Shows
Sinica PodcastUnder Pressure: Michael Cerny and Rory Truex on China Discourse in the U.S. Foreign Policy CommunityThis week on Sinica, I welcome back Michael Cerny — formerly of the Carter Center and now a Ph.D. student at Harvard — and Rory Truex of Princeton University to discuss a new working paper they've co-authored. They undertook a large-scale survey of foreign policy professionals at U.S. think tanks to ascertain whether there is a "consensus" on China policy, as is often claimed, and whether people working in think tanks feel pressure to take on more "hawkish" positions on China policy. We also introduce a new segment called "Paying it Forward."5:04 – What motivated Michael and Rory to wri...
2025-01-021h 06
New Books in Chinese StudiesSinobabble: A Podcast about Modern Chinese HistoryI got to chat with Dr. Edi Obiakpani-Reid about Sinobabble, her podcast series on 20th century Chinese history. In this series she offers an informed and engaging survey of China from the end of the Qing Dynasty to the death of Mao Zedong. In our wide-ranging conversation, we discussed her experiences as a graduate student in Hong Kong from 2017 to 2020, how to respectfully present the horrific absurdities of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, and the global history of Socialist Realism among many other things.After undergraduate work in Chinese Studies at the University of Ed...
2023-04-121h 15
New Work in Digital HumanitiesSinobabble: A Podcast about Modern Chinese HistoryI got to chat with Dr. Edi Obiakpani-Reid about Sinobabble, her podcast series on 20th century Chinese history. In this series she offers an informed and engaging survey of China from the end of the Qing Dynasty to the death of Mao Zedong. In our wide-ranging conversation, we discussed her experiences as a graduate student in Hong Kong from 2017 to 2020, how to respectfully present the horrific absurdities of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, and the global history of Socialist Realism among many other things.After undergraduate work in Chinese Studies at the University of Ed...
2023-04-121h 15
SinobabbleEpisode 29: The First Five-Year PlanIn this episode we discuss China's first Five Year Plan, a centralised form of economic development that encompasses elements of social engineering and which is still used in China till this day. What were the major aims of the FYP, what were the outcomes, and why did the CCP end up abandoning this system of slow but steady development in favour of a Great Leap? We discuss these questions, as well as looking at how the foundations of Mao's ideological and political dominance were laid in this period following the death of Stalin. This is a...
2020-10-3037 min
SinobabbleEpisode 28: Dreaming of East Turkestan: Xinjiang and China, c.700-1950This episode discusses the historical background of the relationship between China and the Xinjiang region, putting into context the current situation of the Uyghur people. It traces Chinese imperial attempts to first turn the area into a vassal, and then incorporate the region entirely into the empire, creating a new nationalist ideology based on a multicultural identity. The discussion starts from the 8th century AD and the fall of the Uyghur Khaghanate, and ends with the story of the reintegration of Xinjiang into the PRC after 1949, and the CCP's views on the status of the region since then.
2020-10-2447 min
SinobabbleEpisode 27: Why is Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia? (+Bonus Article)The second episode of three on the CCP’s incorporation of the periphery into the PRC after 1949. We discuss the historical relationship between the Mongolian people and the Mainland Han Chinese people, to give context to why modern China feels that Inner Mongolia is part of the great Chinese nation.At the end of the episode, we discuss the numerous articles on attitudes towards sex in China that I've come across in my casual reading. We highlight a woman working towards bringing foreplay into Chinese couples' bedrooms, and a survey revealing the lack of sexual knowledge among Chi...
2020-10-1330 min
SinobabbleEpisode 26: The 'Liberation' of Tibet: Sino-Tibetan relations c.1200-c.1950This episode is the first in a series of three discussing the incorporation of Tibet, Xinjiang, and Mongolia into the PRC after 1949.In this episode we discuss the historical relationship between Tibet and China, as well as the changing nature of the CCP's approach to the inclusion of Tibet in the new nation. What makes the Tiebtans feel like they deserve their own independent nation? The answer lies in their own beliefs surrounding the unique nature of Tibetan culture and ethnicity, and their rejection of Chinese hegemony. This is a public episode. If you'd...
