Podcasts about Shanghai

SEGMENT 15: TRADE WITH CHINA REMAINS UNWISE Guest: Alan Tonelson Tonelson argues continued American trade dependence on China remains strategically foolish despite political rhetoric about decoupling. Discussion examines persistent vulnerabilities in supply chains, Beijing's economic leverage, the gap between tough talk and actual policy changes, and what genuine trade realignment would require from Washington.MAY 1939 SHANGHAI

This week on Sinica, I speak with Jia Ruixue and Li Hongbin, coauthors of The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China. We're talking about China's college entrance exam — dreaded and feared, with outsized ability to determine life outcomes, seen as deeply flawed yet also sacrosanct, something few Chinese want drastically altered or removed. Cards on table: I had very strong preconceptions about the gaokao. My wife and I planned our children's education to get them out of the Chinese system before it became increasingly oriented toward gaokao preparation. But this book really opened my eyes. Ruixue is professor of economics at UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy, researching how institutions like examination systems shape governance, elite selection, and state capacity. Hongbin is James Liang Chair at Stanford, focusing on education, labor markets, and institutional foundations of China's economic development. We explore why the gaokao represents far more than just a difficult test, the concrete incentives families face, why there are limited alternative routes for social mobility, how both authors' own experiences shaped their thinking, why exam-based elite selection has been so durable in China, what happened when the exam system was suspended during the Cultural Revolution, why inequality has increased despite internet access to materials, why meaningful reform is so politically difficult, how education translated into productivity and GDP growth, the gap between skill formation and economic returns, how the system shapes governance and everyday life, and the moral dimensions of exam culture when Chinese families migrate to very different education systems like the U.S.6:18 – What the gaokao actually represents beyond just being a difficult exam 11:54 – Why there are limited alternative pathways for social mobility 14:23 – How their own experiences as students shaped their thinking 18:46 – Why the gaokao is a political institution, not just educational policy 22:21 – Why exam-based elite selection has been so durable in China 28:30 – What happened in late Qing and Cultural Revolution when exams were suspended 33:26 – Has internet access to materials reduced inequality or has it persisted? 36:55 – Hongbin's direct experience trying to reform the gaokao—and why it failed 40:28 – How education improvement accounts for significant share of China's GDP growth 42:44 – The gap: college doesn't add measurable skills, but gaokao scores predict income 46:56 – How centralized approach affects talent allocation across fields 51:08 – The gaokao and GDP tournament for officials: similar tournament systems 54:26 – How ranking and evaluation systems shape workplace behavior and culture 58:12 – When exam culture meets U.S. education: understanding tensions around affirmative action 1:02:10 – Transparent rule-based evaluation vs. discretion and judgment: the fundamental tradeoffRecommendations: Ruixue: Piao Liang Peng You (film by Geng Jun); Stoner (a novel by John Williams) Hongbin: The Dictator's HandbookKaiser: Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right by Laura K. Field; Black Pill by Elle ReeveSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Here we go again – Tariffs and retaliatory tariffs DAVOS – Elitists are Meeting Suicide Coaches? Hedge funds – finally a good year! PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter   Warm-Up - Here we go again - Tariffs and retaliatory tariffs - DAVOS - Elitists are Meeting - Suicide Coaches? - Hedge funds - finally a good year! Markets - Silver and Gold - ATH - Selling off after Greenland threat - Netflix - Saga continues Davos - 2026 - Economic Confab that often brings out the elite (elitists) - Many watch for their key points and do the opposite - Trump going, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi not - Why is Zelensky going? - Kushner, Bessent, Little Marco will be attending with Trump - Did you know - Larry Fink is the interim Co-Chair. - The CEOs that you would expect that love the limelight ) (Jensen, Nadella etc) World Economic Forum Report (Davos) - Due out Wednesday - expected to show that geopolitical confrontation is the top concern this year - Rising Inflation - Economic Downturn - Asset Bubbles - High debt burdens - Any of those could be any year and anyone in the world that is breathing could have made that list WEF List NEXT - Greenland - Sell or Else! - Trump promises 100% that he will impose tariffs and follow through - The tariffs will start at 10% on Feb. 1 and shoot up to 25% on June 1, Trump said. - Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland - Supposedly in response to EU allies moving troops into Greenland - Greenland protests with - Make America Go Away hats - 200% tariff threatened in champagne and wines (Mad at Macron) Oh - and Gaza - The new Board of Peace - Trump names himself 'Board of Peace' chair under October plan - Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. - Supposedly Putin has said he was also invited to be on the board. - Purpose? Officially, the Board is mandated to “promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict... Saks - bankrupt - Chapter 11 - Problems really got worse after they agreed to purchase Needless Markup (aka Neiman Marcus) - Amazon filed an objection to Saks Global's bankruptcy financing plan on the grounds it could harm creditors and push the tech company further down the repayment pecking order. - Amazon The tech company invested $475 million into Saks' acquisition of Neiman Marcus in December 2024,  a stake it said is now effectively “worthless.” - Amazon threatened more “drastic remedies” if Saks doesn't heed its concerns, including the appointment of an examiner or a trustee. - Amazon initially invested because it thought Saks would start selling its products on Amazon's website and the tech company would offer technology and logistics expertise.| - Amazon's attorneys: “Saks continuously failed to meet its budgets, burned through hundreds of millions of dollars in less than a year, and ran up additional hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid invoices owed to its retail partners.” Suicide Coaches - “This year, you really saw something pretty horrific, which is these AI models became suicide coaches,” Benioff told CNBC's Sarah Eisen on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum's flagship conference in Davos, Switzerland. - In 2018, Benioff said social media should be treated like a health issue, and said the platforms should be regulated like cigarettes: “They're addictive, they're not good for you.” - “Bad things were happening all over the world because social media was fully unregulated,” he said Tuesday, “and now you're kind of seeing that play out again with artificial intelligence.” China - China 2025 new yuan loans 16.27 trln yuan, lowest since 2018 - Dec new yuan loans beat forecast - PBOC announces targeted monetary policy easing - "From the asset side, amid the property market adjustment, the private sector including households and firms showed insufficient willingness to add leverage, while government bond issuance was ramped up to stabilize leverage and the economy." - Now what is happening is that $ that used to go into real estate is heading for stocks/risk assets. - Chinese authorities tightened rules on margin financing, signaling unease over the pace of a rally. - - Under the new rule, investors must now provide margin equal to the full value of the securities they buy on credit, up from the previous 80% threshold. - - - Regulators made the move to rein in potential froth in financial markets, with a fund manager saying it sends a clear signal that they want a slow bull market, not an overheated one. --- Under the new rule, investors must now provide margin equal to the full value of the securities they buy on credit, up from the previous 80% threshold, according to a Shenzhen Stock Exchange statement. The move, which applies to Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing bourses, underscores regulators' efforts to rein in potential froth in financial markets. More China - China's population of 1.4 billion continued to shrink, marking the fourth straight year of decrease, new government statistics show. The total population in 2025 stood at 1.404 billion, which was 3 million less than the previous year. - After the one-child policy - now government is pushing or more births - Measured another way, the birth rate in 2025 — 5.63 per 1,000 people — is the lowest on record since 1949 - Government tactics range from cash subsidies to taxing condoms to eliminating a tax on matchmakers and day care centers. Bank Earnings - Generally pretty good! - Yield curve is helping in a big way - steepening - Goldman beats, BAC beast Morgan Stanley bets etc. etc. - Goldman: The company said profit jumped 12% from a year earlier to $4.62 billion, or $14.01 per share, on gains across its capital markets businesses. - Morgan Stanley: Last Thursday reported fourth-quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations on the back of strong revenue from wealth management. Fed Chair - Over the weekend, Hassett thinks Trump is right not to have him in that position (What a sap! Good he is not in running anymore) - Rick Reider and Warsh are front-runners - Who ever kisses the most ass should win - Warsh would actually be a good pick - experience and smart guy that is level headed - Meanwhile - all of a sudden Trump says he is not looking to fire Powell (maybe h wants him to resign) Netflix/Warner Brothers Update - Netflix now plans to pay $27.75 per WBD share entirely in cash to acquire WBD's streaming platform HBO Max and the Warner Bros. film studio. - In reaction tot he hostile takeover bid from Paramount/Skydance - The last offer was unanimously approved by the BOD - NFLX Earnings ..... --- Earnings per share: 56 cents vs. 55 cents, estimated ------Revenue: $12.05 billion vs $11.97 billion, estimated - Stock down AH Inflation (Did we talk about this?) - Even though we are told there is little inflation... - Consumer Price Index increases 0.3% in December - Food, rents were the main drivers of consumer inflation - Underlying inflation rises a moderate 0.2% - Food prices surged 0.7% Planes! - Boeing outsold Airbus last year - First time since 2018 - BA stock made an ATH last week Bond Vigilantes - Danish pension operator AkademikerPension said it is exiting U.S. Treasurys over finance concerns tied to America's budget shortfall. - The move comes amid increasing tensions with the U.S. over Greenland as President Donald Trump pushes for control of the island. - AkademikerPension said it plans to have closed its position of around $100 million in U.S. Treasurys by the end of the month. - 10 YR yields moved up again to 4.3% - What if.....??? (Mutual assured destruction?) Hedgies - Hedge fund investors posted gains of about 12.6% last year, the best returns since 2009, according to data compiled by Hedge Fund Research Inc. - Funds run by industry giants such as D.E. Shaw & Co. and Millennium Management posted double-digit returns, with Bridgewater Associates' Pure Alpha II fund scoring a 34% gain. - Hedge funds secured net inflows of $71 billion during the first three quarters of last year, a major reversal after a decade of outflows, with the industry's giants being among the major beneficiaries.     Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? ANNOUNCING THE WINNER OF THE THE CLOSEST TO THE PIN CUP 2025 Winners will be getting great stuff like the new "OFFICIAL" DHUnplugged Shirt!     FED AND CRYPTO LIMERICKS   See this week's stock picks HERE Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter

