Podcast appearances and mentions of Jeremy Goldkorn

This week on Sinica, I speak with Kendra Schaefer, the partner at Trivium China who heads their tech practice. She recently published a fascinating paper looking at the Cyberspace Administration of China's comprehensive database of generative AI tools released in China, and she shares the insights and big takeaways from her research on that database. It's a terrific window into what Chinese firms, both private and state-affiliated, are doing with generative AI.03:51 – Mandatory registration of generative AI Tools in China10:28 – How does the CAC categorize AI Tools?14:25 – State-affiliated vs. non-state-affiliated AI Tools18:55 – Capability and competition of China's AI Industry22:57 – Significance of Generative Algorithmic Tools (GAT) registration counts26:06 – The application of GATs in the education sector29:50 – The application of GATs in the healthcare Sector31:00 – Underrepresentation of AI tools in other sectors32:56 – Regional breakdown of AI innovation in China36:07 – AI adoption across sectors: how companies integrate AI40:21 – Standout projects by the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS)42:42 – How multinationals navigate China's tech regulations47:50 – Role of foreign players in China's AI strategy49:38 – Key takeaways from the AI development journey53:41 -– Blind spots in AI data57:25 – Kendra's future research directionPaying it Forward: Kenton Thibaut.Recommendations:Kendra: The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age by Thomas Mullaney.Kaiser: the Rhyming Chaos Podcast by Jeremy Goldkorn and Maria RepnikovaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jeremy Goldkorn joins for this largely unedited throwback to the early, sweary days of the show. We talk about the announcement made on Wednesday, 28 May 2025, on the "aggressive" revocation of Chinese student visas for students with Party "connections" or who study "critical fields." You've been warned!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week as we enter the Year of the Snake, Sinica co-founder Jeremy Goldkorn makes a re-appearance on the show. It's been a year since his last, and much has changed — and indeed, if Jeremy is right, we may be at an inflection point in American attitudes toward China. With the "TikTok Refugees" on Xiaohongshu or "RedNote" taking in a view of China that contrasts starkly with the image presented by the U.S. Government and by many American media outlets, and with DeepSeek now having upended some ideas about American tech primacy, the "vibes" on China among young people seem to have changed for the better. Will it endure? Jeremy and I plunge into that question on this week's episode of the Sinica Podcast.2:55 – What Jeremy has been up to lately 4:19 – What has been driving the recent narrative/vibe shift in China discourse in the U.S., and why human rights rhetoric around Xinjiang has died down 14:11 – Whether the narrative/vibe shift will be long-lasting and the role of young people in driving it 23:06 – Predictions for future changes within China29:40 – The concern that the narrative/vibe shift could go too far, or that the copium will overwhelm the positive of the shift 33:24 – Previous narrative shifts around freedom of speech, the internet, and China, and technological innovation 43:57 – What recent developments reveal about Chinese soft power, and Jeremy's predictions for how everything will play out 49:34 – Whether the narrative/vibe shift will change how American politicians talk about China, and the Chinese government has reacted to the shift so farPaying It Forward: Savannah Billman's Career China email newsletter Recommendations:Jeremy: Paul Cooper's Fall of Civilizations podcast series; David Kidd's Peking Story: The Last Days of Old China; and The 404's podcast interview with a PornHub exec (which includes discussion of real-name registration requirements) Kaiser: The TV miniseries American Primeval (2025) on Netflix; and Paul Triolo's Substack See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy Chinese New Year! This week, while I'm decompressing from 10 days in the Alps, my friends at the Asia Society of Switzerland have graciously offered to let me share a podcast recorded just after the U.S. presidential election in November at their annual State of Asia event. "The State of China" features three terrific guests: Wang Qing (王卿), the host of the popular Chinese podcast "The Weirdo" (不合时宜), Zichen Wang of the Center for China and Globalization, and Adam Tooze, one of the truly great public intellectuals of our time. It's all skillfully moderated by the South China Morning Post's Europe editor, Finbarr Bermingham, and it covers a lot of ground. I'll be back next week in conversation with my dear friend Jeremy Goldkorn, and we'll be asking (and answering) the big question — Are we in the middle of a narrative shift on China?May the Year of the Snake be prosperous and full of happiness and success for all you Sinica listeners!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Moderated by Chinese journalism expert Jeremy Goldkorn, this in-depth discussion with James Siebens (Fellow, Stimson Center's Reimagining U.S. Grand Strategy program) explored how China leverages armed coercion to achieve its goals without direct conflict. This session is essential for anyone interested in global security, international relations, and current geopolitical dynamics.

Sinica is back, and on this first post-China Project show, Kaiser chats with TCP's ex-editor-in-chief and Sinica's co-founder and former co-host, Jeremy Goldkorn. They chat about the Beijing that was, their theories as to why things changed as they did, and share some of their favorite precepts for understanding contemporary China.03:15 – What's new with Sinica in the post-TCP era04:34 – Jeremy reflects on the history of Sinica and of The China Project20:25 – Jeremy's characterization of how his approach to China differs from Kaiser's25:01 – How our China experiences shaped our perspectives26:44 – Jeremy's long, fraught relationship with the media biz in China36:47 – What brought on the end of the golden years of liberalization in China?47:45 – How China changed our politics1:08:44 – Jeremy's reveals (some of) his big plans1:10:15 – Gen X China-watchers and what made them specialRecommendations: Jeremy: The Ghosts of Evolution by Connie BarlowKaiser: Ma in All Caps by Jay Kuo (the audiobook version, read by Kaiser); and the Captain Alatriste novels by Arturo Pérez-ReverteSupport Sinica by subscribing to the new Substack at https://sinica.substack.com, or on Patreon — same content — at https://Patreon.com/Sinica.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, a live recording from New York on the eve of the 2023 NEXTChina Conference. Jeremy Goldkorn joins Kaiser as co-host, with guests Maria Repnikova of Georgia State University, who specializes in Chinese soft power in Africa and on Sino-Russian relations, and Eric Olander, co-founder of the China Global South Project and co-host of the excellent China Global South Podcast and China in Africa Podcast. This show is unedited to preserve the live feel!Recommendations: Jeremy: Empire podcast William Dalrymple and Anita Anand, about how empires rise, fall, and shape the world around usMaria: A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan ThrallEric: Eat Bitter, a documentary by Ningyi Sun, a filmmaker from China, and Pascale Appora Gnekindy, from the Central African RepublicKaiser: Wellness, an ambitious novel by Nathan Hill about a Gen X couple in Wicker Park, Chicago; and the NOVA documentary Inside China's Tech Boom, of which Kaiser is correspondent, narrator, and co-producer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Earlier this month the Chinese government reversed their covid-zero policy and changed how they report Covid infections and illnesses. It's led to a number of countries including Australia placing restrictions on travelers from China out of fear a new variant will emerge there. In this episode, we speak with Jeremy Goldkorn, editor of The China Project, to find out what's really happening in China. Headlines: - Qantas plane issues rare mayday- Nadal's shock-exit from the Australian Open- UK: Church of England rules out same-sex marriage- Woolworths gives employees option to work Australia Day- Greta Thunberg detained in Germany Follow The Briefing: Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't write off Chinese International Schools! China changes fast! That is just one of Brantley Turner's messages. She has so much to offer just one episode. Brantley is a humble guest with knowledge that makes Kent and Greg feel like kindergarteners. Dwight schools is opening a new school in Hanoi soon. Brantley and her family are preparing for the move from New York to Vietnam. Listen in, it's an amazing episode.  Links mentioned in this episode: Dwight schools website:  https://www.dwight.edu/about/global-network Dwight Hanoi:  https://www.dwighthanoi.org/  Peter Hessler - New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/peter-hessler Evan Osnos - https://www.evanosnos.com/ Jeremy Goldkorn is the editor-in-chief of the website formerly known as SupChina, www.thechinaproject.com James McGregor https://jamesmcgregor-inc.com/contact/ "Holiday in Cambodia" from the Dead Kennedys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KTsXHXMkJA Brantley via Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brantley-turner-%E9%BE%99%E6%A2%85-39858ba7 

