Sinica Podcast

Lucy Hornby, China correspondent for the Financial Times, discusses the struggles for reparations by China's last surviving Chinese comfort women. Topics include activists' role, controversies, estimates of victims, individual experiences seeking justice, surprising stories, and book recommendations.

"Under the Dome," Chai Jing's breakout documentary on China's catastrophic air pollution problem, finally hit insurmountable political opposition last Friday after seven days in which the video racked up over 200 million views. The eventual clampdown raised many questions about the extent of internal support for the documentary. In this episode of Sinica, Kaiser Kuo and David Moser interview Calvin Quek of Greenpeace, who works on pollution problems and has significant experience lobbying the private sector to curtail investments into the worst-offending, environmentally unsustainable technologies. We are also joined by Peggy Liu, chairperson of JUCCCE (Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy), a non-profit organization focused on Chinese government training and other green initiatives. Recommendations: Kaiser: “Travels with My Censor,” by Peter Hessler for The New Yorker. “The 'Deaf' Composer Who Fooled a Nation,” by Christopher Beam for The New Republic. Peggy: The China Coal Consumption Cap Plan and Policy Research Project and A New Way to Eat. Calvin: “The Most Brilliant Politician You Never Knew,” by Beverly Murray at Back That Sass Up. David: “China's carbon emissions could save the world—or doom it,” by Hudson Lockett for China Economic Review   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jeremy Goldkorn and David Moser are joined by Fan Popo for a discussion of the way life works for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) community in China. For those who have not heard of him, Fan is an accomplished film-maker and social activist, best known as author of the book Happy Together, a complete record of 100 queer films, as well as the director of the China Queer Film Festival. Recommendations: Passions of the Cut Sleeve (free pdf!) http://homosexualfamilies.viublogs.org/files/2010/09/hinsch_passions-of-the-cut-sleeve.pdf Sex and Sexuality in China: Regulating Male Same-Sex Relationships in PRC http://books.google.gr/books?id=tDe5PVjfsUMC&pg=PA82&lpg=PA82&dq=Regulating+male+same-sex+relationships+in+the+PRC&source=bl&ots=jAYO-sBGZj&sig=Nf-0lCgC-4-qPebrjQTuIcsRdGY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Z_EcVJyCBYKpyATbo4DADQ&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Regulating%20male%20same-sex%20relationships%20in%20the%20PRC&f=false Breakfast on Pluto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tjsrr8I5D0 Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East, by Benjamin Law http://www.amazon.com/Gaysia-Adventures-Queer-Benjamin-Law/dp/162778036X   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With the recent capture of a Chinese ISIS soldier (in September of 2014) triggering speculation about the involvement of Chinese citizens in the Iraqi civil war, Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn are joined in our studio by Edward Wong from The New York Times and Prashant Rao of AFP, both of whom have spent considerable time reporting from Iraq. Their discussion starts off with an exposé on the nature and identity of the Islamic State before moving on to China, talking about the ways in which the rise of the militant Islamic movement has affected Iraqi perceptions of China. Finally, they take a look into how these events relate to the broader crisis in the Middle East and U.S.-China relations. Recommendations: The Five Eyes Show: http://thefiveeyesshow.com The Islamic State (full length movie): https://news.vice.com/video/the-islamic-state-full-length Endgame in Iraq: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/endgameiniraq The Forever War, by Dexter Filkins: http://www.amazon.com/The-Forever-War-Dexter-Filkins/dp/0307279448 Patrimony, by Philip Roth: http://www.amazon.com/Patrimony-True-Story-Philip-Roth/dp/0679752935 American Pastoral, by Philip Roth: http://www.amazon.com/American-Pastoral-Philip-Roth/dp/0375701427   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The spectacular trial of Bo Xilai seized the media's attention last week as the fallen politburo member — still widely admired in Chongqing and Dalian and heavily connected among the Party elite — defended himself with unexpected vigor against charges of corruption, and hardly paused to implicate his wife and subordinates in murder, mutual poisoning and financial skullduggery. This week on Sinica, Kaiser and Jeremy host two guests: Ed Wong from The New York Times and James Miles of The Economist for a closer look at what some Chinese commentators are calling China's "trial of the century." Join us for an in-depth discussion of the trial which looks at not only what this means for media transparency in China, but also makes historical comparisons with previous political purges, including the famous case against Jiang Qing and the Gang of Four following the Cultural Revolution. Recommendations: Jeremy The twitter feed of Jorge Guajardo https://twitter.com/jorge_guajardo James The Rise and Fall of the House of Bo: How A Murder Exposed The Cracks In China's Leadership, by John Garnaut http://www.amazon.com/Rise-House-Penguin-Specials-ebook/dp/B00A3Q9ER6 Ed A Death in the Lucky Holiday Hotel: Murder, Money, and an Epic Power Struggle in China, by Pin Ho and Wenguang Huang http://www.amazon.com/Death-Lucky-Holiday-Hotel-Struggle/dp/1610392736 Kaiser Blocked on Weibo: What Gets Suppressed on China's Version of Twitter (And Why), by Jason Q. Ng http://www.amazon.com/Blocked-Weibo-Suppressed-Version-Twitter/dp/159558871X See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This podcast discusses the African community's protests in Guangzhou and the circulation of gruesome abortion photos online. They delve into the history and politics of China's one-child policy, exploring forced abortions, the official response, and the positive outcomes. The gender imbalance caused by the policy is also examined along with potential solutions. The hosts share recommendations for books, articles, and podcasts.

