Sinica Podcast

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.

Guest Alex Wang, a UCLA law professor and climate policy expert, shares insights from COP25 in Madrid. He discusses China's progress and setbacks in decarbonization efforts, including a rise in coal plant construction and the role of the Belt and Road Initiative in fossil fuel investments. Wang also highlights China's leadership in renewable energy and electric vehicles, while addressing challenges like subsidy rollbacks. He emphasizes the need for California-China collaboration on climate strategies and critiques simplified narratives around China's climate impact.

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.

Kaiser and Jeremy chat with Yanzhong Huang, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), where he directs the Global Health Governance roundtable series. In addition to his role at CFR, Yanzhong is also a professor at Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations, making him an ideal guest to talk about a pathogen with major domestic and international political implications. Recommendations:Jeremy: Three pieces from SupChina: Kenyan students in Wuhan plead for evacuation, by April Zhu; The disappearance of Perhat Tursun, one of the Uyghur world’s greatest authors, by Darren Byler; and Chinese moms in America’s illicit massage parlors, by Teng Chen. Yanzhong: Two movies, Outbreak and 28 Days Later. Kaiser: The subtle muckrakers of the coronavirus epidemic, by Maria Repnikova.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.

With the United States now in a presidential election year, how should an incoming administration — whether a Democratic presidency or a second Trump administration — approach China policy? This week, Kaiser chats with eminent scholars Susan Shirk and Barry Naughton of the University of California, San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy, and asks them how they would advise the future occupant of the Oval Office. This episode is part of the California series, produced with the assistance of the Serica Initiative, SupChina’s nonprofit program.23:18: Relitigating the case for engagement26:44: The biggest economic hurdles for the U.S. and China39:33: Addressing technological concerns with the P.R.C.44:54: Shaping China policy for the future: Rebuild as it was, or begin anew? Recommendations:Barry: Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century, by George Packer.Susan: Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China, by Ezra F. Vogel.Kaiser: The New China Scare, in the January/February edition of Foreign Affairs, by Fareed Zakaria. 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.