This week on Sinica, Evan Osnos, staff writer for The New Yorker, joins hosts Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn to talk about his new piece on one of the most puzzling figures to come out of China: Guo Wengui, a.k.a. Miles Kwok, who took what he learned about dealing with power and money in China and applied those lessons to the U.S., insinuating himself with leading figures of the American right. Who is this mysterious man, and what is he really after? In an unscripted episode that will bring some listeners back to the grotty apartment in Beijing where Sinica recorded in its very early days, Evan, Kaiser, and Jeremy parse the mysteries of the strange phenomenon of Guo Wengui.03:37 – Who is Guo Wengui?10:07 – Orville Schell's experience with Guo Wengui14:48 – Steve Bannon's comparison between Guo and Trump17:40 – The process of fact-checking this piece 23:03 – Guo's potential ties to the pro-Xi Jinping clique26:02 – VOA's interview with Guo30:06 – Guo's campaign against Teng Biao and other Chinese dissidents33:57 – Guo's role as an interlocutor on behalf of the MSS39:00 – Steve Wynn's efforts to extradite Guo42:10 – Guo's impact on the Chinese diaspora community45:11 – Guo's influence on US-China relationsA transcript of this interview is available at TheChinaProject.com.Recommendations:Jeremy: "President Trump's First Term," by Evan Osnos, a New Yorker article written in 2016 predicting what would happen to the U.S. if Donald Trump won in 2016. (Spoiler: he did. And Evan was right).Evan: An audio tribute to legendary New Yorker editor John Bennet: https://www.cjr.org/special_report/johnbennet.php Kaiser: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, a forgivably melodramatic historical fiction novel with an emphasis on architectureSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A new movement is underway in the U.S. to strip China out of the global supply chain for electric vehicle batteries -- everything from the extraction of the minerals and metals to the processing of those resources to make the battery packs that power Teslas, Fords and other American-made cars. But it's not going to be easy.Chinese companies have a commanding lead in many parts of that supply chain, particularly cobalt where around 80% of the blue metal is processed in China.Journalist Henry Sanderson laid out the dynamics of this strategically vital international competition in his new book Volt Rush: The Winners and Losers in the Race to Go Green and joins Eric and Cobus to explain how the West and China stack up against one another in the new Battery Age.SHOW NOTES:Amazon: Volt Rush: The Winners and Losers in the Race to Go Green by Henry Sanderson: https://amzn.to/3LdaF6SThe China Project: What the world needs to know about China's outsize role in electric car future: Q&A with Henry Sanderson by Jeremy Goldkorn: https://bit.ly/3qzdMw9 JOIN THE DISCUSSION:Twitter: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque | @eric_olander | @hjesandersonFacebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProjectFOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC:Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChineعربي: www.akhbaralsin-africia.com | @AkhbarAlSinAfrJOIN US ON PATREON!Become a CAP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CAP Podcast mug!www.patreon.com/chinaafricaprojectSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The US House speaker Nancy Pelosi has left Taiwan, after a hugely controvertial visit that has seen tension between Beijing and Taipei reach new heights. In the last two hours, Taiwan has scrambled jets to warn off 27 Chinese warplanes in its defence zone. Nancy Pelosi is the most senior American politician to go to Taiwan in 25 years. But officially, the United States abides by the "One China" policy - a cornerstone of the two countries' diplomatic relationship which recognises only one Chinese government - and it has formal ties with Beijing and not Taiwan. China is furious over the visit and has implemented what it calls "necessary" military drills in seas close to the island. Susie speaks with journalist Jeremy Goldkorn, editor-in-chief of SupChina and co-host of the Sinica podcast - both go-to sources of information and analysis for keen China watchers.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is seeking to boost his own historical significance via ambitious expansion, says China-based journalist Jeremy Goldkorn.

A visiting expert on China is concerned that we're too dependent on China.These comments come as Jacinda Ardern urges diplomacy with China over Pacific tensions.China visiting expert Jeremy Goldkorn joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A visiting expert on China is concerned that we're too dependent on China.These comments come as Jacinda Ardern urges diplomacy with China over Pacific tensions.China visiting expert Jeremy Goldkorn joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Derek E Silva joins Jeremy Goldkorn, the editor-in-chief of SupChina, a New York-based, China-focused, news, information, and business services platform. They take a deep dive into China's regulatory reform, the recent ban on crypto, and the complicated truth about their social credit system.   

