In this weekly video podcast Diana Mautner Markhof, Editor-in-Chief of iGlobenews, discusses current events and breaking news with world renown China expert Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik.
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Episode 12, 4 June 2026
The Future of the Greater Middle East: Türkiye, Iran or Israel?
Diana Mautner Markhof, discusses with top China expert Professor Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik the future security architecture of the Greater Middle East. Will President Trump be able to shut down Israel’s war in Lebanon? Will Israel achieve its goal of a Greater Israel? Will Türkiye play an even more important role? Ankara is hosting the NATO Summit in July 2026, an opportunity? What role are the Kurds playing? A secret plot now uncovered shows how Israel wanted to deploy the Kurds to overthrow Iran’s leader? Are the Abraham Accords gone for good? Why is the US considering an even closer military cooperation with Israel? Implications for the Cairo Teheran rapprochement? As we navigate the complexities of the Middle East, the current geopolitical landscape presents numerous challenges. Who will get the upper hand in the Middle East. Major countries like Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt are already positioning themselves for a post-Iran war era. As tensions rise, it’s crucial to understand the motivations of all players involved. Who will be among the winners and who will be on the losing side? Who will get the biggest slice of the cake? Tune is to our podcast to get deep analysis and engaging discussion.
Episode 11, 24 May 2026
The Gaza Flotilla … The Europe that can(‘t) say NO
Diana Mautner Markhof, discusses with top China expert Professor Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik the state of Europe in world politics. The discussion starts with the European reaction to the Gaza Flotilla the Global Sumud and moves on to other topics affecting Europe. Will Europe move away from Israel? Will Europe finally learn to stop being the yes man of the US and learn to say no? How will Europe deal with Greenland, the Arctic, the Ukraine war, the brewing trade war with China, the unfavorable US EU tariff deal? How can the UN be made useful in a future world where international law is being replaced by the law of the jungle? How should the EU be reformed? What can we learn from history and what makes Japan and Germany so different? Will Friedrich Merz manage to charm Donald Trump, so he can take over leadership of Europe?
Episode 10, 16 May 2026
Trump Xi Summit: A Global Win-Win Outcome?
Diana Mautner Markhof, discusses with top China expert Professor Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik the outcome of the recent Trump Xi summit in Beijing. Discover key insights from the recent Trump-Xi summit and why it’s considered a win-win for both nations. Essential for those interested in global politics. What are the implications for Taiwan, Iran and the world at large? The discussions around Taiwan were significant, as they could impact future military support and sovereignty issues. Both leaders were satisfied with the outcome. Trump’s disciplined approach during the meeting indicated a shift in his typical style, suggesting a greater awareness of the political implications of their dialogue. The U.S. appears to be shifting towards a more cooperative stance with China, which could lead to reduced tensions in regions like East Asia.
Episode 9, 9 May 2026
China’s Asian Leadership Policy vs. US “Diplomacy of Destruction”
Diana Mautner Markhof, discusses with top China expert Professor Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik how China is skillfully using the current geopolitical situation in the Middle East to its advantage. With President Trump about to visit Beijing the main point on China’s discussion list is Taiwan. This episode of iGlobeViews delves into the complex dynamics of China’s leadership policy and the implications for Taiwan, U.S. foreign policy, and the evolving nature of international relations. How will Japan’s expand its influence in Asia. Will Japan come to Taiwan’s aid if China should attack? Will Japan seek to go nuclear? Will China be instrumental to a lasting peace with Iran? What are the wider implication of the constitutional change in North Korea to not seek reunification with the South. The US and its diplomacy of destruction or lack of benevolence is a sign of a declining hegemon – what does this mean for the West and the US? What does this mean for China and also for Russia? This discussion sheds light on the strategic maneuvers of major world powers and their impact on global stability.
Episode 8, 1 May 2026
AI and Deindustrialization: Workers have nothing to lose but their jobs
Diana Mautner Markhof, discusses with top China expert Professor Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik the future of workers in the age of AI and deindustrialization. Will the EU’s newly proposed Industrial Accelerator Act protect the European market from China? How will China retaliate? How can Europe and the US stop deindustrialization? Has the age of free trade ended and are we now in an age of economic nationalism? Will the arms industry save Europe’s flailing industry? Are Europe’s weapon’s technologies being transferred to Israel in order to save jobs? Is China also in a crisis with its workforce? With wealth in the hands of the billionaire class – who will benefit from any effort to reindustrialize? What role will AI and robotics play in the manufacturing and the service sector? Is the China model where we are all headed?
Episode 7, 23 April 2026
Europe: Regaining Relevance or Destined for Division
Editor-in-Chief, Diana Mautner Markhof, discusses with top China expert Professor Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik, the future of Europe and the EU. Will it find a path towards unity and relevance or remain divided and irrelevant? Why does Europe need Russia as an enemy? Is there a third way becoming apparent? The recent vote in Bulgaria would argue for this. How should the EU deal with Turkey? Is Ursula von der Leyen really the right person for the job? How is the EU dealing with the blatant double standard when dealing with Israel? Why can it not come to decision to suspend the EU Israel Association Agreement? Compare this to how Russia was treated after it invaded Ukraine. Why are European countries cracking down on freedom of speech and assembly? The power of the Brussels swamp and the unelected EU leadership are more and more disconnected from the average citizen. Will EU enlargement not lead to even more division among member states? Can the EU use its economic power to regain relevance? Who will lead the EU as the US pulls back?
