Explore every episode of the podcast Sinobabble
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All the China books I read in 2025 | 23 Dec 2025 | 00:44:42 | |
Leave your recommendations below. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Chapters Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Xi's PLA purges in their historical context | 07 Dec 2025 | 00:49:22 | |
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. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Scam centres and fake job syndicates: Chinese white collar human trafficking in SE Asia | 27 May 2025 | 00:37:28 | |
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.
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| Tariffs paused and Starbucks loses ground | China news discussion #5 | 18th May 2025 | 24 May 2025 | 00:29:51 | |
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. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| China and the US meet for tariff talks | China news discussion #4 BMC | 11th May 2025 | 16 May 2025 | 00:25:00 | |
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. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Spies, Secrets & South Korea | China news discussion #3 | 4th May 2025 | 10 May 2025 | 00:33:58 | |
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. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| All US-China tariff war analysis sucks and I'm sick of it | 09 May 2025 | 00:29:02 | |
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. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Deepseek wins, Diplomacy woes | China news discussion #2 | 27th April 2025 | 03 May 2025 | 00:21:20 | |
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. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Tariffs, Tik Tok, TSMC | China news discussion #1 | 20th April 2025 | 26 Apr 2025 | 00:27:29 | |
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. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Guo Wengui is the scammer the US deserved | 23 Apr 2025 | 00:47:47 | |
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? Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Zhao Ziyang | 04 Mar 2025 | 01:01:54 | |
When we talk about the making of modern China, no name looms larger than Deng Xiaoping. But despite the heavy media bias and weighty political legacy China's architect carries, he did not build modern China alone. In fact, he cannot claim sole responsibility for coming up with the most iconic ideas that shaped China's future, like Special economic zones and new systems of economics. Some of the credit belongs to a much less well known figure: Zhao Ziyang. Removed from power after clashing with the elders of the CCP over the Tiananmen Square Incident, Zhao was crucial to forming some of the ideas that would shape China in the 1980s. A reformer and open minded man, Zhao tried his best to avoid politics, but having been forced to take up a position he didn't want, had to come face to face with his beliefs, which ultimately led to his downfall. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| There is no decoupling from China (#2) | 25 Dec 2024 | 00:50:11 | |
Why are Western (or Global North, whatever) nations pursuing decoupling at this particular moment in history? What is the link between decoupling and de-globalisation? Is either achieveable, or are we doomed to live in an interconnected world with two rival powers threatening nuclear war till the end of time? Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| What do Chinese people really think about China? (W/Nick Zeller & Craig Kafura) | 21 Nov 2025 | 01:23:41 | |
I'm joined by Nick Zeller (https://uscnpm.substack.com/) and Craig Kafura (https://bsky.app/profile/ckafura.bsky.social) to discuss a public opinion poll carried out earlier this year and what it tells us about what Chinese people really think about China. Broken down into 4 reports, we talk about the economy, China-US relations, global leadership, the impact of demographics on answers and why the reaction from westerners reveal an ideological bent and a lack understanding of Chinese society. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| There is no decoupling from China (#1) | 16 Dec 2024 | 00:38:29 | |
In 2020, Donald Trump made a speech where he announced plans to decouple the US' economy from China's, leading to a media outburst and a half-hearted response from the EU. 4 years later, Trump is back in power and the question of decoupling is back on the table, but the real question here is: is decoupling even possible? Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| 20th Century Chinese History #4: Early Republican China (1912-1919) | 26 Nov 2024 | 00:32:28 | |
**REUPLOAD** Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| 20th Century Chinese History #3: The Xinhai Revolution of 1911 | 20 Nov 2024 | 00:31:32 | |
**REUPLOAD** Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| The silliest debate in Chinese academic history (Boodberg v Creel) | 11 Aug 2024 | 01:00:14 | |
What is the origin of the Chinese writing system? Where did Chinese characters come from, and how did they evolve over time? Are they pictographs? Ideogographs? Logographs? Phonographs? Or all of the above? This is the nature of one of the most famous debates in Sinology, which took place in the 1930s between historian Herrlee Creel and linguist Peter Boodberg. The debate not only reveals the complexity of including many diverse fields under the single umbrella of 'Chinese studies', but also reveals a deeper controversy about the way Chinese history, language, and thought is understood and interpreted in the Western canon. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| China's social credit system is real. Everyone is wrong about it though. | 22 Jul 2024 | 01:04:51 | |