Think back to 2008. Things were humming along with the global economy and then bang! The bottom fell out of the housing market in the United States. People couldn't pay their loans. And you know what happened next.There's growing fear something like that could play out again, this time starting in China. One of China's largest real estate developers, China Evergrande, is on the brink of insolvency.Related: Aukus security pact sparks Chinese and French ireEvergrande, whose struggle to avoid defaulting on billions of dollars of debt has rattled global markets, says it will pay interest due Thursday to bondholders in China, but gave no sign of plans to pay on a separate bond abroad.The Chinese government, meanwhile, added to investor anxiety Wednesday by staying silent about whether it might intervene to restructure Evergrande Group's $310 billion debt.Related: Chinese suppliers face ambiguous global supply chain Economists say Beijing can prevent a Chinese credit crunch but that it wants to avoid appearing to arrange a bailout while it tries to force other companies to reduce reliance on debt.Jeremy Goldkorn, editor-in-chief of SupChina, has spent two decades in China as an editor and entrepreneur. Goldkorn joined The World's host Marco Werman to discuss the latest. Marco Werman: The company is now $310 billion in debt. What happened? Jeremy Goldkorn: Well, it's an enormous, sprawling empire. It started in 1996 when Chinese real estate, commercial real estate, was in its infancy. And over the last decade, Evergrande has gone into all kinds of businesses. So, it has what was a health division but now is supposed to make electric cars. And it's released six models, although it hasn't actually sold any of them. It has financial products. It has all kinds of investment products that target both its employees and its customers as well as outside investors. It owns a soccer club. So, it's an enormous company, and it's very difficult to understand exactly what it owns and perhaps more importantly, what it owes. But first and foremost, it's a real estate giant, residential and commercial, right?That's correct. That's how it made its money and that's still its biggest and real business.Will China Evergrande be able to meet the bond payments do this week? The news today was that they have negotiated some kind of settlement with one of the bond payments that was due this week. So, it looks like an immediate disaster has been forestalled. I would also say that much of the sort of financial chattering classes seem to have regained their confidence about the Chinese government's ability to handle this. And I think there's a little bit too much eagerness perhaps in the media. We are partly to blame to try and put this Evergrande crisis onto a global financial crisis template, onto the American subprime crisis, to look at it through the same lens. And it's a whole different situation, a very different government, a very different market, a very different social situation.How important is Evergrande to the Chinese economy as a whole? It's important. It is, if not the biggest, one of the biggest companies. It has got its fingers in all kinds of industries. All kinds of entities are involved from state-owned banks to, you know, the person on the street who owns an apartment and has put their lifetime savings into wealth management products offered by Evergrande. So, it is important to the Chinese economy, but it is not essential. China can very much get by without an Evergrande. So, the government probably has various ways to ease the pain of what looks like is going to be either a quick or slow collapse. Back in 2008, we were introduced to the phrase "too big to fail," referring to American banks that were bailed out by Washington. Is Evergrande too big to fail? And would Beijing help it out the next time it's in a serious bind like this?I think it might be too big to fail, but I think that the Chinese government is probably going to use this as a signal, particularly to the private sector, that there are not going to be any more bailouts and that everybody responsible is going to pay one way or another for this crisis. I read that Evergrande has over 1 1/2 million unfinished apartments in China. Is there a chance that they'll never be finished and would the buyers lose their money?There is the chance that they will never be finished. Just recently, there were images circulating on the Chinese internet of an enormous development in Kunming, Yunnan province, in the south that was never finished because the developers ran out of money and they had to implode all the buildings and destroy it. A lot of people must have lost money. So, if the government thinks that there are enough people that it could cause some kind of social crisis, they might step in and bail out the little guy. But on the other hand, they're likely to be customers and retail investors who are very angry by the end of this saga.Are Evergrande's problems a signal of something larger in China, a certain fragility, maybe?Yes, they are. And the signals have been going for quite some time. Evergrande is in the news, and everybody's talking about it this week. But there have been signals of some kind of disease in the corporate body for many years, ranging from the soccer club to the electric car company with six models that have never been produced. So, there's been a lot of signs for many years that Evergrande has troubles and that all is not as good as it sometimes seems.This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. AP contributed to this report. 

Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn share music from their eponymous collaborative album, demonstrate the banjo and the guzheng, and talk with journalist Jeremy Goldkorn about the joys of weaving together two seemingly different musical traditions.Resources:More about Wu FeiMore about Abigail WashburnMore about their albumWu Fei and Abigail Washburn Spotify Playlist

This week on Sinica, Kaiser is joined by historian Timothy Cheek of the University of British Columbia, political scientist Elizabeth Perry of Harvard, and our very own Jeremy Goldkorn, editor-in-chief of SupChina, in a wide-ranging discussion of the Chinese Communist Party on the occasion of its 100th birthday. The three each contributed chapters to a new volume called The Chinese Communist Party: A Century in 10 Lives, edited by Timothy Cheek, Klaus Mülhahn, and Hans van de Ven. Don't miss this one!8:59: Cosmopolitan traditions within the CCP13:10: Continuity and change within the Party20:19: The oscillations between flexibility and rigidity34:25: Intellectuals and their relationship with the Party50:37: Wang Guangmei and the Peach Garden ExperienceA full transcript of this episode is available on SupChina.com.Recommendations:Jeremy: The Dairy Restaurant, by Ben Katchor. Elizabeth: Middle Class Shanghai: Reshaping U.S.-China Engagement, by Cheng Li, and The Wuhan Lockdown, by Yang Guobin. Timothy: The Internationale, performed by heavy metal band Tang Dynasty. Kaiser: The July/August edition of Foreign Affairs, especially the pieces by Wang Jisi and Yan Xuetong.Privacy Policy and California Privacy Notice.

The growth of Chinese technology in Africa has sounded alarm bells in Washington and other foreign capitals. Beyond security and surveillance risks, what, if any, benefits exist for Africans? Judd Devermont is joined by Chairman Carolyn Bartholomew (U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission), Bulelani Jili (Harvard University), and Jeremy Goldkorn (SupChina and Sinica Podcast) to unpack the concerns surrounding Chinese involvement in the region’s tech sector, sharing recommendations for the Biden administration. Other topics include the fight for Covid-19 vaccines and ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule’s corruption charges. Background Readings:  The Spread of Surveillance Technology in Africa Stirs Security Concerns - Bulelani Jili  No immediate changes to U.S. China policy under Biden, including tariffs – Jeremy Goldkorn 

On this special 500th episode of the China in Africa Podcast, Eric & Cobus join Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn on the popular Sinica podcast to reflect on the past ten years of China-Africa relations.JOIN THE DISCUSSION:Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject Twitter: @eolander | @stadenesque | @KaiserKuo |@goldkornSUBSCRIBE TO THE CAP'S DAILY EMAIL NEWSLETTER FOR JUST $3 FOR 3 MONTHS.Your subscription supports independent journalism. Subscribers get the following:1. A daily email newsletter of the top China-Africa news.2. Access to the China-Africa Experts Network3. Unlimited access to the CAP's exclusive analysis content on chinaafricaproject.comTry it out for just $3 for 3 months: www.chinaafricaproject.com/subscribe

Today on #MWL my friend Jeremy Goldkorn, Editor-In-Chief of SupChina joins the show. And we talk China! Business, politics, and the history of the issues in Hong Kong.