This podcast explores the radicalization of Chinese media, discussing conflicting stories and extreme views. It covers Chinese internet humor, its role in social commentary, and censorship. The podcast also delves into the Global Times, a nationalist newspaper often considered a government mouthpiece. Additionally, it explores a documentary on corruption and humor in China, the role of religion in the country's moral crisis, and recommendations on books about Chinese soft power and subversiveness.

China makes an about-face on Libya, we discuss a recent controversy in Beijing's arts community over independent filmmaker Zhao Liang. We also get an on-the-ground update on the state of China's South-North Water Diversion Project: a little-publicized infrastructure effort that already dwarfs the Three Gorges Dam in both its human and environmental impact. We're lucky to have an incredible lineup of guests. Joining Kaiser Kuo in our studio this week is Edward Wong from The New York Times, whose recent profile of independent filmmaker Zhao Liang sets the stage for our discussion today. Kathleen McLaughlin from the GlobalPost is also here, fresh back in Beijing from a trip to Shaanxi to investigate the state of China's plans to redirect southern water to the country's parched north. We are also lucky to be joined by Sinica-stalwart Will Moss of Imagethief fame. Recommendations: Edward Wong Crime and Punishment (Zuì Yǔ Fá), Petition (Shàng Fǎng): https://www.amazon.com/Liang-Collection-Petition-Punishment-Airplane/dp/B006Z1H4M0 Still Life (Sǎn Xiá Hǎo Rén): https://www.amazon.com/Still-Life-%C3%82-Zhou-Sanming-Zhao/dp/B001CD6GL6 Will Moss When A Billion Chinese Jump, by Jonathan Watts: https://www.amazon.com/When-Billion-Chinese-Jump-Mankind/dp/141658076X Kaiser Kuo Décadence Mandchoue, by Edmund Trelawney Backhouse: https://www.amazon.com/Decadence-Mandchoue-Memoirs-Trelawny-Backhouse/dp/9881944511 The Hermit of Peking, by Hugh Trevor-Roper: https://www.amazon.com/Hermit-Peking-Hidden-Edmund-Backhouse/dp/190601101X/ref=dp_ob_title_bk> See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A spate of suicides leaves ten dead at the Shenzhen campus of Foxconn, the giant electronics manufacturer that makes many of the world's most popular consumer electronics. A rare strike paralyzes production at Honda Motors, shutting down all of the company's manufacturing lines in the country. In response, both companies offer substantial concessions to workers, causing many to ask if this marks the end of China's reign as the low-cost "workshop to the world"? This week on Sinica, host Kaiser Kuo welcomes Kathleen McLaughlin, a prolific reporter for the Bureau of National Affairs and Global Post who has written extensively on electronics manufacturing trends in China. We're also joined by Jonathan Watts, Beijing-based correspondent for The Guardian, who is just back from a visit to the massive Foxconn facility in Shenzhen. Also with us is Danwei founder Jeremy Goldkorn. We look at the problems afflicting labor in China: are these simply the result of poor working conditions, or is there more at work here? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is the "Western media" biased in its reporting about China? What are the frames and narratives that inform the Anglophone media's understanding of the county, and what are the misunderstandings about the "Western media" that lead Chinese people into believing Western reporting is more biased than it is? This week, Tania Branigan from the Guardian, Jeremy Goldkorn from Danwei and serial China entrepreneur Bill Bishop join host Kaiser Kuo in a discussion of this perennial topic. And lest you mistakenly believe that it's only the Western media writing critical stories on China, we discuss the state of investigative reporting in China, focusing on a recent piece by Tania in The Guardian about China's best-known investigative journalist, Wang Keqin. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.