Podcasts about Sichuan

This week on Sinica, I chat with Lizzi Lee, a fellow on the Chinese economy at the Asia Society Policy Institute and one of the sharpest China analysts working today. We dig into the 4th Plenary Session of the 20th Party Congress and what it reveals about China's evolving growth model — particularly the much-discussed but often misunderstood push against "involution" in key sectors like EVs and solar. Lizzi walks us through the structural incentives driving overcompetition, from local government finance and VAT collection to the challenges of rebalancing supply and demand. We also discuss her recent Foreign Affairs piece on China's manufacturing model, why "overcapacity" is a misleading frame, the unexpected upsides of China's industrial strategy for the global green transition, and what happened at the Trump-Xi meeting in Busan. This is a conversation about getting beyond the binaries and understanding the actual mechanisms — and contradictions — shaping China's economic trajectory.4:43 – What Western reporting missed in the 4th Plenum communique 6:34 – The "anti-involution" push and what it really means 9:57 – Is China's domestic demand abnormally low? Context and comparisons 12:41 – Why cash transfers and consumption subsidies are running out of steam 15:00 – The supply-side approach: creating better products to drive demand 18:33 – GDP vs. GNI: why China is focusing on global corporate footprints 20:13 – Service exports and China's ascent along the global supply chain 24:02 – The People's Daily editorial on price wars and profit margins 27:31 – Why addressing involution is harder now than in 2015 29:56 – How China's VAT system incentivizes local governments to build entire supply chains 33:20 – The difficulty of reforming fiscal structures and local government finance 35:12 – What got lost in the Foreign Affairs editing process 38:14 – Why "overcapacity" is a misleading and morally loaded term 40:02 – The underappreciated upside: China's model and the global green transition 43:14 – How politically potent deindustrialization fears are in Washington and Brussels 46:29 – Industry self-discipline vs. structural reform: can moral suasion work? 50:15 – BYD's negotiating power and the squeeze on suppliers 53:54 – The Trump-Xi meeting in Busan: genuine thaw or tactical pause? 57:23 – Pete Hegseth's "God bless both China and the USA" tweet 1:00:01 – How China's leadership views Trump: transactional or unpredictable? 1:03:32 – The pragmatic off-ramp and what Paul Triolo predicted 1:05:26 – China's AI strategy: labor-augmenting vs. labor-replacing technology 1:08:13 – What systemic changes could realistically fix involution? 1:10:26 – Capital market reform and the challenge of decelerating slowly 1:12:36 – The "health first" strategy and investing in peoplePaying it forward: Paul TrioloRecommendations: Lizzi: Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare by Edward Fishman Kaiser: Morning Coffee guitar practice book by Alex RockwellSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of The Burt Selleck Podcast is a sprawling, chaotic rollercoaster through injured necks, steroid shots, Detroit Lions heartbreak, improvised bank robberies, Red Dead Redemption ambitions, and passionate arguments about alien linguistics and NFL salary caps. It's absurd in all the right ways, even when it's wildly incoherent.The real charm lies in the chemistry among the hosts. Their ability to pivot from a riff about muscle relaxers to a dead-serious breakdown of Detroit's offensive line problems is both maddening and oddly engrossing. Highlights include the improvised bit about robbing a bank only to be sent on a fast food run (complete with a debate over fire sauce vs. Sichuan), and a philosophical tangent about whether aliens would bother with binary when Google Translate exists.The episode drags a bit during deep sports talk—unless you're a diehard Lions fan with a draft board in your garage—but the constant derailments and self-aware cynicism keep things alive. The show's lack of structure is its identity, but some segments wander into indulgent territory.Would I recommend it? Yes—but only to listeners who like their comedy unfiltered, their NFL takes emotionally unstable, and their podcasts with the energy of a couch full of stoned friends yelling about space travel, lasagna, and trading Jahmyr Gibbs.Rating:

Last time we spoke about the fall of Wuhan. In a country frayed by war, the Yangtze became a pulsing artery, carrying both hunger and hope. Chiang Kai-shek faced a brutal choice: defend Wuhan to the last man, or flood the rivers to buy time. He chose both, setting sullen floodwaters loose along the Yellow River to slow the invaders, a temporary mercy that spared some lives while ripping many from their homes. On the river's banks, a plethora of Chinese forces struggled to unite. The NRA, fractured into rival zones, clung to lines with stubborn grit as Japanese forces poured through Anqing, Jiujiang, and beyond, turning the Yangtze into a deadly corridor. Madang's fortifications withstood bombardment and gas, yet the price was paid in troops and civilians drowned or displaced. Commanders like Xue Yue wrestled stubbornly for every foothold, every bend in the river. The Battle of Wanjialing became a symbol: a desperate, months-long pincer where Chinese divisions finally tightened their cordon and halted the enemy's flow. By autumn, the Japanese pressed onward to seize Tianjiazhen and cut supply lines, while Guangzhou fell to a ruthless blockade. The Fall of Wuhan loomed inevitable, yet the story remained one of fierce endurance against overwhelming odds.   #174 The Changsha Fire 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. In the summer of 1938, amid the upheaval surrounding Chiang Kai-shek, one of his most important alliances came to an end. On June 22, all German advisers to the Nationalist government were summoned back; any who refused would be deemed guilty of high treason. Since World War I, a peculiar bond had tied the German Weimar Republic and China: two fledgling states, both weak and only partially sovereign. Under the Versailles Treaty of 1919, Germany had lost extraterritorial rights on Chinese soil, which paradoxically allowed Berlin to engage with China as an equal partner rather than a traditional colonizer. This made German interests more welcome in business and politics than those of other Western powers. Chiang's military reorganization depended on German officers such as von Seeckt and von Falkenhausen, and Hitler's rise in 1933 had not immediately severed the connection between the two countries. Chiang did not share Nazi ideology with Germany, but he viewed Berlin as a potential ally and pressed to persuade it to side with China rather than Japan as China's principal East Asian, anti-Communist partner. In June 1937, H. H. Kung led a delegation to Berlin, met Hitler, and argued for an alliance with China. Yet the outbreak of war and the Nationalists' retreat to Wuhan convinced Hitler's government to align with Japan, resulting in the recall of all German advisers. Chiang responded with a speech praising von Falkenhausen, insisting that "our friend's enemy is our enemy too," and lauding the German Army's loyalty and ethics as a model for the Chinese forces. He added, "After we have won the War of Resistance, I believe you'll want to come back to the Far East and advise our country again." Von Falkenhausen would later become the governor of Nazi-occupied Belgium, then be lauded after the war for secretly saving many Jewish lives. As the Germans departed, the roof of the train transporting them bore a prominent German flag with a swastika, a prudent precaution given Wuhan's vulnerability to air bombardment. The Japanese were tightening their grip on the city, even as Chinese forces, numbering around 800,000, made a stubborn stand. The Yellow River floods blocked northern access, so the Japanese chose to advance via the Yangtze, aided by roughly nine divisions and the might of the Imperial Navy. The Chinese fought bravely, but their defenses could not withstand the superior technology of the Japanese fleet. The only substantial external aid came from Soviet pilots flying aircraft bought from the USSR as part of Stalin's effort to keep China in the war; between 1938 and 1940, some 2,000 pilots offered their services. From June 24 to 27, Japanese bombers relentlessly pounded the Madang fortress along the Yangtze until it fell. A month later, on July 26, Chinese defenders abandoned Jiujiang, southeast of Wuhan, and its civilian population endured a wave of atrocities at the hands of the invaders. News of Jiujiang's fate stiffened resolve. Chiang delivered a pointed address to his troops on July 31, arguing that Wuhan's defense was essential and that losing the city would split the country into hostile halves, complicating logistics and movement. He warned that Wuhan's defense would also be a spiritual test: "the place has deep revolutionary ties," and public sympathy for China's plight was growing as Japanese atrocities became known. Yet Chiang worried about the behavior of Chinese soldiers. He condemned looting as a suicidal act that would destroy the citizens' trust in the military. Commanders, he warned, must stay at their posts; the memory of the Madang debacle underscored the consequences of cowardice. Unlike Shanghai, Wuhan had shelters, but he cautioned against retreating into them and leaving soldiers exposed. Officers who failed in loyalty could expect no support in return. This pep talk, combined with the belief that the army was making a last stand, may have slowed the Japanese advance along the Yangtze in August. Under General Xue Yue, about 100,000 Chinese troops pushed back the invaders at Huangmei. At Tianjiazhen, thousands fought until the end of September, with poison gas finally forcing Japanese victory. Yet even then, Chinese generals struggled to coordinate. In Xinyang, Li Zongren's Guangxi troops were exhausted; they expected relief from Hu Zongnan's forces, but Hu instead withdrew, allowing Japan to capture the city without a fight. The fall of Xinyang enabled Japanese control of the Ping-Han railway, signaling Wuhan's doom. Chiang again spoke to Wuhan's defenders, balancing encouragement with a grim realism about possible loss. Although Wuhan's international connections were substantial, foreign aid would be unlikely. If evacuation became necessary, the army should have a clear plan, including designated routes. He recalled the disastrous December retreat from Nanjing, where "foreigners and Chinese alike turned it into an empty city." Troops had been tired and outnumbered; Chiang defended the decision to defend Nanjing, insisting the army had sacrificed itself for the capital and Sun Yat-sen's tomb. Were the army to retreat again, he warned, it would be the greatest shame in five thousand years of Chinese history. The loss of Madang was another humiliation. By defending Wuhan, he argued, China could avenge its fallen comrades and cleanse its conscience; otherwise, it could not honor its martyrs. Mao Zedong, observing the situation from his far-off base at Yan'an, agreed strongly that Chiang should not defend Wuhan to the death. He warned in mid-October that if Wuhan could not be defended, the war's trajectory would shift, potentially strengthening the Nationalists–Communists cooperation, deepening popular mobilization, and expanding guerrilla warfare. The defense of Wuhan, Mao argued, should drain the enemy and buy time to advance the broader struggle, not become a doomed stalemate. In a protracted war, some strongholds might be abandoned temporarily to sustain the longer fight. The Japanese Army captured Wuchang and Hankou on 26 October and captured Hanyang on the 27th, which concluded the campaign in Wuhan. The battle had lasted four and a half months and ended with the Nationalist army's voluntary withdrawal. In the battle itself, the Japanese army captured Wuhan's three towns and held the heartland of China, achieving a tactical victory. Yet strategically, Japan failed to meet its objectives. Imperial Headquarters believed that "capturing Hankou and Guangzhou would allow them to dominate China." Consequently, the Imperial Conference planned the Battle of Wuhan to seize Wuhan quickly and compel the Chinese government to surrender. It also decreed that "national forces should be concentrated to achieve the war objectives within a year and end the war against China." According to Yoshiaki Yoshimi and Seiya Matsuno, Hirohito authorized the use of chemical weapons against China by specific orders known as rinsanmei. During the Battle of Wuhan, Prince Kan'in Kotohito transmitted the emperor's orders to deploy toxic gas 375 times between August and October 1938. Another memorandum uncovered by Yoshimi indicates that Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni authorized the use of poison gas against the Chinese on 16 August 1938. A League of Nations resolution adopted on 14 May condemned the Imperial Japanese Army's use of toxic gas. Japan's heavy use of chemical weapons against China was driven by manpower shortages and China's lack of poison gas stockpiles to retaliate. Poison gas was employed at Hankou in the Battle of Wuhan to break Chinese resistance after conventional assaults had failed. Rana Mitter notes that, under General Xue Yue, approximately 100,000 Chinese troops halted Japanese advances at Huangmei, and at the fortress of Tianjiazhen, thousands fought until the end of September, with Japanese victory secured only through the use of poison gas. Chinese generals also struggled with coordination at Xinyang; Li Zongren's Guangxi troops were exhausted, and Hu Zongnan's forces, believed to be coming to relieve them, instead withdrew. Japan subsequently used poison gas against Chinese Muslim forces at the Battle of Wuyuan and the Battle of West Suiyuan. However, the Chinese government did not surrender with the loss of Wuhan and Guangzhou, nor did Japan's invasion end with Wuhan and Guangzhou's capture. After Wuhan fell, the government issued a reaffirmation: "Temporary changes of advance and retreat will not shake our resolve to resist the Japanese invasion," and "the gain or loss of any city will not affect the overall situation of the war." It pledged to "fight with even greater sorrow, greater perseverance, greater steadfastness, greater diligence, and greater courage," dedicating itself to a long, comprehensive war of resistance. In the Japanese-occupied rear areas, large armed anti-Japanese forces grew, and substantial tracts of territory were recovered. As the Japanese army themselves acknowledged, "the restoration of public security in the occupied areas was actually limited to a few kilometers on both sides of the main transportation lines." Thus, the Battle of Wuhan did not merely inflict a further strategic defeat on Japan; it also marked a turning point in Japan's strategic posture, from offense to defense. Due to the Nationalist Army's resolute resistance, Japan mobilized its largest force to date for the attack, about 250,000 personnel, who were replenished four to five times over the battle, for a total of roughly 300,000. The invaders held clear advantages in land, sea, and air power and fought for four and a half months. Yet they failed to annihilate the Nationalist main force, nor did they break the will to resist or the army's combat effectiveness. Instead, the campaign dealt a severe blow to the Japanese Army's vitality. Japanese-cited casualties totaled 4,506 dead and 17,380 wounded for the 11th Army; the 2nd Army suffered 2,300 killed in action, 7,600 wounded, and 900 died of disease. Including casualties across the navy and the air force, the overall toll was about 35,500. By contrast, the Nationalist Government Military Commission's General Staff Department, drawing on unit-level reports, calculated Japanese casualties at 256,000. The discrepancy between Japanese and Nationalist tallies illustrates the inflationary tendencies of each side's reporting. Following Wuhan, a weakened Japanese force confronted an extended front. Unable to mount large-scale strategic offensives, unlike Shanghai, Xuzhou, or Wuhan itself, the Japanese to a greater extent adopted a defensive posture. This transition shifted China's War of Resistance from a strategic defensive phase into a strategic stalemate, while the invaders found themselves caught in a protracted war—a development they most disliked. Consequently, Japan's invasion strategy pivoted: away from primary frontal offensives toward a greater reliance on political inducements with secondary military action, and toward diverting forces to "security" operations behind enemy lines rather than pushing decisive frontal campaigns. Japan, an island nation with limited strategic resources, depended heavily on imports. By the time of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Japan's gold reserves,including reserves for issuing banknotes, amounted to only about 1.35 billion yen. In effect, Japan's currency reserves constrained the scale of the war from the outset. The country launched its aggression while seeking an early solution to the conflict. To sustain its war of aggression against China, the total value of military supplies imported from overseas in 1937 reached approximately 960 million yen. By June of the following year, for the Battle of Wuhan, even rifles used in training were recalled to outfit the expanding army. The sustained increase in troops also strained domestic labor, food, and energy supplies. By 1939, after Wuhan, Japan's military expenditure had climbed to about 6.156 billion yen, far exceeding national reserves. This stark reality exposed Japan's economic fragility and its inability to guarantee a steady supply of military materiel, increasing pressure on the leadership at the Central Command. The Chief of Staff and the Minister of War lamented the mismatch between outward strength and underlying weakness: "Outwardly strong but weak is a reflection of our country today, and this will not last long." In sum, the Wuhan campaign coincided with a decline in the organization, equipment, and combat effectiveness of the Japanese army compared with before the battle. This erosion of capability helped drive Japan to alter its political and military strategy, shifting toward a method of inflicting pressure on China and attempting to "use China to control China", that is, fighting in ways designed to sustain the broader war effort. Tragically a major element of Chiang Kai-shek's retreat strategy was the age-old "scorched earth" policy. In fact, China originated the phrase and the practice. Shanghai escaped the last-minute torching because of foreigners whose property rights were protected. But in Nanjing, the burning and destruction began with increasing zeal. What could not be moved inland, such as remaining rice stocks, oil in tanks, and other facilities, was to be blown up or devastated. Civilians were told to follow the army inland, to rebuild later behind the natural barrier of Sichuan terrain. Many urban residents complied, but the peasantry did not embrace the plan. The scorched-earth policy served as powerful propaganda for the occupying Japanese army and, even more so, for the Reds. Yet they could hardly have foreseen the propaganda that Changsha would soon supply them. In June, the Changsha Evacuation Guidance Office was established to coordinate land and water evacuation routes. By the end of October, Wuhan's three towns had fallen, and on November 10 the Japanese army captured Yueyang, turning Changsha into the next primary invasion target. Beginning on October 9, Japanese aircraft intensified from sporadic raids on Changsha to large-scale bombing. On October 27, the Changsha Municipal Government urgently evacuated all residents, exempting only able-bodied men, the elderly, the weak, women, and children. The baojia system was mobilized to go door-to-door, enforcing compliance. On November 7, Chiang Kai-shek convened a military meeting at Rongyuan Garden to review the war plan and finalize a "scorched earth war of resistance." Xu Quan, Chief of Staff of the Security Command, drafted the detailed implementation plan. On November 10, Shi Guoji, Chief of Staff of the Security Command, presided over a joint meeting of Changsha's party, government, military, police, and civilian organizations to devise a strategy. The Changsha Destruction Command was immediately established, bringing together district commanders and several arson squads. The command actively prepared arson equipment and stacked flammable materials along major traffic arteries. Chiang decided that the city of Changsha was vulnerable and either gave the impression or the direct order, honestly really depends on the source your reading, to burn the city to the ground to prevent it falling to the enemy. At 9:00 AM on November 12, Chiang Kai-shek telegraphed Zhang Zhizhong: "One hour to arrive, Chairman Zhang, Changsha, confidential. If Changsha falls, the entire city must be burned. Please make thorough preparations in advance and do not delay." And here it seems a game of broken telephone sort of resulted in one of the worst fire disasters of all time. If your asking pro Chiang sources, the message was clearly, put up a defense, once thats fallen, burn the city down before the Japanese enter. Obviously this was to account for getting civilians out safely and so forth. If you read lets call it more modern CPP aligned sources, its the opposite. Chiang intentionally ordering the city to burn down as fast as possible, but in through my research, I think it was a colossal miscommunication. Regardless Zhongzheng Wen, Minister of the Interior, echoed the message. Simultaneously, Lin Wei, Deputy Director of Chiang Kai-shek's Secretariat, instructed Zhang Zhizhong by long-distance telephone: "If Changsha falls, the entire city must be burned." Zhang summoned Feng Ti, Commander of the Provincial Capital Garrison, and Xu Quan, Director of the Provincial Security Bureau, to outline arson procedures. He designated the Garrison Command to shoulder the preparations, with the Security Bureau assisting. At 4:00 PM, Zhang appointed Xu Kun, Commander of the Second Garrison Regiment, as chief commander of the arson operation, with Wang Weining, Captain of the Social Training Corps, and Xu Quan, Chief of Staff of the Garrison Command, as deputies. At 6:00 PM, the Garrison Command held an emergency meeting ordering all government agencies and organizations in the city to be ready for evacuation at any moment. By around 10:15 PM, all urban police posts had withdrawn. Around 2:00 AM (November 13), a false report circulated that "Japanese troops have reached Xinhe" . Firefighters stationed at various locations rushed out with kerosene-fueled devices, burning everything in sight, shops and houses alike. In an instant, Changsha became a sea of flames. The blaze raged for 72 hours. The Hunan Province Anti-Japanese War Loss Statistics, compiled by the Hunan Provincial Government Statistics Office of the Kuomintang, report that the fire inflicted economic losses of more than 1 billion yuan, a sum equivalent to about 1.7 trillion yuan after the victory in the war. This figure represented roughly 43% of Changsha's total economic value at the time. Regarding casualties, contemporary sources provide varying figures. A Xinhua Daily report from November 20, 1938 noted that authorities mobilized manpower to bury more than 600 bodies, though the total number of burned remains could not be precisely counted. A Central News Agency reporter on November 19 stated that in the Xiangyuan fire, more than 2,000 residents could not escape, and most of the bodies had already been buried. There are further claims that in the Changsha Fire, more than 20,000 residents were burned to death. In terms of displacement, Changsha's population before the fire was about 300,000, and by November 12, 90% had been evacuated. After the fire, authorities registered 124,000 victims, including 815 orphans sheltered in Lito and Maosgang.  Building damage constituted the other major dimension of the catastrophe, with the greatest losses occurring to residential houses, shops, schools, factories, government offices, banks, hospitals, newspaper offices, warehouses, and cultural and entertainment venues, as well as numerous historic buildings such as palaces, temples, private gardens, and the former residences of notable figures; among these, residential and commercial structures suffered the most, followed by factories and schools. Inspector Gao Yihan, who conducted a post-fire investigation, observed that the prosperous areas within Changsha's ring road, including Nanzheng Street and Bajiaoting, were almost completely destroyed, and in other major markets only a handful of shops remained, leading to an overall estimate that surviving or stalemated houses were likely less than 20%. Housing and street data from the early post-liberation period reveal that Changsha had more than 1,100 streets and alleys; of these, more than 690 were completely burned and more than 330 had fewer than five surviving houses, accounting for about 29%, with nearly 90% of the city's streets severely damaged. More than 440 streets were not completely destroyed, but among these, over 190 had only one or two houses remaining and over 130 had only three or four houses remaining; about 60 streets, roughly 6% had 30 to 40 surviving houses, around 30 streets, 3% had 11 to 20 houses, 10 streets, 1% had 21 to 30 houses, and three streets ) had more than 30 houses remaining. Housing statistics from 1952 show that 2,538 houses survived the fire, about 6.57% of the city's total housing stock, with private houses totaling 305,800 square meters and public houses 537,900 square meters. By 1956, the surviving area of both private and public housing totaled 843,700 square meters, roughly 12.3% of the city's total housing area at that time. Alongside these losses, all equipment, materials, funds, goods, books, archives, antiques, and cultural relics that had not been moved were also destroyed.  At the time of the Changsha Fire, Zhou Enlai, then Deputy Minister of the Political Department of the Nationalist Government's Military Commission, was in Changsha alongside Ye Jianying, Guo Moruo, and others. On November 12, 1938, Zhou Enlai attended a meeting held by Changsha cultural groups at Changsha Normal School to commemorate Sun Yat-sen's 72nd birthday. Guo Moruo later recalled that Zhou Enlai and Ye Jianying were awakened by the blaze that night; they each carried a suitcase and evacuated to Xiangtan, with Zhou reportedly displaying considerable indignation at the sudden, unprovoked fire. On the 16th, Zhou Enlai rushed back to Changsha and, together with Chen Cheng, Zhang Zhizhong, and others, inspected the disaster. He mobilized personnel from three departments, with Tian Han and Guo Moruo at the forefront, to form the Changsha Fire Aftermath Task Force, which began debris clearance, care for the injured, and the establishment of soup kitchens. A few days later, on the 22nd, the Hunan Provincial Government established the Changsha Fire Temporary Relief Committee to coordinate relief efforts.  On the night of November 16, 1938, Chiang Kai-shek arrived in Changsha and, the next day, ascended Tianxin Pavilion. Sha Wei, head of the Cultural Relics Section of the Changsha Tianxin Pavilion Park Management Office, and a long-time researcher of the pavilion, explained that documentation indicates Chiang Kai-shek, upon seeing the city largely reduced to scorched earth with little left intact, grew visibly angry. After descending from Tianxin Pavilion, Chiang immediately ordered the arrest of Changsha Garrison Commander Feng Ti, Changsha Police Chief Wen Chongfu, and Commander of the Second Garrison Regiment Xu Kun, and arranged a military trial with a two-day deadline. The interrogation began at 7:00 a.m. on November 18. Liang Xiaojin records that Xu Kun and Wen Chongfu insisted their actions followed orders from the Security Command, while Feng Ti admitted negligence and violations of procedure, calling his acts unforgivable. The trial found Feng Ti to be the principal offender, with Wen Chongfu and Xu Kun as accomplices, and sentenced all three to prison terms of varying lengths. The verdict was sent to Chiang Kai-shek for approval, who was deeply dissatisfied and personally annotated the drafts: he asserted that Feng Ti, as the city's security head, was negligent and must be shot immediately; Wen Chongfu, as police chief, disobeyed orders and fled, and must be shot immediately; Xu Kun, for neglect of duty, must be shot immediately. The court then altered the arson charge in the verdict to "insulting his duty and harming the people" in line with Chiang's instructions. Chiang Kai-shek, citing "failure to supervise personnel and precautions," dismissed Zhang from his post, though he remained in office to oversee aftermath operations. Zhang Zhizhong later recalled Chiang Kai-shek's response after addressing the Changsha fire: a pointed admission that the fundamental cause lay not with a single individual but with the collective leadership's mistakes, and that the error must be acknowledged as a collective failure. All eyes now shifted to the new center of resistance, Chongqing, the temporary capital. Chiang's "Free China" no longer meant the whole country; it now encompassed Sichuan, Hunan, and Henan, but not Jiangsu or Zhejiang. The eastern provinces were effectively lost, along with China's major customs revenues, the country's most fertile regions, and its most advanced infrastructure. The center of political gravity moved far to the west, into a country the Nationalists had never controlled, where everything was unfamiliar and unpredictable, from topography and dialects to diets. On the map, it might have seemed that Chiang still ruled much of China, but vast swaths of the north and northwest were sparsely populated; most of China's population lay in the east and south, where Nationalist control was either gone or held only precariously. The combined pressures of events and returning travelers were gradually shifting American attitudes toward the Japanese incident. Europe remained largely indifferent, with Hitler absorbing most attention, but the United States began to worry about developments in the Pacific. Roosevelt initiated a January 1939 appeal to raise a million dollars for Chinese civilians in distress, and the response quickly materialized. While the Chinese did not expect direct intervention, they hoped to deter further American economic cooperation with Japan and to halt Japan's purchases of scrap iron, oil, gasoline, shipping, and, above all, weapons from the United States. Public opinion in America was sufficiently stirred to sustain a campaign against silk stockings, a symbolic gesture of boycott that achieved limited effect; Japan nonetheless continued to procure strategic materials. Within this chorus, the left remained a persistent but often discordant ally to the Nationalists. The Institute of Pacific Relations, sympathetic to communist aims, urged America to act, pressuring policymakers and sounding alarms about China. Yet the party line remained firmly pro-Chiang Kai-shek: the Japanese advance seemed too rapid and threatening to the Reds' interests. Most oil and iron debates stalled; American businessmen resented British trade ties with Japan, and Britain refused to join any mutual cutoff, arguing that the Western powers were not at war with Japan. What occurred in China was still commonly referred to in Western diplomatic circles as "the Incident." Wang Jingwei's would make his final defection, yes in a long ass history of defections. Mr Wang Jingwei had been very busy traveling to Guangzhou, then Northwest to speak with Feng Yuxiang, many telegrams went back and forth. He returned to the Nationalist government showing his face to foreign presses and so forth. While other prominent rivals of Chiang, Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, and others, rallied when they perceived Japan as a real threat; all did so except Wang Jingwei. Wang, who had long believed himself the natural heir to Sun Yat-sen and who had repeatedly sought to ascend to power, seemed willing to cooperate with Japan if it served his own aims. I will just say it, Wang Jingwei was a rat. He had always been a rat, never changed. Opinions on Chiang Kai-Shek vary, but I think almost everyone can agree Wang Jingwei was one of the worst characters of this time period. Now Wang Jingwei could not distinguish between allies and enemies and was prepared to accept help from whomever offered it, believing he could outmaneuver Tokyo when necessary. Friends in Shanghai and abroad whispered that it was not too late to influence events, arguing that the broader struggle was not merely China versus Japan but a clash between principled leaders and a tyrannical, self-serving clique, Western imperialism's apologists who needed Chiang removed. For a time Wang drifted within the Kuomintang, moving between Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, and Chongqing, maintaining discreet lines of communication with his confidants. The Japanese faced a governance problem typical of conquerors who possess conquered territory: how to rule effectively while continuing the war. They imagined Asia under Japanese-led leadership, an East Asia united by a shared Co-Prosperity Sphere but divided by traditional borders. To sustain this vision, they sought local leaders who could cooperate. The search yielded few viable options; would-be collaborators were soon assassinated, proved incompetent, or proved corrupt. The Japanese concluded it would require more time and education. In the end, Wang Jingwei emerged as a preferred figure. Chongqing, meanwhile, seemed surprised by Wang's ascent. He had moved west to Chengde, then to Kunming, attempted, and failed to win over Yunnan's warlords, and eventually proceeded to Hanoi in Indochina, arriving in Hong Kong by year's end. He sent Chiang Kai-shek a telegram suggesting acceptance of Konoe's terms for peace, which Chungking rejected. In time, Wang would establish his own Kuomintang faction in Shanghai, combining rigorous administration with pervasive secret-police activity characteristic of occupied regimes. By 1940, he would be formally installed as "Chairman of China." But that is a story for another episode.  In the north, the Japanese and the CCP were locked in an uneasy stalemate. Mao's army could make it impossible for the Japanese to hold deep countryside far from the railway lines that enabled mass troop movement into China's interior. Yet the Communists could not defeat the occupiers. In the dark days of October 1938—fifteen months after the war began—one constant remained. Observers (Chinese businessmen, British diplomats, Japanese generals) repeatedly predicted that each new disaster would signal the end of Chinese resistance and force a swift surrender, or at least a negotiated settlement in which the government would accept harsher terms from Tokyo. But even after defenders were expelled from Shanghai, Nanjing, and Wuhan, despite the terrifying might Japan had brought to bear on Chinese resistance, and despite the invader's manpower, technology, and resources, China continued to fight. Yet it fought alone. 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. In a land shredded by war, Wuhan burned under brutal sieges, then Changsha followed, a cruel blaze born of orders and miscommunications. Leaders wrestled with retreat, scorched-earth vows, and moral debts as Japanese force and Chinese resilience clashed for months. Mao urged strategy over martyrdom, Wang Jingwei's scheming shadow loomed, and Chongqing rose as the westward beacon. Yet China endured, a stubborn flame refusing to surrender to the coming storm. The war stretched on, unfinished and unyielding.