Much has been made in Western media about the Chinese social credit system. It's been painted as a totalitarian form of surveillance akin to 1984, where all citizens are tracked, monitored and ranked according to an arbitrary set of rules set up by the state. It's seen as something to be feared, something that could be coming to your country and taking over your life sooner than you think. But the truth of the real social credit system may be a lot more banal. From mistranslations to misunderstandings, let's delve into why the social credit system may be the thing the west has got wrong about China the most in the past 100 years, and why Chinese people might even welcome such an overbearing measure into their lives. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Think Tank China analysis is worthless, actually. | 30 Jun 2024 | 00:59:02 | |
In this episode we discuss Western (mainly US) think tank analysis of China in the 1990s and early 2000s and ask ourselves if they provide any value either for the public discourse or as pieces of policy advice. While experts work hard to produce piece after piece, report after report, looking at China's economic, military, political and technological developments, the actual usefulness of these works either individually or as a collective needs to be evaluated. What started off as the search for a common thread in the evolution of China analysis over a 10 year period ended up being a lambasting of a staple of the intellectual economy. Whoops. We also discuss the problem with information overload in our modern age and the dangers of trying to predict the future. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| How Xi Jinping became emperor. And how everyone missed it. | 09 Jun 2024 | 00:57:03 | |
When Xi became General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, no one assumed he would take up that position for life. But when Presidential term limits were abolished in 2018, it was widely understood that Xi had made himself supreme leader, and would remain head of the state, party, and military indefinitely. But how did Xi manage to pull this off, and how did everyone seemingly miss the signs? According to some sources, Xi made a swift powergrab, sweeping over party consensus and using guile and manipulation to crush his foes. The truth, however, may be a lot less straightforward (or exciting). Analysis suggest Xi not only went through tried and true boring procedures to gain his position, but that he did so with the explicit support of his fellow party members. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Authenticity and the Disney-fication of China's Cultural Heritage | 12 May 2024 | 00:50:58 | |
Why are so many cultural heritage sites in China fake? Why is the architecture all the same? And why does no one care that all these old towns were built in the past 20 years? Let's take a deep dive into the history of the cultural heritage industry in China, the role of the CCP party-state, the agency of local actors, and try and figure out why Chinese tourists love fake reconstructions of mini European villages in the middle of their megacities. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Announcing the first ever Sinobabble livestream! | 08 May 2024 | 00:00:51 | |
Hi everyone, I’m really excited to announce that I will be hosting my first ever livestream this Friday 10th May over on Youtube. This is just a casual event, where you guys can ask me any questions you want, we can discuss current affairs and China news, and we can brainstorm future episode ideas as a collective. The stream will be at 10pm BST. You can join us at this link on Friday - I’m really looking forward to chatting with everyone! See you soon, Edi Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| China's EV industry (was funded by the US) | 28 Apr 2024 | 00:42:53 | |
There’s a lot of outrage currently about China’s attempts to grow its EV market, at the expense of the US economy. But the truth is that the Chinese EV market wouldn't be where it is today without the generous funding it received (and continues to receive) from the US, Western governments, and multinational companies looking to cash in on the next big thing. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Did China build too much High-Speed Railway? | 31 Oct 2025 | 00:34:54 | |
Today we'll be examining the argument of a prominent Chinese scholar that China has built too much High-Speed Railway that is underutilised, unprofitable, and will cause major economic problems in the future. We ask why the state-government would pursue such a misguided policy, and how it's beginning to affect the rest of the world too. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| I read all 212 pages of Hong Kong's new National Security Bill. It's not good. | 14 Apr 2024 | 00:43:12 | |
"Safeguarding National Security Bill", also known as Article 23 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong, was passed in March to no public opposition. I read through the whole bill and discussed how it may be used to transgress human rights and common sense in Hong Kong. I also discuss the history of recent protests in Hong Kong, and how they paved the way for Beijing to get its way and increase its control over its people Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Young Chinese people can't find jobs (they actually want) | 26 Mar 2024 | 00:44:07 | |
