Silk and Steel

Carl Zha sits down with Einar Tangen, an American lawyer, entrepreneur, and media commentator based in Beijing for over 20 years. They dissect the dramatic shift in US-China relations—from the optimistic era of "Chimerica" to today's acrimonious trade wars and strategic competition.

Carl Zha and Ben Norton, a geopolitical analyst, dissect the shifting strategies of the US empire with a focus on policies toward China and conflict with Venezuela.

Carl Zha is joined by Professor Warwick Powell to dissect the high-stakes phone call between Presidents Xi and Trump.

In this episode of the Silk and Steel Podcast, host Carl Zha is joined by entrepreneur and writer Arnaud Bertrand for a critical examination of Europe's geopolitical position.

What is daily life in China really like? In this special episode, Carl Zha is given a personal, ground-level tour of Shanghai by the "Godfather of Chinese Hip Hop," Dana "Showtyme" Burton.

In this episode of the Silk and Steel Podcast, host Carl Zha is joined by guest Xiang Yu, a Taiwan-based commentator, to dissect the shifting political landscape and public sentiment on the island. We dive deep into whether high-profile political "flips" by influencers and reporters signal a broader, grassroots change in how Taiwanese people view cross-strait relations, reunification, and the future.

In this powerful episode, we continue our conversation with Dana "Detroit Showtyme" Burton, the man known as the Godfather of Chinese Hip-Hop.

In this Silk and Steel Podcast, host Carl Zha sits down with Angelica Ong, a pro-nuclear activist and political commentator based in Taiwan. They discuss her dramatic political shift as well as her pragmatic analysis of Taiwan's energy crisis and precarious geopolitical position between the US and China.

Diego Sequera, A Venezuelan journalist, discusses US aggression against Venezuela, "Narco-Terrorism" accusations, and political influence and gamesmanship in the region.

Carl Zha speaks with Danny "Showtime," an African American who has spent over 26 years in Shanghai and worked in its music industry.

We dive deep into why China is pulling ahead in the global AI race, the shocking reality of America's hardware disadvantage, and how Chinese models like DeepSeek, Qwen, and Kimi are setting the new global standard.

Jerry Grey shares his first-hand account of bicycling through western China's vast, beautiful, and sometimes harsh landscape.

Professor Guillen shares amazing stories of his early travels to "wild" parts of Indonesia and being among the first Westerners in post-1979 China, including an unforgettable archaeological discovery in Xinjiang.

In this explosive episode of the Silk and Steel Podcast, host Carl Zha is joined by returning expert TP Huang to break down the stunning array of new weapons systems China recently unveiled. From hypersonic missiles that can be launched from submarines to J-20-sized stealth fighter drones, the parade showcased technologies that are years, if not decades, ahead of what other nations are developing.

We break down the recent Trump-Xi summit, the second round of the U.S.-China trade war, and the surprising outcomes that signal a major walk-back by the Trump administration.

In this episode, Pepe contrasts his travels in Xinjiang from 25 years ago with the reality on the ground today. We discuss the mind-boggling modernization, the seamless integration of ethnic groups, the truth behind the "redevelopment" of Kashgar's old city, and the shocking scale of the Belt and Road Initiative's infrastructure. This is a firsthand, on-the-ground account you won't get anywhere else.