Last time we spoke about the climax of the battle of Lake Khasan. In August, the Lake Khasan region became a tense theater of combat as Soviet and Japanese forces clashed around Changkufeng and Hill 52. The Soviets pushed a multi-front offensive, bolstered by artillery, tanks, and air power, yet the Japanese defenders held firm, aided by engineers, machine guns, and heavy guns. By the ninth and tenth, a stubborn Japanese resilience kept Hill 52 and Changkufeng in Japanese hands, though the price was steep and the field was littered with the costs of battle. Diplomatically, both sides aimed to confine the fighting and avoid a larger war. Negotiations trudged on, culminating in a tentative cease-fire draft for August eleventh: a halt to hostilities, positions to be held as of midnight on the tenth, and the creation of a border-demarcation commission. Moscow pressed for a neutral umpire; Tokyo resisted, accepting a Japanese participant but rejecting a neutral referee. The cease-fire was imperfect, with miscommunications and differing interpretations persisting.    #185 Operation Hainan Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. After what seemed like a lifetime over in the northern border between the USSR and Japan, today we are returning to the Second Sino-Japanese War. Now I thought it might be a bit jarring to dive into it, so let me do a brief summary of where we are at, in the year of 1939. As the calendar turned to 1939, the Second Sino-Japanese War, which had erupted in July 1937 with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident and escalated into full-scale conflict, had evolved into a protracted quagmire for the Empire of Japan. What began as a swift campaign to subjugate the Republic of China under Chiang Kai-shek had, by the close of 1938, transformed into a war of attrition. Japanese forces, under the command of generals like Shunroku Hata and Yasuji Okamura, had achieved stunning territorial gains: the fall of Shanghai in November 1937 after a brutal three-month battle that cost over 200,000 Chinese lives; the infamous capture of Nanjing in December 1937, marked by the Nanjing Massacre where an estimated 300,000 civilians and disarmed soldiers were killed in a six-week orgy of violence; and the sequential occupations of Xuzhou in May 1938, Wuhan in October 1938, and Guangzhou that same month.  These victories secured Japan's control over China's eastern seaboard, major riverine arteries like the Yangtze, and key industrial centers, effectively stripping the Nationalists of much of their economic base. Yet, despite these advances, China refused to capitulate. Chiang's government had retreated inland to the mountainous stronghold of Chongqing in Sichuan province, where it regrouped amid the fog-laden gorges, drawing on the vast human reserves of China's interior and the resilient spirit of its people. By late 1938, Japanese casualties had mounted to approximately 50,000 killed and 200,000 wounded annually, straining the Imperial Japanese Army's resources and exposing the vulnerabilities of overextended supply lines deep into hostile territory. In Tokyo, the corridors of the Imperial General Headquarters and the Army Ministry buzzed with urgent deliberations during the winter of 1938-1939. The initial doctrine of "quick victory" through decisive battles, epitomized by the massive offensives of 1937 and 1938, had proven illusory. Japan's military planners, influenced by the Kwantung Army's experiences in Manchuria and the ongoing stalemate, recognized that China's sheer size, with its 4 million square miles and over 400 million inhabitants, rendered total conquest unfeasible without unacceptable costs. Intelligence reports highlighted the persistence of Chinese guerrilla warfare, particularly in the north where Communist forces under Mao Zedong's Eighth Route Army conducted hit-and-run operations from bases in Shanxi and Shaanxi, sabotaging railways and ambushing convoys. The Japanese response included brutal pacification campaigns, such as the early iterations of what would later formalize as the "Three Alls Policy" (kill all, burn all, loot all), aimed at devastating rural economies and isolating resistance pockets. But these measures only fueled further defiance. By early 1939, a strategic pivot was formalized: away from direct annihilation of Chinese armies toward a policy of economic strangulation. This "blockade and interdiction" approach sought to sever China's lifelines to external aid, choking off the flow of weapons, fuel, and materiel that sustained the Nationalist war effort. As one Japanese staff officer noted in internal memos, the goal was to "starve the dragon in its lair," acknowledging the limits of Japanese manpower, total forces in China numbered around 1 million by 1939, against China's inexhaustible reserves. Central to this new strategy were the three primary overland supply corridors that had emerged as China's backdoors to the world, compensating for the Japanese naval blockade that had sealed off most coastal ports since late 1937. The first and most iconic was the Burma Road, a 717-mile engineering marvel hastily constructed between 1937 and 1938 by over 200,000 Chinese and Burmese laborers under the direction of engineers like Chih-Ping Chen. Stretching from the railhead at Lashio in British Burma (modern Myanmar) through treacherous mountain passes and dense jungles to Kunming in Yunnan province, the road navigated elevations up to 7,000 feet with hundreds of hairpin turns and precarious bridges. By early 1939, it was operational, albeit plagued by monsoonal mudslides, banditry, and mechanical breakdowns of the imported trucks, many Ford and Chevrolet models supplied via British Rangoon. Despite these challenges, it funneled an increasing volume of aid: in 1939 alone, estimates suggest up to 10,000 tons per month of munitions, gasoline, and aircraft parts from Allied sources, including early Lend-Lease precursors from the United States. The road's completion in 1938 had been a direct response to the loss of southern ports, and its vulnerability to aerial interdiction made it a prime target in Japanese planning documents. The second lifeline was the Indochina route, centered on the French-built Yunnan-Vietnam Railway (also known as the Hanoi-Kunming Railway), a 465-mile narrow-gauge line completed in 1910 that linked the port of Haiphong in French Indochina to Kunming via Hanoi and Lao Cai. This colonial artery, supplemented by parallel roads and river transport along the Red River, became China's most efficient supply conduit in 1938-1939, exploiting France's uneasy neutrality. French authorities, under Governor-General Pierre Pasquier and later Georges Catroux, turned a blind eye to transshipments, allowing an average of 15,000 to 20,000 tons monthly in early 1939, far surpassing the Burma Road's initial capacity. Cargoes included Soviet arms rerouted via Vladivostok and American oil, with French complicity driven by anti-Japanese sentiment and profitable tolls. However, Japanese reconnaissance flights from bases in Guangdong noted the vulnerability of bridges and rail yards, leading to initial bombing raids by mid-1939. Diplomatic pressure mounted, with Tokyo issuing protests to Paris, foreshadowing the 1940 closure under Vichy France after the fall of France in Europe. The route's proximity to the South China Sea made it a focal point for Japanese naval strategists, who viewed it as a "leak in the blockade." The third corridor, often overlooked but critical, was the Northwest Highway through Soviet Central Asia and Xinjiang province. This overland network, upgraded between 1937 and 1941 with Soviet assistance, connected the Turkestan-Siberian Railway at Almaty (then Alma-Ata) to Lanzhou in Gansu via Urumqi, utilizing a mix of trucks, camel caravans, and rudimentary roads across the Gobi Desert and Tian Shan mountains. Under the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of August 1937 and subsequent aid agreements, Moscow supplied China with over 900 aircraft, 82 tanks, 1,300 artillery pieces, and vast quantities of ammunition and fuel between 1937 and 1941—much of it traversing this route. In 1938-1939, volumes peaked, with Soviet pilots and advisors even establishing air bases in Lanzhou. The highway's construction involved tens of thousands of Chinese laborers, facing harsh winters and logistical hurdles, but it delivered up to 2,000 tons monthly, including entire fighter squadrons like the Polikarpov I-16. Japanese intelligence, aware of this "Red lifeline," planned disruptions but were constrained by the ongoing Nomonhan Incident on the Manchurian-Soviet border in 1939, which diverted resources and highlighted the risks of provoking Moscow. These routes collectively sustained China's resistance, prompting Japan's high command to prioritize their severance. In March 1939, the South China Area Army was established under General Rikichi Andō (later succeeded by Field Marshal Hisaichi Terauchi), headquartered in Guangzhou, with explicit orders to disrupt southern communications. Aerial campaigns intensified, with Mitsubishi G3M "Nell" bombers from Wuhan and Guangzhou targeting Kunming's airfields and the Red River bridges, while diplomatic maneuvers pressured colonial powers: Britain faced demands during the June 1939 Tientsin Crisis to close the Burma Road, and France received ultimatums that culminated in the 1940 occupation of northern Indochina. Yet, direct assaults on Yunnan or Guangxi were deemed too arduous due to rugged terrain and disease risks. Instead, planners eyed peripheral objectives to encircle these arteries. This strategic calculus set the stage for the invasion of Hainan Island, a 13,000-square-mile landmass off Guangdong's southern coast, rich in iron and copper but strategically priceless for its position astride the Indochina route and proximity to Hong Kong. By February 1939, Japanese admirals like Nobutake Kondō of the 5th Fleet advocated seizure to establish air and naval bases, plugging blockade gaps and enabling raids on Haiphong and Kunming, a prelude to broader southern expansion that would echo into the Pacific War. Now after the fall campaign around Canton in autumn 1938, the Japanese 21st Army found itself embedded in a relentless effort to sever the enemy's lifelines. Its primary objective shifted from mere battlefield engagements to tightening the choke points of enemy supply, especially along the Canton–Hankou railway. Recognizing that war materiel continued to flow into the enemy's hands, the Imperial General Headquarters ordered the 21st Army to strike at every other supply route, one by one, until the arteries of logistics were stifled. The 21st Army undertook a series of decisive occupations to disrupt transport and provisioning from multiple directions. To sustain these difficult campaigns, Imperial General Headquarters reinforced the south China command, enabling greater operational depth and endurance. The 21st Army benefited from a series of reinforcements during 1939, which allowed a reorganization of assignments and missions: In late January, the Iida Detachment was reorganized into the Formosa Mixed Brigade and took part in the invasion of Hainan Island.  Hainan, just 15 miles across the Qiongzhou Strait from the mainland, represented a critical "loophole": it lay astride the Gulf of Tonkin, enabling smuggling of arms and materiel from Haiphong to Kunming, and offered potential airfields for bombing raids deep into Yunnan. Japanese interest in Hainan dated to the 1920s, driven by the Taiwan Governor-General's Office, which eyed the island's tropical resources (rubber, iron, copper) and naval potential at ports like Sanya (Samah). Prewar surveys by Japanese firms, such as those documented in Ide Kiwata's Minami Shina no Sangyō to Keizai (1939), highlighted mineral wealth and strategic harbors. The fall of Guangzhou in October 1938 provided the perfect launchpad, but direct invasion was delayed until early 1939 amid debates between the IJA (favoring mainland advances) and IJN (prioritizing naval encirclement). The operation would also heavily align with broader "southward advance" (Nanshin-ron) doctrine foreshadowing invasions of French Indochina (1940) and the Pacific War. On the Chinese side, Hainan was lightly defended as part of Guangdong's "peace preservation" under General Yu Hanmou. Two security regiments, six guard battalions, and a self-defense corps, totaling around 7,000–10,000 poorly equipped troops guarded the island, supplemented by roughly 300 Communist guerrillas under Feng Baiju, who operated independently in the interior. The indigenous Li (Hlai) people in the mountainous south, alienated by Nationalist taxes, provided uneven support but later allied with Communists. The Imperial General Headquarters ordered the 21st Army, in cooperation with the Navy, to occupy and hold strategic points on the island near Haikou-Shih. The 21st Army commander assigned the Formosa Mixed Brigade to carry out this mission. Planning began in late 1938 under the IJN's Fifth Fleet, with IJA support from the 21st Army. The objective: secure northern and southern landing sites to bisect the island, establish air/naval bases, and exploit resources. Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondō, commanding the fleet, emphasized surprise and air superiority. The invasion began under the cover of darkness on February 9, 1939, when Kondō's convoy entered Tsinghai Bay on the northern shore of Hainan and anchored at midnight. Japanese troops swiftly disembarked, encountering minimal initial resistance from the surprised Chinese defenders, and secured a beachhead in the northern zone. At 0300 hours on 10 February, the Formosa Mixed Brigade, operating in close cooperation with naval units, executed a surprise landing at the northeastern point of Tengmai Bay in north Hainan. By 04:30, the right flank reached the main road leading to Fengyingshih, while the left flank reached a position two kilometers south of Tienwei. By 07:00, the right flank unit had overcome light enemy resistance near Yehli and occupied Chiungshan. At that moment there were approximately 1,000 elements of the enemy's 5th Infantry Brigade (militia) at Chiungshan; about half of these troops were destroyed, and the remainder fled into the hills south of Tengmai in a state of disarray. Around 08:30 that same day, the left flank unit advanced to the vicinity of Shuchang and seized Hsiuying Heights. By 12:00, it occupied Haikou, the island's northern port city and administrative center, beginning around noon. Army and navy forces coordinated to mop up remaining pockets of resistance in the northern areas, overwhelming the scattered Chinese security units through superior firepower and organization. No large-scale battles are recorded in primary accounts; instead, the engagements were characterized by rapid advances and localized skirmishes, as the Chinese forces, lacking heavy artillery or air support, could not mount a sustained defense. By the end of the day, Japanese control over the north was consolidating, with Haikou falling under their occupation.Also on 10 February, the Brigade pushed forward to seize Cingang. Wenchang would be taken on the 22nd, followed by Chinglan Port on the 23rd. On February 11, the operation expanded southward when land combat units amphibiously assaulted Samah (now Sanya) at the island's southern tip. This landing allowed them to quickly seize key positions, including the port of Yulin (Yulinkang) and the town of Yai-Hsien (Yaxian, now part of Sanya). With these southern footholds secured, Japanese forces fanned out to subjugate the rest of the island, capturing inland areas and infrastructure with little organized opposition. Meanwhile, the landing party of the South China Navy Expeditionary Force, which had joined with the Army to secure Haikou, began landing on the island's southern shore at dawn on 14 February. They operated under the protection of naval and air units. By the same morning, the landing force had advanced to Sa-Riya and, by 12:00 hours, had captured Yulin Port. Chinese casualties were significant in the brief fighting; from January to May 1939, reports indicate the 11th security regiment alone suffered 8 officers and 162 soldiers killed, 3 officers and 16 wounded, and 5 officers and 68 missing, though figures for other units are unclear. Japanese losses were not publicly detailed but appear to have been light.  When crisis pressed upon them, Nationalist forces withdrew from coastal Haikou, shepherding the last civilians toward the sheltering embrace of the Wuzhi mountain range that bands the central spine of Hainan. From that high ground they sought to endure the storm, praying that the rugged hills might shield their families from the reach of war. Yet the Li country's mountains did not deliver a sanctuary free of conflict. Later in August of 1943, an uprising erupted among the Li,Wang Guoxing, a figure of local authority and stubborn resolve. His rebellion was swiftly crushed; in reprisal, the Nationalists executed a seizure of vengeance that extended far beyond the moment of defeat, claiming seven thousand members of Wang Guoxing's kin in his village. The episode was grim testimony to the brutal calculus of war, where retaliation and fear indelibly etched the landscape of family histories. Against this backdrop, the Communists under Feng Baiju and the native Li communities forged a vigorous guerrilla war against the occupiers. The struggle was not confined to partisan skirmishes alone; it unfolded as a broader contest of survival and resistance. The Japanese response was relentless and punitive, and it fell upon Li communities in western Hainan with particular ferocity, Sanya and Danzhou bore the brunt of violence, as did the many foreign laborers conscripted into service by the occupying power. The toll of these reprisals was stark: among hundreds of thousands of slave laborers pressed into service, tens of thousands perished. Of the 100,000 laborers drawn from Hong Kong, only about 20,000 survived the war's trials, a haunting reminder of the human cost embedded in the occupation. Strategically, the island of Hainan took on a new if coercive purpose. Portions of the island were designated as a naval administrative district, with the Hainan Guard District Headquarters established at Samah, signaling its role as a forward air base and as an operational flank for broader anti-Chiang Kai-shek efforts. In parallel, the island's rich iron and copper resources were exploited to sustain the war economy of the occupiers. The control of certain areas on Hainan provided a base of operations for incursions into Guangdong and French Indochina, while the airbases that dotted the island enabled long-range air raids that threaded routes from French Indochina and Burma into the heart of China. The island thus assumed a grim dual character: a frontier fortress for the occupiers and a ground for the prolonged suffering of its inhabitants. Hainan then served as a launchpad for later incursions into Guangdong and Indochina. Meanwhile after Wuhan's collapse, the Nationalist government's frontline strength remained formidable, even as attrition gnawed at its edges. By the winter of 1938–1939, the front line had swelled to 261 divisions of infantry and cavalry, complemented by 50 independent brigades. Yet the political and military fissures within the Kuomintang suggested fragility beneath the apparent depth of manpower. The most conspicuous rupture came with Wang Jingwei's defection, the vice president and chairman of the National Political Council, who fled to Hanoi on December 18, 1938, leading a procession of more than ten other KMT officials, including Chen Gongbo, Zhou Fohai, Chu Minqi, and Zeng Zhongming. In the harsh arithmetic of war, defections could not erase the country's common resolve to resist Japanese aggression, and the anti-Japanese national united front still served as a powerful instrument, rallying the Chinese populace to "face the national crisis together." Amid this political drama, Japan's strategy moved into a phase that sought to convert battlefield endurance into political consolidation. As early as January 11, 1938, Tokyo had convened an Imperial Conference and issued a framework for handling the China Incident that would shape the theater for years. The "Outline of Army Operations Guidance" and "Continental Order No. 241" designated the occupied territories as strategic assets to be held with minimal expansion beyond essential needs. The instruction mapped an operational zone that compressed action to a corridor between Anqing, Xinyang, Yuezhou, and Nanchang, while the broader line of occupation east of a line tracing West Sunit, Baotou, and the major river basins would be treated as pacified space. This was a doctrine of attrition, patience, and selective pressure—enough to hold ground, deny resources to the Chinese, and await a more opportune political rupture. Yet even as Japan sought political attrition, the war's tactical center of gravity drifted toward consolidation around Wuhan and the pathways that fed the Yangtze. In October 1938, after reducing Wuhan to a fortressed crescent of contested ground, the Japanese General Headquarters acknowledged the imperative to adapt to a protracted war. The new calculus prioritized political strategy alongside military operations: "We should attach importance to the offensive of political strategy, cultivate and strengthen the new regime, and make the National Government decline, which will be effective." If the National Government trembled under coercive pressure, it risked collapse, and if not immediately, then gradually through a staged series of operations. In practice, this meant reinforcing a centralized center while allowing peripheral fronts to be leveraged against Chongqing's grip on the war's moral economy. In the immediate post-Wuhan period, Japan divided its responsibilities and aimed at a standoff that would enable future offensives. The 11th Army Group, stationed in the Wuhan theater, became the spearhead of field attacks on China's interior, occupying a strategic triangle that included Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guangxi, and protecting the rear of southwest China's line of defense. The central objective was not merely to seize territory, but to deny Chinese forces the capacity to maneuver along the critical rail and river corridors that fed the Nanjing–Jiujiang line and the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway. Central to this plan was Wuhan's security and the ability to constrain Jiujiang's access to the Yangtze, preserving a corridor for air power and logistics. The pre-war arrangement in early 1939 was a tableau of layered defenses and multiple war zones, designed to anticipate and blunt Japanese maneuver. By February 1939, the Ninth War Zone under Xue Yue stood in a tense standoff with the Japanese 11th Army along the Jiangxi and Hubei front south of the Yangtze. The Ninth War Zone's order of battle, Luo Zhuoying's 19th Army Group defending the northern Nanchang front, Wang Lingji's 30th Army Group near Wuning, Fan Songfu's 8th and 73rd Armies along Henglu, Tang Enbo's 31st Army Group guarding southern Hubei and northern Hunan, and Lu Han's 1st Army Group in reserve near Changsha and Liuyang, was a carefully calibrated attempt to absorb, delay, and disrupt any Xiushui major Japanese thrust toward Nanchang, a city whose strategic significance stretched beyond its own bounds. In the spring of 1939, Nanchang was the one city in southern China that Tokyo could not leave in Chinese hands. It was not simply another provincial capital; it was the beating heart of whatever remained of China's war effort south of the Yangtze, and the Japanese knew it. High above the Gan River, on the flat plains west of Poyang Lake, lay three of the finest airfields China had ever built: Qingyunpu, Daxiaochang, and Xiangtang. Constructed only a few years earlier with Soviet engineers and American loans, they were long, hard-surfaced, and ringed with hangars and fuel dumps. Here the Chinese Air Force had pulled back after the fall of Wuhan, and here the red-starred fighters and bombers of the Soviet volunteer groups still flew. From Nanchang's runways a determined pilot could reach Japanese-held Wuhan in twenty minutes, Guangzhou in less than an hour, and even strike the docks at Hong Kong if he pushed his range. Every week Japanese reconnaissance planes returned with photographs of fresh craters patched, new aircraft parked wing-to-wing, and Soviet pilots sunning themselves beside their I-16s. As long as those fields remained Chinese, Japan could never claim the sky. The city was more than airfields. It sat exactly where the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway met the line running north to Jiujiang and the Yangtze, a knot that tied together three provinces. Barges crowded Poyang Lake's western shore, unloading crates of Soviet ammunition and aviation fuel that had come up the river from the Indochina railway. Warehouses along the tracks bulged with shells and rice. To the Japanese staff officers plotting in Wuhan and Guangzhou, Nanchang looked less like a city and more like a loaded spring: if Chiang Kai-shek ever found the strength for a counteroffensive to retake the middle Yangtze, this would be the place from which it would leap. And so, in the cold March of 1939, the Imperial General Headquarters marked Nanchang in red on every map and gave General Okamura the order he had been waiting for: take it, whatever the cost. Capturing the city would do three things at once. It would blind the Chinese Air Force in the south by seizing or destroying the only bases from which it could still seriously operate. It would tear a hole in the last east–west rail line still feeding Free China. And it would shove the Nationalist armies another two hundred kilometers farther into the interior, buying Japan precious time to digest its earlier conquests and tighten the blockade. Above all, Nanchang was the final piece in a great aerial ring Japan was closing around southern China. Hainan had fallen in February, giving the navy its southern airfields. Wuhan and Guangzhou already belonged to the army. Once Nanchang was taken, Japanese aircraft would sit on a continuous arc of bases from the tropical beaches of the South China Sea to the banks of the Yangtze, and nothing (neither the Burma Road convoys nor the French railway from Hanoi) would move without their permission. Chiang Kai-shek's decision to strike first in the Nanchang region in March 1939 reflected both urgency and a desire to seize initiative before Japanese modernization of the battlefield could fully consolidate. On March 8, Chiang directed Xue Yue to prepare a preemptive attack intended to seize the offensive by March 15, focusing the Ninth War Zone's efforts on preventing a river-crossing assault and pinning Japanese forces in place. The plan called for a sequence of coordinated actions: the 19th Army Group to hold the northern front of Nanchang; the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Border Advance Army (the 8th and 73rd Armies) to strike the enemy's left flank from Wuning toward De'an and Ruichang; the 30th and 27th Army Groups to consolidate near Wuning; and the 1st Army Group to push toward Xiushui and Sandu, opening routes for subsequent operations. Yet even as Xue Yue pressed for action, the weather of logistics and training reminded observers that no victory could be taken for granted. By March 9–10, Xue Yue warned Chiang that troops were not adequately trained, supplies were scarce, and preparations were insufficient, requesting a postponement to March 24. Chiang's reply was resolute: the attack must commence no later than the 24th, for the aim was preemption and the desire to tether the enemy's forces before they could consolidate. When the moment of decision arrived, the Chinese army began to tense, and the Japanese, no strangers to rapid shifts in tempo—moved to exploit any hesitation or fog of mobilization. The Ninth War Zone's response crystallized into a defensive posture as the Japanese pressed forward, marking a transition from preemption to standoff as both sides tested the limits of resilience. The Japanese plan for what would become known as Operation Ren, aimed at severing the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway, breaking the enemy's line of communication, and isolating Nanchang, reflected a calculated synthesis of air power, armored mobility, and canalized ground offensives. On February 6, 1939, the Central China Expeditionary Army issued a set of precise directives: capture Nanchang to cut the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway and disrupt the southern reach of Anhui and Zhejiang provinces; seize Nanchang along the Nanchang–Xunyi axis to split enemy lines and "crush" Chinese resistance south of that zone; secure rear lines immediately after the city's fall; coordinate with naval air support to threaten Chinese logistics and airfields beyond the rear lines. The plan anticipated contingencies by pre-positioning heavy artillery and tanks in formations that could strike with speed and depth, a tactical evolution from previous frontal assaults. Okamura Yasuji, commander of the 11th Army, undertook a comprehensive program of reconnaissance, refining the assault plan with a renewed emphasis on speed and surprise. Aerial reconnaissance underlined the terrain, fortifications, and the disposition of Chinese forces, informing the selection of the Xiushui River crossing and the route of the main axis of attack. Okamura's decision to reorganize artillery and armor into concentrated tank groups, flanked by air support and advanced by long-range maneuver, marked a departure from the earlier method of distributing heavy weapons along the infantry front. Sumita Laishiro commanded the 6th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade, with more than 300 artillery pieces, while Hirokichi Ishii directed a force of 135 tanks and armored vehicles. This blended arms approach promised a breakthrough that would outpace the Chinese defenders and open routes for the main force. By mid-February 1939, Japanese preparations had taken on a high tempo. The 101st and 106th Divisions, along with attached artillery, assembled south of De'an, while tank contingents gathered north of De'an. The 6th Division began moving toward Ruoxi and Wuning, the Inoue Detachment took aim at the waterways of Poyang Lake, and the 16th and 9th Divisions conducted feints on the Han River's left bank. The orchestration of these movements—feints, riverine actions, and armored flanking, was designed to reduce the Chinese capacity to concentrate forces around Nanchang and to force the defenders into a less secure posture along the Nanchang–Jiujiang axis. Japan's southward strategy reframed the war: no longer a sprint to reduce Chinese forces in open fields, but a patient siege of lifelines, railways, and airbases. Hainan's seizure, the control of Nanchang's airfields, and the disruption of the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway exemplified a shift from large-scale battles to coercive pressure that sought to cripple Nationalist mobilization and erode Chongqing's capacity to sustain resistance. For China, the spring of 1939 underscored resilience amid mounting attrition. Chiang Kai-shek's insistence on offensive means to seize the initiative demonstrated strategic audacity, even as shortages and uneven training slowed tempo. The Ninth War Zone's defense, bolstered by makeshift airpower from Soviet and Allied lendings, kept open critical corridors and delayed Japan's consolidation. The war's human cost—massive casualties, forced labor, and the Li uprising on Hainan—illuminates the brutality that fueled both sides' resolve. In retrospect, the period around Canton, Wuhan, and Nanchang crystallizes a grim truth: the Sino-Japanese war was less a single crescendo of battles than a protracted contest of endurance, logistics, and political stamina. The early 1940s would widen these fault lines, but the groundwork laid in 1939, competition over supply routes, air control, and strategic rail nodes, would shape the war's pace and, ultimately, its outcome. The conflict's memory lies not only in the clashes' flash but in the stubborn persistence of a nation fighting to outlast a formidable adversary. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Japanese invasion of Hainan and proceeding operations to stop logistical leaks into Nationalist China, showcased the complexity and scale of the growing Second Sino-Japanese War. It would not merely be a war of territorial conquest, Japan would have to strangle the colossus using every means necessary.  

