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LSE: The Ballpark | China under siege: how Beijing sees the United States with Dr Yu Jie

The last decade has seen a period of prolonged competition between the US and China with China continuing to grow economically and pursue technological self-reliance while the US attempts to hinder this growth through measures like export controls.
The last decade has seen a period of prolonged competition between the US and China with China continuing to grow economically and pursue technological self-reliance while the US attempts to hinder this growth through measures like export controls.
Monday 11 May 2026 | 26 minutes 9 seconds

The last decade has seen a period of prolonged competition between the US and China with China continuing to grow economically and pursue technological self-reliance while the US attempts to hinder this growth through measures like export controls.

In this episode of The Ballpark, we speak with Dr Yu Jie, Senior research fellow on China with Chatham House. She argues that this relationship has led to a sense of besiegement by leaders in Beijing as the United States seeks to prevent China from becoming a global power.

The conversation looks at how this concern about US encirclement has impacted US-China trade relations, including China’s efforts to diversify its trading partners and supply chains and its focus on domestic economic resilience. They also discuss what China has learned from the US about how to act as a global power, and its willingness to become one – or not.

This episode was produced by Chris Gilson and Avan Fata.

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