Sinica Podcast

Liú Déhǎi 刘德海, master of the pipa, a type of Chinese lute, died at the age of 83 on April 11, 2020. Liu was born in Shanghai in 1937. He received his early music education there before the Communist victory in 1949, and went on to become one of the idealistic young musicians who tried to form a specifically Chinese orchestral tradition. He learned a number of traditional instruments but became famous for playing the pipa, as well as for arranging and composing for it. Among many other achievements, he went on to play with both the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic. Liu’s most famous work is “Ambush From All Sides” (十面埋伏 shímiàn máifú), which is featured in this podcast. It’s an ancient tune, but he rearranged it into the intense version you hear on this podcast — perhaps the closest thing to heavy metal that China produced before the 1990s, but played by one man on one acoustic instrument. In this Sinica Podcast Extra, Jeremy talks to classical composer and avant-garde guzheng performer Wu Fei about Liu, his legacy, and the amazing “Ambush From All Sides.” (Full disclosure: Fei is Jeremy’s wife.)You can hear Ambush From All Sides on the podcast itself, but you might also want to look at Liu’s amazing technique in this Youtube video. The painting at Mogao Caves in Dunhuang mentioned in the podcast is Playing the pipa behind the head.Like the podcasts at SupChina? Help us out by taking this brief survey. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Barbara Finamore, senior attorney and senior strategic director, Asia, for the Natural Resources Defense Council, discusses China's progress in curbing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the price of renewable energy, and producing electric vehicles. Topics include China's investment in renewable infrastructure, the impetus behind Chinese environmental reform, the unsung heroes of China's environmental movement, the potential for clean energy job creation, and the lessons the US can learn from China's zero-emissions vehicles.

This week, we bring you another show from the California podcast series that Kaiser recorded back in December, before the ravages of COVID-19. Take a break from thinking about the virus to listen to Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, talk about why China requires a very different foreign policy approach than Russia. 4:31: Ideology and remnants of the Cold War13:57: Promoting democratic values in Russia22:22: Public diplomacy work in the 21st century38:47: What to make of Chinese influence operations abroadRecommendations:Michael: The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State, by Elizabeth Economy, Following the Leader, by David Lampton, and Leadership and the Rise of Great Powers, by Yan Xuetong.Kaiser: Basin and Range, by John McPhee.  Like our podcasts? Help us out and take a moment to fill out this survey by SupChina.This podcast was edited and produced by Kaiser Kuo and Jason MacRonald.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's show, veteran reporter Dexter "Tiff" Roberts chats with Kaiser and Jeremy about his new book, The Myth of Chinese Capitalism: The Worker, the Factory, and the Future of the World.6:28: What is the myth of Chinese capitalism?20:17: Chinese migrant workers and their children35:54: Labor conditions in China40:28: Strikes, the CCP, and labor union overhaul45:48: Taobao villages and the transformation of the Chinese countrysideRecommendations:Jeremy: Videos for children in Chinese and English, coupled with improvised music by Wu Fei. Dexter: From the Soil: The Foundations of Chinese Society, by Fèi Xiàotōng 费孝通. Kaiser: The first two books in the trilogy by Hilary Mantel: Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.This podcast was edited and produced by Kaiser Kuo and Jason MacRonald.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 continues his California series with a conversation with Janet Yang, one of the legends of the U.S.-China film world, and Michael Berry, a professor at UCLA and a leading expert on Chinese cinema. They discuss how politics and other factors have taken the shine off the initial promise of U.S.-China film collaboration, but how some bright spots remain. This episode is part of the California series of podcasts, made possible by the Serica Initiative.6:07: The Golden Horse and Golden Rooster Awards11:41: A “perfect storm” for Chinese film industry disruptions23:12: Sentiments of Chinese filmmakers in the current moment39:29: Censorship, film, and the era of hypersensitivityRecommendations:Janet: An animated movie that she created, based on a story about Cháng’é 嫦娥, the Chinese goddess of the Moon. Set to be released in fall 2020. Michael: The bands Plini and The Aristocrats. Kaiser: A book by Timothy C. Winegard, The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator.This podcast was edited and produced by Kaiser Kuo and Jason MacRonald.