Economic Realities: Chinese Struggles and U.S. Consumer Strength. Guest: CHRIS RIEGEL, CEO of Stratacache. China's economy is struggling, evidenced by declining imports of raw materials and factory workers facing destitution. In contrast, the U.S. economy remains strong, with banner retail sales during the Christmas season. However, the "K-shaped" economy shows consumer fatigue in the quick-service restaurant sector.1965 SHANGHAI

The Collapse of the Chinese Real Estate Market and Economic Stagnation. Guests: ANNE STEVENSON-YANGand GORDON CHANG. China's property sector faces a permanent downturn, with prices dropping 30–60% and enough vacant apartments to house billions. The government lacks the funds for a rescue. Xi Jinping's focus on high-tech is insufficient to replace real estate, which previously accounted for 25% of GDP.1905 SHANGHAI

China's "Hollow Power" in Iran and Venezuela. Guests: GORDON CHANG and CHARLES BURTON. China'sinfluence appears limited as it fails to substantively support struggling allies like Venezuela's Maduro or the Iranianregime. While China remains a major purchaser of discounted Iranian oil, it has proven unable to dictate events against US pressure. Experts describe China as a "hollow power."1965 SHANGHAI

Trump's Iran Tariff Threat and China Trade Rift. Guest: ALAN TONELSON. President Trump's threat of a 25% tariff on any country trading with Iran significantly impacts China, which values this trade for political and symbolic reasons. China has already failed to meet its previous trade obligations, including soybean purchases and rare earth export licenses. Europe remains economically vulnerable.1905 SHANGHAI

