Sinica Podcast

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra's groundbreaking tour in China, the podcast features Matías Tarnopolsky, Alison Friedman, and Wu Fei. They discuss the orchestra's connection with China, their cultural exchanges, and their concert performances in Chapel Hill. Topics include the orchestra's identity, the serendipity of the commemorative concert, the importance of music as a common ground, and the significance of Beethoven's Symphony No.6.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ian Johnson discusses his new book on China's underground historians exposing dark truths of the PRC's history. Topics include the control of historical narratives, collective memory, citizen journalism, regime critics, dissent and Christianity, historical nihilism, and the insight the book provides on regime critics in China.

Congressman Rick Larsen, co-founder of the U.S.-China Working Group, discusses his new white paper on U.S.-China policy. He talks about the four-point strategy and its impact on national security, development, diplomacy, technology, and education. The podcast also explores the approach to China's Belt & Road Initiative, changes in education investment, and the response from Congress and the public.

Karen Hao, reporter recently with Wall Street Journal, and Deborah Seligsohn, an assistant professor of political science, discuss the importance of renewing the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement. They address concerns about IP theft, explore the consequences of ending scientific collaboration with China, and discuss alternative scenarios for cooperation.

MIT professor Yasheng Huang discusses his new book 'The Rise and Fall of the EAST' on Sinica podcast. Topics include China's success, political constraints, correlation between wealth and negative outcomes, significance of multiple wives in Chinese culture, cognitive rewiring, China's political evolution, Needham question on science and technology, China's anti-corruption campaign, and the rise and fall of the East.

Explore the presence and symbolism of dragons in imperial China. Discover the historical significance of the Empress of China and its role in establishing US-China trade. Learn about the rise of Empress Dowager Tsushi and her political maneuvers. Uncover the complex foundation of Mao Zedong in the early days of the Communist Party. Dive into the violent power struggle during the Cultural Revolution. Delve into the Battle of Red Cliffs, a decisive naval conflict in ancient China.

Lyle Goldstein, Director for China engagement at Defense Priorities, talks about a wargaming exercise on a Chinese assault on Taiwan. He discusses the value of wargaming, the assumptions made, and the role of other countries. The possibility of nuclear escalation and the report's conclusions are also explored.

This week on Sinica, Paul Triolo returns to the show to give us a rundown on what’s happening in the exciting arena of generative AI in China. The veteran China tech watcher, who is now Senior VP for China and Technology Policy Lead at Dentons Global Advisors ASG, is Just back from a trip to China during which he spoke with numerous companies working in the space, Paul offers a great overview of what various companies are doing, and how they’re responding to U.S. restrictions on the export of key hardware needed for large AI training and modeling.03:38 – The Chinese AI community’s reaction to the unveiling of ChatGPT by OpenAI08:14 – What drives China’s National AI Development strategy?14:31 – Chinese AI researchers and their perspectives on regulation21:28 – Is there a lot of investor money going into Generative AI startups?24:25 – U.S. policy on China’s AI development35:53 – What will China’s Generative AI look like?44:14– Companies involved in Chinese AI51:31 – The changing availability of innovative AI scientists in China55:10 – How will decoupling effect AI competition?A complete transcript of this podcast is available at TheChinaProject.com.Recommendations:Paul: The Alignment Problem by Brian ChristianA Lonesome Dove trilogy by Larry McMurtryBlood Meridian by Cormac McCarthyKaiser: The Righteous Gemstones on HBOJustified: City Prime Evil on Hulu TSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Sinica, with Kaiser on holiday we're running a terrific Twitter Spaces conversation convened by Neysun Mahboubi of UPenn's Center for the Study of Contemporary China. He's gathered a great group including Yawei Liu, whose U.S.-China Perception Monitor under the Carter Center is the co-sponsor for Neysun's series, as well as Anna Ashton of the Eurasia Group, Robert Daly of the Kissinger Institute, Rorry Daniels of the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Ian Johnson of the Council on Foreign Relations. Enjoy this in-depth exploration of the state of U.S.-China relations — as well as the opening segment on the fate of ex-PRC Foreign Minister Qin Gang.No transcript this week, but enjoy the show!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Sinica, Kaiser is joined by Margaret (Maggie) Lewis, professor of law at Seton Hall University and veteran Taiwan observer, and Paul Heer, former national intelligence officer for East Asia in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) under the Obama administration. Both were members of the Council on Foreign Relations’s task force on U.S.-Taiwan policy, which produced a report titled “U.S.-Taiwan Relations in a New Era: Responding to a More Assertive China.” Both also wrote dissents, included in the report, about some of its findings and recommendations. They discuss what they think the report got right — and what it got wrong.01:01 – Introduction to the CFR’s report U.S.-Taiwan Relations in a New Era: Responding to a More Assertive China05:09 – The mechanics of producing the report06:46 – Areas of common consensus among participants08:48 – What is the significance of the PLA’s centennial in 2027 in view of the CFR task force?10:54 – Is the report too focused on the military at the expense of political, diplomatic, and economic considerations?14:22 – Taiwanese perspectives in the report16:36 – Strategic ambiguity and President Biden’s “gaffes” as a new baseline for U.S. declaratory policy20:48 – The issue of deterrence: American and Chinese approaches25:48 – What has the United States done to move the status quo in terms of the Taiwan issue?41:06 – Is there evidence yet of Chinese preparation for a military action against Taiwan?A complete transcript of this podcast is available at TheChinaProject.com.Recommendations:Maggie: Fever: The Hunt for Covid’s Origin by John Sudworth (podcast)Paul: Oppenheimer by Christopher Nolan Kennan: A life between Worlds by Frank Costigliola Kaiser: The Rise and Fall of the EAST: How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success, and Why They Might Lead to Its Decline by Yasheng HuangSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.