Pekingology

In this episode of Pekingology, Freeman Chair in China Studies Jude Blanchette is joined by Rory Truex, Associate Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. They discuss Timur Kuran’s seminal 1991 paper Now Out of Never: The Element of Surprise in the East European Revolution of 1989. (World Politics, October 1991)

Professor Jessica Teets from Middlebury College and Jude Blanchette discuss resilient authoritarianism in China, focusing on public comment periods and citizen interaction with policymakers. They analyze Xi Jinping's governance style, the impact on Chinese politics, and the regime's resiliency in 2024, emphasizing a responsive government and economic strategy.

Dylan Loh Ming Hui, Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, discusses his book on China's assertive diplomacy with Jude Blanchette. They explore China's Foreign Ministry complexities, qualitative ethnographic research on diplomatic practices, the Ministry's powers in decision-making, and the influence of technology on their communication strategies.

Yeling Tan, Professor at Oxford University and PIIE, discusses China's entry into the WTO, contrasting SOE reform approaches, and the impact of revoking PNTR. They explore China's economic system challenges within the WTO framework, the US economy's costs in ending PNTR with China, and implications for global trade and leadership.

Jacob Stokes, Senior Fellow at CNAS, joins to discuss China's foreign policy under Xi Jinping. They explore trends like personalization around Xi, party empowerment, regime security prioritization, and assertiveness in diplomacy. Stokes emphasizes the importance of understanding these decision-making processes and the complexities involved in China's policy mechanisms.

Audrey Wong, a political science professor, discusses China's economic coercion tactics and patriotic consumer mobilization. They explore the complexities of China's statecraft, the challenges faced in navigating between coercion and persuasion, and the impact on companies like Lotte and H&M. The podcast delves into China's strategic narrative shaping, the interplay between nationalist sentiments and state propaganda, and the potential shift towards using inducements in economic statecraft.

Freeman Chair in China Studies Jude Blanchette and Stanford Professor Andrew Walder discuss China's extreme inequality, exploring economic reform, social mobility, party membership, wealth accumulation, income distribution, socialist ideology, and structural challenges. They debate the roots of inequality, potential future scenarios, Xi Jinping's leadership, and geopolitical dynamics in China.

Chenggang Xu discusses China's political economy, the Communist Party's resilience, and the pivot away from economic reforms. He introduces the concept of Regionally Administered Totalitarianism (RADT) to describe China's political economic transition. The podcast explores the origins of China's institutions in totalitarianism and the evolution of totalitarianism in China, from the Chinese Soviet Republic to the People's Republic.

The podcast discusses Chinese overcapacity in the EV sector, exploring government shaping industrial policy, competition in semiconductor chips and airliners, and market perceptions on Chinese aviation products.

Former National Security Council staff, Evan Medeiros discusses his report on US-China relations and analyzes China's domestic politics. They explore the challenges of decision-making and policy-making in China, Xi Jinping's policy priorities, the limited impact of public opinion, China's pressure on Taiwan, enduring trends in Chinese politics shaped by Xi Jinping, and potential changes after his reign.