Brea and Mallory discuss their most anticipated books for the start of 2026! Plus, they talk to Danika Ellis from Book Riot about their 2026 Read Harder Challenge! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!Reading Glasses MerchRecommendations StoreThe Reading Glasses Book!Sponsors -Apron Notebookswww.apronnotebooks.comCODE: GLASSESGreenChefwww.greenchef.com/GLASSESGRAZACODE: GLASSESGRAZALinks -Reading Glasses Facebook GroupReading Glasses Goodreads GroupWish ListNewsletterLibro.fmTo join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!www.maximumfun.org/join2026 Read HarderThe LesbraryDanika EllisRead Harder Newsletter Books Mentioned -Bright Young Women by Jessica KnollLove in Exile by Shon FayeJoy to the Girls by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson DerrickReally Cute People by Markus Harwood JonesLu and Ren's Guide to Geozoology by Angela HsiehJanuaryCall Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu GuoLiterary fiction, feminist retelling of Moby DickThe Hitch by Sara LevineMagical realism, funny, woman trying to help nephew who is possessed by a dead corgiIs This a Cry for Help? by Emily AustinLiterary fiction, queer, lesbian, librarians fighting book bannersIf I Ruled the World by Amy DuboisLiterary fiction, late 1990s, hip hop, magazine industryScavengers by Kathleen BolandLiterary fiction, dysfunctional mother-daughter team looking for buried treasureThe Charmed Library by Jennifer MoormanMagical realism, books about books, small town, librarian protagonist, book magicThe Jills by Karen ParkmanThriller, Buffalo Bills cheerleader solving the murder of a fellow cheerleadersThe Unwritten Rules of Magic by Harper RossFantasy, magic typewriter, grief, three generations of women, family historyDandelion is Dead by Rosie StoreyContemporary romance, woman sets up a date on her dead sister's dating appThe Future Saints by Ashley WinsteadLiterary fiction, music executive trying to bring band back from the brink, sisters, friendshipLost Lambs by Madeline CashLiterary fiction, humor, family dysfunctionThe Old Fire by Elisa ShuaLiterary fiction, translated, family drama in a crumbling house in the French countrysideSheer by Vanessa LawrenceLiterary fiction, beauty industry, female mogul, secrets, queerHow to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigleyLiterary, historical, 1980s, murder mystery, Indian-American tween protagonist who murders her uncle but she blames it on the BritishThe Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise WilliamsLiterary, multi-generational epic family saga, secretsThe Last of Earth by Deepa AnapparaHistorical, 1800s Tibet, journey, Indian schoolteacher spying for the empire, English lady explorer disguising herself as a manThe Bookbinder's Secret by A.D. BellHistorical fiction, thriller, bookbinder finds confession hidden in a burned book and hunts a story of murder and loveWomen of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna EverhartHistorical fiction, 1940s North Carolina, a young woman subjected to involuntary medical treatment fights backMeet the Newmans by Jennifer NivenHistorical fiction, behind the scenes drama on a 1960s family sitcomNowhere Burning by Catriona WardHorror, Peter Pan inspired, gothic, two fleeing siblings find sanctuary at mysterious ranchDefinitely Maybe Not a Detective by Sarah FoxMystery, romcom, woman's fake detective agency accidentally hired to solve a real murderCross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder MokeMystery, romcom, rich people behaving badlyAll the Little Houses by May CobbThriller, 1980s Texas, mean girls and mean moms, family secretMy Husband's Wife by Alice FeeneyThriller, mind-bending psychological marriage mysteryThe Storm by Rachel HawkinsThriller, Alabama, hurricane, old hotel, gothic, old murderMissing Sam by Thrity UmrigarThriller, queer, lesbian, missing wife, suburban dreadHumboldt Cut by Allison MickHorror, eco-horror, northern California, dark humor, bark monstersHollow by Celina MyersHorror, paranormal romance, romantasy, vampires, found familyOn Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah ScholfieldHorror, southern gothic, Georgia, ghosts, haintsA Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. JamesHorror, siblings returning to childhood home after being called by dead brotherThis House Will Feed by Maria TureaudHistorical horror, 1840s Ireland, haunted house, gothic, suspenseNine Goblins: A Tale of Low Fantasy and High Mischief by T. KingfisherYA fantasy, novella, humor, band of hapless goblins on a questA Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa, translated by Slin JungFantasy, Korean, cozy, woman who inherits magical bakeryThe Poet Empress by Shen TaoRomantasy, epic fantasy, historical, hot evil prince, poetry magicThrough Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McQuireNext Wayward Children bookWe Who Have No Gods by Liza AndersonRomantasy, witches, gothic, dark academia, magic academy, secret societiesGraceless Heart by Isabel IbañezRomantasy, historical, renaissance Italy, competition hosted by secret immortal familyThe Wolf and His King by Finn LongmanQueer retelling of Bisclavret the werewolf, historical, 12 century, court intrigueA Vow in Vengeance by Jaclyn RodriquezRomantasy, tarot, magic, dark academia, enemies to lovers, forced proximityThe Book of Blood and Roses by Annie SummerleeRomantasy, sapphic, paranormal, vampires, mysterious universityThe Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotta YambaoCozy fantasy, train that takes you to your life's purposeTwo Left Feet by Kallie EmblidgeQueer romance, MLM, contemporary sports romance, British premier league footballMost Eligible by Isabelle EngelContemporary romance, journalist sneaks onto a reality TV dating showThe Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann KrentzParanormal romance, romantic suspense, psychic dangers, warring paranormal familiesGreta Gets the Girl by Melissa MarrContemporary sapphic romance, forbidden romance, publishingThe Lust Crusade by Jo SeguraContemporary romance, librarian and archaeologist fake dating, Greek mythologyLast First Kiss by Julian WintersQueer romance, contemporary, MLM, second chance, rom comAin't Nobody's Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton by Martha AckmannNonfictionThe Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King, and Princess Diana by Paul BurrellNonfiction, memoirFly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself, and China by Jung ChangNonfiction, memoir, three generations of womenThe Flower Bearers by Rachel Eliza GriffithsNonfiction, memoir, grief, death of a sister, friendship, marriageBlood Bible: An American History by DaMaris HillNonfiction, history, racism, slave trade history, national identity, personal identityWinter: The Story of a Season by Val McDermidCreative nonfiction, history of winter community events, ScotlandWhen Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America's Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L. MontgomeryNonfiction, history of Black botany through seven treesHalf His Age by Jennette McCurdyLiterary fiction, drama, age gap romance,Catch Her if You Can by Tessa BaileyRomance, contemporary, sports, baseball, marriage of convenienceVigil by George SaundersLiterary fiction, magical realism, eco-drama, dying oil CEOFruit of the Flesh by I.V. OpheliaHistorical fantasy, gothic romance, marriage of convenience, dark appetitesThe Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. KluneQueer thriller, MLM, 1990s, gay couple helping little girl with powersFootball by Chuck KlostermanNonfiction about footballCry Havoc by Rebecca WaitHistorical mystery, 1980s failing English boarding school, dark academia, funny, strange contagion among studentsHemlock by Melissa FalivenoLiterary, gothic, queer, woman investigating mother's disappearenceFebruaryLaws of Love and Logic by Debra CurtisLiterary fiction, love triangle - first love vs devoted husbandOne of Us by Elizabeth DayLiterary thriller, drama between old friends and wealth, murderEverything Lost Returns by Sarah DometLiterary fiction, historical, twin timelines, 1910s and 1980s, friendshipWhere the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton HarrisLiterary fiction, fugitive hides out at rural Alabama flower farm, found familyBad Asians by Lillian LiLiterary fiction, friend group sagaI Hope You Find What You're Looking For by Bsrat MezghebeLiterary fiction, historical, 1990s Washington DC, Ethiopian immigrant communityThis Book Made Me Think of You by Libby PageLiterary fiction, woman receives books recommended by her dead husbandRoyal Spin by Robin Benway and Omid ScobieLiterary fiction, workplace drama inside Buckingham PalaceSuperfan by Jenny Tinghui ZhangLiterary fiction, popstar and his superfan collide, fandom, lonelinessBelgrave Road: A Love Story by Manish ChauhanLiterary fiction, two young immigrants in a forbidden romanceThis is Not About Us by Allegra GoodmanLiterary fiction, funny, multi generational family drama, griefRebel English Academy by Hanif MohammedLiterary fiction, Pakistan, political power, language, friendshipThe Secret of Snow by Tina Harnesk, translated by Alice MenziesLiterary fiction, elderly couple crosses paths with two twentysomethings and discovers surprising shared historyThe Renovation by Kenan OrhanLiterary fiction, woman discovers her bathroom has been remodeled into a prison cellMessenger Cat Cafe by Nagi Shimeno, translated by M. JeanMagical realism, cozy, cat in the afterlife who must deliver 5 messages to people on earth before he can see his beloved owner againA Crown of Stars by Shana AbéHistorical fiction, retelling of the last days of the LusitaniaThe Fourth Princess by Janie ChangHistorical fiction, gothic, 1910s Shanghai, crumbling mansion, secretsCleopatra by Saara El-ArifiHistorical fiction, retelling of Cleopatra's life from her POVBook of Forbidden Words by Louise FeinHistorical fiction, 1500s Paris, 1950s NYC, book banning, inspired by Voynich manuscriptThe Pohaku by Jasmi ‘Iolani HakesHistorical fiction, generations of women tasked with protecting Hawaiian historyA Slow and Secret Poison by Carmella LowkisHistorical Gothic thriller, 1900s England, young gardener at lush manor falls for her mysterious bossMurder Will Out by Jennifer BreedloveMystery, gothic, Maine, heartwarmingI'm Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus CraigMystery, recently released from prison serial killer moves into retirement home when a murder happens and she has to prove she didn't do itDirty Metal by Allison LaMotheHistorical mystery, 1990s NYC, reporter investigating two huge storiesWolf Hour by Jo Nesbø, translated by Robert FergusonThriller, Minnesota, true crime, serial killer, secretsThe Final Problem by Arturo Perez-Reverte, translated by Frances RiddleHistorical mystery, locked room, 1960s Greek island resort, washed up actor turned detectiveHer Last Breath by Taylor AdamsThriller, two friends go on a cave expedition and one gets murdered!!!Murder Mindfully by Karsten Dusse, translated by Florian DuijsensThriller, lawyer finds peace through mindfulness and will do anything to protect it, even murderPinky Swear by Danielle GirardThriller, an expecting mother whose surrogate disappears days before birthThe Girls Before by Kate Alice MarshallThriller, search and rescue expert looking for missing womanPaper Cut by Rachel TaffThriller, woman infamous for escaping a cult as a teen has secrets that come back to haunt herMaria the Wanted by V. CastroHorror, thriller, newly turned vampire in Mexico is on the runDead First by Johnny ComptonHorror, private investigator hired by mysterious billionaire to find out why he can't dieShe Made Herself a Monster by Anna KovatchevaHorror, gothic thriller, 1800s Bulgaria, fake vampire slayer joins forces with teen to make a monsterThe Body by Bethany C MorrowHorror, woman must survive bizarre attacks on her failing marriageDollface by Lindy RyanHorror, serial killer, 1990s, Barbie meets ScreamThe Glowing Hours by Leila SiddiquiHorror, gothic, retelling of the fabled summer Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, as told by her Indian housemaid, Mehrunissa “Mehr” BegumWeavingshaw by Heba Al-WasityFantasy, gothic, young woman who can see the dead strikes a deal with a mysterious and ruthless merchant to save her brother's lifeAfter the Fall by Edward AshtonSci fi, buddy comedy, alien invasion, humans as petsThe Fox Hunt by Caitlin BreezeFantasy, boarding school, secret society, girl transforms into magical beastOperation Bounce House by Matt DinnimanFantasy, a man must fight for his planet when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate itSing the Night by Megan Jauregui EcclesFantasy, inspired by Phantom of the Opera, musical magician competitionThe Hospital at the End of the World by Justin C. KeySci fi, near future where AI runs the world, medical student unravels family secretsThe Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin KirkbrideSci fi, Future of Another Timeline meets The Bone Clocks, time travel, cli-fiNightshade and Oak by Molly O'NeillFantasy, Iron Age goddess must grapple with becoming human, historical, magicThe Astral Library by Kate QuinnFantasy, book about books, magic books that are portals to worldsThe Iron Garden Sutra by A.D. SuiSci fi, locked room murder mystery, monk and researchers trapped on a spaceshipThe Obake Code by Makana YamamotoSci fi, caper, hacker forced by gangsters to take down crooked politicianThe Daughter Who Remains by Nnedi OkoraforSci fi, She Who Knows book 3Wicked Onyx by Debbie CassidyRomantasy, magical academy, girl must unravel dark family secrets, make alliances, and get revengeAgnes Auburt's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather FawcettRomantasy, gentle fantasy, woman running cat rescue in 1920s Montreal and a grouchy charming magician who helps save her shelterHalf City by Kate GoldenRomantasy, young demon hunter enrolls in Harker Academy for Deviant DefenseThe Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina KwanRomantasy, a nine-tailed fox and the hunter who captured her are banished to the underworld togetherThe Lies that Summon the Night by Tessonaja OdetteRomantasy, world where making art is illegal, revenge, sexy monster hunterCrown of War and Shadow by J.R. WardRomantasy, fated mated, magic, hot mercenary, only one bed, touch her and dieThrone of Nightmares by Kerri ManiscaloRomantasy, librarian, dangerous book magic, perilous questThe Ballad of Fallen Dragons by Sarah A. ParkerMoonfall, book 2Dawn of the North by Demi WintersAshen, book 3The Heir and the Spare by Harper L. WoodsA Of Flesh and Bone novellaBrawler by Lauren GroffLiterary fiction, short storiesKin by Tayari JonesLiterary fiction, lifelong female friendship in the American SouthLove and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah BrohmContemporary romance, academic rivals to lovers, two neuroscientists fake datingInsignificant Others by Sarah JioSci fi romance, woman stuck in time loop of one day relationships with past boyfriendsSkate It Till You Make It by Rufaro Faither MazaruaContemporary sports romance, female hockey player, fake dating, rom-comThe Ex-Perimento by Maria J MorilloContemporary romance, woman enlists her favorite musician to win her ex back, rom-com, VenezuelaTwo Can Play by Ali HazelwoodContemporary romance, novella, enemies to loves, world of video gamesGet Over It, April Evans by Ashely Herring BlakeContemporary romance, sapphic, lake town resortAnd Now, Back to You by B.K. BorisonContemporary romance, competing meteorologists, opposites attractIn Her Spotlight by Amy SpaldingContemporary romance, sapphic, second chance, film industryA Hymn to Life by Gisele PelicotNonfiction, memoirThe Company of Owls by Polly AtkinMemoir, chronic illness, owlsBernie for Burlington: The Rise of the People's Politician by Dan ChiassonNonfiction, biographyStarry and Restless: Three Women Who Changed Work, Writing, and the World by Julia CookeNonfiction, biography of three groundbreaking female journalistsThe Last Kings of Hollywood: Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg—and the Battle for the Soul of American Cinema by Paul FisherBiographyLeaving Home: A Memoir in Full Colour by Mark HaddonMemoir of the author who wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night TimeUnread: A Memoir of Learning (and Loving) To Read on TikTok by Oliver JamesMemoir about learning how to read as an adultNonviolent: A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love by James Lawson Jr & Emily YellinNonfiction, posthumous memoir of Rev. James Lawson Jr, a principal architect of a nonviolent resistance movementWe the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America by Norah O'DonnellNonfiction, history I Told You So!: Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right by Matt KaplanNonfiction, science, historyA World Appear: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael PollanNonfiction, scienceThe Price of Mercy: Unfair Trials, a Violent System, and a Public Defender's Search for Justice in America by Emily Galvin AlmanzaNonfictionThe People Can Fly: American Promise, Black Prodigies, and the Greatest Miracle of All Time by Joshua BennettNonfictionCitizenship: Notes on an American Myth by Daisy HernándezNonfictionFear and Fury: Bernie Goetz, the Reagan '80s, and the Rebirth of White Rage by Heather Ann ThompsonNonfictionOn Morrison by Namwali SerpellNonfiction, dive into work of Toni Morrison 

It's time for us to look back and reflect on the year that was in the horror landscape. Tonight the fiends Totemlydrunk and Grindhouse Zombie wrap up their year end retrospect with their definitive top 10 horror films of 2025 before sharing some of their most anticipated releases of 2026. One of our fiends had a new book drop on JANUARY 2ND - Vampires of Shanghai! It would mean a lot if you could click the amazon page and order a copy.  Kick Watch Parties (Tues/Thurs 7:30PM PT on discord) Discord: bit.ly/handlewithscare

The Futility of Canadian-Chinese Trade DiplomacyPREVIEW FOR LATER: GUEST CHARLES BURTON. Charles Burton critiques Mark Carney's trade mission to Beijing, noting it mirrors past failures. Despite attempts to ignore human rights to boost trade, historical precedent shows Canada's market share declined under similar strategies. This mission aims to offset tariff uncertainties and Trump-era trade pressures.1945 US NAVY HUANGPU RIVER, SHANGHAI

