China says it wants to lead a new international order through BRICS — one built on cooperation and responsible global governance. But as the world watched the aftermath of the devastating August 26 glacier-triggered flood that struck Tibet and Nepal, stark differences emerged in how the two sides of the border responded. While Nepal released daily casualty updates, welcomed international media and accepted foreign aid, Beijing tightly controlled information from Tibet, restricted reporting, and rejected criticism of its handling of the disaster. What does this contrast reveal about governance, transparency and China's vision of global leadership? In this episode, we examine the flood response in Tibet and Nepal, China's censorship, and whether Beijing's domestic governance model aligns with the leadership role it seeks within BRICS and the Global South.
*Recorded on September 15, 2026 at 11am Taiwan Standard Time
Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat
Planner: Miguel Yang
Research Assistant: April Lin
Videographer: Ko Gi
Our guests:
Tenzin Tsundue
- Tibetan Writer and Activist
Stephen Tan
- International Policy Advisory Group (Taiwan) Managing Director
Devendra Kumar
- Shiv Nadar University Centre for Himalayan Studies Associate Fellow
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