Sinobabble – Details, episodes & analysis

Leave your recommendations below. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Chapters 
(00:00) About the books
(2:20) The Dean of Shandong
(12:35) Private Revolutions
(20:35) The New China Playbook
(29:20) I Deliver Parcels in Beijing
(40:40) Final thoughts
(42:30) Books for next year, book club?

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In recent months news of purges at the very top of the PLA have gripped headlines, with many speculating as to the cause and outcomes of this series of high-profile oustings. Many have concluded that regardless of the cause -- coup attempt, rampant corruption, incompetence, paranoia -- the result is that Xi has tightened his control over an historically elusive and *opaque* arm of the party-state. 

Xi is an outside figure -- he is not a military man, he has seen no bloodshed, commanded no battles, won no victories. And yet he now towers above the PLA as its ultimate leader, his mandate served willingly and devotedly. 

How has Xi managed this feat where his predecessors have failed? The truth is the most recently publicised purges are just one in a long line of adjustments to the military that have allowed Xi Jinping to strengthen his grip on the PLA. In this episode we discuss those adjustments, how they differ to those that came before, and what the results of Xi's strategy may be.

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In January of this year, Chinese actor Wang Xing went viral after being kidnapped in Thailand having travelled for what he thought was a job opportunity, only to be rescued after his girlfriend made a post begging for the authorities to help. After a 4 day ordeal, Wang made a dramatic TV appearance alongside Thai police, with his head shaved but otherwise seemingly unscathed.

Wang’s case shed light on an issue that had been getting little coverage in the national press. To date, over 3,000 Chinese nationals are being held in scam compounds in Southeast Asian nations like Cambodia and Laos, many of them run by other Chinese nationals. What caused the rise of these scam centres? How do they target Chinese white collar workers? Why is the Chinese government not doing anything to shut these operations down?

Let's explore the world of sprawling forced labour compounds in Southeast Asia, their ties to local governments and police, and how they're getting rich in crypto scams targeting pensioners in pig-butchering schemes around the world.

Chapters 
(00:00) Introduction
(04:00) The rise of scams around the world
(06:09) SE Asian scam centres and their targets
(21:45) The rise of the scam centres and pig-butchering scams
(33:00) No justice, no peace of mind

Latest Substack post: https://sinobabble.substack.com/p/i-asked-4-china-experts-4-questions?r=bgkuv

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A discussion of trending China news articles published in w/c 12th May. We discuss the outcome of the China-US tariff deal and how no one in China seems to really care. Starbucks is losing out to domestic coffee brands as its lack of strategy and reliance of hollow premium branding fall flat. Also, Xi's success with Latin American and Caribbean countries, and China's role in the India-Pakistan dispute.

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Links: https://www.economist.com/china/2025/05/13/a-great-trade-victory-over-america-is-being-celebrated-in-china

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202505/1334079.shtml

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202505/15/WS682520e7a310a04af22bf58c.html

https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3310407/starbucks-kicks-process-sell-stake-its-sprawling-china-business-growth-stalls?utm_source=rss_feed

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/chagee-mixue-luckin-china-chains-global-success-5086271

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202505/15/WS68252021a310a04af22bf57a.html

https://fortune.com/asia/2025/05/14/colombia-joins-beijing-belt-road-initiative-china-us-fight-control-latin-america/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/14/pakistans-use-of-j-10c-jets-and-missiles-exposes-potency-of-chinese-arms

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Apologies for the late upload for this one!

A discussion of trending China news articles published in w/c 5th May. We discuss the upcoming scheduled talks between US and Chinese representatives in Switzerland to move towards a resolution on the trade war, as well as Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow ahead of the Victory Day parade.