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 176 - Chris Lowe - Production Designer In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with production designer Chris Lowe (BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE, THE LAST JEDI, IN BRUGES). We worked with Chris on SKYFALL, and we had a great time catching up with him. In addition to production design, Chris has had a long career as an art director, and he helps us understand how the two positions work together on any given project and what each one's responsibilities are. Throughout the episode, Chris also shares his strategies for communicating with directors and producers, creatively adapting to shifting budgets, and delegating duties to members of the art department. We also reflect on why and how the Shanghai skyscraper scene in SKYFALL pivoted from a location to a set, and Chris shares an episode of creative problem solving from THE LAST JEDI involving the Millennium Flacon, Yoda, and a tree. Plus, Chris reveals how he built Bangkok in Prague during the COVID-19 pandemic for THE GRAY MAN. - This episode is sponsored by Aputure

This week on Sinica, I speak with Daniel Bessner, the Anne H.H. and Kenneth B. Pyle Assistant Professor in American Foreign Policy at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington and co-host of the American Prestige Podcast. If you follow U.S.-China relations even casually, you can't avoid hearing that we're in a new Cold War — it's become a rhetorical reflex in D.C., shaping budgets, foreign policy debates, media narratives, and how ordinary Americans think about China.But what does it actually mean to call something a Cold War? To think clearly about the present, I find it helps to go to the past, not for simple analogies but to understand the intellectual and ideological machinery that produced and now sustains a Cold War mentality. Danny has written widely about the architecture of American power, the rise of the national security state, and the constellation of thinkers he calls Cold War liberals who helped define the ideological landscape of U.S. foreign policy. We explore how Cold War liberalism reshaped American political life, how the U.S. came to see its global dominance as natural and morally necessary, why the question of whose fault the Cold War was remains urgent in an age of renewed great power rivalry, the rise of China and anxiety of American decline, and what it would take to imagine a U.S.-China relationship that doesn't fall back into old patterns of moral binaries, ideological panic, and militarized competition.6:20 – Danny's background: from Iraq War politicization to studying defense intellectuals11:00 – Cold War liberalism: the constellation of ideas that shaped U.S. foreign policy16:14 – How these ideas became structurally embedded in security institutions22:02 – The Democratic Party's destruction of the genuine left in the late 1940s27:53 – Whose fault was the Cold War? Stalin's sphere of influence logic vs. American universalism31:07 – Are we facing a similar decision with China today?34:23 – The anxiety of loss: how decline anxiety distorts interpretation of China's rise37:54 – The new Cold War narrative: material realities vs. psychological legacies41:21 – Clearest parallels between the first Cold War and emerging U.S.-China confrontation44:33 – What would a pluralistic order in Asia actually look like?47:42 – Coexistence rather than zero-sum rivalry: what does it mean in practice?50:57 – What genuine restraint requires: accepting limits of American power54:14 – The moral imperative pushback: you can't have good empire without bad empire56:35 – Imperialist realism: Americans don't think we're good, but can't imagine another worldPaying it forward: The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and Responsible Statecraft publication; The Trillion Dollar War Machine by William Hartung and Ben FreemanRecommendations:Danny: Nirvana and the history of Seattle punk/indie music (forthcoming podcast project)Kaiser: Hello China Tech Substack by Poe Zhao (hellotechchina.com)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

UBS Group Chief Executive Officer Sergio Ermotti said the proposed new banking regulations in Switzerland go “too far” and that lender needs a competitive regulatory framework to grow. He speaks at the UBS Greater China Conference in Shanghai with Bloomberg's Stephen Engle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When President Donald Trump took office, he promised to be tough on China. One year later, China's global position is stronger than ever. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jolie Myers, fact checked by Andrea López-Cruzado, engineered by Patrick Boyd and David Tatasciore, and hosted by Miles Bryan. Labubu dolls on display at a Pop Mart store in Shanghai. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After BCE cut its dividend in mid-2025, investor capital rotated into TELUS as the next high-yield alternative. In this episode, we examine whether TELUS is now facing the same fate or whether the comparison is flawed. We break down the key differences between TELUS and BCE at the point of stress, focusing on free cash flow coverage, leverage, capital intensity, growth outlook, and management execution. While TELUS’s dividend remains uncovered today, improving free cash flow and contributions from capital-light segments such as TELUS Health and TELUS Digital differentiate it from BCE’s deteriorating position prior to its cut. We also discuss the specific scenarios that could force a dividend reduction, including stalled tech-segment growth, regulatory pressure, and prolonged share-price weakness, as well as one recent management move that raises concerns around signaling. In the second half, we shift to silver and explain what is driving the recent price surge. We cover CME margin hikes, record physical delivery requests, backwardation, U.S.–Shanghai price divergence, China’s new export restrictions, and silver’s addition to the U.S. critical minerals list. The conclusion: this is primarily an industrial and geopolitical supply story, not a monetary hedge narrative. Tickers discussed: T.TO, BCE.TO, PSLV, PAAS, AG, HL, CDE, WPM, SIL, SILJ New to investing? Check out these episodes: Investment Accounts Simplified and 5 Stocks on Our Radar Apple Podcast Spotify Web player 3 Things to Do Before You Invest a Single Dollar Apple Podcast Spotify Web player 8 simple ways to Save and Have More Money to Invest Apple Podcast Spotify Web player Investment Accounts Simplified and 5 Stocks on Our Radar Apple Podcast Spotify Web player Check out our portfolio by going to Jointci.com Our Website Our New Youtube Channel! Canadian Investor Podcast Network Twitter: @cdn_investing Simon’s twitter: @Fiat_Iceberg Braden’s twitter: @BradoCapital Dan’s Twitter: @stocktrades_ca Want to learn more about Real Estate Investing? Check out the Canadian Real Estate Investor Podcast! Apple Podcast - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Spotify - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Web player - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Asset Allocation ETFs | BMO Global Asset Management Sign up for Fiscal.ai for free to get easy access to global stock coverage and powerful AI investing tools. Register for EQ Bank, the seamless digital banking experience with better rates and no nonsense.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 1 of our discussion on Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji, we welcome editor Dennis Washburn to discuss the life and times of Murasaki Shikibu, the process of abridging The Tale of Genji for the Norton Library edition, and the novel's celebration and satire of courtly life. Dennis Washburn is the Burlington northern Foundation professor of Asian studies at Dartmouth College. He holds a Ph.D. in Japanese Language and Literature from Yale University and has authored and edited studies on a range of literary and cultural topics. These include: The Dilemma of the Modern in Japanese Fiction; Translating Mount Fuji: Modern Japanese Fiction and the Ethics of Identity; and The Affect of Difference: Representations of Race in East Asian Empire. In addition to his scholarly publications, he has translated several works of Japanese fiction, including Yokomitsu Riichi's Shanghai, Tsushima Tsushima Tuko's Laughing Wolf, and Mizukami Tsutomu's The Temple of the Wild Geese, for which he was awarded the US-Japan Friendship Commission Prize. In 2004 he was awarded the Japan Foreign Minister's citation for promoting cross-cultural understanding.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of The Tale of Genji, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393427912. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social. 

Felipe Criado-Boado profesor de investigación arqueológica del instituto de ciencias del patrimonio del CSIC y premio de investigación de la VI edición del Forum arqueológico de Shanghai, nos cuenta cómo ha ido evolucionando la arqueología y el impacto que tiene como huella del paso de los humanos por el planeta Tierra.

Now both Beijing and Shanghai have official Apple Stores, just in time for the release of the iPad. What do you think of the iPad? Revolution in computing, or an over-sized (overpriced) iPhone? No matter where you stand on the issue, this lesson will equip you to make some comments on the Apple iPad in Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1539

RESOURCE EVALUATION: FROM IRONCLADS TO PANDEMICS Colleague Admiral James Stavridis. Stavridis examines how leaders evaluate resources under pressure. He cites David Farragut at Mobile Bay, who successfully combined Army and Navy assets and adapted to new ironclad technology while ordering "full speed ahead" through mines. In contrast, he defends Commander Lloyd Bucher of the USS Pueblo, who surrendered his spy ship because he had "no resources" to resist and chose to save his crew from suicide. Finally, he praises Captain Brett Crozierfor prioritizing his crew's safety during the COVID-19 outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, accepting the career cost of leaking a plea for help. STAVRIDIS NUMBER 21945 US NAVY HUANGPU RIVER, SHANGHAI

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SILENCE Colleague Tanya Branigan. Branigan discusses the psychological aftermath of the Cultural Revolution with professionals in Shanghai, describing the era as a "collective hysteria." She explores the concept of "eating bitterness," or enduring suffering without complaint. While the Cultural Revolution is not strictly banned like the 1989 Tiananmen protests, it remains a sensitive topic met with silence due to both state pressure and personal trauma. Branigan shares an anecdote about a man who hallucinated Red Guards until his death, concluding that memory in China is often fractured by trauma and the struggle to create meaning. TANYA BRANIGAN NUMBER 81965 SHANGHAIN SHIPYARD

A SON'S BETRAYAL Colleague Tanya Branigan. This file recounts the tragic story of Zhang Hongbing, who, as a teenager in 1970, denounced his own mother to the authorities. His mother, Fang Zhongmou, was executed after Zhangand his father reported her for criticizing Mao at home. Decades later, Zhang lives with profound guilt, feeling that his mother "never answers" his attempts to communicate. He took Branigan to his mother's grave, located in a construction site and under threat of removal. The story illustrates how the era's political zealotry destroyed family bonds and left survivors with unmanageable burdens of guilt. TANYA BRANIGAN NUMBER 71965 SHANGHAI

As we've seen in the past, Tesla China rolled out a couple of design updates to the Shanghai-built Model Y's. I'll tell you all about them and why we'll probably see them in North America and Europe as well, sooner rather than later. Plus: Tesla's CEO says the Model Y topped global sales charts again in 2025, a Model 3 on FSD successfully completes full coast-to-coast drive with zero interventions, and more! If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and consider a monthly or (10% discounted!) annual pledge. Every little bit helps, and you can support for just $5 per month. And there are stacking bonuses in it for you at each pledge level, like early access to each episode at the $5 tier and the weekly Lightning Round bonus mini-episode (AND the early access!) at the $10 tier! And NO ADS at every Patreon tier! Also, don't forget to leave a message on the Ride the Lightning hotline anytime with a question, comment, or discussion topic for next week's show! The toll-free number to call is 1-888-989-8752. INTERESTED IN A FLEXIBLE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR YOUR TESLA? Be a part of the future of transportation with XCare, the first extended warranty designed & built exclusively for EV owners, by EV owners. Use the code Lightning to get $100 off their "One-time Payment" option! Go to www.xcelerateauto.com/xcare to find the extended warranty policy that's right for you and your Tesla. P.S. Get 15% off your first order of awesome aftermarket Tesla accessories at AbstractOcean.com by using the code RTLpodcast at checkout. Grab the SnapPlate front license plate bracket for any Tesla at https://everyamp.com/RTL/ (don't forget the coupon code RTL too!). 