①China unveils first batch of firms listed on SSE's sci-tech growth tier ②Village galas ignite ethnic heritage revival in southwest China ③China reports 4.7 mln 5G base stations by end of September ④China strengthens position in musical instrument industry ⑤China's manned submersibles report success of joint underwater operations in Arctic ⑥China's Sichuan enacts first local regulation on ancient book protection

As the capital of the world's largest democracy, Delhi embodies the essence of modern India – a vivid paradox of old and new, rich and poor, foreign and familiar. It's been fourteen years since my last visit and the economic transformation is ever-present. High rises, swanky malls and residential colonies housing the booming middle-class are mushrooming everywhere. As my engaging Wendy Wu Tours guide Girish remarked, as we were whisked into the city from the airport, “Delhi is more than a mere city, it has morphed into the national capital region.” With the metropolitan population now nudging 30 million, Delhi is a megalopolis and on-track to becoming the world's most populous city in three years' time. Our hotel was in New Delhi, the more modern, planned city within a city, that was built by the British in 1911 and replaced Kolkata as the national capital, twenty years later. In a city notorious for its air pollution, which is supposedly steadily improving, one of the great paradoxes of New Delhi is that it's also swathed in a sprawling green canopy. It's arguably the greatest legacy from British rule, because the new city was deliberately, meticulously planned to be nestled within a vast green cover, fanning out from Connaught Place on those broad long avenues. Large-canopy trees like banyans, mango, and pilkhans were selected by the British, while indigenous trees ideally suited to the climate have added to the canopy in recent decades. That sprawling tree cover is certainly a godsend from the fierce Delhi heat. Delhi's contradictions abound. You'll still see working elephants trudging along traffic-clogged roads, as fire-engine red Ferraris zip by. Handwritten posters singing out, “Customs confiscated goods sold here,” still compete next to glossy fashion billboards for Gucci and Prada. It's all part of Delhi's curious fabric. The city is littered with so many crumbling tombs and ruins, most of them are not even on the tourist map. But if you are a first-timer to the city, signature sights include marvelling at the sheer grace of the soaring Qutb Minar Tower. It was built 800 years ago by the Turkish Slave King Qutb-ud-din Aibak to celebrate his victory over the Hindu Rajputs. Wander through the sculptural Jantar Mantar, a huge, open-air astronomy observatory built in 1725 by Jai Singh, creator and ruler of Jaipur. Admire the 16th-century garden tomb of Mughal Emperor Humayun, precursor to the Taj Mahal, which was built by Humayun's great-grandson. Over in Old Delhi, two Mughal-era masterpieces, the imposing Red Fort (which was the Mughal seat of power for 200 years) and Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque. Both sandstone show-stoppers are definitely worth exploring. The mosque was commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1656 and it took 5000 labourers 6 years to complete. Within its hallowed walls lie sacred relics like Prophet Muhammad's hair. Beyond ticking-off the capital's great monuments, heading to Old Delhi is like a journey back in time. The beating, chaotic, carnival-like heart of Old Delhi is Chandni Chowk, Delhi's 400 year old marketplace that was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The market has been redeveloped to tame some of the chaos, including some fully pedestrianised streets and non-motorised transport lanes. But as I gazed at the spaghetti-like tangle of street wiring that garlands the crowded market lanes, there's no denying the ramshackle, faded glory feels amid this pulsating hot-spot of old-school commerce. Be sure to get your fill of jalebis from a street food vendor. Made from a deep-fried spiral-shaped wheat flour batter, which is then soaked in a sugar syrup, a plate of piping hot, crispy, sticky jalebis is a very satisfying sugar hit. We enjoyed a classic rickshaw ride through the throng of traders, shoppers and wandering cows, all heaving in those pencil-thin lanes. Girish also led us through the Khari Baoli Spice Market in Chandni Chowk, positively bulging with so many spices, nuts, herbs, pickles, preserves, rice and teas. Renowned as Asia's largest wholesale spice market, it's an aromatic head-blast. Shops and stalls bulge with heaping mounds and baskets of over a hundred different spices, headlined by turmeric, cardamom, coriander, star anise, ginger and cumin. Just as they have for hundreds of years, shoppers, dealers and chefs converge here every day to haggle and hustle. Many vendors have been peddling their wares for generations. Dawdle too long in front of a stall, and traders with huge sacks of chilis or cardamom pods will soon bump you out of their way. One of the oldest and tidiest shops is Mehar Chand and Sons. They've been in business since Queen Victoria ruled over them. And it's a great place to stock up on packaged spices, tea and saffron. Anshu Kumar, who is part of the family that has owned the shop since its inception, tells me that one of their biggest sellers with international visitors is turmeric, powered by the world's booming love-affair with this powerful superfood and supplement. (Their packaged products are allowed in New Zealand – just be sure to declare them.) Heading back to the hotel, we also stopped by the Indian parliament and sized up the monolithic might of India Gate. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, this monstrous landmark is more than just a stunning feat of architecture—it's a poignant memorial to the 70,000 Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during World War I and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. Beautifully illuminated after sunset, street food vendors and ice cream carts line the area, swathed in sprawling lush gardens. The great thing about a Wendy Wu Tours private holiday is that you have complete flexibility over how much temple-touring and sightseeing you want to do. Equipped with your own driver and guide, it's a stress-free way to tackle Delhi. The itinerary can be as active or as laid back as you are, with full flexibility over included meals and excursions. You'll be in the best of hands with Wendy Wu Tours. www.wendywutours.co.nz/india Nothing beats retreating to a leafy oasis of eminent comfort and style after a hot, sticky day intrepidly gorging on the city sights. Nestled along the tree-lined boulevards of Connaught Place, Shangri-La Eros New Delhi, is a five-star hotel with serious wow-factor. From the moment you step inside the grand art-filled lobby, you know you are somewhere special. Service is swift, sparkling, flawless and convivial. It's the epitome of affordable luxury, with sharply-priced room rates that won't blow your budget. Push the boat out and lock in a Horizon Club room or suite. That will give you access to the hotel's cherry on top, the 19th floor Horizon Club lounge, allowing you a quick check-in, breakfast, evening cocktails and light bites. Plus panoramic views of the city's skyline. The hotel's arsenal of dining venues is very impressive. Head to Mister Chai for some authentic Indian street food coupled with flavoured tea and coffee. There is Tamra serving European, Japanese, Indian, Thai and Southeast Asian fare from live kitchens. “Lavish” doesn't do justice to the expansive array of buffet options at Tamra for breakfast. Sorrento specialises in Italian food with a contemporary twist and Shang Palace offers flavours of Sichuan, Cantonese and Yunnan cuisines. This is a signature dining venue in Shangri-La hotels and Shang Palace is widely feted as the world's most loved Chinese specialty restaurant. Dining here was divine, noshing on prawn dumplings with caviar; Xinjiang spice twice cooked baby lamb ribs; and the Cantonese BBQ platter. Shang Palace is a must. Celebrating it's 20th birthday this year, Shangri-La Eros is not the sort of hotel to rest on its laurels. And with wellness offerings continuing to be increasingly sought after, the hotel recently unveiled a wealth of enticing new amenities. The Wellness Club boasts offers over 4,000 square feet of world-class fitness space, advanced recovery therapies, a 100-feet outdoor swimming pool, salon, spa, and a calming hydrothermal zone featuring a cold plunge, Himalayan salt sauna, whirlpool, and steam. What more could you want for personal pampering? The Wellness Club seamlessly blends conscious luxury with modern wellness. Designed by Dubai's Stickman Tribe, Dubai, the interior is bathed in natural hues and hand-painted art. Calming music sets the tone for a serene escape with gilded details and reflective surfaces lending a touch of grandeur to the venue. The Spa has become a runaway hit with custom-crafted amenities to indulge the senses. Signature rituals include the Taste of India Retreat, Signature Indulgence, and a Couple's Serenity Bath, crafted to nourish the body and calm the mind. But my favourite hotel feature is the enormous new pool. Tranquil corridors lead you outdoors to the gloriously leafy green space, crowned with that magnificent pool and elegant sun loungers. As black kites circled high above in the sky, and mischievous rhesus macaques swung between the trees – much to the annoyance of nesting rose-ringed parakeets, marinating myself in the hotel's glorious pool became a rinse-and-repeat prize draw. www.shangri-la.com From New Zealand, it's just a one-stop connection to a multitude of destinations in India, including New Delhi, with Singapore Airlines, on their various daily services from Auckland and Christchurch to Singapore. Enjoy well-timed connections for an easy transit in Singapore. Across all classes of travel, the award-winning carrier has not only fostered a world-beating reputation for its exceptional customer service and in-flight product, but also its innovation. Become a KrisFlyer member and enjoy complimentary in-flight WiFi. For best fares and seats to suit head to https://www.singaporeair.com Mike Yardley is our resident traveller on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Sinica, I chat with Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, editor of Foreign Affairs, about how the journal has both shaped and reflected American discourse on China during a period of dramatic shifts in the relationship. We discuss his deliberate editorial choices to include heterodox voices, the changing nature of the supposed "consensus" on China policy, and what I've called the "vibe shift" in how Americans across the political spectrum think about China. Daniel also reflects on his own intellectual formation, including his work on George Marshall's failed mission to mediate China's Civil War and the cautionary lessons that history holds for today's debates. We explore the challenges of bringing Chinese voices into Foreign Affairs, the balance between driving and reflecting policy debates, and whether we're witnessing a genuine opening of the Overton window on China discussions.7:15 – Foreign Affairs in the era of Iraq and "China's peaceful rise" 12:09 – The Marshall mission and the "Who Lost China?" debate 17:17 – China's changing role and the journal's coverage density 19:43 – The Campbell-Ratner "China Reckoning" and subsequent debates 25:00 – The challenge of including authentic Chinese voices 29:42 – How Chinese leadership perceives and reads Foreign Affairs 32:12 – The "vibe shift" on China across the American political spectrum 35:56 – Cultivating contrarian voices: Van Jackson, Jonathan Czin, and David Kang 40:17 – Avoiding the trap of making everything about U.S.-China competition 43:12 – Diversifying perspectives beyond the Washington-Beijing binary 48:18 – The big questions: American exceptionalism and Chinese identity in a new era 51:42 – The dangers of cutting off U.S.-China scholarly conversations 56:26 – The uses and misuses of historical analogies 58:09 – Spain's Golden Age and late Qing memes as contemporary analogiesPaying it forward: The unsung editorial staff at Foreign AffairsRecommendations: Daniel: Equator.org; The Rise of the Meritocracy by Michael Young; Granta's new India issue; The Party's Interests Come First by Joseph Torigian; The Coming Storm by Odd Arne Westad Kaiser: The Spoils of Time by C.V. WedgwoodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post (among other things) daily reminders to pray for China.You can also email me @ bfwesten at gmail dot com. Last but not least, to learn more about our ministry endeavors or get one of my missionary biographies, visit PrayGiveGo.us! My Op-Ed for Crosspolitic News: Trump Making US-Malaysia Relations Great Again https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/trump-making-us-malaysia-relations-great-again Five Prayer Requests from the Wives of Imprisoned Pastors https://backtojerusalem.com/wives-of-arrested-pastors-of-chinas-zion-church-share-5-urgent-prayer-requests/ Please pray for our Christian brothers and sisters connected to the Zion Church in China. There has been another wave of arrests. Here is a list of Those Taken Away (23 People): Shanghai- Pastor Wang Lin 2. Liu Jiang Beijing- Preacher Wu Qiuyu 4. Pastor Wang Cong 5. Pastor Sun Cong 6. Sister Li Shengjuan Pastor Gao Yingjia 8. Sister Ming Li 9. Sister Hu Yanzi 10. Preacher Misha 11. Sister Cui Xiaole Jiaxing, Zhejiang- 12. Preacher Zhan Ge Hangzhou, Zhejiang-13. Sister Mei Liming (arrested Oct 11) Beihai, Guangxi- Pastor Jin Mingri (arrested for “illegally using info network,” held at Beihai #2 Detention Center) Pastor Yin Huibin 16. Pastor’s wife Yang Lijun 17. Sis Tuya 18. Sis An Mei 19. Sis Huang Chunzi Qingdao, Shandong- 20. Pastor Liu Zhenbin (aka Liu Shanyi) Chengdu, Sichuan- 21. Pastor Lin Shucheng (Mu Chenglin) Zhengzhou, Henan- 22. Preacher Sun Xue (arrested Oct 12) Shenyang, Liaoning- 23. Elder Wang Zhong (arrested Oct 17) Follow China Compass Subscribe to China Compass on whichever platform you use, including Apple Podcasts! You can also contact me anytime on X: @chinaadventures or via email (bfwesten at gmail dot com). Hebrews 13:3!

Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post (among other things) daily reminders to pray for China.You can also email me @ bfwesten at gmail dot com. Last but not least, to learn more about our ministry endeavors or get one of my missionary biographies, visit PrayGiveGo.us! My Op-Ed for Crosspolitic News: Trump Making US-Malaysia Relations Great Again https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/trump-making-us-malaysia-relations-great-again Five Prayer Requests from the Wives of Imprisoned Pastors https://backtojerusalem.com/wives-of-arrested-pastors-of-chinas-zion-church-share-5-urgent-prayer-requests/ Please pray for our Christian brothers and sisters connected to the Zion Church in China. There has been another wave of arrests. Here is a list of Those Taken Away (23 People): Shanghai- Pastor Wang Lin 2. Liu Jiang Beijing- Preacher Wu Qiuyu 4. Pastor Wang Cong 5. Pastor Sun Cong 6. Sister Li Shengjuan Pastor Gao Yingjia 8. Sister Ming Li 9. Sister Hu Yanzi 10. Preacher Misha 11. Sister Cui Xiaole Jiaxing, Zhejiang- 12. Preacher Zhan Ge Hangzhou, Zhejiang-13. Sister Mei Liming (arrested Oct 11) Beihai, Guangxi- Pastor Jin Mingri (arrested for “illegally using info network,” held at Beihai #2 Detention Center) Pastor Yin Huibin 16. Pastor’s wife Yang Lijun 17. Sis Tuya 18. Sis An Mei 19. Sis Huang Chunzi Qingdao, Shandong- 20. Pastor Liu Zhenbin (aka Liu Shanyi) Chengdu, Sichuan- 21. Pastor Lin Shucheng (Mu Chenglin) Zhengzhou, Henan- 22. Preacher Sun Xue (arrested Oct 12) Shenyang, Liaoning- 23. Elder Wang Zhong (arrested Oct 17) Follow China Compass Subscribe to China Compass on whichever platform you use, including Apple Podcasts! You can also contact me anytime on X: @chinaadventures or via email (bfwesten at gmail dot com). Hebrews 13:3!

Watch the 9malls review of the FishWife Smoked Trout And Sichuan Chili Crisp Smoked Salmon Variety Pack. Are these tinned fish actually worth purchasing? Watch the hands on taste test to find out. #tinnedfish #fishwife #foodreview #tastetestreview #tastetest #smokedsalmon #smokedtrout - Visit FishWife Tinned Seafood Company: https://fishwife.sjv.io/xLYgoA Find As Seen On TV Products & Gadgets at the 9malls Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/9malls Please support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/9malls Disclaimer: I may also receive compensation if a visitor clicks through to 9malls, or makes a purchase through Amazon or any affiliate link. I test each product on site thoroughly and give high marks to only the best. In the above video I received a free product sample to test. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

In this episode, Richard Rennie previews his trip to China's markets, Professor Ralph Sims unpacks NZ's methane targets, and Feds' Sandra Faulkner marks a milestone in farmer representation.News Wrap | Meeting the Market: A return to China1:38 – Senior reporter Richard Rennie outlines his upcoming visit to China, where he will attend one of the world's biggest food fairs in China, before heading east to the Sichuan province in Western China to see how Zespri is engaging with those growing its SunGold variety of kiwifruit.Feature | Weighing the impact NZ's new methane targets8:02 – Bryan chats with Professor Emeritus Ralph Sims of Massey University about the recently reduced methane reduction targets announced by the government. Sims has helped produce a number of International Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports and says the new targets will not go down well with the international community.Feds Focus | More farmers around the council tableFederated Farmers local government spokesperson 25:22 – Sandra Faulkner is celebrating news that 69 Feds members have been elected to local bodies around New Zealand. She says farmers and growers are well-suited to local governance as they bring experience from both rural communities and the business world.The Final Word30:32 – Europe's crackdown on nitrate and ammonia pollution from farming could be a sign of things to come here. Food production has exceeded environmental limits in some nations there, and it appears politicians are convinced it is electorally advantageous to turn that around.

The mystery of the disappearing autumn has people living in northern China baffled. Only days ago, they were happily wearing T-shirts and skirts; but now, thick coats and down jackets are out in force. Fall was just a fleeting feeling, and indications are that this weather pattern could become the norm in the future.中国北方“秋日消失”的现象让当地民众感到困惑。就在几天前，人们还身着T恤短裙，如今却已纷纷穿上厚外套与羽绒服。秋天仿佛成了转瞬即逝的感觉，且有迹象表明，这种天气模式未来可能成为常态。According to available meteorological data, the transitional period between summer and winter is shrinking in China, with autumn arriving later than usual and ending sooner.现有气象数据显示，我国夏冬两季之间的过渡时段正不断缩短，秋季不仅来得更晚，结束得也更早。Delayed autumn秋季推迟While southwestern cities such as Guiyang in Guizhou province, Chengdu in Sichuan province, and Chongqing still enjoy around 70 to 80 days of cool autumn weather — with Guiyang topping the list at 79 days — people living in the north barely experience 50 days of autumn, said Weather China, a website under the China Meteorological Administration.中国气象局旗下“中国天气网”指出，贵阳（贵州）、成都（四川）、重庆等西南城市仍能享受70至80天左右的凉爽秋季（其中贵阳以79天位居榜首），而北方民众的秋季体验时长却不足50天。An analysis of long-term weather data from the website reveals that since 1991, autumn has been delayed across much of the country. Cities such as Zhengzhou in Henan province, Ningbo in Zhejiang province, and Shenzhen in Guangdong province now see autumn arrive more than 10 days late on average, while Nanjing in Jiangsu province, Fuzhou in Fujian province, and other places have recorded delays of five to nine days.该网站对长期气象数据的分析显示，1991年以来，我国多地秋季均出现推迟现象。河南郑州、浙江宁波、广东深圳等城市的秋季平均推迟超过10天，江苏南京、福建福州等地则推迟了5至9天。Studies show that across China, the duration of winter, spring and autumn is shrinking, and these shifts are more prominent in northern and eastern regions, the website said.中国天气网表示，研究发现我国冬季、春季、秋季的时长均在缩短，且这种变化在北方和东部地区更为显著。"Maybe there will be only three seasons in the future," a netizen said on social media platform Sina Weibo. "A trench coat feels like the most impractical outfit in Beijing, "another said, indicating the sharp transition from cool to cold weather in the capital.“未来或许只剩三个季节了。”一名网友在社交平台新浪微博上留言。另一名网友则调侃道：“风衣在北京成了最不实用的衣服”，暗指北京天气从凉爽到寒冷的急剧转变。Wang Weiyue, a meteorologist at Weather China, said that given global climate change, rising temperatures across various regions have become an indisputable fact, and this delays the onset of autumn, affecting agricultural production and people's daily lives.中国天气网气象专家王伟跃表示，在全球气候变化背景下，各地气温升高已成为不争的事实，这不仅导致秋季来临时间推迟，还对农业生产和民众日常生活产生了影响。Sudden chill寒潮突至This year's northern chill has arrived abruptly.今年北方的寒潮来得格外突然。Li Duo, a senior engineer at the National Climate Center, said that since October, several regions, including parts of Heilongjiang province, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Hebei province, and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, were 1 C to 2 C colder than usual.国家气候中心高级工程师李多介绍，10月以来，黑龙江部分地区、内蒙古自治区、河北省、新疆维吾尔自治区等多地气温较常年偏低1至2摄氏度。The recent temperature drop in northern China was mainly due to two major cold-air events between Oct 9 and 10 and Oct 18 and 19, Li said.李多指出，近期我国北方降温主要受10月9日至10日、10月18日至19日两次强冷空气过程影响。The China Meteorological Administration forecasts that much of northern China will remain colder than average through Friday, while southern regions will also see temperatures drop by up to 5 C by the end of the month.中国气象局预报显示，截至周五，我国北方大部地区气温将持续低于常年同期；月底前，南方地区气温也将下降，降幅最高可达5摄氏度。Experts advised residents to dress warmly, stay alert to weather changes, and ventilate indoor spaces when using heating to avoid carbon monoxide-related risks.专家提醒，民众需注意添衣保暖，密切关注天气变化；使用取暖设备时，要注意室内通风，防范一氧化碳中毒风险。fleeting/ˈfliːtɪŋ/adj.短暂的；转瞬即逝的transitional/trænˈzɪʃənl/adj.过渡的；转变的indisputable/ˌɪndɪˈspjuːtəbl/adj.无可争辩的；不容置疑的