2020-10-0524 min
SinobabbleModern China Episode 3: Fraud, bribes, and coverups: A brief history of China's Academic ScandalsThis episode is another addition to the modern China series. Today we’re going to be talking about a deep rooted problem in China, that of frequent and recurrent academic scandals. There are many reasons why I’m not sure a career in academia is for me, and one of those reasons does revolve around the problem of ethics and free speech when it comes to doing any sort of research in or about China. We discuss some of the most prominent examples in three differentcategories: fake research, deleted research, and conflict of interest.
2020-09-2825 min
SinobabbleEpisode 25: Soviet Aid (with bonus article)In this episode we discuss what financial aid the Soviet Union provided to China, as well as how cultural connections were formed between the two states, using the example of art.I also discuss an Economist article on poverty alleviation measures in poorer parts of China. How do Chinese officials carry out policies in a way that solves the key problem of poverty, while also promoting the party and president Xi as the saviour of the people? And is there anything that Western democracies can learn from China's integration of economic, political, and social issues?
2020-09-2129 min
SinobabbleEpisode 24: The Korean WarOver the next couple of episodes we’re going to be examining the relationship between China and the Soviet Union, and how this relationship determined the development of China’s economy and international relations in the 1950s and the early 1960s. Today we’re going to start by discussing the The Korean War of 1950 to 1953, as this conflict was crucial in shaping Sino-Sovet relations in the early 1950s. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sinobabble.substac...
2020-08-0123 min
SinobabbleEpisode 23: Land Reform, 3 Antis, & 5 Antis CampaignsIn this episode we’re continuing the theme of mass campaigns, and taking a detailed look at some of the most important campaigns in PRC history in order to see the party’s revolutionary tactics in action. Last week we spoke about the structure of mass campaign in Maoist China, and this week we’re going to be looking at three campaigns in total, one rural and two urban. The rural campaign was known as the Agrarian Land Reform Policy (land reform), which was the radical redistribution of all of China’s agricultural land equitably among its peasant population. The two...
2020-07-1826 min
SinobabbleEpisode 22: Propaganda, Mass Mobilisation, and Political Campaigns in the Early PRCMass campaigns were the cornerstone of the CCP’s rule during the Maoist era. They were used to spread information about policies, inculcate the masses with the correct understanding of communist ideology, and importantly mobilise the people and get the public involved in different schemes to support the so-called building of the nation.In this episode, we’re going to be talking about the ways propaganda and mass mobilisation techniques were used in Maoist China, and serves as a sort of reference point for future episodes where we’ll be talking about more specific policies and mass c...
2020-06-3022 min
SinobabbleEpisode 21: New Laws, New Society (w/Emily Matson)In this episode we discuss the introduction of two new laws at the start of the PRC: the marriage law and the education reform. Both of these laws were intended to change the shape of society, making it more civilised and modern, as well as more rational and easier for the state to control. Both laws evolved in ways that the state did not intend, leading to their subsequent de-emphasis in the following years. However, both of the changes have repercussions till today.Emily Matson is a PhD student in the Corcoran History Department, University of Virginia...
2020-06-1452 min
SinobabbleHong Kong Protests 2.0: Censorship & Self-censorship in the face of AuthoritarianismThis is the second episode in another short series I’ll be doing about the Hong Kong protests.Certain outlets have chosen to remain silent on the most recent events in Hong Kong, as well as the June 4th vigil that was officially cancelled by the state but took place in Victoria Park regardless. This episode discusses the rise of self-censorship, instances of innocuous creeping censorship of the Chinese state against international institutions, and what this means for freedom of expression not just in China, but for everyone. This is a public ep...
2020-06-0515 min
SinobabbleHong Kong Protests 2.0: National Security in the time of CoronaThis is the first episode in another short series I’ll be doing about the Hong Kong protests.Tensions in Hong Kong have flared up once again as the CCP pushes to introduce the National Security Law in the wake of last year's protests. This law seeks to punish those who threaten the integrity of the state through sedition, secession, terrorism, or collusion with external forces. The public and some members of parliament have also been angered by the push of the national anthem law, which would criminalise parody or insult of the March of th...
2020-06-0318 min
SinobabbleEpisode 20: The Founding of the PRCThis episode is the first in the series on the People's Republic of China, the starting point for the modern China that we know today, still ruled over by the same Communist Party.This episode serves as an update, as well as an introduction to the structure of the Chinese state and the main characters we'll need to keep in mind moving forward (it's more interesting than it sounds I promise!). This episode also gives an overview of the topics that we'll be covering in the upcoming months, including how the CCP ran their propaganda and mass...