Debut novelist and 2023 Reese's Book Club LitUp fellow Allison King on blending history with magical realism, and what it takes to build a writing life while navigating the modern publishing landscape.We discuss:Allison's early relationship with stories and the role her grandmother played in shaping it.The path from fan fiction and short stories to publishing a debut novel.The dual timeline and braided structure of The Phoenix Pencil Company, moving between WWII-era Shanghai and contemporary Cambridge.Building a magic system at the heart of the novel, and why its consequences matter more than its mechanics.Pragmatic outlining and structural tools (including reverse outlining) for managing timeline-heavy drafts.Researching family history without turning the book into an autobiography.Writing about Alzheimer's with care, and what Allison learned in revision about emotional precision.Resources and Links:Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi ThorpeRedwall by Brian JacquesThe Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King Last Boat Out of Shanghai by Helen Zia LitUp FellowshipOnce Upon a Time in Dollywood by Ashley Jordan My Brilliant Friend by Elena FerranteA Tale For the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki About Allison KingAllison King is an Asian American writer and software engineer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In technology, her work has ranged from semiconductors to platforms for community conversations to data privacy. Her short stories have appeared in Fantasy Magazine, Diabolical Plots, and LeVar Burton Reads, among others. She is also a 2023 Reese's Book Club LitUp fellow. The Phoenix Pencil Company is her first novel. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers' Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS' SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you're enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: From Deadlines to Dragon Dances: Mei's Festival Awakening Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-11-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 上海的冬天寒风刺骨，但这天的自由职业者之家咖啡馆里暖意融融。En: The winter in Shanghai is bone-chilling, but inside the Freelancer's Home Café, it was warm and cozy.Zh: 梅坐在靠窗的座位，面前是打开的笔记本电脑，咖啡的香气在空气中飘荡，衬托出她严肃的神情。En: Mei sat at the window seat with an open laptop in front of her, the aroma of coffee drifting in the air, highlighting her serious expression.Zh: 她是一位勤奋的营销顾问，工作总是她生活的重心。En: She was a diligent marketing consultant, and work was always the focus of her life.Zh: 距离下一个会议还有几个小时，她决定在这里准备一下，并不知不觉间忽视了窗外热闹的过年气氛。En: With a few hours left before her next meeting, she decided to prepare there, unconsciously ignoring the lively New Year atmosphere outside the window.Zh: 咖啡馆四周挂满了红色的灯笼，象征着春节的欢乐。En: Red lanterns symbolizing the joy of Spring Festival hung all around the café.Zh: 梅的两个朋友，亮和佳，刚好经过咖啡馆，手里提着不少新年小吃和烟花。En: Mei's two friends, Liang and Jia, happened to pass by the café, carrying lots of New Year's snacks and fireworks.Zh: “梅，快来！En: "Mei, come quickly!Zh: 我们去城隍庙庙会，听说那里热闹非凡！En: We're going to the City God Temple Fair, I hear it's bustling with excitement!"Zh: ”亮兴奋地说。En: Liang said excitedly.Zh: 梅犹豫了。En: Mei hesitated.Zh: 她得在咖啡馆里准备演讲，但内心深处却隐隐渴望着改变那日复一日的单调。En: She needed to prepare her presentation in the café, but deep down, she craved a change from her monotonous routine.Zh: 她看看两位好友，心底的挣扎浮现于脸上。En: She looked at her two friends, the struggle in her heart showing on her face.Zh: 最后，梅突然一合上笔记本，长舒了一口气。En: Finally, Mei suddenly closed her laptop and let out a long sigh.Zh: “好啊，我去！En: "Alright, I'm coming!"Zh: ”她笑着站起来，决定跟朋友们去感受节日的快乐。En: she said with a smile, standing up and deciding to join her friends to experience the festive joy.Zh: 在城隍庙的庙会上，满是五光十色的灯火、欢声笑语和各种传统小吃的香味。En: At the City God Temple Fair, there were colorful lights, laughter, and the aroma of various traditional snacks.Zh: 梅与朋白一起品尝糖葫芦，观看舞龙舞狮，短暂忘却工作的压力。En: Mei and her friends enjoyed candied hawthorns, watched dragon and lion dances, and momentarily forgot the pressures of work.Zh: 她感到前所未有的轻松，这一切的体验让她心中升腾起新的灵感。En: She felt more relaxed than ever, and the experience filled her with new inspiration.Zh: 会议那天，梅凭借着她从节日中获得的能量和灵感，做了一个出色的演讲。En: On the day of the meeting, Mei, fueled by the energy and inspiration from the festival, delivered an outstanding presentation.Zh: 她的客户们被她的热情和创意深深吸引，演讲获得了圆满成功。En: Her clients were deeply impressed by her enthusiasm and creativity, and the presentation was a complete success.Zh: 从此，梅明白了工作与生活之间应有的平衡。En: From then on, Mei understood the importance of balance between work and life.Zh: 偶尔的停下脚步，去体验生活中的乐趣，不仅丰富了她的人生体验，也为她带来了意想不到的工作灵感。En: Occasionally taking a step back to enjoy the pleasures of life not only enriched her life experience but also brought unexpected inspiration for her work.Zh: 尽管她依然努力工作，但多了几分懂得享受生活的随性和洒脱。En: Although she continued to work hard, she now better appreciated the spontaneity and freedom of enjoying life.Zh: 红灯笼和欢乐的记忆常常提醒她，有时，生活中的意外之喜才是最珍贵的。En: The red lanterns and cheerful memories often reminded her that sometimes, the unexpected joys in life are the most precious. Vocabulary Words:bone-chilling: 寒风刺骨cozy: 暖意融融aroma: 香气highlighting: 衬托diligent: 勤奋consultant: 顾问monotonous: 单调routine: 日复一日hesitated: 犹豫struggle: 挣扎inspiration: 灵感outstanding: 出色impressed: 吸引enthusiasm: 热情spontaneity: 随性freedom: 洒脱festive joy: 节日的快乐successful: 圆满成功balance: 平衡lively: 热闹presentation: 演讲symbolizing: 象征craved: 渴望bustling: 热闹非凡festive atmosphere: 过年气氛unexpected: 意想不到occassionally: 偶尔candied hawthorns: 糖葫芦fulfilled: 丰富laughter: 欢声笑语

PRINCELINGS AND POLITICAL NOSTALGIA Colleague Tanya Branigan. Branigan examines "princelings" Bo Xilai and Xi Jinping, children of elite leaders who were victimized during the Cultural Revolution. Xi was exiled to the countryside, while Bo's mother likely died from beatings. Despite this family trauma, Bo later utilized "red culture" nostalgia in Chongqing before his political downfall following a murder scandal. Xi Jinping also draws upon this era's ideology to demand party purity. Branigan suggests this resurgence reflects a public search for meaning amid modern China's materialism, with leaders tapping into nostalgia for a time of perceived clearer beliefs. TANYA BRANIGAN NUMBER 51925 SHANGHAI

Gregor Wateler, general manager of Jing An Shangri-La Shanghai, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month's ILTM Cannes luxury travel show about his tenure overseeing the brand's flagship property. A veteran Shangri-La general manager, Wateler previously managed the Pudong Shangri-La and other properties in the brand, which is well-known as one of the most luxurious hotel companies in Asia and the rest of the world. For more information, visit www.shangri-la.com.  All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel  (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean,  iHeartRadio,  Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox. 

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Shanghai's Winter Warmth: A Family's Festive Reunion Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-09-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 上海的冬天，空气中弥漫着一些寒意。En: In the winter of Shanghai, there was a chill lingering in the air.Zh: 上海中心大厦的玻璃墙闪闪发光，映着灰色的冬日天空。En: The glass walls of the Shanghai Tower gleamed, reflecting the gray winter sky.Zh: 楼下的街道已经挂满了红色的灯笼，提醒着每一个过往的行人，春节快到了。En: The streets below were already adorned with red lanterns, reminding every passerby that the Spring Festival was fast approaching.Zh: 李敏是一名成功的职业女性，她从高楼的办公室窗口望出去，心里却充满了焦虑。En: Li Min was a successful professional woman.Zh: 她的父亲在医院里，正等待着一份重要的检查结果。En: As she looked out of the high-rise office window, she was filled with anxiety.Zh: 父亲的健康状况未明，令她难以专心工作。En: Her father was in the hospital, waiting for an important test result.Zh: 电话铃声打断了李敏的思绪，“是王伟吧？En: Her father's uncertain health made it difficult for her to concentrate on her work.Zh: ”她接起电话，听到了表弟王伟关心的声音。En: The ringing phone interrupted Li Min's train of thought.Zh: 他和陈萍一起到医院看望大伯，报告说医院里一片繁忙，医生还没有时间解释检查结果。En: “Is it Wang Wei?” she answered the call, hearing the concerned voice of her cousin Wang Wei.Zh: 无奈的李敏心中权衡良久，决定请假去医院。En: He, along with Chen Ping, had visited their uncle in the hospital and reported that it was very busy and the doctors had not had time to explain the test results.Zh: 她知道，家人比工作更重要，春节也不远了，她想带父亲回家过年。En: After weighing her options for a long time, Li Min reluctantly decided to take leave and go to the hospital.Zh: 这一年，她已和父亲疏远了太久。En: She knew that family was more important than work, and with the Spring Festival not far away, she wanted to bring her father home for the New Year.Zh: 医院里，李敏紧紧握着父亲的手。En: This year, she had been distant from her father for too long.Zh: 医生终于走了过来，递给她一份检查报告。En: In the hospital, Li Min held her father's hand tightly.Zh: “情况还好，需要休养一段时间。En: Finally, the doctor came over and handed her a test report.Zh: ”医生说，脸上露出安慰的微笑。En: “The situation is okay, he needs some time to recuperate,” the doctor said with a comforting smile.Zh: 李敏的心终于放了下来，感到一种久违的安心。En: Li Min finally felt relieved, sensing a long-lost peace.Zh: 天色渐晚，陈萍买来了热腾腾的包子，大家围坐在父亲的病床边，商量着如何在医院过一个特别的新年。En: As evening approached, Chen Ping brought some steaming hot buns, and everyone gathered around the father's bedside, discussing how to spend a special New Year in the hospital.Zh: “今年我们就在这里过年吧，有爸爸陪着，比什么都重要。En: “Let's celebrate the New Year here this year.Zh: ”王伟提议。En: Having Dad with us is more important than anything,” suggested Wang Wei.Zh: 李敏看着倚在床边微笑的父亲，心里有说不出的温暖。En: Li Min looked at her father leaning by the bedside with a smile, feeling an indescribable warmth.Zh: 这个春节，虽然在医院，但有家人的陪伴，她才明白，什么才是最珍贵的。En: This Spring Festival, although in the hospital, with the company of family, she understood what was truly precious.Zh: 在这一刻，李敏知道，她已经开始改变。En: At this moment, Li Min knew that she had already begun to change.Zh: 她不再只追求事业，而是努力把家庭放在首位。En: She no longer only pursued her career but made an effort to prioritize her family.Zh: 病房里笑声回荡，李敏的心中，春天的气息已经悄然来临。En: Laughter echoed in the hospital room, and in Li Min's heart, the breath of spring had quietly arrived. Vocabulary Words:chill: 寒意adorned: 挂满passerby: 过往的行人anxiety: 焦虑uncertain: 未明concentrate: 专心interrupted: 打断weighing: 权衡reluctantly: 无奈的recuperate: 休养comforting: 安慰的relieved: 安心steaming: 热腾腾的discussing: 商量bedside: 病床边prioritize: 优先uncertain: 未明peace: 安心indescribable: 说不出的precious: 珍贵的echoed: 回荡familiar: 熟悉hospital: 医院change: 改变career: 事业prioritize: 优先sense: 感到accompany: 陪pursue: 追求linger: 弥漫

This week on Sinica, in a joint episode with the China-Global South Podcast, I speak with Eric Olander, host of the China Global South Podcast and founder/editor-in-chief of the China-Global South Project. In the early hours of January 3rd, U.S. forces carried out a coordinated operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, followed by their rendition to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. The operation unfolded quickly, with minimal kinetic escalation, but has raised far-reaching questions about international law, hemispheric security, and the Trump administration's willingness to use force in the Western Hemisphere. Just before the raid, China's Special Envoy for Latin America, Qiu Xiaoqi, had met with Maduro in Caracas. Commentary linking Trump's action to China has ranged widely—claims about spheres of influence, arguments this was all about oil or rare earths, and pronouncements about what this means for Taiwan. Eric helps us think through China's actual stake in Venezuela, how deeply Beijing understands Latin America, what this episode does and does not change about China's role in the region and the global South more broadly, China's immediate reaction and concrete exposure on the ground, how it manages political risk when partner regimes collapse, and what Chinese military planners may be studying as they assess how this operation unfolded.5:18 – How Beijing is reading this episode: official messaging versus elite thinking 7:40 – The Taiwan comparisons on Chinese social media and why they don't work 11:09 – How deep is China's actual expertise on Latin America? 14:56 – Comparing U.S. and Chinese benches of Latin America expertise 18:02 – Are we back to spheres of influence? Why that framing doesn't work 20:09 – Where is China most exposed in Venezuela: oil, loans, personnel? 23:41 – The resource-for-infrastructure model and why it failed 28:27 – The political assets: China as defender of sovereignty and multilateralism 36:25 – Will this push left-leaning governments closer to Beijing? 40:07 – The "China impotence" narrative and what doing something would actually mean 46:26 – What Chinese military planners are actually studying 51:46 – The Qiu Xiaoqi meeting: strategic failure or intelligence delivery? 58:40 – What actually changes and what doesn't: looking aheadPaying it forward: Alonso Illueca, nonresident fellow for Latin America and the Caribbean at the China Global South ProjectRecommendations: Eric: "China's Long Economic War" by Zongyuan Zoe Liu (Foreign Affairs)Kaiser: The Venetian Heretic by Christian CameronSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's time for us to look back and reflect on the year that was in the horror landscape. Tonight the fiends Totemlydrunk and Grindhouse Zombie share their thoughts on some of the year's biggest surprises and biggest disappointments. One of our fiends had a new book drop on JANUARY 2ND - Vampires of Shanghai! It would mean a lot if you could click the amazon page and order a copy.  Kick Watch Parties (Tues/Thurs 7:30PM PT on discord) Discord: bit.ly/handlewithscare

Guest: Steve Yates. China expects repayment for its loans to Venezuela, but the U.S. "Monroe Doctrine 2.0" aims to cut adversaries out of the hemisphere. By blocking oil shipments, the U.S. leverages economic power to disrupt China'ssupply chains, potentially forcing Beijing to rethink its global energy strategy.1932 Shanghai

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY: Alan Tonelson forecasts a difficult year for the PRC's economy in 2026, citing deflation and a property collapse. He predicts a strong global backlash against the surge of Chinese exports, which threaten foreign manufacturing sectors, as trading partners begin to prioritize their own national economic interests.1939 SHANGHAI

What happens when China's wine market shrinks by 15% annually since 2019, yet some companies post their best year ever? In this landmark 200th episode of Bottled in China, we assembles an expert roundtable to decode 2025's contradictions and what they mean for 2026.Guests:Nick Marro, Principal Economist for Asia, Economist Intelligence UnitIan Ford, Founding Partner at Nimbility, previously the Co-founder of SummergateMartin Shen, Managing Director, Tiansai Vineyards (Xinjiang)Richard King, Sommelier in Shanghai's fine dining sceneFrom Beijing's anti-corruption crackdown that decimated government banqueting to the surprising surge in aromatic white wines, our panel reveals how "involution"—China's race-to-the-bottom pricing wars—is reshaping everything. Discover why post-2000 consumers spend fortunes on wine pairings but only Instagram the famous labels, how instant retail delivers chilled bottles in 30 minutes, and why Xinjiang is becoming China's hottest wine destination.The verdict? China remains Asia's largest bottled wine market with massive upside in a $300 billion² beverage alcohol sector—but only for those willing to adapt to the new normal.Insights: IWSR Wine Landscapes 2025 - China, ¹Wine market CAGR -14.9% 2019-2024. ²$266 billion TBA value Since 2016, Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things food, beer, wine and spirits from across the world. Connect with us on LinkedIn or Instagram @bottled.in.chinaPodcast available on iTunes, Spotify , online or wherever you listen to your episodes! Subscribe to Bottled in China to follow the journey!Check out our new website & find out more at https://www.thebottledshow.com

In 2013, to mark International Consumers Day, China’s state-run TV network labelled Apple a ‘bad company’. More than a decade later, despite claiming to rely on multinationals from 50 different countries, Apple still has nearly 100% of its supply chain in China. In this episode, we look at how Apple became so dependent on China, what it did to rehabilitate its image in the eyes of the Chinese government, and how it has influenced China’s aspiring global tech giants. Graeme is joined by Jianggan Li, the founder and CEO of Singapore-based Momentum Works, and the co-author of Seeing the Unseen: Behind Chinese Tech Giants’ Global Venturing and Patrick McGee, Financial Times journalist and the author of Apple in China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company. Image: c/- Gerd Eichmann, 2020. Apple Store on Nanjing Lu, Shanghai. Transcripts are available at https://ciw.anu.edu.au/podcasts/little-red-podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shanghai has introduced new measures, including tax incentives, to boost foreign-funded reinvestment, as over 61,000 such enterprises were set up in China in the first 11 months of 2025.