This week on the Sinica Podcast, I speak with Jonathan Czin, the Michael H. Armacost Chair in Foreign Policy Studies and a fellow at the Brookings Institution's John L. Thornton China Center. His new essay in Foreign Affairs, “China Against China: Xi Jinping Confronts the Downsides of Success,” challenges the dominant Western narrative of Xi Jinping as either Mao reincarnate or a brittle autocrat presiding over imminent collapse. Instead, Czin argues that Xi's most illiberal reforms can be understood as attempts to cure the pathologies of China's own success. We discuss his framing of Xi's “Counterreformation,” how it helps explain China's current political direction, and what it reveals about our own analytical blind spots in the West.7:15 – Xi's “reformation” and Carl Minzner's “end of reform and opening”12:18 – Corruption, decentralization, and the “lost decade” under Hu and Wen20:12 – Defining “resilience” and what Xi means by “eating bitterness”29:45 – The “downsides of success”: property, corruption, and governance contradictions45:30 – Counter-reformation vs. counterrevolution: what Xi wants to preserve and discard54:20 – The myth of yes-men: triangulation and feedback in Xi's leadership style1:07:07 – Cognitive empathy and why most U.S. analysis of Xi falls short1:15:35 – Systems that can't course-correct: comparing the U.S. and China1:22:05 – Cognitive empathy, ideology, and the problem of American exceptionalismPaying it forward:Jonathan: Allie Mathias and Dinny McMahonRecommendations:Jonathan: The Thirty Years War by C.V. Wedgewood; The Betrothed by Alessandro ManzoniKaiser: Transplants by Daniel Tam-ClaiborneSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over the next three days, Typhoon Fengshen will affect the central and northern South China Sea as well as southern coastal areas of China, the National Meteorological Center said on Monday, warning of potential damage from strong winds and secondary disasters caused by heavy rainfall.未来三天，“风神” 台风将影响南海中北部及中国南部沿海地区，国家气象中心于周一表示，并警示强风及强降雨引发的次生灾害可能造成破坏。The center issued a blue alert for Fengshen on Monday morning as the 24th typhoon of 2025 continued to strengthen over the South China Sea. As of 9 am, the storm's center was located about 455 kilometers northeast of Sansha city, Hainan province.由于 2025 年第 24 号台风 “风神” 在南海海域持续增强，国家气象中心于周一上午发布了台风 “风神” 蓝色预警。截至上午 9 时，台风中心位于海南省三沙市东北方向约 455 公里处。Fengshen is currently classified as a tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 82.8 kilometers per hour. Its wind field extends 220 to 280 km from the center. The storm is expected to move northwest at a speed of 20 to 25 km/h, gradually intensifying into a severe tropical storm or even a typhoon, with wind speeds reaching 108 to 126 km/h.目前，“风神” 被归类为热带风暴，最大持续风速为每小时 82.8 公里，其风场从中心向外延伸 220 至 280 公里。预计该风暴将以每小时 20 至 25 公里的速度向西北方向移动，并逐渐加强为强热带风暴，甚至台风，风速可达每小时 108 至 126 公里。By Tuesday, Fengshen is forecast to turn southwestward due to a cold front, heading toward the central coast of Vietnam and weakening as it approaches.预计到周二，受冷锋影响，“风神” 将转向西南方向移动，朝越南中部沿海地区前进，且在靠近过程中强度逐渐减弱。The typhoon will bring heavy rain and strong winds to eastern and northern Taiwan, the coastal areas of Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan provinces, and the northern part of the South China Sea. From 2 pm Monday to 2 pm Tuesday, northern Taiwan is expected to experience heavy to torrential rain, with some areas receiving 100 to 200 millimeters of rainfall.该台风将给中国台湾岛东部和北部、福建、广东、海南三省沿海地区以及南海北部带来强降雨和大风。从周一下午 2 时至周二下午 2 时，台湾北部预计将出现大雨到暴雨，部分地区降雨量可达 100 至 200 毫米。Meanwhile, a cold front will continue to affect central and eastern China, causing temperatures to drop by 4 to 6 C in these regions, as well as parts of Guizhou and Yunnan provinces. Some areas may see a temperature drop of up to 8 C, with the "0 C line" pushing southward to central North China.与此同时，一股冷锋将持续影响中国中东部地区，导致这些地区以及贵州、云南两省部分区域气温下降 4 至 6 摄氏度。部分地区降温幅度可能达 8 摄氏度，0℃等温线将南压至华北中部。The center said due to the combined effects of the cold front and Fengshen, the southern East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, the northern South China Sea and coastal areas of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong provinces are forecast to experience winds of up to 117.4 km/h, with gusts of up to 149 km/h, from 2 pm Monday to 2 pm Tuesday. It also issued a yellow alert for strong winds.国家气象中心表示，受冷锋与 “风神” 台风的共同影响，预计从周一下午 2 时至周二下午 2 时，东海南部、台湾海峡、南海北部以及浙江、福建、广东三省沿海地区将出现最大风速达每小时 117.4 公里的大风，阵风可达每小时 149 公里。该中心还发布了大风黄色预警。From Oct 19 to 28, heavy rainfall is expected across several regions. Some areas — including parts of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong and Hainan provinces, as well as Taiwan and the Xizang autonomous region — may receive 80 to 150 mm of rain, with eastern Hainan and northern Taiwan exceeding 250 mm.10 月 19 日至 28 日期间，多个地区预计将出现强降雨。其中，四川、云南、贵州、广东、海南五省部分地区以及台湾地区和西藏自治区，降雨量可能达 80 至 150 毫米；海南东部和台湾北部部分地区降雨量将超过 250 毫米。Rainfall in these areas is expected to be 50 percent to 80 percent above the average for this time of year, according to the center.国家气象中心称，这些地区的降雨量预计将比常年同期偏多 50% 至 80%。Most of central and eastern China will experience average temperatures 1 to 3 C below the seasonal norm over the next 10 days. In contrast, temperatures in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau will be 1 to 3 C above average.未来 10 天，中国中东部大部分地区平均气温将较常年同期偏低 1 至 3 摄氏度。与之相反，新疆维吾尔自治区和青藏高原地区平均气温将较常年同期偏高 1 至 3 摄氏度。The center warned that widespread frost is expected, potentially affecting crop storage and agricultural facilities. Starting Tuesday, the prolonged rainy period in the Huanghuai region will end, aiding autumn harvests, soil drying, and the planting of winter wheat and rapeseed, it added.国家气象中心警示，预计将出现大范围霜冻天气，可能对农作物储藏及农业设施造成影响。该中心补充称，从周二开始，黄淮地区持续已久的降雨天气将结束，这将对秋收、土壤散墒以及冬小麦和油菜播种有利。typhoon音标：/taɪˈfuːn/翻译：n. 台风（发生在西北太平洋和南海的热带气旋）meteorological音标：/ˌmiːtiərəˈlɒdʒɪkl/（英式）；/ˌmiːtiərəˈlɑːdʒɪkl/（美式）翻译：adj. 气象的；气象学的（常修饰 “center”“data”“conditions” 等词，如 “meteorological center” 意为 “气象中心”）sustained音标：/səˈsteɪnd/翻译：adj. 持续的；持久的（在气象语境中常修饰 “winds”，表示 “持续风速”，如 “maximum sustained winds” 意为 “最大持续风速”）frost音标：/frɒst/（英式）；/frɔːst/（美式）翻译：n. 霜冻；霜 v. 结霜；受冻（文中指 “霜冻天气”，可能对农业造成影响，如 “widespread frost” 意为 “大范围霜冻”）

China is experiencing the strongest cold front so far in the second half of this year, with most parts of the nation forecast to see a sharp drop in temperatures, experts said.专家表示，我国正遭遇今年下半年以来最强冷空气，预计全国大部地区气温将显著下降。There is a high possibility that Beijing will see an early start to winter this weekend, and the temperature drop will bring the unusually persistent scorching heat in the eastern and southern provinces to an end, according to the latest forecast by the China Meteorological Administration.中国气象局最新预报显示，本周末北京大概率提前入冬，此次降温还将终结我国东部及南部省份持续多日的异常高温天气。Ma Xuekuan, chief forecaster of the National Meteorological Center, said that a strong cold front will move from the north to the south and continuously affect the nation's central and eastern parts from Thursday to Tuesday, adding that these areas will see temperature drops of 6 to 10 degrees.国家气象中心首席预报员马学款介绍，10月24日（周四）至29日（周二），一股强冷空气将自北向南影响我国中东部地区，上述地区气温预计下降6至10摄氏度。Among these provinces and areas, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and those in the country's central part will see temperatures drop by 10 to 14 degrees, or even over 15 degrees, during the period, Ma noted.马学款指出，其中内蒙古自治区及我国中部部分地区降温幅度可达10至14摄氏度，局部地区甚至超过15摄氏度。"It's so far the strongest cold front affecting China in the year's second half based on its range and degree of influence," he said, adding that the nation's northern provinces will see the temperature keep falling next week.“从影响范围和强度来看，这是今年下半年以来影响我国最强的一股冷空气。”他补充道，下周我国北方省份气温将持续走低。He said that China's central part and provinces along the eastern part of the Yellow River and Huaihe River, including Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan and Shandong, will witness the temperature plunge by 10 degrees in five consecutive days from Saturday, with a higher possibility of the onset of winter.马学款表示，江苏、安徽、河南、山东等我国中部及黄河、淮河东部沿线省份，自28日（周六）起连续5天累计降温幅度将达10摄氏度，入冬可能性较大。Xinxin, a weather analyst from China Weather TV, said there is a very high possibility of Beijing seeing an early arrival of winter on Saturday, as reported by the People's Daily on Friday.据《人民日报》10月27日（周五）报道，中国天气电视台气象分析师信欣称，北京本周六（28日）大概率提前入冬。According to Xin, Beijing will see the average day temperature fall below 10 degrees in continuous 7 days from Saturday. Historically, from 1991 to 2020, the city has seen the start of winter on Oct 31, which will move up now because of the ongoing cold front.信欣分析，自28日起，北京连续7天日平均气温将跌破10摄氏度。1991年至2020年的气候数据显示，北京常年入冬时间为10月31日，受此次冷空气影响，今年入冬时间将有所提前。Affected by the strong cold front, provinces and regions south of the Yangtze River and the nation's southern part, such as Shanghai and Zhejiang, will also see a quick temperature change that will end the unusual heat wave there, according to Ma, the chief forecaster.马学款还提到，受强冷空气影响，上海、浙江等长江以南地区及我国南方省份气温也将快速下降，当地异常高温天气将随之结束。He added that from Sunday to Friday, the southern provinces will see temperatures 2 to 4 degrees lower than usual in previous years.他补充道，10月29日（周日）至11月3日（周五），南方省份气温将较常年同期偏低2至4摄氏度。The meeting of the cold front and warm air currents also brought torrential rains to southwestern provinces and provinces along the Yellow River and Huaihe River such as Sichuan and Chongqing on Thursday and Friday. The rains will ease from Saturday after the cold front moves southward.此外，10月24日（周四）至25日（周五），受冷空气与暖湿气流交汇影响，四川、重庆等我国西南地区及黄河、淮河沿线省份出现强降雨天气。随着冷空气南下，自28日（周六）起，上述地区降雨将趋于减弱。Noting the sharp temperature change, the China Meteorological Administration has reminded the public to be careful of weather-related risks like flu, and to be covered in adequately warm clothing.针对此次大幅降温，中国气象局提醒公众注意防范流感等天气相关健康风险，及时增添衣物，做好保暖措施。cold front/ˌkəʊld ˈfrʌnt/n.冷锋scorching/ˈskɔːtʃɪŋ/adj.酷热的；灼热的torrential/təˈrenʃl/adj.倾盆的；猛烈的

Bem-vindo à Rádio Minghui. As transmissões incluem assuntos relativos à perseguição ao Falun Gong na China, entendimentos e experiências dos praticantes adquiridas no curso de seus cultivos, interesses e música composta e executada pelos praticantes do Dafa. Programa 1463: Experiência de cultivo da categoria Iniciando o cultivo, intitulada: “Minha mãe de 98 anos começou a praticar o Falun Gong”, escrita por uma praticante do Falun Dafa na província de Sichuan, China.

Send us a textWhat if two Pinots from the same producer, made the same way, could still taste nothing alike? We uncork that mystery by tracing flavour back to elevation, aspect, soil and the quiet work of a long ripening season. Starting on the Mornington Peninsula with Ten Minutes by Tractor, we compare “Down the Hill” and “Up the Hill” and show how a cooler ridge delivers darker colour, finer tannins and perfume, while lower sites pour bright cranberry fruit and a touch more bunchy grip. The takeaway is simple and thrilling: site speaks, even when the label doesn't list a formal sub-region.Then we head to the Yarra Valley with Giant Steps, where single-vineyard Pinots translate geography into texture. Sexton in Gruyere ripens earliest and drinks fleshier with darker fruit and confident tannin. Applejack in Gladysdale steps higher for florals, red cherry and elegant structure. Bastard Hill climbs again, picking later and unfolding cardamom, Sichuan pepper and coiled energy that begs for time. With consistent winemaking across the range, the differences you taste are pure place—grey clays versus red volcanic soils, bushland buffering temperatures, row orientation guiding sunlight across the canopy.Along the way we unpack how unofficial sub-regions coexist with Australia's GI system, why row direction matters as much as slope, and how climate change has nudged former sparkling strongholds into still-wine brilliance. If Burgundy taught us to listen to parcels, Mornington and the Yarra are crafting an Australian dialect of terroir that any curious drinker can learn. Ready to taste the map instead of just reading it? Follow the journey, share it with a wine friend, and if you love this kind of deep dive, tap subscribe, leave a review, and tell us which vineyard you want us to visit next.Follow us on instagram @winewithmegandmel

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 117-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 26,911 on turnover of 8.3-billion N-T. The market closed lower on Tuesday as renewed concerns over US-China trade tensions prompted (促使) investors to lock in profits. Former EVA Airways rep accused of spying for China The Supreme Prosecutors' Office has indicted a former EVA Airways representative to China on charges of spying for Beijing. The former airline representative was stationed in Sichuan and is suspected of being recruited by Chinese intelligence. Reports says he sought classified information from several officials at the Mainland Affairs Council concerning details about direct cross-strait flights. The suspect reportedly attempted to bribe at least one official with a payment of 100,000 N-T multiple times between 2012 and 2014. The Mainland Affairs Council official refused the offer and reported the case to authorities. The suspect has now been charged with violating the National Security Act. MOFA allocates funds to buy representative office space in Boston The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has allocated a budget of 156-million N-T for the purchase of a property (房產) to house its representative office in the U-S city of Boston. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston is currently located in a rented building. According to the foreign ministry, the funding means it will be able to a property in the city, pending approval of the budget by the Cabinet and Legislature. The government also plans to purchase properties in Houston and Denver in the U-S and in Sydney, Australia to house its representative offices .. .. saying the aim of the purchases is to save taxpayer money that is currently being spent on renting overseas offices. Argentina Leader at White House Just hours after returning from his trip to the Middle East, US President Donald Trump is shifting (轉移) his focus to the other side of the world - hosting the Argentinian leader Javier Milei at the White House. It comes after the US agreed to a 20 billion dollar currency swap in a major bailout of the Latin American nation. Kate Fisher reports Congo M23 Establish Oversight Congo and the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 have agreed to establish an oversight mechanism for a potential permanent ceasefire. The agreement was announced Tuesday by a Congolese government spokesperson and confirmed by a M23 spokesperson. The ceasefire monitoring body will include representatives from Congo, M23 and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo will participate. The agreement is an important step toward a peace deal after recent efforts to end fighting in eastern Congo stalled. The body is expected to meet within seven days of its creation, with the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo providing logistical (後勤的) coordination. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下為 SoundOn 動態廣告－－－－ 行人過馬路要注意安全！ 沒有路權時不要通行，穿越馬路請遵守號誌燈指示，注意來車與周圍環境，步行安全最重要，保護自己也保護他人。