Links: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/08/xi-jinping-vladimir-putin-china-russia-kremlin

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309454/xi-jinpings-russia-visit-balances-symbolism-and-strategy-europe-watches?utm_source=rss_feed

https://merics.org/en/china-russia-dashboard-facts-and-figures-special-relationship#:~:text=China%2DRussia%20trade%20has%20surged%20since%20Ukraine%20invasion,-Development%20of%20monthly&text=In%202024%2C%20total%20trade%20reached,the%20types%20of%20goods%20traded.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8rgrejkvmjo

https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-signals-china-initiated-planned-trade-meeting-2025-05-07/

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3309589/how-chinas-self-sufficiency-drive-dividing-global-tech-ecosystem?utm_source=rss_feed&firstTimeRegister=true

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3309569/huawei-unveils-first-laptop-running-self-developed-harmonyos-windows-licence-expires

https://www.valueadded.tech/p/industrial-policy-for-the-knowledge

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A discussion of trending China news articles published in w/c 28th April. We discuss the CIA's attempt to recuit spies in the Chinese government, China's plans for an AI dominated future, and why China is annoying South Korea once again.

#china #chinanews #AI #USChina

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This is a rant video about the 'expert' 'analysis' coverage of the China-US trade war/tariff skirmish. There is no analysis or even coherent thought process here. This is basically just my train of thought about why it's a bad idea to try and predict the future. I try and relate it to Fukuyama as well, I don't know, just listen and have your own opinions.

"The End of History?" Francis Fukuyama: https://pages.ucsd.edu/~bslantchev/courses/pdf/Fukuyama%20-%20End%20of%20History.pdf

Chapters 
(00:00) Introduction
(04:26) How is any of this relevant to tariffs?
(10:48) Pro-US and Pro-China analyses are equally bad
(21:10) All articles are the same info with a different conclusion

#china #tariffwar #chinausrelations 

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Latest Substack post: https://sinobabble.substack.com/p/i-asked-4-china-experts-4-questions?r=bgkuv

Links to everything: https://linktree.com/sinobabble

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This is last week's news analysis episode. For the most recent episode head over to Buy Me a Coffee and become a member to get the episodes as soon as they come out!

A discussion of trending China news articles published in w/c 21stApril. We discuss mysterious Deepseek news and some of China's latest diplomacy moves in Asia. While China claims it wants peace and even allyship with its Asian neighbours, its actions often seem contrary to its words.

Links: https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3307814/deepseek-opens-roles-product-and-design-start-keeps-mum-new-ai-model?utm_source=rss_feed

https://aiproem.substack.com/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2kv93y4289o

https://sinobabble.substack.com/p/xenophobia-and-anti-japanese-sentiment

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3307220/chinas-c909-passenger-jet-spreads-wings-vietjet-after-transnusa-lao-airlines

https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/china-eastern-airlines-launches-first-c919-route-outside-chinas-mainland

https://www.ft.com/content/55b17d8a-c8c2-457c-adda-7134eb7580ad (https://archive.fo/SEsAc)

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First episode in a new series where I go through some trending news stories in China and analyse their impact. This version is from last week, for the most recent episode head over to Buy Me a Coffee and become a member to get the episodes as soon as they come out!

A discussion of trending China news articles published in w/c 14th April. We discuss how the tariff war between China and the US is spilling into different industries, and how some manufacturers are suffering unexpected consequences in trying to circumvent the US market.

For the most up to date version, head over to the Buy me a coffee page and become a member today!
https://buymeacoffee.com/sinobabblepod/membership

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A billionaire with a lavish property portfolio promises to save the US from the evil clutches of the Chinese Communist Party, partnering with right-wing media figures to attract thousands of followers, only to be revealed as a criminal whose businesses scammed fans of hundreds of millions of dollars. Have you figured out who we're talking about yet? That's right, it's Guo Wengui (Miles Guo? Guo Haoyun?)! After a period of self-imposed exile, mysterious Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui begins attracting the attention of powerful political figures in the US by promising the secrets to the annihilation of the CCP and establishment of a new China. The failure of this scheme and the exposure of Guo as a fraud poses an important question: how much should you invest in someone who promises you the key to bringing down your enemy with absolutely nothing to back it up?

New York Times Magazine article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/magazine/the-mystery-of-the-exiled-billionaire-whistleblower.html

Chapters 
(00:00) Introduction
(04:06) New York Times Magazine article
(22:16) Guo's shady dealings in China
(35:27) Guo's shady dealings in the US

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