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a show taped live at the China-U.S. Summit at Duke University on February 29, Kaiser chats with Ambassador Craig Allen, the longtime Asia-based diplomat who now serves as president of the U.S.-China Business Council. Topics include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. businesses with China exposure, the major issues plaguing American companies, the phase one trade deal inked in January, and more.6:18: COVID-19 and decoupling12:11: The role of business communities in the U.S.-China relationship24:00: Where does Silicon Valley stand?34:40: State-level sentiments outside the BeltwayRecommendations:Craig: Capitalism, Alone: The Future of the System That Rules the World, by Branko Milanovic, and a report by BusinessEurope titled The EU and China - Addressing the systemic challenge. Kaiser: Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East, by Kim Ghattas.This podcast was edited and produced by Kaiser Kuo and Jason MacRonald.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, part of Sinica's California series, Kaiser chats with Alex Wang, a professor of law at UCLA and an expert on China's environmental law. Just back from the COP25 meeting in Madrid, Alex provides an informed and dispassionate assessment of China’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.8:26: China and the EU on climate change21:42: Is coal making a resurgence in China? 26:22: The carbon impact of the Belt and Road Initiative30:15: How California collaborates with China on climate change39:21: Predictions for the 2020 UN Climate Change ConferenceRecommendations:Alex: The report Accelerating the low carbon transition, by David G. Victor, Frank W. Geels, and Simon Sharpe, and The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change: A Guide to the Debate, by Andrew Dressler.Kaiser: The Netflix miniseries Trotsky, available with subtitles in English.This podcast was edited and produced by Kaiser Kuo and Jason MacRonald.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 that ended the Qing dynasty to the Second Sino-Japanese War to Tiananmen in 1989 and Hong Kong 30 years later, songs have inspired and united people in protest and political movements in China. In this episode, Kaiser chats with Jeff Wasserstrom of the University of California, Irvine, about the anthems that have animated activism, and about Jeff’s new book, Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink.The episode is part of the Serica Initiative’s series of California-based podcasts. 7:18: “Wolf,” by Chyi Chin13:37: “Nothing to My Name,” by Cui Jian30:47: “Glory to Hong Kong,” by Thomas dgx yhl44:33: A preview of Jeff’s book, Vigil: Hong Kong on the BrinkRecommendations:Jeff: 33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs, From Billie Holiday to Green Day, by Dorian Lynskey.Kaiser: The albums Making Movies, by Dire Straits, and Voyage of the Acolyte, by Steve Hackett.This podcast was edited and produced by Kaiser Kuo and Jason MacRonald.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a live show taped at the Asia Society, in partnership with ChinaFile, Kaiser sat down to chat with prolific author Mara Hvistendahl at the launch event of her latest book, The Scientist and the Spy: A True Story of China, the FBI, and Industrial Espionage. Written in the style of a thriller, this page-turner is well researched, admirably balanced, and incredibly timely. 12:49: Accusations against the scientists featured in the book21:54: Instances of racial profiling against Chinese scientists28:14: How to promote competitiveness with China42:04: A passage from The Scientist and the SpyRecommendations:Mara: Thread of the Silkworm, by Iris Chang. Kaiser: How Democracies Die, by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt.This podcast was edited and produced by Kaiser Kuo and Jason MacRonald.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we feature an episode from the newest member of our Sinica Podcast Network: the China in Africa Podcast, hosted by Eric Olander and Cobus van Staden. The United States sees Africa as a key arena to confront China's rising influence in the developing world. With its $60 billion International Development Finance Corporation and its Prosper Africa policy framework unveiled last year, the Trump administration is working hard to present African governments with an alternative development model. The problem is that U.S. officials don't have a lot to show for their efforts. This week, the China in Africa Podcast explores the complex U.S.-China-Africa relationship with two of Washington's leading experts on the issue. W. Gyude Moore is a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development and the former public works minister of Liberia and Aubrey Hruby is a senior fellow at the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.