Sarah and Kelli discuss Season 10 episode 3 of Below Deck Med. Topics include:  Max vs. Christian, a late night in Barcelona, Nathan's housewives tagline, bedazzled vajayjay, green tea shots, bed noods, tomato bread, chaos on the swim platform, missing truffles, caviar, Jack's big night and Christian drifting away on a jet ski. In Hot Tub Convo we discuss Captain Sandy and Nathan on WWHL, Camille Lamb's DUI, Aesha and Scott making it to the Final 4 on Amazing Race Australia and Sarah shares her US Weekly copy. Boat. Clean. Go.  A new episode of Above Deck is out now!  Follow us on Instagram: @abovedeckpod  Get in touch: abovedeckpod@gmail.com  Get ya some Above Deck merch! https://shop.hurrdatmedia.com/collections/above-deck Thank you to Coconut Bowls for sponsoring this episode! Go to http://coconutbowls.com and use code ABOVEDECKPOD20 for 10% off your order.  Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, and tell a friend! Resources: US Weekly Below Deck article This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to http://DrinkAG1.com/adv to get a FREE Frother with your first purchase of AGZWe uncovered the sinister truth behind China's mega bridge. HAND MACHINE GHOST - LIMITED RUN! - https://thechinashow.threadless.comSupport the show here and see the Monday Exclusive show Xiaban Hou! https://www.patreon.com/advpodcastsSign up for the sticker giveaway!https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdk5BnaNwlkH8yjt-wgUwq6xWBZIgusPRM5ifELKgPdKxLHg/viewform?usp=headerCartoon feat. Jüri Pootsmann - I Remember Uhttps://soundcloud.com/nocopyrightsoundsTrack : Cartoon feat. Jüri Pootsmann - I Remember USome Sources - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/technology/nvidia-chips-china-megaspeed.htmlSalary data in Anlong https://tjgb.hongheiku.com/xjtjgb/xj2020/53025.htmlSalary data in Fenggang https://www.gzfenggang.gov.cn/zwgk/zfxxgkzl/fdzdgknr/ghjh/gmjjhshfzgh/202502/t20250220_86927630.htmlhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/341419632_Bone_Glue_-_The_Final_Frontier_for_Fracture_Repair_and_Implantable_Device_Stabilizationhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9941416/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1934590925002267https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00033/fullhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-025-00930-1https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging/articles/10.3389/fragi.2025.1638168/fullBRIDGE SOURCES - * 1981 Liziyida Bridge (Chengdu–Kunming Railway), Sichuan* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_Chengdu%E2%80%93Kunming_rail_crash* 1999 Qijiang “Rainbow” Pedestrian Bridge, Chongqing* https://www.engineeringcivil.com/civil-engineering-disasters-collapse-of-bridges.html* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qijiang_Rainbow_Bridge_collapse* 2007 Jiujiang Bridge, Foshan (Guangdong)* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse_of_Jiujiang_Bridge* 2007 Fenghuang (Tuojiang) Bridge, Hunan (under construction)* https://www.scmp.com/article/606792/dozens-feared-dead-after-hunan-bridge-collapse* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Fenghuang_Bridge_collapse* 2009 Hongqi Road Viaduct, Zhuzhou (Hunan)* https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-05/18/content_7790004.htm* 2010 Tangying Bridge, Luanchuan (Henan)* https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/556460.shtml* https://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?pid=S0718-915X2022000200193&script=sci_arttext* 2010 Nanjing Overpass (under construction), Jiangsu* https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-11/27/content_11617576.htm* 2011 Gongguan Bridge, Wuyishan (Fujian)* https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-07/15/content_12912763.htm* 2012 Hangzhou Viaduct dismantling accident, Zhejiang* https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/201207/716566.shtml* 2012 East Guangchang River Bridge, Jiangxi* https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/201208/721127.shtml* 2012 Yangmingtan Bridge (ramp), Harbin (Heilongjiang)* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangmingtan_Bridge* 2013 Lianhuo Expressway Bridge (Mianchi, Henan)* https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-bridge-idUSBRE91003D20130201* https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-21300038* 2014 Gaozhou stone-arch bridge, Guangdong* https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-05/05/content_17487284.htm* 2014 Jinshan Bridge, Enshi (Hubei) (under construction)* https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/6/2112* 2016 Ganjiang Bridge (dismantling), Taihe (Jiangxi)* https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/201609/1009862.shtml* 2019 Wuxi S342 Overpass, Jiangsu* https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-bridge-collapse-idUSKBN1WP0JH* https://www.caixinglobal.com/2019-11-01/in-depth-overloaded-and-overturned-inside-the-deadly-wuxi-bridge-collapse-101478011.html* https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/11/deaths-reported-as-bridge-collapses-in-chinas-jiangsu-province* 2021 S2 Ezhou Expressway Ramp Bridge, Hubei* https://www.reuters.com/world/china/bridge-collapse-central-china-kills-four-2021-12-18/* 2024 Lixinsha Bridge, Guangzhou (Guangdong)* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Lixinsha_Bridge_collapse* 2024 Danning (G4015) Expressway Bridge, Zhashui (Shaanxi)* https://apnews.com/article/shaanxi-china-bridge-collapse-river-dead-b077896e4b291ef82a46ed601bfd04ca* 2024 Yakang Expressway Bridge (near Kangding), Sichuan* https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3240129/more-bodies-found-after-mountain-bridge-collapse-china* 2025 Jianzha Yellow River Bridge (under construction), Qinghai* https://abc13.com/post/china-bridge-collapse-today-kills-least-12-construction-workers-yellow-river-qinghai-province/17622521This video features copyrighted material used for commentary and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Un nou estudi, amb nanotecnologia, aconsegueix revertir l'Alzheimer en ratolins. Al darrere hi ha investigadors de l'Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya i de l'Hospital West China de la Universitat xinesa de Sichuan.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Last time we spoke about the continuation of the war after Nanjing's fall. The fall of Nanjing in December 1937 marked a pivotal juncture in the Second Sino-Japanese War, ushering in a brutal phase of attrition that shaped both strategy and diplomacy in early 1938. As Japanese forces sought to restructure China's political order, their strategy extended beyond battlefield victories to the establishment of puppet arrangements and coercive diplomacy. Soviet aid provided critical support, while German and broader Axis diplomacy wavered, shaping a nuanced backdrop for China's options. In response, Chinese command decisions focused on defending crucial rail corridors and urban strongholds, with Wuhan emerging as a strategic hub and the Jinpu and Longhai railways becoming lifelines of resistance. The defense around Xuzhou and the Huai River system illustrated Chinese determination to prolong resistance despite daunting odds. By early 1938, the war appeared as a drawn-out struggle, with China conserving core bases even as Japan pressed toward central China.   #170 The Battle of Taierzhuang 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. Following their victory at Nanjing, the Japanese North China Area Army sought to push southward and link up with the Japanese Eleventh Army between Beijing and Nanjing. The two formations were intended to advance along the northern and southern ends of the JinPu railway, meet at Xuzhou, and then coordinate a pincer movement into Chinese strongholds in the Central Yangtze region, capturing Jiujiang first and then Wuhan. Recognizing Xuzhou's strategic importance, Chinese leadership made its defense a top priority. Xuzhou stood at the midpoint of the JinPu line and at the intersection with the Longhai Line, China's main east–west corridor from Lanzhou to Lianyungang. If seized, Japanese control of these routes would grant mobility for north–south movement across central China. At the end of January, Chiang Kai-shek convened a military conference in Wuchang and declared the defense of Xuzhou the highest strategic objective. Chinese preparations expanded from an initial core of 80,000 troops to about 300,000, deployed along the JinPu and Longhai lines to draw in and overstretch Japanese offensives. A frightening reality loomed by late March 1938: the Japanese were nearing victory on the Xuzhou front. The North China Area Army, led by Generals Itagaki Seishirô, Nishio Toshizô, and Isogai Rensuke, aimed to link up with the Central China Expeditionary Force under General Hata Shunroku for a coordinated drive into central China. Li Zongren and his senior colleagues, including Generals Bai Chongxi and Tang Enbo, resolved to meet the Japanese at the traditional stone-walled city of Taierzhuang. Taierzhuang was not large, but it held strategic significance. It sat along the Grand Canal, China's major north–south waterway, and on a rail line that connected the Jinpu and Longhai lines, thus bypassing Xuzhou. Chiang Kai-shek himself visited Xuzhou on March 24. While Xuzhou remained in Chinese hands, the Japanese forces to the north and south were still separated. Losing Xuzhou would close the pincer. By late March, Chinese troops seemed to be gaining ground at Taierzhuang, but the Japanese began reinforcing, pulling soldiers from General Isogai Rensuke's column. The defending commanders grew uncertain about their ability to hold the position, yet Chiang Kai-shek made his stance clear in an April 1, 1938 telegram: “the enemy at Taierzhuang must be destroyed.” Chiang Kai-shek dispatched his Vice Chief of Staff, Bai Chongxi, to Xuzhou in January 1938. Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi were old comrades from the New Guangxi Clique, and their collaboration dated back to the Northern Expedition, including the Battle of Longtan. Li also received the 21st Group Army from the 3rd War Area. This Guangxi unit, commanded by Liao Lei, comprised the 7th and 47th Armies. Around the same time, Sun Zhen's 22nd Group Army, another Sichuan clique unit, arrived in the Shanxi-Henan region, but was rebuffed by both Yan Xishan, then commander of the 2nd War Area and Shanxi's chairman and Cheng Qian, commander of the 1st War Area and Henan's chairman. Yan and Cheng harbored strong reservations about Sichuan units due to discipline issues, notably their rampant opium consumption. Under Sun Zhen's leadership, the 22nd Group Army deployed four of its six divisions to aid the Northern China effort. Organized under the 41st and 45th Armies, the contingent began a foot march toward Taiyuan on September 1, covering more than 50 days and approximately 1,400 kilometers. Upon reaching Shanxi, they faced a harsh, icy winter and had no winter uniforms or even a single map of the province. They nevertheless engaged the Japanese for ten days at Yangquan, suffering heavy casualties. Strapped for supplies, they broke into a Shanxi clique supply depot, which enraged Yan Xishan and led to their expulsion from the province. The 22nd withdrew westward into the 1st War Area, only to have its request for resupply rejected by Cheng Qian. Meanwhile to the south Colonel Rippei Ogisu led Japanese 13th Division to push westward from Nanjing in two columns during early February: the northern column targeted Mingguang, while the southern column aimed for Chuxian. Both routes were checked by Wei Yunsong's 31st Army, which had been assigned to defend the southern stretch of the Jinpu railway under Li Zongren. Despite facing a clearly inferior force, the Japanese could not gain ground after more than a month of sustained attacks. In response, Japan deployed armored and artillery reinforcements from Nanjing. The Chinese withdrew to the southwestern outskirts of Dingyuan to avoid a direct clash with their reinforced adversaries. By this point, Yu Xuezhong's 51st Army had taken up a defensive position on the northern banks of the Huai River, establishing a line between Bengbu and Huaiyuan. The Japanese then captured Mingguang, Dingyuan, and Bengbu in succession and pressed toward Huaiyuan. However, their supply lines were intercepted by the Chinese 31st Corps, which conducted flanking attacks from the southwest. The situation worsened when the Chinese 7th Army, commanded by Liao Lei, arrived at Hefei to reinforce the 31st Army. Facing three Chinese corps simultaneously, the Japanese were effectively boxed south of the Huai River and, despite air superiority and a superior overall firepower, could not advance further. As a result, the Chinese thwarted the Japanese plan to move the 13th Division north along the Jinpu railway and link up with the Isogai 10th Division to execute a pincer against Xuzhou. Meanwhile in the north, after amphibious landings at Qingdao, the Japanese 5th Division, commanded by Seishiro Itagaki, advanced southwest along the Taiwei Highway, spearheaded by its 21st Infantry Brigade. They faced Pang Bingxun's 3rd Group Army. Although labeled a Group Army, Pang's force actually comprised only the 40th Army, which itself consisted of the 39th Division from the Northwestern Army, commanded by Ma-Fawu. The 39th Division's five regiments delayed the Japanese advance toward Linyi for over a month. The Japanese captured Ju County on 22 February and moved toward Linyi by 2 March. The 59th Army, commanded by Zhang Zizhong, led its troops on a forced march day and night toward Linyi. Seizing the opportunity, the 59th Army did not rest after reaching Yishui. In the early morning of the 14th, Zhang Zizhong ordered the entire army to covertly cross the Yishui River and attack the right flank of the Japanese “Iron Army” 5th Division. They broke through enemy defenses at Tingzitou, Dataiping, Shenjia Taiping, Xujia Taiping, and Shalingzi. Initially caught off guard, the enemy sustained heavy losses, and over a night more than a thousand Japanese soldiers were annihilated. The 59th Army fought fiercely, engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat. By 4:00 a.m. on the 17th, the 59th Army had secured all of the Japanese main positions. That same day, Pang Bingxun seized the moment to lead his troops in a fierce flank attack, effectively supporting the 59th Army's frontal assault. On the 18th, Zhang and Pang's forces attacked the Japanese from the east, south, and west. After three days and nights of bloody fighting, they finally defeated the 3rd Battalion of the 11th Regiment, which had crossed the river, and annihilated most of it. The 59th Army completed its counterattack but suffered over 6,000 casualties, with more than 2,000 Japanese killed or wounded. News of the Linyi victory prompted commendations from Chiang Kai-shek and Li Zongren. General Li Zongren, commander of the 5th War Zone, judged that the Japanese were temporarily unable to mount a large-scale offensive and that Linyi could be held for the time being. On March 20, he ordered the 59th Army westward to block the Japanese Seya Detachment. On March 21, the Japanese Sakamoto Detachment, after a brief reorganization and learning of the Linyi detachment, launched another offensive. The 3rd Corps, understrength and without reinforcements, was compelled to retreat steadily before the Japanese. General Pang Bingxun, commander of the 3rd Corps, urgently telegraphed Chiang Kai-shek, requesting reinforcements. Chiang Kai-shek received the telegram and, at approximately 9:00 AM on the 23rd, ordered the 59th Army to return to Linyi to join with the 3rd Corps in repelling the Sakamoto Detachment. Fierce fighting ensued with heavy Chinese losses, and the situation in Linyi again grew precarious. At a critical moment, the 333rd Brigade of the 111th Division and the Cavalry Regiment of the 13th Army were rushed to reinforce Linyi. Facing attacks from two directions, the Japanese withdrew, losing almost two battalions in the process. This engagement shattered the myth of Japanese invincibility and embarrassed commander Seishirō Itagaki, even startling IJA headquarters. Although the 5th Division later regrouped and attempted another push, it had lost the element of surprise. The defeat at Linyi at the hands of comparatively poorly equipped Chinese regional units set the stage for the eventual battle at Tai'erzhuang. Of the three Japanese divisions advancing into the Chinese 5th War Area, the 10th Division, commanded by Rensuke Isogai, achieved the greatest initial success. Departing from Hebei, it crossed the Yellow River and moved south along the Jinpu railway. With KMT General Han Fuju ordering his forces to desert their posts, the Japanese captured Zhoucun and reached Jinan with little resistance. They then pushed south along two columns from Tai'an. The eastern column captured Mengyin before driving west to seize Sishui; the western column moved southwest along the Jinpu railway, capturing Yanzhou, Zouxian, and Jining, before turning northwest to take Wenshang. Chiang Kai-shek subsequently ordered Li Zongren to employ “offensive defense”, seizing the initiative to strike rather than merely defend. Li deployed Sun Zhen's 22nd Group Army to attack Zouxian from the south, while Pang Bingxun's 40th Division advanced north along the 22nd's left flank to strike Mengyin and Sishui. Sun Tongxuan's 3rd Group Army also advanced from the south, delivering a two-pronged assault on the Japanese at Jining. Fierce fighting from 12 to 25 February, particularly by the 12th Corps, helped mitigate the reputational damage previously inflicted on Shandong units by Han Fuju. In response to Chinese counterattacks, the Japanese revised their strategy: they canceled their original plan to push directly westward from Nanjing toward Wuhan, freeing more troops for the push toward Xuzhou. On March 15, the Japanese 10th Division struck the Chinese 122nd Division, focusing the action around Tengxian and Lincheng. Chinese reinforcements from the 85th Corps arrived the following day but were driven back on March 17. With air support, tanks, and heavy artillery, the Japanese breached the Chinese lines on March 18. The remaining Chinese forces, bolstered by the 52nd Corps, withdrew to the town of Yixian. The Japanese attacked