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It's time for us to look back and reflect on the year that was in the horror landscape. Tonight the fiends Totemlydrunk and Grindhouse Zombie shine the spotlight on some of the under the radar releases that deserve your attention. 2025 offered a slew of hidden gems and we're here to let you know which ones you need to seek out immediately. One of our fiends had a new book drop on JANUARY 2ND - Vampires of Shanghai! It would mean a lot if you could click the amazon page and order a copy.  Kick Watch Parties (Tues/Thurs 7:30PM PT on discord) Discord: bit.ly/handlewithscare

Throughout December we'll be taking a closer look at some of our top rated horror releases from 2025. Our full top 10 rankings will be revealed on the final episode of the year. This week Totemlydrunk and Grindhouse Zombie tackle the body horror codependency in TOGETHER!  One of our fiends has a new book dropping on JANUARY 2ND - Vampires of Shanghai! It would mean a lot if you could click the amazon page and order a copy.  Kick Watch Parties (Tues/Thurs 7:30PM PT on discord) Discord: bit.ly/handlewithscare

Chris Whalen, chairman of Whalen Global Advisors and author of The Institutional Risk Analyst blog, joins The Julia La Roche Show for "The Wrap with Chris Whalen" for his 2026 outlook.In this episode, Whalen warns of a market correction comparable to 2008, driven by carnage in private equity where hundreds of companies cannot be sold and sponsors are selling companies to themselves. After a decade-and-a-half Fed liquidity party, he predicts corporate credit will worsen in 2026, setting the stage for a housing market decline in 2027-28. Whalen reveals fraud has become epidemic in housing thanks to AI-altered bank statements, discusses the global power shift as Shanghai now sets gold prices (not Chicago or London), and explains why Powell will likely stay on the Fed board through 2028 to protect the institution - betraying Trump just like every Fed chair before him.Links:    The Institutional Risk Analyst: https://www.theinstitutionalriskanalyst.com/  https://www.theinstitutionalriskanalyst.com/post/theira794Inflated book (2nd edition): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/inflated-r-christopher-whalen/1146303673Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rcwhalen    Website: https://www.rcwhalen.com/   Timestamps:0:00 Intro and welcome back to The Wrap with Chris Whalen01:25 2025 retrospective3:35 Big stories of 2026 05:30 Midterms 08:21 Maxi market correction coming alongside 2008 in textbooks15:09 Will Powell retire or remain on the board?16:45 Will we see a more hawkish Fed in 2026?17:50 Default rates21:25 What happens with housing in 202622:42 Drawing parallels to the Gilded Age26:29 Gold and silver - another good year ahead32:41 Viewer question: Annaly mortgage REIT common vs preferred36:48 What's on the radar next week: Big investment banks piece38:18 Wrap up and where to find Chris Whalen

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Navigating Shanghai: A Journey of Family, Trust & Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-03-08-38-19-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 上海地铁站，人群摩肩接踵。En: The Shanghai subway station buzzed with crowds jostling shoulder to shoulder.Zh: 冬季的寒风从地铁站口灌入，带来节日的讯号。En: The winter chill swept in through the station entrance, heralding the arrival of the holiday season.Zh: 彩色的灯笼拼贴出新年的祝福。En: Colorful lanterns crafted wishes for the New Year.Zh: 在这热闹的背景下，明宇和丽华站在一起。En: Against this bustling backdrop, Mingyu and Lihua stood together.Zh: 明宇是一个认真学习的大学生，此时他心里充满不安。En: Mingyu, a diligent college student, was filled with unease.Zh: 今年春节，他想要回家和家人团聚。En: This Spring Festival, he wanted to go home and reunite with his family.Zh: 丽华是明宇的表姐，比他大一些。En: Lihua was Mingyu's older cousin.Zh: 她总是充满着冒险精神，愿意尝试新的办法。En: She always brimmed with a spirit of adventure, willing to try new methods.Zh: 这次，丽华负责带着明宇回家。En: This time, Lihua was tasked with taking Mingyu home.Zh: 他们站在地铁站的显示屏前，盯着拥挤的出行信息。En: They stood before the subway station's display screen, staring at the packed travel information.Zh: “明宇，等下这班车可能已经爆满，”丽华说，语气中充满了果断。En: "Mingyu, this next train might already be full," Lihua said decisively.Zh: “我们走另一条路线吧。En: "Let's take another route."Zh: ”“可是，那条路线看上去有风险，”明宇犹豫不决。En: "But that route looks risky," Mingyu hesitated.Zh: 他不想冒险，但看着拥挤的人群，他开始动摇。En: He didn't want to take risks, but seeing the crowded masses, he began to waver.Zh: “相信我，走另一条更快。En: "Trust me, taking the other way will be faster."Zh: ”丽华微笑着，给了明宇一剂强心针。En: Lihua smiled, giving Mingyu a boost of confidence.Zh: 最终，他点了点头，随着丽华走向另一条地铁线。En: Ultimately, he nodded and followed Lihua toward another subway line.Zh: 两人随着人流排队等候。En: The two queued up with the flow of people.Zh: 但刚到下一站，广播响起，宣布地铁因维护而停运。En: But as soon as they reached the next stop, an announcement rang out, declaring the subway temporarily closed for maintenance.Zh: “啊，怎么会这样！En: "Ah, how did this happen!"Zh: ”明宇感到一阵绝望。En: Mingyu felt a wave of despair.Zh: 他们已经很晚了，怎么还能赶上？En: They were already late, how could they still make it?Zh: 丽华却不慌不忙。En: Yet Lihua remained calm.Zh: “我们去试试拼车软件。En: "Let's try a rideshare app."Zh: ”她拿出手机迅速打开应用，一边搜索一边带明宇走向地铁站出口。En: She quickly took out her phone, opening the app while leading Mingyu to the subway exit.Zh: 经过一番等待后，他们成功拼到一辆车，终于在黄昏前迈向了家庭聚会。En: After a bit of waiting, they successfully shared a ride and finally headed toward the family gathering by dusk.Zh: “丽华，谢谢你，”在车上，明宇心里终于安定下来。En: "Thank you, Lihua," in the car, Mingyu finally felt at ease.Zh: 他意识到，面对挑战时，自己应该更果敢，也应该更相信他人。En: He realized that in the face of challenges, he should be more courageous and more trusting of others.Zh: 随着车窗外风景的变幻，他知道不管是旅途的困难还是人生的岔路，都会让人逐渐成熟。En: As the scenery shifted through the car window, he knew that whether it was the difficulties of travel or the crossroads of life, both would gradually mature a person.Zh: 他感受到这次旅行不仅是为了团聚，更是对自己信心的一次提升。En: He felt this journey was not just for reunion, but also a boost for his own confidence.Zh: 当他们到达家门，家人们已经在门口等候，笑声中夹杂着节日的祝福和温暖的拥抱。En: When they arrived at their home, the family was already waiting at the door, their laughter mixed with holiday blessings and warm embraces.Zh: 这个年夜饭，明宇比以往更懂得珍惜和团聚的意义。En: This New Year's Eve dinner, Mingyu appreciated more than ever the meaning of cherishing and reuniting. Vocabulary Words:buzzed: 嗡嗡作响jostling: 摩肩接踵heralding: 带来...的讯号diligent: 认真的unease: 不安adventure: 冒险decisively: 果断地hesitated: 犹豫不决waver: 动摇boost: 强心针queued: 排队announcement: 广播despair: 绝望rideshare: 拼车challenges: 挑战courageous: 果敢trusting: 相信scenery: 风景mature: 成熟crossroads: 岔路reunion: 团聚cherishing: 珍惜lanterns: 灯笼background: 背景masses: 人群temporarily: 暂时maintenance: 维护embraces: 拥抱gathering: 聚会shifted: 变幻

This week on Sinica, recorded at Yale University, I speak with Michael Brenes and Van Jackson, coauthors of The Rivalry Peril: How Great-Power Competition Threatens Peace and Weakens Democracy. Their argument is that framing the U.S.-China relationship as geopolitical rivalry has become more than just a foreign policy orientation — it's a domestic political project that reshapes budgets, norms, and coalitions in ways that actively harm American democracy and the American people. Rivalry narrows political possibility, makes dissent suspect, encourages neo-McCarthyism (the China Initiative, profiling of Chinese Americans), produces anti-AAPI hate, and redirects public investment away from social welfare and into defense spending through what they call "national security Keynesianism."Mike is interim director of the Brady Johnson Program in Grand Strategy at Yale, while Van is a senior lecturer in international relations at Victoria University of Wellington and host of the Un-Diplomatic Podcast. We discuss the genesis of their collaboration during the Biden administration, how they navigate China as a puzzle for the American left, canonical misrememberings of the Cold War that distort current China policy, the security dilemma feedback loop between Washington and Beijing, why defense-heavy stimulus is terrible at job creation, how rivalry politics weakens democracy, recent polling showing a shift toward engagement, and their vision for a "geopolitics of peace" anchored in Sino-U.S. détente 2.0.5:47 – The genesis of the book: recognizing Biden's Cold War liberalism 11:26 – How they approached writing together from different disciplinary homes 13:20 – Navigating China as a puzzle for the American left21:39 – How great power competition hardened from analytical framework into ideology 28:15 – Mike on two canonical misrememberings of the Cold War 33:18 – Van on the security dilemma and the nuclear feedback loop 39:55 – National security Keynesianism: why defense spending is bad at job creation 44:38 – How rivalry politics weakens democracy and securitizes dissent 48:09 – Building durable coalitions for restraint-oriented statecraft 51:27 – Has the post-COVID moral panic actually abated? 53:27 – The master narrative we need: a geopolitics of peace 55:29 – Associative balancing: achieving equilibrium through accommodation, not armsRecommendations:Van: The Long Twentieth Century by Giovanni Arrighi Mike: The World of the Cold War: 1945-1991 by Vladislav Zubok Kaiser: Pluribus (Apple TV series by Vince Gilligan)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As 2025 comes to a close, we're revisiting interviews with this year's nominees and winners of some of the biggest prizes in literature. Tessa Hulls' grandmother, Sun Yi, was a dissident journalist in Shanghai who faced intense political persecution during the Chinese Communist Revolution. In today's episode, Hulls tells Here & Now's Scott Tong that her grandmother's trauma often cast a shadow over their family – one she decided to finally face in her new graphic memoir, Feeding Ghosts. It's a reexamining of Hulls' matriarchal lineage, of Chinese history and of generational love and healing.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Stijn Schmitz welcomes Bill Holter to the show. Bill is a Precious Metals Expert and Broker. In this in-depth discussion about the precious metals market, Holter provides a comprehensive overview of the current dynamics driving silver and gold prices, highlighting a significant structural shift in the global metals market. Holter emphasizes a substantial supply and demand deficit in silver, estimated at 300-400 million ounces, driven by increasing industrial applications such as AI technology and electric vehicle batteries. He notes that physical metal exchanges like Shanghai are experiencing significant premiums over paper markets, indicating a fundamental change in metals trading. This phenomenon, known as backwardation, suggests investors are increasingly prioritizing physical metal ownership over paper contracts. Bill predicts a potential transformation in global currency systems, suggesting that the US dollar is declining while BRICS nations are developing a potentially gold-backed settlement currency. Holter believes this shift could dramatically impact global financial markets, with gold and silver emerging as the only truly trustworthy currencies. Institutional buying is currently driving the precious metals market, with family offices, hedge funds, and even sovereign nations like Russia purchasing significant quantities. Holter sees this as a critical moment for metals, potentially leading to a delivery failure in silver markets that could trigger massive price increases. For individual investors, Holter recommends starting with silver, particularly “junk silver” coins minted before 1965, which offer the most practical and recognizable form of silver ownership. He stresses that it’s not too late to enter the market, warning that current financial systems are fundamentally unstable and that precious metals represent a critical hedge against potential economic collapse. Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:01:00 – 2025 Precious Metals Review 00:01:41 – Structural Supply Deficit 00:02:29 – Industrial Demand & Vaults 00:03:21 – Backwardation and Premiums 00:06:04 – Historical Interventions 00:07:17 – Gold vs Silver Differences 00:09:30 – BRICS Remonetization Outlook 00:11:42 – Failure to Deliver Risks 00:13:58 – Institutional Buying Trends 00:14:56 – Retail Flows and Junk Silver 00:20:10 – Silver Going Mainstream 00:21:48 – Investment Advice for Beginners 00:23:17 – Fiat Collapse and Great Taking 00:26:03 – Concluding Thoughts Guest Links: Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/jsmineset/ Website: https://billholter.com E-Mail: mailto:bholter@proton.me Bill was a stockbroker for 23 years and a branch manager for 12. He retired and moved his family out of the U.S. to Costa Rica in late 2006. He returned to Texas in 2011. He was a contributor to GATA since 2007 and began writing for Miles Franklin from 2012 to 2015. He then joined with Jim Sinclair and the Holter/Sinclair collaboration from 2015-2022. Bill is a precious metals expert and broker, he clears through Miles Franklin.

