<p>Necoclí is a tiny town on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Beach bars blast party music and sell brightly-coloured cocktails. But Necoclí is not just a tourist destination. It is also a stopping point for migrants heading to the United States.</p><br><p>The fastest-growing group among them are Chinese. They are on a journey they call <em>zouxian</em>, or walking the line. Disillusioned with the Chinese dream, they have decided to chase the American version. But first they face a journey that is fraught with peril.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p>Necoclí is the place migrants stock up on supplies and cash, before putting their trust in smugglers who will guide them across the Darién Gap, a treacherous stretch of jungle separating Colombia and Panama.</p><br><p>In the first episode of this four-part series, Alice Su, <em>The Economist</em>’s senior China correspondent, travels to Necoclí to meet Chinese migrants on their <em>zouxian</em> journey, and asks what drove them to leave China and take such risks.</p><br><p><em>Transcripts of our podcasts are available via </em><a href="http://economist.com/podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>economist.com/podcasts</em></a><em>.</em></p><br><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>.&nbsp;</em></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video </em></a><em>explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>