On the episode, Juliet and Erik speak with Senior Fellow and Director of the   Reconnecting Asia Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Jonathan E. Hillman. Jon discusses the BRI in a historical context and talks about the way he's seen the BRI shift since its inception in 2013. The interview is based on Jon's 2020 book The Emperor's New Road: China and the Project of the Century (Yale University Press -- Juliet's review of the book) Recommendations: Juliet: 1) Feature on the main takeaways of the 2020 China census, South China Morning Post 2) Sophia Yan at the Telegraph: Xinjiang reporting, Hong Kong Silenced Erik: 1) China's Population Conundrum, Sinica podcast 2) an enthusiastic plea to come to North Dakota Jon: 1) Reconnecting Asia, CSIS 2) A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, George Saunders, 2021