyone is impacted differently in times of crises. Today, those with preexisting health conditions are facing increased barriers to treatment and access to medication, compounding the challenges they already face. Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director, speaks with our host James Chau about vulnerable populations and the hope that community leadership provides. Part 1: This Crisis Is Not Equal Part 2: Health is Not a Commodity Part 3: The Power of Ordinary People

The world needs strong global partnerships in times of trouble. Jeffrey Sachs, economist and University Professor at Columbia University, sits down with our host James Chau to discuss the importance of international collaboration.

California womenswear brand L'AGENCE wanted to be supportive during these troubling times and did so in the way they know best: by donating jeans. L'AGENCE donated $1M of their denim to female health workers on the front lines, and while jeans aren’t a necessity in this crisis, they knew it was the best way to use their expertise to give back, express their gratitude, and put smiles on people’s faces. L'AGENCE CEO and Creative Director Jeffrey Rüdes designed this crisis-response campaign. Our host James Chau speaks to the brand’s CEO and President, Jeffrey Rüdes and Albert Schami, about this act of kindness in a time of division and the economic impact. So far, thousands of health workers have responded to the gifts with expressions of joy and thanks. L'AGENCE CEO and Creative Director, Jeffrey Rüdes, designed this crisis-response campaign. Our host James Chau speaks to him and the brand’s President Albert Schami about this act of kindness in a time of division and the economic impact the pandemic will have on American industry.   

The COVID-19 response is being led by leaders in politics, science and health. But one teenager in Hong Kong is reshaping that narrative with a platform she's created to involve people young and older. With a simple but effective action list, she is calling on everyone to participate in impactful solutions - and at the same time, reminding us to stay at home and to wash our hands. The message here is 'kindness' - and woven into it is a nuanced mission, she says, to demonstrate that the young people of Hong Kong, a city already battered by months of protests, are able to craft a happier future for themselves, and for everyone. 

Attica Scott is one of very few elected women of color in the United States. As a Kentucky State Representative, she is a unique face of leadership in a state that has battled poverty and racial division. The threat of COVID-19 has highlighted deep inequalities in healthcare systems, especially for minority communities who are already at a disadvantage. But despite these enormous challenges, Kentucky is currently relatively unscathed in the ongoing crisis— with a relatively low number of deaths and infections compared to its neighboring states. Our host James Chau speaks to Representative Scott about the community leadership behind Kentucky’s response, her concerns for people in rural areas, and how she and her colleagues are governing in a crisis. She says now is the time to put aside our divisions, break down walls, and focus on taking care of everyone to find a way to move forward. 

Helen Clark was Prime Minister of New Zealand and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. Today, she is a pivotal leader who is exercising her statesmanship against COVID-19, the greatest threat to space and security. In her communications with the UN Security Council and G20 leaders, she has made a clarion call for a global coordinated action to include urgent funding, debt relief, and a reset mindset that will allow countries to go hard and forward together. Our host James Chau speaks with Helen Clark in this special interview from her home in Auckland.   Part1: A Threat to Stability Part2: Convening Platforms Part3: Trading Stigma for Solidarity Part4: Meeting the Needs of Now 

We've brought you many conversations with people shaping the response and looked at the consequences for highly vulnerable communities, like refugees, asylum seekers, and people of color. But the fallout from this pandemic is only becoming more apparent as each day passes. That's why our host James Chau speaks to art historian Manfredi della Gherardesca, who provides a lens by which we can digest the world before, during, and after COVID-19. Like many people, he is also a first-hand participant in the complexities of the lockdown, choosing to leave his home in London for his home country of Italy, even though it is one of the worst-affected of all.

Filippo Grandi brings enormous field experience in emergency operations to his role as UN High Commissioner for Refugees - and compassion and kindness, too. Today, there are 70.8 million forcibly removed people, whose challenges and those of their host communities are compounded by COVID-19, the biggest threat to humanity in almost a century. What future awaits these individuals, many of whom have no home or access to clean water - but are being told to stay indoors and wash their hands? And what hope do they have in this era of lockdowns and closed borders, when movement and escape are sometimes their only means of survival? In this special conversation, our host James Chau speaks with Mr. Grandi about the human condition that impacts us all.