Yixian and overran an entire Chinese regiment in a brutal 24-hour engagement. By March 19, the Japanese began advancing on the walled town of Taierzhuang. To counter the Japanese advance, the Chinese 2nd Army Group under General Sun Lianzhong was deployed to Taierzhuang. The 31st Division, commanded by General Chi Fengcheng, reached Taierzhuang on March 22 and was ordered to delay the Japanese advance until the remainder of the Army Group could arrive. On March 23, the 31st Division sallied from Taierzhuang toward Yixian, where they were engaged by two Japanese battalions reinforced with three tanks and four armored cars. The Chinese troops occupied a series of hills and managed to defend against a Japanese regiment (~3,000 men) for the rest of the day. On March 24, a Japanese force of about 5,000 attacked the 31st Division. Another Japanese unit pressed the Chinese from Yixian, forcing them to withdraw back into Taierzhuang itself. The Japanese then assaulted the town, with a 300-strong contingent breaching the northeast gate at 20:00. They were subsequently driven back toward the Chenghuang temple, which the Chinese set on fire, annihilating the Japanese force. The next day, the Japanese renewed the assault through the breached gate and secured the eastern portion of the district, while also breaking through the northwest corner from the outside and capturing the Wenchang Pavilion. On March 25, a morning Japanese onslaught was repelled. The Japanese then shelled Chinese positions with artillery and air strikes. In the afternoon, the Chinese deployed an armored train toward Yixian, which ambushed a column of Japanese soldiers near a hamlet, killing or wounding several dozen before retreating back to Taierzhuang. By nightfall, three thousand Chinese troops launched a night assault, pushing the Japanese lines northeast to dawn. The following three days subjected the Chinese defenders to sustained aerial and artillery bombardment. The Chinese managed to repulse several successive Japanese assaults but sustained thousands of casualties in the process. On March 28, Chinese artillery support arrived, including two 155 mm and ten 75 mm pieces. On the night of March 29, the Japanese finally breached the wall. Setting out from the district's southern outskirts, a Chinese assault squad stormed the Wenchang Pavilion from the south and east, killing nearly the entire Japanese garrison aside from four taken as prisoners of war. The Chinese then retook the northwest corner of the district. Even by the brutal standards already established in the war, the fighting at Taierzhuang was fierce, with combatants facing one another at close quarters. Sheng Cheng's notes preserve the battlefield memories of Chi Fengcheng, one of the campaign's standout officers “We had a battle for the little lanes [of the town], and unprecedentedly, not just streets and lanes, but even courtyards and houses. Neither side was willing to budge. Sometimes we'd capture a house, and dig a hole in the wall to approach the enemy. Sometimes the enemy would be digging a hole in the same wall at the same time. Sometimes we faced each other with hand grenades — or we might even bite each other. Or when we could hear that the enemy was in the house, then we'd climb the roof and drop bombs inside — and kill them all.” The battle raged for a week. On April 1, General Chi requested volunteers for a near-suicide mission to seize a building: among fifty-seven selected, only ten survived. A single soldier claimed to have fired on a Japanese bomber and succeeded in bringing it down; he and his comrades then set the aircraft ablaze before another plane could arrive to rescue the pilot. One participant described the brutal conditions of the battle “"The battle continued day and night. The flames lit up the sky. Often all that separated our forces was a single wall. The soldiers would beat holes in the masonry to snipe at each other. We would be fighting for days over a single building, causing dozens of fatalities." The conditions were so brutal that Chinese officers imposed severe measures to maintain discipline. Junior officers were repeatedly forbidden to retreat and were often ordered to personally replace casualties within their ranks. Li Zongren even warned Tang Enbo that failure to fulfill his duties would lead him to be “treated as Han Fuju had been.” In Taierzhuang's cramped streets, Japan's artillery and air superiority offered little advantage; whenever either service was employed amid the dense melee, casualties were roughly even on both sides. The fighting devolved into close-quarters combat carried out primarily by infantry, with rifles, pistols, hand grenades, bayonets, and knives forming the core of each side's arsenal. The battle unfolded largely hand-to-hand, frequently in darkness. The stone buildings of Taierzhuang provided substantial cover from fire and shrapnel. It was precisely under these close-quarters conditions that Chinese soldiers could stand as equals, if not superior, to their Japanese opponents, mirroring, in some respects, the experiences seen in Luodian, Shanghai, the year before. On March 31, General Sun Lianzhong arrived to assume command of the 2nd Army Group. A Japanese assault later that day was repulsed, but a Chinese counterattack also stalled. At 04:00 on April 1, the Japanese attacked the Chinese lines with support from 11 tanks. The Chinese defenders, armed with German-made 37mm Pak-36 antitank guns, destroyed eight of the armored vehicles at point-blank range. Similar incidents recurred throughout the battle, with numerous Japanese tanks knocked out by Chinese artillery and by suicide squads. In one engagement, Chinese suicide bombers annihilated four Japanese tanks with bundles of grenades. On April 2 and 3, Chi urged the Chinese defenders around Taierzhuang's north station to assess the evolving situation. The troops reported distress, crying and sneezing, caused by tear gas deployed by the Japanese against Chinese positions at Taierzhuang's north station, but the defenders remained unmoved. They then launched a massive armored assault outside the city walls, with 30 tanks and 60 armored cars, yet managed only to drive the Chinese 27th Division back to the Grand Canal. The fighting continued to rage on April 4 and 5. By then, the Japanese had captured roughly two-thirds of Taierzhuang, though the Chinese still held the South Gate. It was through this entry point that the Chinese command managed to keep their troops supplied. The Chinese also thwarted Japanese efforts to replenish their dwindling stocks of arms and ammunition. In consequence, the Japanese attackers were worn down progressively. Although the Japanese possessed superior firepower, including cannon and heavy artillery, the cramped conditions within Taierzhuang nullified this advantage for the moment. The Chinese command succeeded in keeping their own supplies flowing, a recurring weakness in other engagements and also prevented the Japanese from replenishing their dwindling stock of arms and bullets. Gradually, the Japanese maneuvered into a state of attrition. The deadlock of the battle was broken by events unfolding outside Taierzhuang, where fresh Chinese divisions had encircled the Japanese forces in Taierzhuang from the flanks and rear. After consulting their German advisors earlier, the commanders of the 5th War Area prepared a double envelopment of the exposed Japanese forces in Taierzhuang. Between March and April 1938, the Nationalist Air Force deployed squadrons from the 3rd and 4th Pursuit Groups, fighter-attack aircraft, in long-distance air interdiction and close-air support of the Taierzhuang operations. Approximately 30 aircraft, mostly Soviet-made, were deployed in bombing raids against Japanese positions. On 26 March, Tang Enbo's 20th Army, equipped with artillery units, attacked Japanese forces at Yixian, inflicting heavy casualties and routing the survivors. Tang then swung south to strike the Japanese flank northeast of Taierzhuang. Simultaneously, the Chinese 55th Corps, comprised of two divisions, executed a surprise crossing of the Grand Canal and cut the railway line near Lincheng. As a result, Tang isolated the Japanese attackers from their rear and severed their supply lines. On 1 April, the Japanese 5th Division sent a brigade to relieve the encircled 10th Division. Tang countered by blocking the brigade's advance and then attacking from the rear, driving them south into the encirclement. On 3 April, the Chinese 2nd Group Army launched a counter-offensive, with the 30th and 110th Divisions pushing northward into Beiluo and Nigou, respectively. By 6 April, the Chinese 85th and 52nd Armies linked up at Taodun, just west of Lanling. The combined force then advanced north-westward, capturing Ganlugou. Two more Chinese divisions arrived a few days later. By April 5, Taierzhuang's Japanese units were fully surrounded, with seven Chinese divisions to the north and four to the south closing in. The Japanese divisions inside Taierzhuang had exhausted their supplies, running critically low on ammunition, fuel, and food, while many troops endured fatigue and dehydration after more than a week of brutal fighting. Sensing imminent victory, the Chinese forces surged with renewed fury and attacked the encircled Japanese, executing wounded soldiers where they lay with rifle and pistol shots. Chinese troops also deployed Soviet tanks against the defenders. Japanese artillery could not reply effectively due to a shortage of shells, and their tanks were immobilized by a lack of fuel. Attempts to drop supplies by air failed, with most packages falling into Chinese hands. Over time, Japanese infantry were progressively reduced to firing only their machine guns and mortars, then their rifles and machine guns, and ultimately resorted to bayonet charges. With the success of the Chinese counter-attacks, the Japanese line finally collapsed on April 7. The 10th and 5th Divisions, drained of personnel and ammunition, were forced to retreat. By this point, around 2,000 Japanese soldiers managed to break out of Taierzhuang, leaving thousands of their comrades dead behind. Some of the escapees reportedly committed hara-kiri. Chinese casualties were roughly comparable, marking a significant improvement over the heavier losses suffered in Shanghai and Nanjing. The Japanese had lost the battle for numerous reasons. Japanese efforts were hampered by the "offensive-defensive" operations carried out by various Chinese regional units, effectively preventing the three Japanese divisions from ever linking up with each other. Despite repeated use of heavy artillery, air strikes, and gas, the Japanese could not expel the Chinese 2nd Group Army from Taierzhuang and its surrounding areas, even as the defenders risked total annihilation. The Japanese also failed to block the Chinese 20th Group Army's maneuver around their rear positions, which severed retreat routes and enabled a Chinese counter-encirclement. After Han Fuju's insubordination and subsequent execution, the Chinese high command tightened discipline at the top, transmitting a stringent order flow down to the ranks. This atmosphere of strict discipline inspired even junior soldiers to risk their lives in executing orders. A “dare-to-die corps” was effectively employed against Japanese units. They used swords and wore suicide vests fashioned from grenades. Due to a lack of anti-armor weaponry, suicide bombing was also employed against the Japanese. Chinese troops, as part of the “dare-to-die” corps, strapped explosives such as grenade packs or dynamite to their bodies and charged at Japanese tanks to blow them up.  The Chinese later asserted that about 20,000 Japanese had perished, though the actual toll was likely closer to 8,000. The Japanese also sustained heavy material losses. Because of fuel shortages and their rapid retreat, many tanks, trucks, and artillery pieces were abandoned on the battlefield and subsequently captured by Chinese forces. Frank Dorn recorded losses of 40 tanks, over 70 armored cars, and 100 trucks of various sizes. In addition to vehicles, the Japanese lost dozens of artillery pieces and thousands of machine guns and rifles. Many of these weapons were collected by the Chinese for future use. The Chinese side also endured severe casualties, possibly up to 30,000, with Taierzhuang itself nearly razed. Yet for once, the Chinese achieved a decisive victory, sparking an outburst of joy across unoccupied China. Du Zhongyuan wrote of “the glorious killing of the enemy,” and even Katharine Hand, though isolated in Japanese-controlled Shandong, heard the news. The victory delivered a much-needed morale boost to both the army and the broader population. Sheng Cheng recorded evening conversations with soldiers from General Chi Fengcheng's division, who shared light-hearted banter with their senior officer. At one moment, the men recalled Chi as having given them “the secret of war. when you get food, eat it; when you can sleep, take it.” Such familiar, brisk maxims carried extra resonance now that the Nationalist forces had demonstrated their willingness and ability to stand their ground rather than retreat. The victors may have celebrated a glorious victory, but they did not forget that their enemies were human. Chi recalled a scene he encountered: he had picked up a Japanese officer's helmet, its left side scorched by gunpowder, with a trace of blood, the mark of a fatal wound taken from behind. Elsewhere in Taierzhuang, relics of the fallen were found: images of the Buddha, wooden fish, and flags bearing slogans. A makeshift crematorium in the north station had been interrupted mid-process: “Not all the bones had been completely burned.” After the battle, Li Zongren asked Sheng if he had found souvenirs on the battlefield. Sheng replied that he had discovered love letters on the corpses of Japanese soldiers, as well as a photograph of a girl, perhaps a hometown sweetheart labeled “19 years old, February 1938.” These details stood in stark contrast to news coverage that depicted the Japanese solely as demons, devils, and “dwarf bandits.” The foreign community noted the new, optimistic turn of events and the way it seemed to revive the resistance effort. US ambassador Nelson Johnson wrote to Secretary of State Cordell Hull from Wuhan just days after Taierzhuang, passing on reports from American military observers: one had spent time in Shanxi and been impressed by Communist success in mobilizing guerrilla fighters against the Japanese; another had spent three days observing the fighting at Taierzhuang and confirmed that “Chinese troops in the field there won a well-deserved victory over Japanese troops, administering the first defeat that Japanese troops have suffered in the field in modern times.” This reinforced Johnson's view that Japan would need to apply far more force than it had anticipated to pacify China. He noted that the mood in unoccupied China had likewise shifted. “Conditions here at Hankow have changed from an atmosphere of pessimism to one of dogged optimism. The Government is more united under Chiang and there is a feeling that the future is not entirely hopeless due to the recent failure of Japanese arms at Hsuchow [Xuzhou] . . . I find no evidence for a desire for a peace by compromise among  Chinese, and doubt whether the Government could persuade its army or its people to accept such a peace. The spirit of resistance is slowly spreading among the people who are awakening to a feeling that this is their war. Japanese air raids in the interior and atrocities by Japanese soldiers upon civilian populations are responsible for this stiffening of the people.”. The British had long been wary of Chiang Kai-shek, but Sir Archibald Clark Kerr, the British ambassador in China, wrote to the new British foreign secretary, Lord Halifax, on April 29, 1938, shortly after the Taierzhuang victory, and offered grudging credit to China's leader “[Chiang] has now become the symbol of Chinese unity, which he himself has so far failed to achieve, but which the Japanese are well on the way to achieving for him . . . The days when Chinese people did not care who governed them seem to have gone . . . my visit to Central China from out of the gloom and depression of Shanghai has left me stimulated and more than disposed to believe that provided the financial end can be kept up Chinese resistance may be so prolonged and effective that in the end the Japanese effort may be frustrated . . . Chiang Kai-shek is obstinate and difficult to deal with . . . Nonetheless [the Nationalists] are making in their muddlIn the exhilaration of a rare victory”. Chiang pressured Tang and Li to build on their success, increasing the area's troop strength to about 450,000. Yet the Chinese Army remained plagued by deeper structural issues. The parochialism that had repeatedly hampered Chiang's forces over the past six months resurfaced. Although the various generals had agreed to unite in a broader war of resistance, each prioritized the safety of his own troops, wary of any move by Chiang to centralize power. For example, Li Zongren refrained from utilizing his top Guangxi forces at Taierzhuang, attempting to shift the bulk of the fighting onto Tang Enbo's units. The generals were aware of the fates of two colleagues: Han Fuju of Shandong was executed for his refusal to fight, while Zhang Xueliang of Manchuria had allowed Chiang to reduce the size of his northeastern army and ended up under house arrest. They were justified in distrusting Chiang. He truly believed, after all, that provincial armies should come under a national military command led by himself. From a national-unity standpoint, Chiang's aim was not unreasonable. But it bred suspicion among other military leaders that participation in the anti-Japanese war would erode their own power. The fragmented command structure also hindered logistics, making ammunition and food supplies to the front unreliable and easy to cut off a good job of things in extremely difficult circumstances. 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 Chinese victory at the battle of Tairzhuang was a much needed morale boost after the long string of defeats to Japan. As incredible as it was however, it would amount to merely a bloody nose for the Imperial Japanese Army. Now Japan would unleash even more devastation to secure Xuzhou and ultimately march upon Wuhan.