2020-06-0126 min
SinobabbleEpisode 19: The End of the Chinese Civil War, 1945-9The victory of the CCP over the KMT was a bit of a shock to many, it was by no means obvious that they were going to win and actually by all accounts they should have lost. Chiang Kai-shek had the bigger army, more money, control of the cities, and at least the tacit support of the USA, who were hell bent on stopping the spread of communism now that they didn’t have to pretend to be friends with the USSR anymore. Despite the KMT’s numerous advantages, there were factors both internal and external to the party that...
2020-03-1535 min
SinobabbleThe Date Debate: When did the War of Resistance Against Japan Begin? (ft. Emily Matson)In this episode, Emily Matson and I will be delving deep into the subtle yet monumental change that was made to the Chinese official curriculum a few years ago. In 2017, the government announced that the official start date for the War of Resistance Against Japan should be change from 1937 to 1931 in all textbooks. This not only goes against previous Chinese historical beliefs, but also the internationally recognised start date for the conflict. Emily and I discuss how and why this change may have come about (we have no definitive answers, only theories unfortunately) as well as the implications...
2020-01-011h 04
SinobabbleEpisode 17: The 2nd Sino-Japanese War & China in WWIIIn the last two episodes we covered the Communist regime in Yan’an during the period 1941-1945, and how they went about solidifying their control over CCP controlled areas, spreading their ideology through movements and campaigns. Of course, we also covered the Communists’ involvement in WWII, but generally speaking, the CCP was not at the forefront of the fighting during the war with Japan. Most of frontline fighting was done by Nationalist soldiers under the leadership of Chiang, and with the help of the allied forces, though the extent to which any fighting was actually done has often been call...
2019-12-1545 min
SinobabbleEpisode 16: The Communists at Yan'an (pt2): Life after RectificationThis episode will continue the theme of the Communists at Yan'an, switching focus to the lives of Party members and ordinary people under CCP rule.Split over two parts, we will talk about the development and spread of Communist ideology and Mao Zedong thought, the institution of political campaigns aimed at increasing social cohesion and improving the lives of peasants, and the reaction of the Party to dissent. This week we discuss the fallout from the Rectification movement, and the effect it had on the social lives of political party members as well as ordinary people living...
2019-12-0820 min
SinobabbleEpisode 15: The Communists at Yan'an (pt1): War & RectificationThis episode will continue the theme of the Communists at Yan'an, switching focus to the lives of Party members and ordinary people under CCP rule.Split over two parts, we will talk about the development and spread of Communist ideology and Mao Zedong thought, the institution of political campaigns aimed at increasing social cohesion and improving the lives of peasants, and the reaction of the Party to dissent. The Yan'an Rectification movement of 1942-44 was one of the most important campaigns of the Yan'an period, solidifying Mao Zedong thought as the supreme ideology, and ensuring the unity...
2019-12-0132 min
SinobabbleEpisode 14: Mao Zedong Thought with Emily Matson (2)Mao Zedong Thought was one of the most influential ideologies of the 20th Century, and is arguably still having a huge effect on China and the rest of the world today. In this episode, Edi and Emily discuss the Long March and how it has been mythologised and used as a powerful message in propaganda since the 1940s. We also look at the first few years of the CCP at their Yan'an base, which explains Mao's rise to power in more detail.We answer some important questions such as whether Mao is a true Marxist, and to...
2019-11-1540 min
SinobabbleEpisode 13: Mao Zedong Thought with Emily Matson (1)Mao Zedong Thought was one of the most influential ideologies of the 20th Century, and is arguably still having a huge effect on China and the rest of the world today. In this episode, Edi and Emily discuss the origins of Mao Zedong Thought by tracing Mao's life from his origins as a country boy fascinated with Chinese traditional culture and monarchist heroes, to his rise as leader of the CCP, and everything in between.We answer some important questions such as whether Mao is a true Marxist, and to what extent could he be considered a...
2019-11-0151 min
SinobabbleEpisode 12: The Nanjing Decade (5): Were the KMT fascists?This is the last episode on the Nanjing decade, so far we’ve covered culture, economics, feminism, and academia, and I wanted to leave this episode till last because I feel it ties all the other threads together really nicely. We’ve gotten a few glimpses of the Nationalist Party’s governance and policy formulation in a few areas, and how they tried to exert control over different areas of Chinese life, but we haven’t addressed the topic of KMT politics in and of itself. Although in recent years many aspects of the Nanjing decade have been reevaluated in a mor...