John & Jared discuss the role of translation in the language learning journey. When you encounter a text with many unfamiliar characters, should you open a translation app?Guest interview is with Jeremy Goldkorn, a 20 year veteran of China from South Africa and co-host of the Sinica Podcast. Jeremy’s first learned Chinese in the 90s while sleeping in a Beijing factory dormitory. Today he is the Editor in Chief of SupChina, a news platform offering an accurate, comprehensive, and contextual understanding of China.Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll give you a shout out on the podcast! We are also taking questions from our listeners. If you have a question, reach us at feedback@mandarincompanion.com. Follow us on Facebook and catch our latest Chinese learning memes on InstagramLinks referenced in this EpisodeSupChinaSinica PodcastThe Chinese Grammar WikiMandarin Companion Memes - Instagram

来自南非的金玉米 (Jeremy Goldkorn) 说自己是“冒牌老外”。他戴着黄色安全帽在北京的工地上学会了中文，又带着社会主义理想建立了名叫“单位”的blog，向老外们传播来自中国的奇闻轶事，影响着在北京安营扎寨的英文媒体。俺们今天把金玉米抓来拷问一番，看看这个老外到底有多冒牌。(时长：10分43秒) （原文发布于2007-06-17）

This episode of the "Global Dialogue: International Speakers Program" organized by the Tennessee World Affairs Council (TNWAC.org) featured Jeremy Goldkorn and John Scannapieco with host Patrick Ryan (TNWAC President). This superb discussion of the current tension in the Sino-American relationship focused on the consequences of the Covid-19 virus spread, the commercial ties and the national security issues that have shaped Beijing's and Washington's "lobbing of hand grenades" back and forth. Excellent background, context and analysis of the situation. GOLDKORN Jeremy Goldkorn is editor-in-chief of SupChina.com, and co-host of the Sinica Podcast. He moved to China in 1995 and became managing editor of Beijing’s first independent English-language entertainment magazine. In 2003, he founded the website and research firm, Danwei, which tracked Chinese media, markets, politics and business. It was acquired in 2013 by the Financial Times. While in China, Jeremy published and edited several magazines, books, and websites. He also lived in a workers dormitory, and produced a documentary film about African soccer players in Beijing. SCANNAPIECO John M. Scannapieco is a shareholder in the Nashville office of Baker Donelson and is a co-leader of the Firm’s Global Business Team. John provides strategic guidance and counsel to businesses and individuals regarding their existing global operations or to those contemplating global expansion. He also advises companies that are contemplating pursuing a China strategy, as well as those companies that are currently doing business in China or with China-based businesses. John assists U.S. manufacturing companies with their activities overseas and foreign companies desiring to expand operations to the United States. He is a board member of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s International Business Council and a member of the board of the Japan American Society of Tennessee. He has been recognized by Mid-South Super Lawyers in International Law. Around town, John, has been chair of the Community Resource Center – a key element of Nashville’s Super Tuesday tornado relief and the supply line to the front lines of poverty. John also serves on the board of Sister Cities of Nashville, and more. Last note, John is the Honorary Consul of the United Kingdom to the State of Tennessee.

Editor in Chief of SupChina News, Jeremy Goldkorn comes on the show to discuss the Peoples Republic of China and how the media covers it. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sorryforrambling/support

Our guest this week is Jeremy Goldkorn, co-host of the iconic, China focused Sinica podcast and editor-in-chief of SupChina.com. Moving to China in 1995, Jeremy worked in Beijing for 20 years as an editor and entrepreneur. In 2003, he founded the website and research firm, Danwei, which tracked Chinese media, markets, politics and business and was acquired in 2013 by the Financial Times. SupChina is an independent digital media company dedicated to informing, entertaining, and educating a global audience about business, technology, politics, and culture in China and covers Bitcoin developments in the context of relevance to greater China. Our conversation is mostly focused on the current corona virus outbreak – Jeremy puts it into context with the SARS outbreak in 2003 which he was in Beijing for, explains what some potential lasting effects might be, and gives his thoughts on China’s central bank digital currency plans among other topics. Topics: Background, China in the 90’s and 00’s Founding and running leading China analysis and consulting business Danwei Finding Bitcoin while running Danwei, what he thought of the interest in it in Beijing in 2013 SARS crisis in 2003, the broader context for China then vs today, aftereffects How observers should think about the information coming out of China China’s growing biosecurity state China’s central bank digital currency (DCEP) plans Resources: Jeremy on Twitter (@goldkorn) SupChina on Twitter (@supchinanews) SupChina.com Supchina Newsletter 

Episode 51 of TechBuzz China is our second consecutive show that is in a unique format. It features a replay of TechBuzz co-host Rui Ma's recorded call on SupChina Access, which was originally aired live on July 23. The conversation is moderated by Jeremy Goldkorn, editor-in-chief of SupChina. As longtime listeners know, we are proudly one of the most long-standing podcasts within SupChina's Sinica Podcast Network. In this episode, Jeremy prompts Rui to speak on some of the hottest topics, trends, and companies covered in past TechBuzz episodes: Luckin Coffee, e-cigarettes, Baidu, Bytedance, EV carmakers, real estate platforms, and 996 work culture. Overall, it serves as a great intro to the past TechBuzz episodes, if you haven't already listened to them! In addition, listen in to hear Rui share her expertise on: What is the current macro environment for venture capital and startups in China — is the “tech winter” really coming? What is the status of the STAR market that just launched, and how will it affect the growth of the innovation economy? Does Rui believe that U.S. startups can realistically enter China? What is the most interesting Chinese tech company that Rui knows of, and that listeners on the call may not yet have heard of? What are her thoughts on the business models or revenue models that are unique to China? Is reporting in China “real” — in other words, could a story like Theranos also happen there? SupChina is an independent digital media company dedicated to informing, entertaining, and educating a global audience about business, technology, politics, and culture in China, and SupChina Access is its paid membership that provides even more content, including conference calls such as what you hear on this session with Rui. So, if you enjoy this episode, you should head to SupChina for details on membership. As always, thank you to the entire SupChina team for your constant support. You can find these stories and more at pandaily.com. If you enjoy our content, please do let us know by leaving us an iTunes review, liking our Facebook page, and tweeting at us at@techbuzzchina! We do truly appreciate your feedback. Thank you also to our listeners over at our partner, dealstreetasia.com. We are grateful for our supportive and talented producers, Shaw Wan and Kaiser Kuo, and for our intern, Wang Menglu. Listeners who are interested in visiting China but don't know where to begin should check out Pandaily's one-week immersion into China's tech scene, taking place October 13–19, 2019: decode.pandaily.com. This trip is not to be confused with TechBuzz China's inaugural invite-only China Investor Trip for public market investors, which will be held October 7–13. Watch out for TechBuzz meetups held in both Beijing and Shanghai!

Episode 51 of TechBuzz China is our second consecutive show that is in a unique format. It features a replay of TechBuzz co-host Rui Ma’s recorded call on SupChina Access, which was originally aired live on July 23. The conversation is moderated by Jeremy Goldkorn, editor-in-chief of SupChina. As longtime listeners know, we are proudly one of the most long-standing podcasts within SupChina’s Sinica Podcast Network. In this episode, Jeremy prompts Rui to speak on some of the hottest topics, trends, and companies covered in past TechBuzz episodes: Luckin Coffee, e-cigarettes, Baidu, Bytedance, EV carmakers, real estate platforms, and 996 work culture. Overall, it serves as a great intro to the past TechBuzz episodes, if you haven’t already listened to them! In addition, listen in to hear Rui share her expertise on: What is the current macro environment for venture capital and startups in China — is the “tech winter” really coming? What is the status of the STAR market t...