Episode 6, 16 April 2026
Greater Israel or Greater Middle East: China’s increasing Role
Editor-in-Chief, Diana Mautner Markhof, discusses with top China expert Professor Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik, the divergent visions for the future of the Middle East. Will Israel and the US reach their goal to install Israel as the dominant power. Will Israel realize its goal of a Greater Israel? Will the US put pressure on Israel so peace can be reached? Israel does not want to stop fighting Iran and the Israeli public wants this war. How is China working for its own vision which of course does not coincide with that of the US or of Israel. The US is becoming more and more isolated and is looking for peace. Is Europe moving closer to China? Can Türkiye become a dominant power in the Middle East? How does NATO figure into this equation? Will the leadership in the US take the wishes of the American public into consideration – a majority is against the war in Iran? How will China work its diplomacy to get the Strait of Hormuz open? Will Iran close the Strait of Bab el Mandab if tensions escalate?
Episode 1 - 5
Episode 1, 15 March 2026
The China and Russia Factor in the US/Israeli Strategy for Iran
iGlobenews Editor-in-Chief, Diana Mautner Markhof, discusses current events and world politics with China expert Professor Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik. How has and will the US/Israeli war in Iran influence China, Russia, US relations? Who will gain? Who will lose? Whata will the new world order look like? Will Iran want nuclear weapons after being attacked twice within a year? What will happen to the NPT? How will the EU position itself?
Episode 2, 19 March 2026
Will the War in Iran Seal Ukraine’s Fate
During this episode iGlobenews Editor-in-Chief, Diana Mautner Markhof, and China expert Professor Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik discuss how the war in Iran affects the war in Ukraine and vis-versa. Will the escalation in Iran bring about an escalation in Ukraine? Has peace in Ukraine moved even further into the future or will there be a speedy push to end the war? Is Ukraine’s corruption being instrumentalized to end the war? Has Russia’s position changed since the US/Israeli attack on Iran? Will China’s role in Ukraine change as a result of the war in Iran? Will Russia benefit from the US and its disregard for international law? How will the economic fallout of the US/Israeli war in Iran benefit Russia? What new security arrangements? Looking at history, what are the parallels/lessons for Ukraine and Iran? Has the US learned nothing from its policy of regime change in Ukraine and Iran?
Episode 3, 26 March 2026
BRICS Broken? The Iran War Stress Test
Diana Mautner Markhof, discusses with Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik how the Iran war will impact the future of BRICS. Before the war BRICS was on the rise with 40+ countries waiting to join. This war highlights the deep political divide within the anti-western bloc. BRICS has not managed to issue a common statement condemning the war against Iran, a BRICS member. India holds the Presidency of BRICS in 2026. Just days before the bombing of Iran, Prime Minister Modi addressed the Israeli Knesset as a guest of honor. Was this part of the preparation to go to war? On 19 February 2026, Jakarta signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade in Washington. Was this an effort by the Trump Administration to silence an important BRICS player by restraining its foreign policy autonomy? Is Israel using the war on Iran to distract from its genocide in Gaza and its ongoing violence and occupation in the West Bank? Has Egypt been silenced by the billions it receives from the US in military and economic support? Will the Iran war break the dominance of the petrodollar? Can the Chinese digital Yuan (e-CNY) play a role? What if Saudi Arabia actively joins the war on the US/Israeli side? South Africa, an outspoken critic of the US/Israeli war on Iran has been uninvited from the G7 – coincidence? What role are Russia and China playing?
Episode 4, 2 April 2026
Has Trump been out-trumped by Iran?
Has Trump been out-trumped by Iran? Why did the US get into the war? Is there a security interest for the US which justifies this war, or, is the US fighting Israel’s war? How will the Palestinian question figure into any solution to the Iran war? Will the US find an exit strategy or will the US continue to escalate? What will happen to the US allies in Europe and East Asia who are suffering because of the world wide energy crisis? Will the Gulf countries survive if this war escalates? Can a diplomatic solution be found, or will China and Russia join the war openly and more actively in support of Iran? What does history teach us about asymmetric wars? Will Iran end up developing a nuclear bomb?
Episode 5, 9 April 2026
Kowtowing or Cooperation: Which is China’s Vision for a New World Order
Diana Mautner Markhof, discusses with Professor Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik, China’s vision for a new world order. Can the world expect to kowtow to China, or will China seek to lead through cooperation and diplomacy? Or maybe some of each? China is a driving force in pushing for peace in Iran. It is in a unique position to influence US policy at the highest level. China has many aces up it sleeve when it comes to power politics. What will happen to the US economy if China continues the sale of T-bills? Will China use its leverage in rare earths to help solve the Iran problem? What can we learn from China’s history when trying to understand how China deals with present challenges? How will China solve the Taiwan issue? Will President Xi consider a military solution under any circumstances? How close are we to a nuclear war? Can China also influence Israel? How will the relationship between Russia and China, and China and the US evolve due to the Iran war? How long will President Xi remain in power and what should the world expect from China moving forward?