Dive into the complete episode list for Sinobabble. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
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.
This is also a sort of 80s Chinese politics recap episode, as we didn't cover that period in the history episodes at all. Hopefully we can cover more topics from this period over time!
Chapters (00:00) Introduction (03:50) Biography of Zhao Ziyang (09:13) Deng Xiaoping vs Hua Guofeng (18:35) Zhao Ziyang Thought (24:32) Social, economic and political tensions of the 1980s (32:35) The dismissal of Hu Yaobang (40:50) The events of 1989 (51:50) Zhao's Downfall (55:20) Zhao's plans for the future
Seeking truth from facts translation: https://gaodawei.wordpress.com/2022/01/03/hu-fuming-author-of-mind-opening-guangming-daily-commentary-practice-is-the-only-criterion-of-truth/
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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?
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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!
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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.
So let's talk about the ways in which China's EV industry is funded by the US, both directly and indirectly, partly with the help of your pension fund.
Chapters (00:00) Introduction (03:15) Timeline of China's EV industry (12:20) The threat of Chinese made EVs (15:00) #1: The West was happy with China’s EV development (when it benefited them) (20:40) #2: China's EV market was funded with US FDI and investor capital (28:45) #3: China's investment scene is better than Silicon Valley (39:30) The West as get rich quick scheme
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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
Chapters (00:00) Introduction to Article 23 (03:15) Background: protests and new legislation 2019 - 2021 (13:07) Going through Article 23 (16:00) Part 2: Treason (18:45) Part 3: Sedition (22:55) Part 4: Espionage (26:55) Part 5: Sabotage (27:27) Part 6: External Interference (31:15) Part 7: Enforcement (36:08) Foreign commentary
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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.
Chapters 00:00 Background: Employment in China vs the West 03:50 Reasons for youth unemployment in China 08:55 Crazy job requirements 11:30 Chinese gov helps youth find jobs 17:20 Caveat about youth unemployment 18:37 Chinese social culture and jobs 27:18 Young people's response to joblessness
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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?
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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?
Chapters 3:15: Introduction to the "White Woman aesthetic" 12:00 Chinese middle class anxiety 14:31 Defining the Chinese middle class 21:05 Morality and responsibility of the Chinese middle class 27:32 Limitations of the Chinese middle class 37:08 Conclusions
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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?
In part 1 (of 2? 3?) we take a look at the primary sector of the global economy to see just what decoupling would actually take and how much of a stake China has the in the extraction of raw materials used around the world. As we look at different industries, from forestry to mining, we discover that un-linking or even stepping back from China is not as easy as it may seem.
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20th Century Chinese History #4: Early Republican China (1912-1919)
26 Nov 2024
00:32:28
**REUPLOAD**
In today's episode we're going to pick up where we left off, at the very beginning of the new Republic of China. We'll look at the rise of Yuan Shikai and the descent of China into a period of warlordism. We will explore the changing nature of China's politics and culture, right up until the next big event to hit the Chinese stage, the May 4th movement.
Some famous people we will be discussing include Sun Yatsen, Cai Yuanpei, Hu Shi, Lu Xun, and some of the founders of the Chinese Communist Party, Li Dazhao, Chen Duxiu, and Mao Zedong.
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20th Century Chinese History #3: The Xinhai Revolution of 1911
20 Nov 2024
00:31:32
**REUPLOAD** Currently in the process of reuploading old episodes from the history portion of the podcast starting with this one!
Description On October 9th 1911 an accidental explosion in a revolutionary base in Hubei province in central China triggered a revolution that would mark the end of China’s imperial past and usher in its modern future. While the series of events that followed seem to indicate a straightforward revolution on the surface, recent scholarship on the topic shows that the exact nature, objective, outcome, and legacy of the Republican movement is anything but uncontentious.
In this episode we’ll be discussing the build up to the revolution and the events as they took place to understand who the main actors were and what objectives they had, if any. Finally, we’ll look at the different debates surrounding the truth about the Xinhai Revolution, including the notion that it wasn’t really a revolution at all.
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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.