Episode 51 of TechBuzz China is our second consecutive show that is in a unique format. It features a replay of TechBuzz co-host Rui Ma’s recorded call on SupChina Access, which was originally aired live on July 23. The conversation is moderated by Jeremy Goldkorn, editor-in-chief of SupChina. As longtime listeners know, we are proudly one of the most long-standing podcasts within SupChina’s Sinica Podcast Network. In this episode, Jeremy prompts Rui to speak on some of the hottest topics, trends, and companies covered in past TechBuzz episodes: Luckin Coffee, e-cigarettes, Baidu, Bytedance, EV carmakers, real estate platforms, and 996 work culture. Overall, it serves as a great intro to the past TechBuzz episodes, if you haven’t already listened to them! In addition, listen in to hear Rui share her expertise on: What is the current macro environment for venture capital and startups in China — is the “tech winter” really coming? What is the status of the STAR market that just launched, and how will it affect the growth of the innovation economy? Does Rui believe that U.S. startups can realistically enter China? What is the most interesting Chinese tech company that Rui knows of, and that listeners on the call may not yet have heard of? What are her thoughts on the business models or revenue models that are unique to China? Is reporting in China “real” — in other words, could a story like Theranos also happen there? SupChina is an independent digital media company dedicated to informing, entertaining, and educating a global audience about business, technology, politics, and culture in China, and SupChina Access is its paid membership that provides even more content, including conference calls such as what you hear on this session with Rui. So, if you enjoy this episode, you should head to SupChina for details on membership. As always, thank you to the entire SupChina team for your constant support. You can find these stories and more at pandaily.com. If you enjoy our content, please do let us know by leaving us an iTunes review, liking our Facebook page, and tweeting at us at @techbuzzchina! We do truly appreciate your feedback. Thank you also to our listeners over at our partner, dealstreetasia.com. We are grateful for our supportive and talented producers, Shaw Wan and Kaiser Kuo, and for our intern, Wang Menglu. Listeners who are interested in visiting China but don’t know where to begin should check out Pandaily’s one-week immersion into China’s tech scene, taking place October 13–19, 2019: decode.pandaily.com. This trip is not to be confused with TechBuzz China’s inaugural invite-only China Investor Trip for public market investors, which will be held October 7–13. Watch out for TechBuzz meetups held in both Beijing and Shanghai!

This special episode of Sinica starring our very own Jeremy Goldkorn was recorded in New York on July 17. With decades of experience in China-related business, entrepreneurship, and media, Jeremy shares his views on the latest developments in Chinese business, technology, and politics, and tells personal stories from his 20 years living in China.What to listen for on this week’s Sinica Podcast:“Everyday you see something you don’t see every day.” —Jim McGregor, on living in China11:26: Throughout (almost) all of Jeremy’s entire professional life, he’s provided English-reading viewers coverage of China. But why? Jeremy: “First of all, it’s very interesting. China has never been well covered, ever, by European or American media. Not that there aren’t journalist and writers and scholars who do great work, but if you think about how much we know about every single city block in Manhattan compared to vast swathes of China that there’s no information at all in English — physically, culturally, or intellectually.” 20:59: Beijing was a very different place during the 90s and early 2000s. Since that time, young Chinese people are now, in Jeremy’s words, “smarter, more talented, and more qualified — and they understand China better than [westerners].” Nowadays, many job opportunities afforded to foreigners coming to China are gone. Jeremy goes on to say, laughing, “China is so different now, how can you compare? There were donkey carts on the second ring road in 1995. Now you can’t cross it because there are too many Maseratis there.” 41:30: Kaiser asks Jeremy about the “outsize role” that U.S.-China relations play in the discussion on China. Jeremy tells Kaiser, “It used to annoy me the way Americans always assume your baseline for normalcy is American…you know, Chinese people and American people are very similar in this way, they only really see their country and ‘the other big one’ — I think the Chinese people taught me to be tolerant of American self-centeredness.”

In episode 44 of TechBuzz China, co-hosts Ying-Ying Lu and Rui Ma talk about So-Young, an internet company that markets and facilitates plastic surgery and other medical cosmetic procedures to Chinese customers. The six-year-old company has a stated mission of bringing “health and beauty” to everyone, and its stock priced at $13.80 per American depositary share (ADS) last week but is now trading at about $20. Prior to listing, So-Young had raised over $250 million in venture capital funding, including some from Tencent. Last year, it claimed to have made $8 million in net income, plus a market share of 82 percent based on user time spent on similar apps. Rui and Ying-Ying begin by giving an overview of the scale of the plastic surgery market in China. In China, the industry is broadly known as “医疗美容” (yīliáo měiróng) or “医美” (yī měi), roughly translated as “medical cosmetology,” which includes procedures such as hair removal, hair transplants, and various kinds of laser- and ultrasound-enabled operations — thus enabling So-Young to argue that it is going after a larger market size. Indeed, by this broad definition, China is the second-largest market in the world, and it is poised to become the largest by 2021. Listen to find out: Who is the founder of So-Young, a former developer and lifelong tech geek who has himself undergone many reconstructive and plastic surgeries? What does he think is the real problem with the plastic surgery industry? As a platform, what are some notable aspects of So-Young's revenue and business model? What types of controversies has the company been involved with, and what are some of its risks and legal issues? Regarding the industry, what are some of the societal and deep-seated belief factors — including some that may be surprising to our listeners outside of China — that help fuel its growth, and how do these affect the demographic breakdown of those who opt for procedures? Ultimately, do our co-hosts believe that platforms such as So-Young are a part of the “problem” or the “solution”? As always, you can find these stories and more at pandaily.com. Do let us know what you think of the show by leaving us an iTunes review, liking our Facebook page, and tweeting at us at @techbuzzchina! Thank you also to our listeners over at our partner, dealstreetasia.com. We are grateful for our rock-star producers, Shaw Wan and Kaiser Kuo, and our interns, Wang Menglu and Mindy Xu. Co-host Rui Ma will be in New York City on Monday, May 20, for SupChina's third annual SupChina Women's Conference. Come join her! And, listen to top leaders discuss how women are impacting China's tech, business, financial, and consumer trends. Jeremy Goldkorn and our producer Kaiser Kuo will also be hosting an on-site live recording of their excellent Sinica Podcast. Our sponsor for this episode is the University of San Francisco. USF's new master's degree in applied economics is a STEM-designated program that combines economics training with the practical skills in data analytics needed to understand today's new digital economy. To learn more, visit usfca.edu/techbuzz.

