In November 2020, Professor DA Wei, Research Fellow at Center for International Security and Strategy in Tsinghua University and China Forum Expert, was invited at the referral of the China Forum as one of the Chinese interviewees of Brook Lapping’s documentary series Trump Takes on the World, which was launched online on BBC in early February.

Covering key issues regarding Trump on the world stage, the three-part docuseries features interviews with his top advisers as well as politicians and academics from countries that have clashed with the US during the Trump presidency, chronicling US foreign policy and its making by revisiting critical junctures in the changing relationships between America and its allies as well as its rivals.

In the interview, Da Wei zoned in on the North Korean nuclear issue. Refuting a popular American view that this issue is a Chinese one and that China can stop North Korea’s nuclear program if it wants to, he referred to the root cause of this issue as North Korea’s insecurity which is largely evoked by the US, and made clear China’s willingness to facilitate dialogue between them.

On US-China feud over trade and technology, Da noted that the increasing and unfounded US sanctions against Chinese tech companies have convinced many Chinese that America does not want China to take the lead in 5G and other key sectors. China had to defend its dignity with reciprocity; yet strategically, it does want long-term stability with America. China has left the door open for trade war talks, but a conflict is inevitable if the US stays committed to containing its growth.

For more information on the docuseries, go to https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000sln7