Chapters (00:00) Introduction (04:10) Sinology, Chinese characters, and the Shang Oracle Bones (08:00) Origins of the debate (10:33) Creel's argument (26:56) Boodberg's response (40:55) Back and forth (48:03) The end of the debate (50:07) Sinology and Sinologism
Characters mentioned:
牛(niu, 'cow') was originally drawn like the top of a stick man with a U shape for horns; similarly sheep 羊(yang) was a stick figure with 'M' shaped horns 见 (complex character 見), was written on oracle bones as a man with an eye for a head, and evolved over time so the eye was turned on its side and the man's body simplified into just legs 鲜 (xian, 'fresh') Creel argues is a compound of fish 鱼 and sheep 羊, but Boodberg argues 羊(yang) was originally the phonetic element of the word 里 (li, 'village'); 俚(li, 'rustic', 'vulgar') has the radical for man in front, changing the meaning ffrom noun to adjective 集(ji, 'to gather') according to Creel was originally 3 birds gathered on top of a tree, but over time evolved to be just one bird on a tree for simplicity (隹 zhuī short-tailed bird + 木 mù tree) 東(dong, 'east') is interpreted by Creel to be the sun behind a tree, 杲(gao, 'bright') is the sun above the tree, and 杳(yao, 'dim, dusky') is the sun below the treeline 圕 （tushuguan, 'library'), one of the few standardised polysyllabic Chinese characters used in Mandarin, but no longer in use. sometimes pronounced 'tuan' as a contraction 自(zi, 'self') could originally have meant 'self' or 'nose', and been read alternatively 'zi' or 'bi'. Over time, the signifier was added to the word for nose to make it 鼻,(bi, 'nose'), the bottom part 畀(bi, 'confer', 'give') being the phonetic determinate 名 (ming, 'name'), in Boodberg's argument made up of 夕(xi 'dark, night') and 口(kou, 'mouth, to utter'). However, he argues that 夕(xi) should be read as ming when used to mean 'dark', as it's the same meaning as 冥 (ming, 'dark, dim'). 他，她，它 meaning he, she and it are all pronounced 'ta' (there is also 祂, meaning 'He' like a god, also pronounced 'ta') 夜(ye,'night'), which has been interpreted to be a man (人) with the moon (夕) tucked under his arm under a roof, is dismissed by Boodberg as a ridiculous interpretation
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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.
Chapters (00:00) Introduction (04:25) What's in a name? (07:04) Historical precedents and inspiration for the social credit system (17:25) The Social Credit System[s] (42:42) Emergent problems (50:00) The problem of perverse incentives (56:47) Public reception to the SCS (1:01:11) Final Thoughts
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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.
This is a big talky episode, so be prepared to strap in for a whole lot of yappin'.
Chapters (00:00) Introduction (02:00) What is a think tank (06:28) Think tanks analysed (15:00) 1991-1995 - a period of foreshadowing (31:50) 1996-1999 - a period of chaos (46:36) 2000-2004 - a period (53:12) The problem with information overload and predicting the future (58:00) Conclusions
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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.
Chapters (00:00) Introduction (04:29) Background on Xi (11:40) Predicitons about Xi's leadership (19:50) The state of China in 2012 (34:50) Xi will be a weak leader (40:30) How Xi managed to turn the tide (47:45) The consensus of the Party as deciding factor (54:15) Conclusions
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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.
*Diary of the visit to Furong was in 2022 not 2002!!
Chapters (00:00) Introduction (03:45) Attitudes to cultural heritage around the world (06:45) The destruction of China's cultural heritage (11:11) Reasons for rebuilding China's cultural heritage sites (12:38) Defining authenticity (17:00) Examples of Disney-fied heritage sites (40:25) What tourists want (44:45) Does authenticity matter?
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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.
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
"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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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.
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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.
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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?
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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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
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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.
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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.
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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?
Chapters (00:00) Introduction - South Korea's soft power boom (04:50) What is soft power? (17:22) How soft power can be used and the failure of Confucius Institutes (26:52) Does China need or want soft power? (41:25) Consequences of China's lack of soft power (47:50) Missed soft power opportunities (52:45) Black Myth: Wukong and a potential new era of Chinese soft power
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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.
Chapters (00:00) Introduction - Hangzhou (02:15) Historical role of Hangzhou (03:28) A bit on Alibaba (09:45) How Hangzhou created its own growth model (14:45) How Hangzhou and Silicon Valley differ
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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?
Chapters (00:00) Introduction - The Starbucks Story (05:45) Changes in the Chinese consumer market (09:00) Foreign brands history in China (20:15) Localisation and the sinking market in China (30:45) Chinese brands go global
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