In episode 44 of TechBuzz China, co-hosts Ying-Ying Lu and Rui Ma talk about So-Young, an internet company that markets and facilitates plastic surgery and other medical cosmetic procedures to Chinese customers. The six-year-old company has a stated mission of bringing “health and beauty” to everyone, and its stock priced at $13.80 per American depositary share (ADS) last week but is now trading at about $20. Prior to listing, So-Young had raised over $250 million in venture capital funding, including some from Tencent. Last year, it claimed to have made $8 million in net income, plus a market share of 82 percent based on user time spent on similar apps. Rui and Ying-Ying begin by giving an overview of the scale of the plastic surgery market in China. In China, the industry is broadly known as “医疗美容” (yīliáo měiróng) or “医美” (yī měi), roughly translated as “medical cosmetology,” which includes procedures such as hair removal, hair transplants, and various kinds of laser- and ultrasound-enabled operations — thus enabling So-Young to argue that it is going after a larger market size. Indeed, by this broad definition, China is the second-largest market in the world, and it is poised to become the largest by 2021. Listen to find out: Who is the founder of So-Young, a former developer and lifelong tech geek who has himself undergone many reconstructive and plastic surgeries? What does he think is the real problem with the plastic surgery industry? As a platform, what are some notable aspects of So-Young’s revenue and business model? What types of controversies has the company been involved with, and what are some of its risks and legal issues? Regarding the industry, what are some of the societal and deep-seated belief factors — including some that may be surprising to our listeners outside of China — that help fuel its growth, and how do these affect the demographic breakdown of those who opt for procedures? Ultimately, do our co-hosts believe that platforms such as So-Young are a part of the “problem” or the “solution”? As always, you can find these stories and more at pandaily.com. Do let us know what you think of the show by leaving us an iTunes review, liking our Facebook page, and tweeting at us at @techbuzzchina! Thank you also to our listeners over at our partner, dealstreetasia.com. We are grateful for our rock-star producers, Shaw Wan and Kaiser Kuo, and our interns, Wang Menglu and Mindy Xu. Co-host Rui Ma will be in New York City on Monday, May 20, for SupChina’s third annual SupChina Women’s Conference. Come join her! And, listen to top leaders discuss how women are impacting China’s tech, business, financial, and consumer trends. Jeremy Goldkorn and our producer Kaiser Kuo will also be hosting an on-site live recording of their excellent Sinica Podcast. Our sponsor for this episode is the University of San Francisco. USF’s new master’s degree in applied economics is a STEM-designated program that combines economics training with the practical skills in data analytics needed to understand today’s new digital economy. To learn more, visit usfca.edu/techbuzz.

In the 12th episode of the NüVoices podcast, Alice Xin Liu and Sophie Lu interview Shuilam Wong, who goes by Shui, a comic artist who partnered with Jinna Kaneko to create the Hole in the Wall Collective with Jinna Kaneko. The two high school friends met back up in the city and decided to create their own indie zines (self-published magazines). We talked to Shui about being born in Tokyo and raised in Beijing and London (where she went to Camberwell College of Arts, and where she feels like she belongs to no particular place). We also discussed her artwork, which utilizes broad brushstrokes and a free-form sketch style to depict scenes inspired by a variety of characters in everyday life. Shui notes that her style is partially inspired by Old Master Q (老夫子), a classic Chinese comic. For recommendations, Alice recommends Sexy Beijing (www.sexybeijing.tv), and especially its star and producer, Anna Sophie Loewenberg, a precursor to all the badass females in her life. Sexy Beijing was a project that Loewenberg created with Jeremy Goldkorn and Luke Mines. Sophie recommends Woman World, a graphic novel published by Drawn & Quarterly and based on an Instagram comic about a world without men. Our guest, Shui, recommends yoga and a très noir French Pinocchio comic book by Winshluss.

Most Americans are familiar with The Great Wall of China. Fewer are familiar with the Great Firewall of China. The Firewall blocks vast expanses of the world’s web content — and it’s just one of the tools the Chinese government uses to monitor, censor, and even manipulate what its approximately 1.4 billion citizens see online. On this episode of So to Speak, we explore one of the most extensive and effective censorship systems ever devised by a government. How does the Chinese government do it? And why? For answers, we turn to the experts: “Charlie Smith,” the pseudonymous co-founder of anti-censorship group greatfire.org, working secretly in China; Jeremy Goldkorn, a co-founder of the Sinica Podcast and editor of supchina; and Bill Bishop, editor of the popular China policy newsletter Sinocism. www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: sotospeak@thefire.org Call in a question: 215-315-0100

Kaiser Kuo is a household name among China watchers as host of the Sinica Podcast with Jeremy Goldkorn, a current affairs podcast that invites prominent China journalists and China-watchers to participate in uncensored discussions about Chinese political and economic affairs. Before launching the podcast, however, Kaiser was the guitarist in the Chinese heavy metal band "Tang Dynasty." Kaiser's story of China's burgeoning rock & roll scene in the late 1980s colorfully fuses the music, culture, and politics of the time to present an alternate angle on events that shaped a generation. Kaiser previously worked as director for international communications for Chinese search engine Baidu. Before that he was a technology correspondent for Red Herring magazine, and also worked as director of digital strategy, China, for Ogilvy & Mather in Beijing. He used to write a column for the foreigner-focused English-language magazine The Beijinger from 2001 to 2011, and is now a regular contributor for SupChina, which acquired the Sinica Podcast in 2016. The "Harvard on China Podcast" is hosted by James Evans at Harvard's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. Listen and subscribe to the Harvard on China Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Podbean.

In November 2016, Sinica co-host Jeremy Goldkorn attended a conference in his native South Africa called the Africa-China Journalists Forum. The forum was convened to discuss the often-polarized media coverage of China’s involvement in Africa, and to consider how to accentuate the African perspective — rather than the Chinese or Western ones — on how China is changing lives in Africa. In addition to moderating the forum, Jeremy interviewed two organizers of the forum who are longtime observers of China in Africa: Barry Van Wyk and Bob Wekesa. Both are highly knowledgeable of journalism in Africa, and work for the Africa-China Reporting Project at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, where the forum was held. In this short episode, Barry and Bob explain the differences between Chinese, African, and Western journalists, the state of reporting on China-in-Africa issues, and the work that the Africa-China Reporting Project is doing to build a “human grassroots approach” to reporting such a large and controversial story. They also recommended several of their favorite stories that have come out of the project in its work to sponsor aspiring African and Chinese journalists: Nfor Kingsley Monde on China’s role driving deforestation in Cameroon, and on the flipside, Manyanye Paul Ikome on how China has contributed greatly to improving public health in that same country. Other stories on health care, such as this one by Fousseni Saibou. A few highlights from Chinese journalists: Chen Xiaochen on a sisal farm in Tanzania, and Yang Meng on the gold mines of Ghana. Fredrick Mugira on Uganda’s copper mines. Stories on the Standard Gauge Railway being built in Kenya and east Africa, such as this one by Allan Olingo.  