This week on Sinica, I chat with Peking University's Professor Wang Dong (王栋), an international relations scholar at the School of International Studies at Peking University, where he also serves as Deputy Director and Executive Director of the Office for Humanities and Social Sciences and the Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding. Professor Wang's scholarship and public commentary focus on U.S.–China relations, Cold War history, and the uses of historical memory in diplomacy. He has been an especially thoughtful voice in connecting the Flying Tigers legacy with today's efforts to stabilize and strengthen the people-to-people ties between our two countries.Check back in a day or two for the full podcast page and the transcript!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Sinica, co-host Tianyu Fang makes his debut on the show to join me in interviewing his Stanford classmate and talented writer Jasmine Sun, who studies the anthropology of disruption. This summer, she took a trip to China with a group of friends with different levels of China experience, from people raised in the country to total novices. She reflects on how it hit, and how a group of young people reckoned with the reality of Chinese hypermodernity, which she wrote about in a terrific essay titled "america against china against america: notes on shenzhen, shanghai, and more."Check back on this page in a couple of days for the full podcast page with time stamps and recommendations!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on the Sinica Podcast, I chat with well-known author and public intellectual Yascha Mounk about his recent fascination with China, his approach to learning about the country and learning Chinese, and his thoughts on how China fits into the current crisis of Western liberal democracy.7:15 – Yascha's experience of living in China and learning Chinese12:18 – Yascha's perspective on China's strengths and weaknesses20:12 – China in a global comparative perspective: Generational aspirations and demographic decline29:45 – China's Soft Power vs. Japan, Korea, and the U.S.45:30 – Media narratives on China: have they shifted?54:20 – Western Liberalism confronts China01:07:07 – Backlash & criticism01:11:35 - Polarization and “China as enemy” narrativesRecommendations: Yascha: The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (book), The Leopard (1963) (movie)Kaiser: A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism by Adam Gopnik (book)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chongqing's Datianwan Stadium became the center of excitement on Saturday night as it hosted the opening match of the Chongqing City Football League, also known as Yu Chao. This is the upgraded version of the city's amateur super league, launched in 2016.周六晚间，重庆大田湾体育场成为万众瞩目的焦点，这里举办了重庆城市足球联赛（又称“渝超联赛”）的揭幕战。该联赛是重庆2016年启动的业余足球超级联赛升级后的版本。The stadium and its surroundings were turned into a vibrant carnival with food stands, cultural exhibits and live music performances.The opening match saw Chongqing's Yuzhong team face off against Jiulongpo and clinch a 3-2 victory.体育场及其周边地区化作一场活力四射的嘉年华，现场设有小吃摊、文化展区，并举办了现场音乐表演。揭幕战中，重庆渝中队对阵九龙坡队，最终以3比2的比分获胜。"We had never explored this area before, but tonight our family enjoyed a delightful meal of iron pot spicy fish outside the stadium. I think it has sparked widespread enthusiasm for sports and stimulated local consumption," said Sun Pinpin, 34, who attended the match with her husband and 10-year-old son.“我们以前从没来过这片区域，但今晚我们一家人在体育场外享用了美味的铁锅麻辣鱼。我觉得这不仅点燃了大众对体育的热情，还带动了当地消费。”34岁的孙彬彬说道，她与丈夫及10岁的儿子一同前来观赛。The league is regarded as the largest city soccer competition in China, featuring 41 teams from Chongqing's 38 districts and counties, as well as from the Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing High-tech Industrial Development Zone and Chongqing Wansheng Economic and Technological Development Zone. In total, 178 matches are scheduled this season.该联赛是中国规模最大的城市足球赛事，共有41支球队参赛，分别来自重庆38个区县，以及重庆两江新区、重庆高新技术产业开发区和重庆万盛经济技术开发区。本赛季共计划进行178场比赛。The occasion also marked a significant moment for Datianwan Stadium, which had not seen such vibrancy since it last hosted a Chinese Jia-A League game 22 years ago. Built in 1956, the stadium was the first premier venue established after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Saturday's opener drew 21,680 fans.此次赛事也为大田湾体育场迎来了重要时刻——自22年前承办中国甲A联赛赛事后，这座体育场许久未呈现如此热闹的景象。大田湾体育场始建于1956年，是中华人民共和国成立后建成的首座顶级体育场馆。周六的揭幕战吸引了21680名球迷到场观赛。With the season scheduled to run until March or April next year, given the number of teams and matches, the CQFL is the most extensive city soccer league nationwide, said Zhang Jie, a technical official of the league.联赛技术官员张杰表示，考虑到参赛球队数量和赛事场次，本赛季重庆城市足球联赛（CQFL）赛程将持续至明年3月或4月，是全国规模最广的城市足球联赛。Chongqing, a megacity of 32 million on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, has a rich soccer heritage. Local communities began organizing matches in the 1950s, and by the 1970s had set up a league with a promotion and relegation system. The structure helped develop amateur teams with national influence.重庆是长江上游地区一座拥有3200万人口的超大城市，有着深厚的足球传统。当地社区自20世纪50年代起便开始组织足球比赛，到70年代已建立起带有升降级制度的联赛体系。这一体系助力培养出了具有全国影响力的业余球队。"The primary goal of organizing the league is to enhance public fitness and offer a platform for ordinary people to showcase their skills and express themselves through soccer," Zhang said.“举办该联赛的首要目标是促进全民健身，并为普通人提供一个通过足球展现技艺、表达自我的平台。”张杰说道。During the opening match, Yuzhong's Li Feiya scored the league's first goal. A full-time teacher, Li embodies the league's spirit of community involvement, balancing classroom duties with soccer training.揭幕战中，渝中队的李非亚攻入了联赛首球。身为一名全职教师，李非亚兼顾教学工作与足球训练，是联赛社区参与精神的典型代表。The event energized the local community and boosted tourism and hospitality. Du Xueyong, deputy director of the Chongqing Municipal Sports Bureau, said the league is expected to generate more than 100 million yuan ($14.04 million) in consumption across dining, accommodation and transportation. Tourism revenue in host areas is projected to increase by over 20 percent.此次赛事为当地社区注入了活力，同时推动了旅游业和酒店餐饮业的发展。重庆市体育局副局长杜学勇表示，预计该联赛将带动餐饮、住宿、交通等领域消费超1亿元人民币（折合1404万美元），赛事举办地的旅游收入预计将增长20%以上。In May, the 2025 Jiangsu Football City League in Jiangsu province captured national attention, inspiring more provinces to organize their own amateur "super leagues".Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces launched theirs in July and August. Hunan province kicked off its league six days before Chongqing while Sichuan province is scheduled to kick start its own on Sept 20.今年5月，2025年江苏省足球城市联赛引发全国关注，这也激励了更多省份举办各自的业余“超级联赛”。江西省和广东省分别于7月和8月启动了本地联赛；湖南省在重庆联赛开赛6天前开启了赛事，而四川省则计划于9月20日启动本省联赛。These leagues are driving deeper integration of sports and consumer activities. Meituan Travel reported that during the opening match of the Hunan Super League, bookings for flights and train tickets to Changsha rose 35 percent year-on-year, while five-star hotel reservations increased by 62 percent.这些联赛正推动体育与消费活动的深度融合。美团旅行数据显示，湖南超级联赛揭幕战期间，前往长沙的机票和火车票预订量同比增长35%，五星级酒店预订量同比增长62%。Given the national men's soccer team's struggles for nearly two decades, many see grassroots competitions as a more genuine and promising path for the future of Chinese soccer.鉴于中国国家男子足球队近20年来发展受阻，许多人认为，基层赛事才是中国足球未来更真实、更具前景的发展方向。promotion and relegation system升降级制度/prəˈməʊʃn ənd ˌrelɪˈɡeɪʃn ˈsɪstəm/hospitality酒店餐饮业/ˌhɒspɪˈtæləti/grassroots competitions基层赛事/ˈɡrɑːsruːts ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃnz/