In the face of economic turbulence, China's youth are struggling to find jobs that are suited to their skills and can give them the life that they want and were promised. While China's government strives to alleviate youth unemployment, societal and cultural factors pose significant challenges. China's young people are reacting in unpredictable ways - finding alternate ways to get jobs, taking time out to become full time kids, or forging their own paths altogether. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| China's ecommerce dystopia: TEMU, SHEIN and the fast-everything model | 08 Mar 2024 | 00:31:01 | |
The newer and nimbler players in Chinese e-commerce are pushing buttons in the West. Rock-bottom prices, fast fulfilment and addictive interfaces are pushed to their limits to take China's dopamine economy global. What's going on, where does AI fit in the picture and what can we do to take on these new standards of consumption? Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| The "White Woman aesthetic" trend and Chinese class struggle | 28 Feb 2024 | 00:41:20 | |
Yoghurt bowls. Lululemon leggings. Ugg slippers. More young Chinese women embrace what they identify as the "white woman aesthetic" as an antidote to the pressures of high maintenance beauty standards and material achievement. As more Chinese women question the grind and settle for less, is the "white woman aesthetic" really an innocent social media fad or a deeper awakening of class consciousness? Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| How China built its own Silicon Valley | 25 Aug 2025 | 00:24:24 | |
Hangzhou is a city once famed for its poets, tea, and silk, but it’s now capturing attention for something entirely different: AI labs, robotics startups, and IPO-hungry tech firms. The rapid rise of innovative and globally competitive tech startups has led to Hangzhou being dubbed “China’s Silicon Valley.” But not everyone agrees that the comparison is so black and white. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Why foreign brands are failing in China | 08 Aug 2025 | 00:34:58 | |
Starbucks recently announced that it's looking to sell part of its stake in its China operations, and is looking for a domestic partner to help boost the company's profile. This comes at a time when a host of foreign firms are seemingly struggling in China after years of riding the wave of the rising middle class. What are the main factors leading to these struggles? What are these brands missing? And what can they do to reverse their fortunes? Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| US Rare earth mineral dependency ends trade war | China news discussion #8 | 15 June 25 BMC | 21 Jun 2025 | 00:31:52 | |
A discussion of trending China news articles published in w/c 9th June. We look at how rare earth minerals may be the deciding factor in this trade war and potentially all trade wars to come. We look at an interview with Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei who states that Chinese chips are still behind the US and more 'basic research' is needed'. And we catch up with some of the latest developments in Hong Kong regarding the national security law. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| China's Soft Power Problem | 20 Jun 2025 | 00:59:29 | |
We take a thorough look at the nature of soft power, how it can be used, and whether or not a country truly needs it to explore China's soft power deficit and what can be done to fix it. While China does have SOME soft power, arguably its lack of the charm of its neighbours and rivals means its culture and ideology is often met with suspicion or outright rejection. This can lead to difficulties when interacting on the global stage, for example when it comes to pandemic management, border relations, or the promotion of language and culture. Do small wins like the success of the video game Black myth: Wukong present a way out for China's cultural tzars? Or is the hand of the state just too heavy to allow the organic spread of a rich cultural heritage that has the potential to bring China into a new era of prestige and attractiveness? Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Why the UK is choosing China over the US | China news discussion #7 | 8th June 2025 | 15 Jun 2025 | 00:36:14 | |
A discussion of trending China news articles published in w/c 2nd June. China accuses the US of trying to reverse the temporary trade truce in place, affecting the future of Chinese students in the US. Also, China's twist on Klarna and why the UK is choosing to Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Where do all those stolen iPhones go? | China news discussion #6 | 25th May 2025 | 31 May 2025 | 00:27:34 | |
A discussion of trending China news articles published in w/c 12th May. Will China be the main beneficiary of the clashes between India and Pakistan? Also, we find out where all those stolen iPhones end up, and whether or not China replacing the US as a global health leader is a good thing or a bad thing. Links: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311270/china-urges-trust-cooperation-pakistan-afghanistan-regional-tensions-mount Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| China's Ethnic Unity and Progress Law: A breakdown | 18 Apr 2026 | 01:04:51 | |