China’s legal system is much derided and poorly understood, but its development has, in many ways, been one of the defining features of the reform and opening-up era. Rachel Stern, a professor of law and political science at the University of California, Berkeley, has researched the contradictions, successes and failures of China’s changing approach to governance and legal oversight of society. She has also written a book, Environmental Litigation in China: A Study in Political Ambivalence, which examines the intersection of Chinese authoritarianism, pollution and the nation's laws. In this podcast, Rachel talks with Kaiser and Jeremy about her recent research, the Chinese bar exam and its politicization, the ways in which environmental litigation works (or doesn't), and the anxious uncertainty behind much of the self-censorship in media. You can find background reading for this podcast here, which includes a curated reading list on China's legal system. You can also learn more about Rachel in her supplementary Q&A with Jeremy Goldkorn in which they discuss comparisons between the U.S. and Chinese legal systems, the phrase "rule of law" and the Chinese citizens who are filing lawsuits. Recommendations: Jeremy: Chinese politics from the provinces blog. Rachel: The Chinese Mayor, a documentary film by Zhou Hao. Kaiser: Moonglow, a novel by Michael Chabon.

On this week’s episode, our guest Ma Tianjie, editor of the bilingual environmental website China Dialogue and the blogger behind Chublic Opinion, untangles the complexities and contradictions of online discussions in China. Tianjie shares insights into three key events in China’s public-opinion landscape that inflamed hordes of online commentators: a shocking family murder-suicide; a famous actor’s cheating spouse; and a mass online action in the name of patriotism against a popular film director and Kentucky Fried Chicken. The conversation also delves into the origin of the “little pink” patriots who combine cutesy pop culture with nationalistic cyberactivism, as well as Chinese critiques of “white liberalism” and the urban elites who espouse its values. You can find background reading for this podcast here, which includes summaries and links to the Ma Tianjie articles discussed in the podcast, along with a supplementary Q&A by Jeremy Goldkorn in which he discusses Tianjie’s background and the roots of his interest in environmental issues. Recommendations: Jeremy: Aeropress coffee maker. Ada: Fact checking websites: Factcheck.org, for example. Ma Tianjie: Fan Hua 繁花, a novel in Chinese by Jin Yucheng 金宇澄. Kaiser:The Goldfinch, a novel by Donna Tartt.

The first day of 2016 marked the official end of China’s one-child policy, one of the most controversial and draconian approaches to population management in human history. The rules have not been abolished but modified, allowing all married Chinese couples to have two children. However, the change may have come too late to address the negative ways the policy has shaped the country’s demographics and the lives of its citizens for decades to come. In this podcast, Jeremy and Kaiser talk with Mei Fong about the policy’s history, its effectiveness and the consequences of nearly four decades of mandating a family’s size. Mei also discusses her heartbreaking encounters with parents who lost their only children in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and their subsequent rush to have their vasectomies and sterilizations reversed. She provides insight into the people who designed the policy (rocket scientists — literally, rocket scientists!), those who enforced the rules, what lies ahead with the relaxation in the policy, the 30 million unfortunate bachelors who can’t find a mate, and the fate of grandparents who have only one descendant in a culture that used to regard a large family as the ultimate happiness. For further reading, don’t miss Jeremy Goldkorn’s Q&A with Mei Fong, in which she discusses her early life and career, from developing an interest in journalism after a meeting with Queen Elizabeth to winning a Pulitzer to navigating the white-male dominated ranks of the foreign correspondence field. Our Sinica backgrounder, “The past and future of China’s one-child policy”, provides different perspectives on the controversial subject, some of which highlight the benefits it may have had. Recommendations: Jeremy: China: When the Cats Rule, by Ian Johnson, on the 20th-century Chinese writer Lao She. Mei: The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee; Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande;When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. Kaiser: The television show BrainDead.

The immense popularity of social media has afforded China watchers a terrific window onto public opinion in China. In recent years, a slew of English-language websites have emerged to interpret the various trends, phenomena, discourse and debates on the Chinese internet for non-Chinese audiences, but for our money, the very best of the bunch is Chublic Opinion — public opinion with Chinese characteristics. Written by Ma Tianjie, a graduate of Peking University who now works for China Dialogue, the blog offers penetrating insight and analysis with great flare. He joins Kaiser Kuo, Jeremy Goldkorn and Ada Shen in the studio for a wide-ranging discussion that reveals the mysterious origins of "diaosi" culture and looks at some of the controversies and conversations that have dominated Weibo and WeChat in recent months.

Members of the Politburo are rarely praised for their dancing skills, but consider Xi Jinping's almost flawless execution of a political two-step: first casting himself as the voice of liberal moderation in the face of Bo Xilai's mass propaganda, and then draping himself in the mantle of Maoist China and the Communist Revolution once his position was secure. The changes are enough to prompt anyone to ask: How exactly did this happen and does it even make sense? Today on Sinica we take a look at the political movement that some academics are calling neo-Maoism, a group composed of the traditionally conservative politicians and Communist Party members whose influence began eroding with market reforms in the 1980s but who have arguably witnessed a comeback in the last two years. In a conversation with Jude Blanchette, the former assistant director of the 21st Century China Program at the University of California San Diego and currently the associate engagement director at The Conference Board’s China Center for Economics and Business in Beijing, Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn take a look at the history of the movement, its major players and how it is treated in the Chinese media.

Kaiser and Jeremy recorded today's show from New York, where they waylaid Holly Chang, founder of Project Pengyou and now the Acting Executive Director of the Committee of 100, for a discussion on spying, stealing and Broadway. Yes, you read that right. After catching the Broadway musical Allegiance, which is about the Japanese-American internment camps in WWII, we wanted to do a show discussing the experiences people of Chinese heritage have with racial profiling today, and particularly the experiences of the Chinese diaspora community in the United States. Recommendations: Project Pengyou Corn Wars by Ted Genoways This American Life - Kaiser Kuo Edition Committee of 100 Jeremy Goldkorn: 1. One the Media: George Takei Has A Play 2. "My Personal Vendetta" An Interview with Hong Kong Publisher Bao Pu by Ian Johnson Holly Chang: Fateful Ties: A History of America's Preoccupation with China Kaiser: The Broad Way Show Allegiance and the original cast recordings available on iTunes  

Jeremy Goldkorn, founder of Danwei research firm and co-host of the Sinica podcast discusses developments in China’s internet and social media culture, the founding of Danwei and  his long-time interest in China in an interview with National Committee Program Officer Maura Cunningham on December 14, 2015 in New York City. The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.