During peak lunch hour at a busy restaurant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, four chefs work in perfect unison, deftly churning out multiple dishes as flames leap from the woks. However, their expertise and execution are not only of interest to the customers waiting for the food, but also to over 50,000 viewers watching them live at work on Douyin, China's short-video platform.在四川省成都市一家人气餐厅的午间用餐高峰时段，四位厨师配合默契，炒锅火光跃动间，娴熟地烹制出一道道菜品。他们的精湛技艺不仅吸引着等候取餐的顾客，还受到中国短视频平台抖音上5万余名实时观看直播网友的关注。Luoxiaoyang Home-Style Cuisine, which opened its doors in June, has attracted more than 1.7 million followers on Douyin by livestreaming what goes on in its kitchen.这家名为“罗小羊家常菜”的餐厅于今年6月开业，通过直播厨房日常运作，已在抖音平台积累超170万粉丝。Responding to increasing public concern about food safety, a number of restaurants nationwide have begun livestreaming their kitchen operations - a strategy aimed at both winning diners' trust and boosting visibility through online engagement.随着公众对食品安全的关注度持续提升，全国多地餐厅纷纷开启厨房直播模式。这一举措既是为赢取消费者信任，也旨在通过线上互动提高店铺曝光度。The growing interest in "transparent kitchen" livestreams follows a heated online debate sparked by celebrity entrepreneur Luo Yonghao. Last week, Luo criticized domestic restaurant chain Xibei on China's popular social media platform Sina Weibo, alleging that many dishes were premade. His post went viral, prompting public discussion about food safety and kitchen transparency.“透明厨房”直播受热捧，源于知名企业家罗永浩引发的一场网络热议。上周，罗永浩在国内知名社交平台新浪微博上，对连锁餐饮品牌西贝提出质疑，称其多款菜品为预制菜。该言论迅速走红网络，引发公众对食品安全与厨房透明度的广泛讨论。Kitchen livestreams are not exactly new. In March, the State Council, China's Cabinet, issued a guideline strengthening food safety supervision, urging platforms and merchants to implement"internet plus transparent kitchen"initiatives and enhance oversight on delivery-only restaurants through public monitoring.厨房直播并非新鲜事物。今年3月，中国国务院印发关于加强食品安全监管的指导意见，明确要求平台与商户落实“互联网+透明厨房”举措，并通过公众监督强化对纯外卖餐厅的监管。Sun Juanjuan, an associate professor at Hebei Agricultural University and researcher at the Center for Coordination and Innovation of Food Safety Governance, said, "As customers have begun focusing on how the food is being prepared, restaurants have shifted focus from price wars to hygiene standards."河北农业大学副教授、食品安全治理协同创新中心研究员孙娟娟表示：“如今消费者更关注菜品制作过程，餐饮企业的竞争焦点已从价格战转向卫生标准。”However, some industry insiders worry that the livestreams could become mere "performances".不过，部分业内人士担忧，厨房直播可能沦为“表演秀”。Zhong Kai, a food safety expert from the China Food Information Center, said the actual impact of livestreaming on food safety supervision might be more about deterrence than regulation."Issues such as pesticide residues or cross-contamination are hard to catch via livestreams. Most food safety incidents that have been exposed have been due to snapshots of chefs not wearing masks or hats, or catching glimpses of rats in kitchens," he said.中国食品信息中心食品安全专家钟凯指出，直播对食品安全监管的实际作用更多体现在震慑层面，而非直接监管。“农药残留、交叉污染等问题难以通过直播发现。目前曝光的食品安全问题，多是因镜头捕捉到厨师未戴口罩、帽子，或厨房内出现老鼠等明显违规场景。”Yet, Sun said: "Implementing 'transparent kitchen' measures in the mass catering sector has always been a regulatory challenge. Now, with public enthusiasm and demand, it can help accelerate implementation across various regions."孙娟娟则认为：“在大众餐饮领域推行‘透明厨房'，一直是监管工作的难点。如今借助公众的热情与需求，有望推动这一举措在各地加速落地。”premadeadj.预制的；预先制作的/ˌpriːˈmeɪd/deterrencen.震慑；威慑/dɪˈterəns/cross-contaminationn.交叉污染/ˌkrɒs kənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃn/

This week on Sinica, I speak first with retired Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, a frequent commentator on Chinese military and security affairs and a prolific writer now at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, and with Rana Mitter of the Harvard Kennedy School and author of Forgotten Ally, a book about World War II in China.I will update this page when the transcript is ready. Check back in a couple of days!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ketchup. We all know what it is. But do we? It's not a thing. It's actually a category.Where's the word come from? How was it originally used? When was the first ketchup recipe? How has it become the condiment we know today?We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, authors of over three dozen cookbooks. This podcast is about our major passion in life: food and cooking.If you'd like to check out our latest cookbook, COLD CANNING, please click here.[00:55] Our one-minute cooking tip: Click on "like" for any online content you in fact like.[02:18] All about ketchup! Where'd it come from? Where's the word come from? It's not a thing. It's a category of things. How'd it get to be the stick, thick tomato sauce we know today?[22:02] What's making us happy in food this week: Sichuan fish stew and Chinese food demystified!

Dr Philip Smith, Digital and Education Editor of Gut and Honorary Consultant Gastroenterologist at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, UK interviews Professor Chengwei Tang and Associate Professor Zhiyin Huang from the Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China on the paper "Parecoxib sequential with imrecoxib for occurrence and remission of severe acute pancreatitis: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial" published in paper copy in Gut in September 2025. Please subscribe to the Gut podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/3UOTwqS) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3Ifxq9p).

The People's Liberation Army has displayed all types of its fifth-generation combat planes on active duty for the first time via the grand parade on Wednesday, a move that observers say is intended to show its world-class air prowess.中国人民解放军在周三的盛大阅兵式上，首次展示了现役的所有型号第五代战斗机。观察人士表示，此举旨在彰显中国具备世界一流的空中实力。All of the five models — the J-20, J-20A, J-20S and J-35A of the PLA Air Force as well as the PLA Navy's J-35 — thundered past the Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing as they flew in several arrowhead-shaped groups around the end of a 70-minute parade marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.在这场时长70分钟、纪念中国人民抗日战争（1931-1945）暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年的阅兵式临近尾声时，五种型号的战斗机——中国人民解放军空军的歼-20、歼-20A、歼-20S、歼-35A以及海军的歼-35——组成多个箭头形编队，轰鸣着飞过北京市中心的天安门广场。This is the first time in the world that five models of cutting-edge stealth fighter jets have appeared in one parade.这是全球首次有五种型号的尖端隐形战斗机在同一场阅兵式上亮相。It also marked the maiden public performance of the J-20S, the world's first and only model of twin-seat stealth jet; the J-20A, an upgraded single-seat variant of the J-20 baseline configuration; and the J-35, the first radar-evading combat plane in the Navy.此次阅兵也标志着全球首款且目前唯一的双座隐形战斗机歼-20S、歼-20基础型号的升级单座版本歼-20A，以及中国海军首款隐形战斗机歼-35的首次公开亮相。Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told China Daily that this is the first time in the history of the People's Republic of China that so much new hardware has been sent to a parade.《航空知识》杂志主编王亚男在接受《中国日报》采访时表示，这是中华人民共和国成立以来，首次在阅兵式上展示如此多的新型装备。“What we have seen is an unprecedented unveiling of China's domestically developed weaponry such as those new aircraft. All of these previously unseen weapons have state-of-the-art designs and superior capabilities, and have tremendously enhanced the Chinese armed forces' overall strength,” Wang said.王亚男表示：“我们此次看到的是中国自主研发武器装备——如这些新型战机——前所未有的集中亮相。所有这些此前未公开的武器都具备最先进的设计和卓越性能，极大提升了中国军队的整体实力。”“Specifically speaking, the appearance of the J-20 and J-35 families on a considerable scale means that the Air Force and Navy are in the middle of a systemic transformation that highlights the core role of fifth-generation types, namely these stealth jets,” he said, stating that the PLA is likely to be ahead of other militaries around the globe in terms of establishing a comprehensive fifth-generation air combat system.他指出：“具体而言，歼-20和歼-35系列战机的大规模亮相，表明中国空军和海军正处于以第五代战机（即这些隐形战机）为核心的体系化转型之中。”他还表示，在构建全面的第五代空战体系方面，中国人民解放军可能已走在全球其他军队前列。According to a statement published before the V-Day parade by a temporary command in charge of the event's aircraft squadrons, the new military planes “have been deployed to handle high-intensity warfare” while their appearance was meant to “reflect the PLA's strength to deter adversaries and safeguard China's airspace.”负责此次阅兵式空中梯队的临时指挥部在阅兵前发布声明称，这些新型军机“已列装部队，可执行高强度作战任务”，而它们的亮相旨在“彰显中国人民解放军震慑对手、捍卫中国领空的实力”。J-20S（歼-20S）The J-20S, like other members of the J-20 series, was designed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, an Aviation Industry Corp of China subsidiary in Sichuan province, and was declassified in November 2024 by appearing in the form of a small-scale mock-up at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.与歼-20系列其他型号一样，歼-20S由中国航空工业集团旗下位于四川省的成都飞机设计研究所设计，并于2024年11月在第十五届中国国际航空航天博览会上以小型模型形式首次解密。According to designers at AVIC, the J-20S is a heavy-duty radar-evading fighter jet with long-range operation and multifunction capabilities.中国航空工业集团的设计师表示，歼-20S是一款具备远程作战能力和多功能属性的重型隐形战斗机。The twin-seat plane is characterized by its supreme ability to seize superiority in air combat, carry out precision strikes against land and sea targets, and perform battlefield situational awareness, electronic jamming as well as tactical command and control operations.这款双座战机的核心优势在于：具备极强的夺取制空权能力、可对陆基和海基目标实施精确打击，同时能执行战场态势感知、电子干扰及战术指挥控制任务。In addition to conventional tasks, the J-20S can team up with unmanned planes in air combat, designers said.设计师还指出，除常规任务外，歼-20S还可在空战中与无人机协同作战。Fu Qianshao, an aircraft researcher who had served with the Air Force for decades, said the jet is likely to be tasked with conducting electronic warfare operations or guiding unmanned aircraft to hit enemy targets.曾在空军服役数十年的航空研究员傅前哨表示，歼-20S可能承担电子战任务，或引导无人机打击敌方目标。“The additional operator in the backseat is responsible for controlling electronic warfare instruments or coordinating strike operations by his or her plane and attack drones. His or her work can enable the J-20S to better use precision-guided munitions and connect with the airborne early-warning and control systems,” he said. “It is better to have an operator to focus on these extended functions because only one pilot would be too busy to take care of all of those tasks in real air combat.”他解释道：“后座的额外操作员负责操控电子战设备，或协调本机与攻击型无人机的打击行动。这一设置能让歼-20S更高效地使用精确制导武器，并与空中预警指挥系统联动。在实际空战中，仅靠一名飞行员难以兼顾所有任务，专门安排一名操作员负责这些扩展功能更为合理。”An extra seat will bring more benefits than these, the veteran researcher added.这位资深研究员补充称，双座设计的优势不止于此。"The twin-seat variant can have a backup flight-control system installed for the backseat operator to use in case the main system malfunctions or is damaged in action, or the front-seat pilot becomes incapacitated.“双座型号可搭载备用飞行控制系统，若主控制系统在作战中出现故障或受损，或前座飞行员失去行动能力，后座操作员可启动备用系统操控战机。“It can also be used to train new aviators to make them familiar with the cutting-edge fighter jet as quickly as possible,” Fu stated.傅前哨表示：“此外，歼-20S还可用于培训新飞行员，帮助他们尽快熟悉这款尖端战机。”J-20A（歼-20A）Another J-20 variant — the J-20A — has several external differences from the baseline model: an enlarged spine, reshaped nosecone, and modified engine intakes optimized for new, mightier engines developed by Chinese engineers on their own.歼-20的另一改进型号歼-20A与基础型号在外观上有多处不同：机身脊背加长、机头重新设计，且发动机进气道经过优化，以适配中国工程师自主研发的新型大功率发动机。Its engines are widely believed to have thrust vector control technology that provides significant benefits in flight maneuverability.外界普遍认为，歼-20A的发动机配备了推力矢量控制技术，这一技术能显著提升战机的飞行机动性。The technology enables a pilot to adjust the engine exhaust nozzles to redirect thrust, allowing the plane to carry out previously unimaginable maneuvers at very high angles of attack, meaning its nose is pointed at an angle greatly exceeding the jet's current vector.通过这项技术，飞行员可调整发动机尾喷口方向以改变推力方向，使战机能在超大迎角（机头指向与飞行轨迹夹角远大于常规范围）下完成以往难以实现的机动动作。This capability is expected to be a great advantage for fighter aviators when evading a missile or seeking an advantageous position in within-visual-range air combat.这种能力使战机在规避导弹或近距离空战中抢占优势位置时，能为飞行员提供显著优势。In addition to stunning tactical maneuvers, the new powerplants may also bring about higher fuel efficiency and longer flight range.除实现出色的战术机动外，新型发动机还可能提升燃油效率，延长战机航程。Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said the J-20A's optimized aerodynamic configuration, especially the slightly raised spine, has created a direct benefit: a bigger inner space that can be used for extra sensors or fuel tanks.《航空知识》杂志主编王亚男表示，歼-20A优化的气动布局——尤其是略微抬高的机身脊背——带来了一项直接优势：增加了内部空间，可用于加装额外传感器或油箱。"Raising the spine was not feasible for previous types of fighter jets because their pilots depend more or less on their bare eyes to spot suspicious objects so their cockpit canopy should have a 360-degree visual field, particularly in the backward direction.“以往的战斗机无法采用抬高脊背的设计，因为那时的飞行员多少需要依靠肉眼观察可疑目标，因此座舱盖需具备360度视野，尤其是向后的视野必须开阔。“Now, thanks to avionics enhancements and sensor improvements, a J-20A pilot no longer needs to turn his or her head to observe situations behind as several passive electro-optical sensors mounted around the fuselage can give the aviator an omnidirectional view,” the editor explained, adding that the redesigned spine also helps to reduce aerodynamic drag.“如今，得益于航空电子设备和传感器的升级，歼-20A的飞行员无需转头观察后方情况——机身周围安装的多个被动光电传感器可为飞行员提供全方位视野。”王亚男还补充称，重新设计的脊背也有助于降低气动阻力。J-35A（歼-35A）Another recent addition to the Air Force's stealth arsenal, the J-35A, also partook in the parade's air performance.（歼-35A是中国空军隐形装备库中近期新增的型号，此次也参与了阅兵式的空中梯队展示。）Designed by AVIC's Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute in Liaoning province, the J-35A is a single-seat, twin-engine stealth multirole fighter with a conventional aerodynamic configuration.歼-35A由中国航空工业集团旗下位于辽宁省的沈阳飞机设计研究所设计，是一款采用常规气动布局的单座双发隐形多用途战斗机。According to its designers, the jet's primary task is to seize and maintain air superiority, with a secondary mission of carrying out airstrikes against land and sea targets.设计师介绍，这款战机的首要任务是夺取并保持制空权，次要任务是对陆基和海基目标实施空中打击。Specifically, the jet will be used to engage with hostile aircraft including fighters and bombers, shoot down enemy cruise missiles, and eliminate adversaries' land- and ship-based air defense hardware.具体而言，歼-35A可用于对抗包括战斗机、轰炸机在内的敌方航空器，击落敌方巡航导弹，并摧毁敌方陆基和舰载防空装备。Wang Mingzhi, a senior researcher with the Air Force, said the J-20 series and J-35A will complement each other in air combat in the future.中国空军高级研究员王明志表示，未来在空战中，歼-20系列与歼-35A将形成互补。“The heavy-duty J-20 models will be used to fight for air dominance while the midsize J35A will be suitable for various kinds of operations ranging from engaging with hostile fighters to precision assaults against land and sea targets,” he said.他指出：“重型的歼-20系列将用于争夺制空权，而中型的歼-35A则适用于多种任务，既可以与敌方战斗机对抗，也能对陆、海目标实施精确打击。”The J-35A made its first public flight performance at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, shortly after it was declassified by the Air Force.歼-35A在中国空军解密后不久，便于第十五届中国国际航空航天博览会上完成了首次公开飞行展示。Following the recent delivery of the first batch of J-35As, China has become the second nation after the United States to have two families of stealth fighter jets in active service.随着首批歼-35A近期列装部队，中国成为继美国之后，全球第二个拥有两个系列现役隐形战斗机的国家。Y-20B（运-20B）Besides these new fighter jets, the Air Force also sent a re-engined version of its Y-20 strategic transport aircraft to fly in the parade.除这些新型战斗机外，中国空军还派出了换装新型发动机的运-20战略运输机参与阅兵式空中梯队。Compared with the baseline model in the Y-20 family, the Y-20B cargo jet's most distinctive trait is its new propulsion system, which appears to consist of four domestically designed high-bypass turbofan engines.与运-20基础型号相比，运-20B运输机最显著的特征是其新型推进系统——似乎配备了四台中国自主设计的大涵道比涡扇发动机。The Y-20's baseline configuration took its maiden flight in January 2013, and began to be delivered to the Air Force in July 2016. It uses four Russian engines as powerplants.运-20基础型号于2013年1月完成首飞，2016年7月开始交付中国空军，其动力系统采用四台俄罗斯发动机。Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said that the new domestically built engine has stronger thrust and lower fuel consumption, and that means the Y-20B is now able to fly farther and carry more cargo. Consequently, the new transport aircraft allows the PLA to deploy and sustain its forces over much greater distances, as befitting a true global power, he added.《航空知识》杂志主编王亚男表示，这款国产新型发动机推力更大、油耗更低，这使得运-20B的航程更远、载重量更大。他补充称，这款新型运输机使中国人民解放军能够在更远距离内部署和保障部队，符合一个真正全球性大国的能力需求。On the ground, multiple new types of combat drones were carried by trucks traveling in the parade, pointing to the possibility that the Air Force may place more duties on the pilotless jets.在地面装备方队中，多款新型作战无人机由卡车搭载亮相，这表明中国空军可能会赋予无人机更多任务职责。Wu Peixin, an aviation industry observer, said that it has been a shared trend for air powers to integrate their stealth fighters with uncrewed platforms' capabilities.航空行业观察家吴培新表示，将隐形战斗机与无人平台能力相融合，已成为全球空中力量发展的共同趋势。“A stealth jet is very expensive and sophisticated, while a drone is much cheaper, and is expendable. In air combat, pilots of stealth jets can operate and guide a group of strike drones to launch missiles toward targets and even hit the targets by themselves, without risking the safety of the pilots and their jets. Those unmanned planes will also be able to detect signals of enemy assets and then autonomously chart out a route to penetrate defense and take out the targets,” he said, adding that this new pattern will definitely revolutionize air combat in the future.他解释道：“隐形战斗机成本高昂、技术复杂，而无人机成本更低且可作为消耗性装备使用。在空战中，隐形战斗机飞行员可操控并引导一组攻击型无人机向目标发射导弹，甚至由无人机自主打击目标，无需让飞行员和战机面临风险。这些无人机还能探测敌方装备信号，自主规划突防路线并摧毁目标。”他补充称，这种新模式未来必将彻底改变空战形态。