2019-10-1725 min
SinobabbleEpisode 11: The Nanjing EconomyContinuing with the Nanjing Decade, in this episode we look at the successes and failures of the Nationalist government with regards to the Chinese economy. While the Nationalists became increasingly interventionist and looked to ramp up their stake in the financial system, their policies hindered private businesses and failed to save the rural peasant economy. But was this period a complete failure? And can all the blame be lain at the feet of the KMT? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus e...
2019-10-0124 min
SinobabbleEpisode 10: Nanjing Decade (3): Feminism & The New WomanThe discourse on feminism in the Nanjing decade isn’t just a simple narrative, it actually takes the form of a debate between two camps. There are those who believe that women were champions of the feminist movement, through their various publications, groups, and activist movements, and those who believe that the women’s movement was essentially co-opted simultaneously by the commercial industry for profit, the government for greater control over society, and the disenfranchised male intelligentsia for their own political gain.The debate is quite an intriguing one, and is also wrapped up in other social and...
2019-09-1526 min
SinobabbleModern China Episode 2: Xi Jinping: China's New Emperor?In March 2018, at a meeting of the 2,980 delegates of the National People’s Congress, a vote was passed to abolish the two-term limit on the Presidency and Vice-Presidency of the People’s Republic of China. The ten year limit, which has been in place for almost 30 years, was initially put in place by Deng Xiaoping ostensibly to prevent the building up of a cult of personality that heavily contributed to the tragedies perpetrated under Mao Zedong’s leadership. While the title of President of China has been considered largely ceremonial in the past, and some politicians such as Deng Xiaopi...
2019-09-0314 min
SinobabbleEpisode 9: Nanjing Decade (2): Art, Literature, & FilmIn this week’s episode we’re returning to the Nanjing decade, the period of Chiang Kai-Shek’s Nationalist rule from 1927-1937, to discuss the development of the creative sphere at the time. In this episode we’ll talk about how art, literature, and film evolved and try to understand what the major themes and trends of the period were, as well as trying to determine the extent of political influence on artistic endeavours. It’s going to be a pretty long one, but I think it’s a little less name-and-fact heavy than previous episodes, and focuses more on analysis...
2019-08-1550 min
SinobabbleHong Kong's Extradition Protests (4): How the CCP Deals with DissentIn this episode, we try and understand the formula used by the CCP to manage and quell the roughly 180,000 local protests that spring up across the territory every year. What does the resolution of the demonstrations in Wukan village in 2011 tell us about the Chinese Communist Party's methods of control and appeasement? Can this model be applied to the situation currently unfolding in Hong Kong?This is the final episode in the Hong Kong Extradition Protests mini-series. Don't forget to listen to the previous episode if you haven't already in order to understand the full context of...
2019-08-0123 min
SinobabbleHong Kong's Extradition Protests (3): Conversation with a ProtesterIn this week's episode I speak to a local Hong Kong protester and a friend from mainland China to gain a wider perspective on the meaning behind the protests and the future of Hong Kong.This conversation was recorded two weeks ago, so it focuses mainly on the July 1st stroming of the legislative council and the impact that it has had on the movement as a whole. Hopefully in the next episode I can focus a bit more on the more recent developments with a bit more nuance as to how the Chinese Communist Party deals...
2019-07-2346 min
SinobabbleHong Kong's Extradition Protests (2): Condemning the ProtestersThe protests in Hong Kong escalated on the 1st of July when a small group of protesters broke away from the larger, main protest, and chose to storm the legislative council building on Hong Kong Island. For me, this change in the nature of opposition to the extradition bill brought to mind the following question: do the people who are denouncing the protests have a point?In the previous episode on the Hong Kong Extradition protests, I gave the historical background to both the protests and the general anti-mainland sentiment that exists in Hong Kong society, and...
2019-07-0821 min
SinobabbleHong Kong's Extradition Protests (1): A brief History of Hong Kong-China RelationsOn Sunday 9th June 2019 at 2:30pm starting at Victoria Park between the neighbourhoods of Tin Hau and Wan Chai, around 1 million Hong Kong residents took to the streets in possibly the biggest protest the territory had ever seen. They were protesting the implementation of an amendment to the preexisting Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance, known as the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill, but it’s mostly commonly known as the extradition bill for short. They objected to what they saw as an overreach by the ma...