In early March, the PRC's National People's Congress passed a law titled the P.R.C. Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress. According to the government the law, which has been in development since 2023, the law "lays out the overall requirements, important principles, and responsibilities and duties of relevant entities concerning the promotion of ethnic unity and progress. It also outlines specific measures to build a common cultural home, facilitate interaction, exchanges, and integration, and promote shared prosperity and development." Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| [Archive] Dreaming of East Turkestan: Xinjiang and China, c.700-1950 | 09 Apr 2026 | 00:46:48 | |
Over the Easter break, the next two episodes of the podcast will be archival episodes covering the medieval and modern history of Mongolia and Xinjiang. This is in preparation for an episode I'll be doing when I get back on the New Ethnic Unity Policy released by the Chinese government. Our book club book for this month is The Last Quarter of the Moon, also on the theme of ethnic minorities in China, so it's a very topical month! Buy bookclub books here Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| [Archive] 20th Century History Episode 50 | The Cultural Revolution part 6: Economy, Education & Everyday Life | 24 Feb 2026 | 00:42:23 | |
Part 6 of reuploading classic history episodes in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke. In this episode we look at how the economy and educational system fared during the Cultural Revolution decade. We discuss how a period of chaos led into a period of stagnation, where things neither got much better nor much worse. We also talk about differences between the countryside and the cities, and how every day life was irrevocably impacted by the social turmoil that occurred. Buy bookclub books here Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| [Archive] 20th Century History Episode 49 | The Cultural Revolution part 5: The death of Lin Biao | 23 Feb 2026 | 00:45:30 | |
Part 5 of reuploading classic history episodes in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke. In this episode we explore the mysterious and complex character of Lin Biao, and his even more mysterious demise. We ask how he rose to prominence so quickly after being a largely background figure in the party for so many years, and what effect his vice-chairmanship and sudden death had on the Cultural Revolution. Buy bookclub books here Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| [Archive] 20th Century History Episode 48 | The Cultural Revolution part 4: The party restored (1968-1972) | 22 Feb 2026 | 00:45:30 | |
Part 4 of reuploading classic history episodes in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke. In episode 4 of the Cultural Revolution series, we look at how the party began to rebuild itself in the period 1968-1972 through a series of internal meetings, some last-minute purges, and a few devastating mass campaigns that would end up having a much higher impact than anything the Red Guards had carried out in previous years. Buy bookclub books here Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| [Archive] 20th Century History Episode 47 | The Cultural Revolution part 3: Ending the chaos (1967-68) | 21 Feb 2026 | 00:45:19 | |
Part 3 of reuploading classic history episodes in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke. In this episode, we look at how Mao reversed the course of the Cultural Revolution, bringing in the army to end the violence and destruction caused by the factionalism between the Red Guards and other mass organisations. We discuss the much vaunted revolutionary committees, temporary governments made up of a triple alliance between the mass organisations, the Cultural Revolution Group, and the People's Liberation Army. Buy bookclub books here Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| [Archive] 20th Century History Episode 46 | The Cultural Revolution Part 2: Violence in the cities, violence in the countryside | 20 Feb 2026 | 00:41:00 | |
Part 2 of reuploading classic history episodes in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke. In this episode we talk about the violence that gripped the Chinese nation at the height of the Cultural Revolution. We discuss the difference between the brutality that took place in the cities, which was mainly perpetrated by Red Guards and affected culture as much as people, and the countryside, which pitted neighbour against neighbour. Buy bookclub books here Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| [Archive] 20th Century History Episode 45 | The Cultural Revolution part 1: The end of the tea party | 19 Feb 2026 | 00:49:06 | |
A reupload of a classic history episode in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke. The first of 8 episodes covering the build up, events, and aftermath of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, which took place in China from 1966 to 1976. In this episode we discuss what the Cultural Revolution was supposed to be, recap its principal causes, discuss the events that led to the declaration of the CR, and cover the formation and expansion of the Red Guards, Mao's children of the Revolution. Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| The end of exchange? The state of US-China academic relations w/Rory Truex | 13 Feb 2026 | 00:46:49 | |