Protect Your Retirement with a PHYSICAL Gold and/or Silver IRA https://www.sgtreportgold.com/ CALL( 877) 646-5347 - You Can Trust Noble Gold The gulf between the Shanghai silver market and the fraudulent US paper market has never been wider or more obvious. And while China and India wisely hoard PHYSICAL precious metals, the criminal bankers continue dumping mountains of PAPER silver because you can't build jack sh#t with it BUT you CAN suppress prices with it! The jig is almost up. GOT PHYSICAL? Bix Weir joins me to discuss the "Asian guy" silver videos, the true silver supply-demand story and much more. Thanks for tuning in.   BIX'S WEBSITE: Road to Roota https://www.roadtoroota.com/ https://old.bitchute.com/video/18bo9M3V25uz/

Welcome back to Bri Books, the podcast (and corner of the internet) where we educate, entertain, and feel our way through ideas both on and off the page. As we head toward the end of 2025 and look ahead to 2026, I'm sharing my best-of beauty and skincare favorites — the products I've loved all year and continue to reach for during the colder months. These are my true winter staples: products that prioritize hydration, warmth, glow, and comfort when the weather (and life) feels a little harsher. If you're new to the show, leave a review of Bri Books on Apple Podcasts, and listen to Bri Books on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Please tell me where you're traveling to by using #bribooks on Instagram and subscribe to the Bri Books newsletter at bribookspod.com/newsletter.  So cozy up with your tea, light a candle, swipe on your favorite lip gloss, and let's begin. Bri Books' Winter Beauty Philosophy I always think about winter beauty through memory. Last December, I was sipping hot cider by my Brooklyn window, watching snow fall, listening to my radiator hiss, and feeling my skin crack, peel, and protest. Late winter dryness hits me every year, so I've learned to curate intentionally. Here's how I nurture my skin and my beauty in the winter and beyond. 1. Dyson Corrale Flat Iron — $499–$539 I've used the Dyson Corrale for over five years, and it remains unmatched. Its flexing plates reduce heat damage and tugging, which is especially important when winter hair is already dry and fragile. Yes, it's an investment — but if you want salon-quality results at home, it's worth it. 2. Kérastase Nutritive Range — $40–$85 per product at Sephora For deep nourishment, the Kérastase Nutritive line is my winter hero. I use the shampoo weekly, followed by either the conditioner or the Riche mask. I always finish with the Nectar Thermique heat protectant and the split ends serum. When my scalp is dry, I add the hydrating scalp serum. If you're heat-styling more, always pair it with a mask. Winter hair loves moisture. 3. Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm — $42 at Sephora This cult favorite transforms from balm to oil to milk and melts away makeup and SPF without stripping the skin. It feels incredibly luxe — and in winter, hydration should feel indulgent. 4. Sephora Collection Overnight Hydrating Dose Mask — $10 each 2025 had me on more planes than ever — Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Mexico. Sephora's sheet masks became my travel and weekend staples. They're affordable, effective, and easy to keep in rotation when your skin feels parched. 5. Elasten Liquid Collagen — $99 on Amazon This is my only true "health" pick of the year. Collagen production declines with age, and liquid collagen supplements can help support skin elasticity and hydration — especially when paired with vitamin C. I take mine in the morning with tea. It's a small ritual with a big payoff. 6. LUSH Bath Bombs & Epsom Salts — $6–$13 per bath bomb Long soaks are my ultimate self-care reset. I love LUSH bath bombs for the sensory experience, paired with classic Epsom salts for muscle relief. There's nothing like a hot bath before diving into life admin — or after a long day. 7. Mandelic Acid + Vitamin C — $20–$100 depending on brand After years of experimenting, I've stabilized my routine with professional guidance. Mandelic acid gently exfoliates while vitamin C protects against dullness and boosts brightness — a winter glow essential. 8. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic — $185 Still my gold-standard antioxidant serum. It protects against oxidative stress from dry air and gives the skin a true glow shield. 9. Byredo "Mixed Emotions" Eau de Parfum — $235 Fragrance sets the mood for me year-round, and Byredo has completely captured my heart. Mixed Emotions is warm, woodsy, softly sweet, and deeply comforting — like a winter hug. 10. La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 50 — $49 SPF is non-negotiable, even in winter. This lightweight, broad-spectrum sunscreen works beautifully under makeup and doesn't irritate my eyes or sensitive skin. 11. OPI Infinite Shine Holiday 2025 — $7–$15 Winter nails take a beating with constant handwashing and gloves. OPI Infinite Shine delivers gel-like durability without the commitment. I love deep reds, classics, and neutral shades all season long. These are my winter beauty favorites — the products that carried me through 2025 and will absolutely stay with me into 2026. Let me know what you've tried, what you're curious about, and what you want to explore next. I'm always here for cozy beauty conversations. If you're new to the show, leave a review of Bri Books on Apple Podcasts, and listen to Bri Books on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Please tell me where you're traveling to by using #bribooks on Instagram and subscribe to the Bri Books newsletter at bribookspod.com/newsletter. 

Why New York/Shanghai Silver Spread Is Narrowing The battle for silver pricing supremacy continues as the price for silver in New York and Shanghai remains wide, although a slightly narrowed. To understand what this means and why it's happening click to watch today's video with the great Vince Lanci now! - To get access to Vince's research in 'Goldfix Premium' go to: https://vblgoldfix.substack.com/ - Get access to Arcadia's Daily Gold and Silver updates here: https://goldandsilverdaily.substack.com/ - Join our free email list to be notified when a new video comes out: click here: https://arcadiaeconomics.com/email-signup/ - Follow Arcadia Economics on twitter at: https://x.com/ArcadiaEconomic - To get your copy of 'The Big Silver Short' (paperback or audio) go to: https://arcadiaeconomics.com/thebigsilvershort/ - #silver #silverprice #gold And remember to get outside and have some fun every once in a while!:) (URL0VD)Subscribe to Arcadia Economics on Soundwise

Happy New Year, and here is our second ‘best of’ episode. But this time it’s the All the Best staff picks. Cockroach by Jin Hien Lau Kwame’s first pick comes from #659 Extra(ordinary) Tales – Part One. What begins as a chance encounter with a cockroach on an escalator spirals into a wild story of movie nights, pop culture, and a swarm of roaches bursting out of a DVD case. Kwame loves this story for its humour and cockroach-themed 90s nostalgia. Produced by: Jin Hien Lau Sound design by: Gregory Thorsby The audio corpse Cat’s fav was the #641 The audio corpse. This piece is part of The Exquisite Audio Corpse, an ambitious international collaboration between 75 audio makers from around the globe run by Audio Club, creating a series of seven sonic “corpses” inspired by the surrealist game exquisite corpse. Cat loved seeing the individual styles of storytelling. The sample was from M. Cristina Marras and storytellers in that episode were Lezak, Pierre & Florence, Yhane, Ali, Darien, Arielle, Valdez & Hazel, Ellie, Cole & Claudia. The Love Game by Wing Kuang Mel’s pick was from #661 The Love Game. Wing Kuang guides us through a love story of two gamers —one in Melbourne and one in Shanghai —navigating the complexities of long-distance relationships and the bureaucracy of Australia’s immigration system. This story came from the Jesse Cox Fellowship 2025, and Mel enjoyed seeing Wing explore how to include elements of bilingual storytelling and gamification. Produced by Wing Kuang Supervising Producer: M. Cristina Marras Window by Danni Stewart Kwame’s second pick comes from #633 Small Audio Art. It came from a Small Audio Art challenge, and Danny’s story, The Window, follows a parasocial relationship with a neighbour. Produced by Danni Stewart Just Breathe by Ben Haywood Our final pick is Mel’s second pick. It’s another one from the Jesse Cox Fellowship 2025. This time it’s #662 Just Breathe Man. Ben suffers from depression after knee surgery. Searching for ways to heal online, he finds himself trapped in toxic ideas of masculinity. It’s only when a friend takes him to his breathwork class that he finally breaks down and begins to heal, learning that recovery can come through friendship, community, and space to breathe. Mel said  ’This story started out when Ben first pitched to the fellowship as a completely different idea. He had a kind of couple of story false starts in the making of this, and then yeah, sort of turned his audio story in on himself and the time that he was going through.’ Substack If you want more of what’s happening at All the Best, check out our Substack! It’s a roundup of all our activities with a little bit of BTS. All The Best Credits Program Manager & Host: Kwame Slusher Executive Producer: Melanie Bakewell Programming & Community Coordinator: Catarina Fraga Matos Community Coordinator: Patrick McKenzie Theme Music composed by Shining Bird Special shout-out to our volunteers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy holidays from Sinica! This week, I speak with Paul Triolo, Senior Vice President for China and Technology Policy Lead at DGA Albright Stonebridge Group and nonresident honorary senior fellow on technology at the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis. On December 8th, Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that he would approve Nvidia H200 sales to vetted Chinese customers — a decision that immediately sparked fierce debate. Paul and I unpack why this decision was made, why it's provoked such strong reactions, and what it tells us about the future of technology export controls on China. We discuss the evolution of U.S. chip controls from the Entity List expansions under Trump's first term through the October 2022 rules and the Sullivan Doctrine, the role of David Sacks and Jensen Huang in advocating for this policy shift, whether Chinese firms will actually want to buy H200s given their heterogeneous hardware stacks and Beijing's autarky ambitions, what the Reuters report about China cracking ASML's EUV lithography code tells us about the choke point strategy, and whether selective engagement actually strengthens Taiwan's Silicon Shield or undermines it. This conversation is essential listening for understanding the strategic, technical, and political dimensions of the semiconductor competition.6:44 – What the H200 decision actually changes in the real world 9:23 – The evolution of U.S. chip controls: from Entity Lists to the Sullivan Doctrine 18:28 – How Jensen Huang and David Sacks convinced Trump 25:21 – The good-faith case for why export control advocates see H200 approval as a strategic mistake 32:12 – What H200s practically enable: training, inference, or stabilizing existing clusters 38:49 – Will Chinese companies actually buy H200s? The heterogeneous hardware reality 46:06 – The strategic contradiction: exporting 5nm GPUs while freezing tool controls at 16/14nm 51:01 – The Reuters EUV report and what it reveals about choke point technologies 58:43 – How Taiwan fits into this: does selective engagement strengthen the Silicon Shield? 1:07:26 – Looking ahead: broader rethinking of export controls or patchwork exceptions? 1:12:49 – What would have to be true in 2-3 years for critics to have been right about H200?Paying it forward: Poe Zhao and his Substack Hello China TechRecommendations: Paul: Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski, Amerca's Great Power Propheti by Ed Luce; Hyperdimensional Substack by Dean Ball Kaiser: Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green; The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green; So Very Small by Thomas LevensonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of 5 Minutes of Peace, we welcome Stan Lai, one of the world's most acclaimed playwrights and theatre directors. Born in the U.S. and raised in both America and Taiwan, Stan earned his PhD from UC Berkeley and has since written over 40 groundbreaking plays, including A Dream Like a Dream and Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land. He is also the co-founder of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival and Huichang Theatre Village, and the creative force behind Theatre Above in Shanghai, a venue devoted entirely to his work.Today, Stan reads from Chapter Four of his new book, CreativitRy, released by Anthem Press — a deeply reflective and practical guide to awakening your own creative potential. Drawing on Buddhist philosophy and his own artistic journey, Stan explores the balance of wisdom and method, two essential parts of the creative process.He shares a transformative moment from a teaching trip to India, where a discussion with a Buddhist monk led him to realize that creativity, like spiritual practice, requires both technical skill and inner wisdom. Without this balance, our work—and our lives—remain incomplete.“To be an artist, you need to have skills. At the same time, you must have the wisdom to know what to use those skills for.”— Stan Lai, CreativitRyInstagram: @Stanlai99Book: CreativitRy on Amazon →Five Minutes of Peace is created by The Peace Room, Boise — offering Reiki treatments, crystal healings, and workshops for personal and spiritual growth.Learn more at www.thepeaceroom.love.

Today we're honored to welcome Stan Lai, one of the world's most celebrated playwrights and theatre directors. He has been called by one critic ‘the major contemporary Asian playwright of his time, perhaps of all time' and by the BBC ‘the best Chinese-language playwright and director in the world'. Stan's Website @Stanlai99 on Instagram Stan on YouTube Born in the U.S. and raised in both America and Taiwan, Stan earned his PhD from UC Berkeley before launching a groundbreaking career in Taiwan that now spans over 40 acclaimed plays, including masterpieces like A Dream Like a Dream and Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land. He's also the co-founder of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival and Huichang Theatre Village in China, and his Shanghai venue, Theatre Above, is dedicated entirely to his work.Stan joins us today to discuss his new book, CreativitRy: Asia's Iconic Playwright Reveals the Art of Creativity, coming in November 2025 from Anthem Press — a transformative guide that blends memoir, Buddhist philosophy, and practical methods for unlocking the creative potential that lives within each of us. https://a.co/d/56PRqeG5 QuestionsThe Source of CreativityStan, you've said that CreativitRy explores “where creativity lives — within each and every one of us.” How did your own creative process as a playwright and director lead you to this realization, and what inspired you to put these ideas into book form?From Stage to Page — Translating Art into InsightYour plays are known for their emotional depth and philosophical reach. How was writing about creativity — in prose rather than in performance — a different kind of creative act for you?Buddhist Wisdom and Creative FlowYou describe the book as rooted in Buddhist thought, guiding readers to unlock creativity through introspection rather than productivity hacks. How do mindfulness and spiritual awareness shape your own approach to artistic creation?Creativity as Education — A New FrontierCreativitRy is being adopted as the foundational text for a new Department of Creative Studies at major Chinese universities. How did that initiative come about, and what does it say about the growing importance of creativity in education and society today?The Universality of the Creative JourneyYou've been praised by artists like Ang Lee and Jack Ma for bridging the arts, business, and human growth. What do you hope readers — whether they're artists, entrepreneurs, or students — will take away from CreativitRy about living a truly creative life?Stan, as we close, what's one piece of advice you'd offer to someone who feels disconnected from their creativity — someone who wants to rediscover that creative energy in everyday life?Thanks to our sponsor, White Cloud Coffee — fueling creative conversations everywhere. Listeners, enjoy 10% off your first order at whitecloudcoffee.com.And be sure to download your free e-book of Your World of Creativity when you visit