Hello, I'm Alice Sue, The Economist senior China correspondent.
And I'm here with my co-host, David Rennie, our Beijing Bureau Chief.
Over the next two episodes,
we're going to look at how Chinese women are demanding more rights at a time when the state is emphasizing traditional roles.
This clash is happening in both the city and the countryside.
Next week, we'll see how women are challenging the patriarchy in Chinese villages.
This week, our story is about urban women pushing for more control over their bodies and families.
A growing number of women wants to have children on their terms.
The Communist Party also wants more babies, but the two sides have traditionally disagreed on what a family should look like.
We're asking, as the country's population shrinks,
can Chinese women seize the moment to take family planning decisions into their own hands?
Will the state give women more control over how and when they have children?
This is Drum Tower from The Economist.
Alice, hello. How have you been? How are things in Taipei?
David, hello. All is well here in Taipei.
Although just before we started recording, a huge thunderstorm started going outside.
So I don't know if you can hear it, but if there's like a rumbling sound in the podcast,
it's thunder and lightning outside of my window.
David, you'll inspire the drilling workmen to compete in my apartment building.
They're a bit quiet. They were terrible this morning, but they're a bit quiet now.