With equity markets in free fall, housing prices skipping downwards, foreign reserves plummeting and industrial production on a road trip back to the last decade, it's no surprise that permabears like Gordon Chang are stocking up on popcorn to bask in what they see as the long-due collapse of the Chinese economy. It all raises the question of how bad things are going to get, which leads to the question of how bad they are right now. Joining Kaiser Kuo, Jeremy Goldkorn and David Moser in the studio today to talk about the Chinese economy and its recent tailspin is none other than Tom Orlik, an economist at Bloomberg and author of the book Understanding China's Economic Indicators. Tom has years of experience writing about China and joins to share his thoughts on what parts of the economy are doing decently and where the real problems lie. Recommendations: Jeremy Goldkorn A People’s Friendship, by James Palmer http://www.chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/postcard/peoples-friendship David Moser Billionaires, by Darrel M West http://www.amazon.com/Billionaires-Reflections-Darrell-M-West/dp/0815725965 New Koch, by Jane Mayer http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/01/25/new-koch Tom Orlik Outside Over There, by Maurice Sendak http://www.amazon.com/Outside-Over-There-Caldecott-Collection/dp/0064431851 The Adventures of Augie March, by Saul Bellow http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Augie-March-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143039571 Kaiser Kuo Mass Flourishing, by Edmund Phelps http://www.amazon.com/Mass-Flourishing-Grassroots-Innovation-Challenge/dp/0691165793/

Amazing research now suggests that Beijing's swifts, the tiny creatures most residents pass by without noticing, are some of the most well-travelled birds on the planet, averaging an astonishing 124,000 miles of flight in their life, barely landing for years on end, and migrating as far as the southern tip of Africa. This week on Sinica, Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn spoke with Terry Townshend, founder of the environmental education and travel organization EcoAction China and creator of the "Birding Beijing" website, for an inside look at how the scientific community discovered these amazing facts. We also discuss how the changing urban landscape of Beijing is affecting the natural environment for these amazing creatures. Recommendations:   Birding Beijing http://birdingbeijing.com/ Action for Swifts http://actionforswifts.blogspot.com British Trust for Ornithology http://www.bto.org Purity: A Novel, by Jonathan Franzen http://www.amazon.com/Purity-A-Novel-Jonathan-Franzen/dp/0374239215 Cement and Pig Consumption Reveal China's Huge Changes http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-33802777

This is the second part of our episode of Sinica recorded during a special live event at the Bookworm Literary Festival. In this show David Moser and Kaiser Kuo were joined by China-newcomer Jeremy Goldkorn, fresh off the plane from Nashville to field questions from our live Beijing audience. During this show, we talk about what Beijing means to us and what we see happening in China going forward. If you're a long-time listener, be sure to check out this unusual episode recorded in front of a live audience.

Our episode of Sinica this week was captured during a special live event at the Bookworm Literary Festival, where David Moser and Kaiser Kuo were joined by China-newcomer Jeremy Goldkorn, fresh off the plane from Nashville. During the show we talked about Beijing-lifers and how the city has changed during our time here. If you're a long-time listener, be sure to check out this unusual episode recorded in front of a live audience. Recommendations: Chublic Opinion https://chublicopinion.com/  Jeremy Goldkorn Holiday Inn Express on 春秀路 David Moser The World According to Xi Jinping, by Benjamin Carlson http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/09/xi-jinping-china-book-chinese-dream/406387/ Kaiser Kuo Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie http://www.amazon.com/Americanah-Chimamanda-Ngozi-Adichie/dp/0307455920 Here’s What All The Chinese Students at Your School are Reading, by Matt Sheehan http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/heres-what-the-300000-chinese-students-in-the-us-are-reading_55f9b409e4b0e333e54c3e22

South African-native and Jeremy Goldkorn is an outspoken commentator, blogger and podcaster. Jeremy is the founder of the media research blog danwei.com and the co-host of the popular Sinica podcast with Kaiser Kuo. He is among the most insightful, provocative commentators on contemporary China and In this episode of the China in Africa podcast, Jeremy joins Eric and Cobus for a free-wheeling discussion on what the Sino-African relationship looks like from Beijing.

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  

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  

It seems to be the consensus among long-time China watchers that the Chinese media has become more radicalized over the last five years, with both online and traditional channels now feeding the public conflicting stories of both reflexive scorn for the status quo or patriotic jingoism. But how radical are things getting? And what are the limits to how much further they can go, or will be allowed to go on either side? This week on Sinica we look at two of the extremes. First up is a discussion between Jeremy Goldkorn and Brook Larmer, whose recent essay on Chinese internet humor for The New York Times looked not only at what is being said online but who is saying it and why. Then we look the other way, talking with journalist Christina Larson and Sinica-stalwart David Moser about the Global Times, a commercial newspaper under the auspices of the People's Daily so untempered in its nationalism that many consider the paper a government mouthpiece, with Christina Larson even comparing the publication to Fox News. Recommendations: Brook's NYT article http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/magazine/the-dangerous-politics-of-internet-humor-in-china.html Stifled Laughter: How the Communist Party Killed Chinese Humor http://www.danwei.org/tv/stifled_laughter_how_the_commu.php Pi San's cartoons on NYT http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/10/30/magazine/26mag-chinese-animations.html?scp=2&sq=pi%20san%20china&st=cse ABC interview with Pi San and Jeremy http://www.danwei.org/featured_video/director_pi_san_on_his_his_yea.php Pi San's cartoons with English subtitles http://www.danwei.com/blowing-up-the-school/ http://www.danwei.com/kuang-kuang-and-the-38th-parallel/ Liu Xiaobo humor - The Lius I admire http://www.danwei.org/humor/the_lius_i_admire.php Lei Feng microblog http://www.danwei.org/humor/lei_feng_microblog.php Hoax dictionary entries (origin of the "Cao Ni Ma" slang) http://www.danwei.org/humor/baidu_baike_fake_entries.php Hu Ge spoof on group housing http://www.danwei.org/humor/ccav_on_group_housing.php China Digital Times Grass Mud Horse Lexicon https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2015/07/decoding-the-chinese-internet-ebook-2015-edition/ Christina's FP article http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/10/31/global_times_china_fox_news FP: Top 10 screeds in Global Times http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/10/31/the_top_10_screeds_in_chinas_global_times John Garnaut: Global Times - A cocktail of conspiracies delivered daily http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/a-cocktail-of-conspiracies-delivered-daily-20101217-190pb.html Hu Xijin's Weibo http://weibo.com/huxijin Peking Duck blogger on Global Times https://www.google.com/search?&q=site%3Apekingduck.org+%22global+times%22

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?

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.

Despite efforts to downplay the story in the face of the Shanghai Expo, news of a recent wave of copycat killings has spread quickly through China, driven in part by the surprising revelation that many of the killers have been middle-aged and apparently well-educated men. Online, some netizens have blamed the government, which in turn blames social contradictions. Writing for The Telegraph, Malcolm Moore summarizes these attacks as a “turning point” created by alienation engendered over the last twenty years of China’s industrialization. Where does the truth lie?  With Kaiser Kuo out of the country, Jeremy Goldkorn of Danwei takes up hosting duties this week, joined by Sinica regular Gady Epstein, Beijing bureau chief for Forbes magazine, and China public relations expert Will Moss, whom you may know as author of the popular blog Imagethief. Qin Liwen, a Chinese author and bookstore owner in Beijing who has written about these killings in the domestic media, also joins Jeremy as a guest in the studio.