I’m very excited to have on Rory Truex as my guest for today’s episode. Rory is Associate Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. His research focuses on Chinese politics and authoritarian systems, and his work has been published in the American Political Science Review, British Journal of Political Science, The China Quarterly and many more. He has been featured in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Hill, South China Morning Post, and The New York Times. He is also the host of The Civic Forum Podcast, a weekly public speaker series on democracy featuring leading scholars and practitioners. Check out The Civic Forum here Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| China travel & Ghost cities w/David Fishman | 06 Feb 2026 | 01:02:00 | |
I’m very excited to have on David Fishman as my guest for today’s episode. Subscribe to David's Substack: https://www.feelingthestones.com Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Engineering or Authoritarianism? Breakneck Book Review (Sinobabble Bookclub) | 30 Jan 2026 | 01:10:50 | |
**This livestream was recorded on Tuesday 27th January 2026** We discuss the book Breakneck by Dan Wang. A huge hit towards the end of 2025, we talk about whether the hype is merited, the strengths and weaknesses of his narrative, and whether or not his ideas stand up to scrutiny. At the end, we (and by we, I mean I) ramble about the Three Body Problem trilogy for 10 minutes. Buy book club books here: https://www.sinobabble.com/bookclub Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Hebei heating scandal & the politics of clean energy in China | 23 Jan 2026 | 00:39:49 | |
Recently, news of Hebei villagers freezing in their homes this winter has sparked heated discussion online. The villagers are part of a government scheme to convert the population to 'clean' energy sources, mainly via a coal-to-gas policy. But as subsidies taper and the cost of gas rises, poorer residents are opting out of the policy, either using traditional heating methods to stay warm or suffering the cold. In this episode we explore the origins of the coal-to-gas policy, the real-term effects it's had on the population, and its relationship to the CCP's wider goals of net zero and rural revitalisation. And ultimately we ask, how does this policy affect people on the ground? How has this increased the burden on local officials in impovrished areas? And how do people practice acts of resistance against government policy, regardless of potential punishment? Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sinobabblepod Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| [Archive] Why is Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia? (+Bonus Article) | 02 Apr 2026 | 00:30:45 | |
Over the Easter break, the next two episodes of the podcast will be archival episodes covering the medieval and modern history of Mongolia and Xinjiang. This is in preparation for an episode I'll be doing when I get back on the New Ethnic Unity Policy released by the Chinese government. Our book club book for this month is The Last Quarter of the Moon, also on the theme of ethnic minorities in China, so it's a very topical month! Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| The CCP's war against bad vibes | 16 Jan 2026 | 00:46:30 | |
In 2025, the Chinese Cyberspace Administration introduced a new policy that aims to police online content that promotes violence, aggression, pessimism and negative emotions. While censorship is nothing new in China, this new law poses a new set of questions: what exactly is the difference between censorship and misinformation? What is a legitimate grievance, and what is a blatant attempt by someone to spread fake news or stir up a gender war? And how exactly do you police a bad vibe? Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| Does China owe the world good trade? | 09 Jan 2026 | 00:53:42 | |
China shock 2.0, $1trillion surplus, Adam Smith. Is the neoliberal global order coming to an end? Is it China's fault? Do they care? In this episode we tackle the underlying questions surrounding fears of China's domination of all major manufacturing industries. Should China stop what they're doing? If so, why? And if why, how should they bring back balance and let us poor Westerners keep some of our jobs? We also talk globalisation, who's really to blame for the current situation, and why Orientalism plays a bigger role than you might think. Join the 12 China books in 12 months bookclub by following Sinobabble on Substack: https://sinobabble.substack.com/ Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sinobabblepod Links to everything: https://linktree.com/sinobabble Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||
| How to glaze your billionaire bestie | The Troublemaker Book Review | Sinobabble Book Club | 27 Mar 2026 | 01:02:39 | |
This episode is the third installment in our book club, we’re doing well guys. The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic certainly tries to live up to its name. It covers the “‘extraordinary life story’ (Publishers Weekly) of the billionaire businessman Jimmy Lai, a leading Hong Kong democracy activist fighting for freedom of speech who became China’s most famous political prisoner.” My review of this book is very, very mixed. All will become clear when you listen! Please do leave your own thoughts in the way of comments, I’d love to hear what you thought about the book. Oh and I forgot to mention in the review that Lai also blocks a state pension law using his media outlets to push anti-pension propaganda. And that’s probably why you still see old men and women picking up cardboard for pennies every morning. Enjoy! Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442 | |||