2019-07-0143 min
SinobabbleModern China Episode 1: Controlling Leisure - Regulating Celebrities and Prostitutes in ChinaA new series in which I introduce some of the themes of modern China scholarship, research, and journalism, and explain these broader themes using a couple of example articles each episode.In this episode, we look at Chinese government regulation and control of entertainment and leisure using the examples of celebrity culture and prostitution. The two articles I’ve chosen to look at are from completely different sources, but are both really well researched. The first is a research report that was published in the most recent issue of the China Quarterly, which is pretty much the mo...
2019-06-1525 min
SinobabbleEpisode 8: Nanjing Decade (1): Academia & JournalismThe Nanjing Decade is the period from 1928 to 1937 that saw Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist rule over a semi-unified China, allowing for the blossoming of new trends in science, literature, art, and culture that were brought to an abrupt halt with the invasion of Japan in 1937.This episode is the first in a series of episodes on the Nanjing decade, and discusses developments in academia, including natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, medicine and journalism. It gives an overview of the intellectual sphere, looks at government involvement in science and journalism, and highlights key figures in the development of new...
2019-06-0431 min
SinobabbleEpisode 7: End of the Alliance - Shanghai Massacre & the Ascension of Chiang Kai-shekThis episode picks up exactly where we left off in the previous episode, with Chiang Kai-shek battling with the Nationalist left and the communists for control over the revolution to overthrow the warlords and establish a unified Chinese government. This episode covers the period 1927 to 1934, we sees the KMT reunite after splitting with the Communists once and for all, and Chiang Kai-shek develop and obsession with defeating the Communists and erasing them from existence. We also see how the Communist leadership eventually comes round to the idea that the peasants may well be the future of the revolution...
2019-03-3139 min
SinobabbleEpisode 6: An Uneasy Alliance - The Northern Expedition 1926-28In this episode we will be looking at the alliance made between Sun Yat-sen's Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in an effort to defeat the warlords and reunite China under the Republican banner. Despite the tension between the left within the KMT, which allied with the CCP minority, and the conservative faction, the party was able to hold together to win major victories until a fork in the road threatens to undo the fragile alliance.This episode covers the re-building of Sun's weakened party, the preparations made by the Nationalists in their southern...
2019-01-1444 min
SinobabbleEpisode 5: The May 4th MovementOn May 4th 1919 around 3,000 students from Beijing University and some 12 other universities in the capital gathered in Tiananmen square to voice their opposition to the events taking place at the Paris Peace Conference. What started as a peaceful march erupted into a violent protest, and then into a nationwide cultural and intellectual movement that was to last for three years. This movement is now known as the May 4th Movement, and is commonly cited as a decisive moment in China’s intellectual history, a short burst of vigor that is still examined, praised, and held up as a guiding ex...
2018-11-3045 min
SinobabbleEpisode 4: Early Republican China (1912-1919)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. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sinobabble.substack.com/subscribe
2018-11-1532 min
SinobabbleEpisode 3: The Xinhai RevolutionThe second episode of the '20th Century China' series. 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 t...
2018-11-0131 min
SinobabbleEpisode 2: The Last Dynasty (Part 2)The second episode of the '20th Century China' series. In the last episode we explored the events that led to the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1912. In this episode, we look at the individuals who played an important role in these events, and who tried to shape China's future by preventing or facilitating dynastic failure. We will be covering the same events, but this time from the perspective of the intellectual sphere, introducing some notable actors who played key roles in the early 20th Century. This is a public episode. If you'd like to...
2018-10-1433 min
SinobabbleEpisode 1: The Last Dynasty (Part 1)The First Episode of the '20th Century China' series, exploring the evolution of China from empire, to warlord Republic, to Communist state, to modern nation. In this first episode, we look at the events that took place from 1830 to the first decade of the 20th century to understand why and how China's last imperial house, the Qing dynasty, had been weakened enough to eventually fall in 1911._________________________________________________________________________Sources-"The Search for Modern China," Jonathan D. Spence -"The Penguin History of Modern China," Jonathan Fenby -"God's Chinese...
2018-10-0137 min