This week on Sinica, I chat with Dave Kang (USC), Zenobia Chan (Georgetown), and Jackie Wong (American University in Sharjah, UAE) about their new paper in International Security titled "What Does China Want?" The paper, which has generated quite a bit of controversy, takes a data-driven approach to examine the claim that China seeks global hegemony — that it wants to supplant the U.S. as a globe-spanning top power. I'm traveling much of this week, so I'll update this podcast page when the transcript comes back!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Moonlit Quest: Finding Love and Legacy in Bamboo Shadows Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-08-28-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 竹林中的月光朦胧，洒下斑驳的影子。En: The moonlight in the bamboo forest was hazy, casting dappled shadows.Zh: 中秋节快到了，梅、家豪和丽芬三人正走在四川的竹林中。En: The Zhongqiu Jie, or Mid-Autumn Festival, was approaching, and Mei, Jiahao, and Lifen were walking through a bamboo forest in Sichuan.Zh: 梅心情有些沉重，她要找到那盏祖母珍爱的传家灯笼。En: Mei felt a bit heavy-hearted as she was determined to find the precious ancestral lantern cherished by her grandmother.Zh: “灯笼就藏在一个秘密的地方。我感觉到了。”梅坚定地说。En: "The lantern is hidden in a secret place. I can feel it," Mei said resolutely.Zh: 她想在节日之前找到它，以纪念她的祖母。En: She wanted to find it before the festival, to commemorate her grandmother.Zh: 家豪紧跟在梅后面，他暗暗下定决心，要在今天表达他的心意。En: Jiahao followed closely behind Mei, secretly determined to express his feelings today.Zh: “不要担心，我们一定能成功。”他鼓励道。En: "Don't worry, we'll definitely succeed," he encouraged.Zh: 丽芬不太相信竹林里的传说，但为了梅，她也愿意投入这场寻找。En: Lifen didn't quite believe in the legends of the bamboo forest, but for Mei, she was willing to join this search.Zh: “我还是觉得有点不安，听说这里有神秘的守护灵。”她小声说。En: "I still feel a bit uneasy. I've heard there are mysterious guardian spirits here," she whispered.Zh: 走了不知多久，他们发现了一个藏着灯笼的地方。En: After walking for an unknown amount of time, they discovered a place hiding the lantern.Zh: 就在他们欣喜若狂时，天空突然乌云密布，暴雨来临了。En: Just as they were ecstatic, the sky suddenly became overcast, and a torrential rain began.Zh: 雨水打湿了地面，泥泞四溢，灯笼被卷起，顺着水流向竹林深处。En: The rain soaked the ground, turning it muddy, and the lantern was swept away, carried by the water deeper into the forest.Zh: 梅和家豪冲过去，试图抓住灯笼。En: Mei and Jiahao rushed forward, attempting to catch the lantern.Zh: 丽芬也加入了，三人合力最终抓住了灯笼。En: Lifen also joined in, and together, the three of them managed to finally catch the lantern.Zh: “我们成功了！”梅高兴得差点哭出声来。En: "We did it!" Mei almost cried out in happiness.Zh: 他们披着湿透的衣服，终于带着灯笼回到了村子，正好赶上月亮升起的时刻。En: Draped in their soaked clothes, they finally returned to the village with the lantern, just in time to see the moon rise.Zh: 村子里到处是灯火和欢乐的笑声。En: The village was filled with lights and joyous laughter.Zh: 家豪鼓起勇气，对梅说：“我一直很喜欢你，从小到大。”En: Jiahao mustered the courage to say to Mei, "I've always liked you, from childhood until now."Zh: 梅愣住了，接着脸红起来。En: Mei was stunned, then blushed.Zh: “谢谢你，家豪。”En: "Thank you, Jiahao."Zh: 这趟冒险让梅意识到，除了传家宝灯笼，亲情与朋友之间的羁绊同样重要。En: This adventure made Mei realize that, aside from the family heirloom lantern, the bonds between family and friends are equally important.Zh: 三人坐在灯火下，分享着月饼，看着满月，他们感受到节日的温暖和美好。En: The three of them sat under the lights, sharing mooncakes and gazing at the full moon, feeling the warmth and beauty of the festival.Zh: 中秋节的夜晚，因为找到祖母的灯笼，也因为彼此的心意，变得更加难忘。En: The night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, because of finding the grandmother's lantern and their feelings for each other, became all the more unforgettable. Vocabulary Words:hazy: 朦胧dappled: 斑驳secretly: 暗暗guardian spirits: 守护灵overcast: 乌云密布torrential rain: 暴雨muddy: 泥泞swept away: 卷起ecstatic: 欣喜若狂mustered: 鼓起blushed: 脸红heirloom: 传家宝bonds: 羁绊gazing: 看着warmth: 温暖unforgettable: 难忘lantern: 灯笼determined: 坚定commemorate: 纪念resolutely: 坚定地baroque: 古典风格uneasy: 不安cherished: 珍爱ancestor: 祖母joyous: 欢乐apprehension: 忧虑scurry: 赶忙festive: 节日的soaked: 湿透draped: 披着

This week on the Sinica Podcast, I welcome back Evan Feigenbaum, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Evan served for many years as a State Department official, was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia and Central Asia among his numerous positions in government, and was instrumental in building the U.S.-India relationship after 2000 — only to watch Trump round on India in recent months, slapping large punitive tariffs on the South Asian giant ostensibly over its purchases of Russian oil. What motivated Trump? And how does this look from New Delhi and from Beijing? Will China capitalize on the strains in the U.S.-Indian relationship? Listen and find out.As this show is news pegged, I decided to release it as soon as I finished the edit, rather than wait for the transcript. I'll update this podcast page when the transcript comes back.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Did you know that different spices in China also reflect the personalities of local girls with distinct regional tastes and attitudes?In this fun episode, we break down the difference between 辣妹子 (Sichuan girls) and 湘妹子 (Hunan girls)—two iconic types of fiery personalities from China's spiciest provinces.辣妹子 = Sichuan hotpot: bold, numbing, and full of attitude.湘妹子 = Hunan chili fish: sweet at first, but don't mess around.Learn how food and personality go hand-in-hand in Chinese culture—and how to survive a conversation with each of these spicy queens!Watch all videos: https://youtube.com/@chinamyth#LearnChinese #Chinesefood #ChineseCulture #ChineseCuisine #ChinaTravel

Nighttime dining, shopping and travel are thriving across China this summer, injecting fresh momentum to economic growth at a time when the country has prioritized consumption as its top priority this year.今年夏季，我国夜间餐饮、购物、旅游等消费业态蓬勃发展。在国家将消费列为今年工作重点的背景下，夜间经济为经济增长注入了新动能。The market size of China's nighttime economy has so far surpassed 50 trillion yuan ($7 trillion), said marketing consultancy Zhiyanzhan.More restaurants have extended business hours and launched delivery services to attract late-night diners and increase revenue.市场咨询机构智研瞻产业研究院数据显示，目前我国夜间经济市场规模已突破50 万亿元（约合 7 万亿美元）。为吸引夜宵客、提升营收，越来越多餐饮企业延长营业时间，并推出外卖服务。Huda Restaurant, a popular crayfish eatery in Beijing's bustling Guijie Street, is operating four outlets in the same area, cumulatively serving more than 6,500 customers daily on average. During peak hours on some nights, customers sometimes have to wait in line for three hours, according to the restaurant.位于北京繁华簋街的热门小龙虾餐厅“胡大饭店”，在该区域布局了 4 家门店，日均总客流量超 6500 人次。据餐厅介绍，部分夜晚的高峰时段，顾客有时需排队 3 小时才能就餐。"Tourists are often unable to wait that long to dine in. Some choose the takeaway option, or order deliveries to their hotels. Some 70 percent of our takeout orders come from nearby hotels, as many tourists tend to order deliveries at night after their daytime sightseeing in the city," said Zhang Shengtao, deputy general manager of Huda.“很多游客等不了那么久，有的会选择打包带走，有的则直接点外卖送到酒店。我们约 70% 的外卖订单来自周边酒店 —— 不少游客白天在市区观光后，晚上习惯点外卖。” 胡大饭店副总经理张胜涛说。"We take food delivery platforms as an important supplement to our operations, as the platforms allow customers to search for our restaurant from different channels. With no increase in the number of staff members and no change in restaurant areas, delivery services can help raise order volumes and lead to profit growth," Zhang said.他表示：“我们把外卖平台当作经营的重要补充，这些平台能让顾客通过多种渠道找到我们。在不增加员工、不扩大门店面积的情况下，外卖业务能帮助提升订单量，进而带动利润增长。”The restaurant chain said diners aged between 25 and 39 account for a large share of its total customers, while consumers opting for deliveries are mainly aged between 18 and 35.该餐饮连锁品牌透露，25 至 39 岁的顾客占堂食总客流的较大比例，而选择外卖的消费者以 18 至 35 岁人群为主。Hong Yong, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the availability of nighttime dining meets the demand for late night snacking among urban white-collar employees and many young consumers, especially as more people stay up late, work overtime, or venture out for social entertainment, and late night dining gradually becomes a part of their daily routine.中国国际贸易促进委员会国际贸易经济合作研究院副研究员洪勇指出，夜间餐饮的普及，满足了城市白领及众多年轻消费者的夜宵需求。如今熬夜、加班、外出社交娱乐的人群增多，夜宵逐渐成为他们日常生活的一部分。"Nighttime economic activities such as dining, night tours and shopping provide richer consumption scenarios, and meet consumers' demand for leisure and entertainment, social interaction and emotional release," Hong said.“餐饮、夜游、购物等夜间经济活动，提供了更丰富的消费场景，满足了消费者休闲娱乐、社交互动、情感释放的需求。” 洪勇说。"The expansion of nighttime consumption scenarios will help promote the diversification of consumption formats, encourage higher frequencies of spending, effectively stimulate domestic demand and promote sustained economic growth momentum," he added.他补充道：“夜间消费场景的拓展，有助于推动消费业态多元化，提高消费频次，有效激发内需，为经济持续增长注入动力。”According to a report released by the Ministry of Commerce, 60 percent of China's urban consumption takes place after dusk. At large-scale malls, sales between 6 pm and 10 pm usually account for over half of the whole day's revenue.商务部发布的报告显示，我国60% 的城市消费发生在傍晚之后。在大型商场，18 时至 22 时的销售额通常占全天营收的一半以上。Shui Tea Shop, a tea drink brand based in Jinan, Shandong province, now operates some 1,400 stores nationwide, which are mainly located in Shandong, Jiangsu and Hebei provinces, as well as Tianjin and Beijing.总部位于山东济南的茶饮品牌“阿水大杯茶”，目前在全国拥有约 1400 家门店，主要分布在山东、江苏、河北三省及天津、北京两地。Since June, some of its stores began to extend their business hours. Now, over 300 stores operate until 11 pm, more than 100 stores operate until midnight, and a further 100 outlets are open beyond midnight. The extension of business hours will last until the end of September, the company said.该公司表示，自今年6 月起，部分门店开始延长营业时间：目前超 300 家门店营业至 23 时，100 余家营业至次日 0 时，另有 100 家门店营业至凌晨之后，这一延长营业时间的举措将持续至 9 月底。"After extending the business hours, there has been a clear trend of growth in store revenue, and some stores have experienced sales growth of over 100 percent compared with the period before the extension," said Wei Qun, director of delivery services at A-Shui Tea Shop.“延长营业时间后，门店营收增长趋势明显，部分门店销售额较延长前增长超 100%。” 阿水大杯茶外卖业务负责人魏群说。"Nighttime sales have been especially high in Jinan and Qingdao of Shandong, as well as Tianjin. Stores with higher revenues are mainly located in core business circles, and nighttime sales mainly come from orders for deliveries," Wei said.“山东的济南、青岛以及天津等地的夜间销售额表现尤为突出。高营收门店主要集中在核心商圈，夜间销售以外卖订单为主。” 魏群介绍。He added that in summer, many consumers are interested in having barbecues and crayfish at night, and restaurants providing such meals located in core business districts have largely extended their operating hours. Their popularity has also driven the sales growth of beverages, as certain drinks pair nicely with these kinds of food.他还提到，夏季夜晚，不少消费者喜欢吃烧烤、小龙虾，核心商圈内提供这类餐食的餐厅大多延长了营业时间。这些餐饮的火爆也带动了饮品销量—— 部分饮品与这类食物搭配口感更佳。In addition to the catering sector, many sightseeing spots have extended their opening hours this summer, and upgraded night tourism products to meet the diverse demand of travelers. Besides driving an increase in ticket revenue for scenic spots, it has promoted the growth of related businesses such as catering, accommodation and shopping in surrounding areas.除餐饮行业外，今年夏季，多家景区延长开放时间，并升级夜间旅游产品，以满足游客多样化需求。这不仅推动景区门票收入增长，还带动了周边餐饮、住宿、购物等关联业态的发展。The government has encouraged more industry players to actively develop the night tourism economy.政府也积极鼓励更多市场主体参与夜间旅游经济发展。According to a guideline issued earlier this year by the State Council, China's Cabinet, the holding of more nighttime activities such as folk performances, lantern fairs, temple fairs, and light and shadow shows has been encouraged, and different regions could develop water night tours based on local conditions.今年早些时候，国务院印发的指导意见明确，鼓励举办民俗展演、灯会、庙会、光影秀等夜间活动，各地可结合实际发展水上夜游项目。In addition, the government will support the upgrading and renovation of lighting services at night in commercial areas, and the optimization of support facilities such as parking lots and public transportation, according to the document.意见还提出，将支持商业街区夜间照明设施升级改造，优化停车场、公共交通等配套设施。In Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province, a three-day international kite festival that included nighttime events attracted more than 163,000 tourists in July, netting tourism revenue of over 60 million yuan, according to the local government.据贵州省贵阳市政府消息，今年7 月举办的为期三天的国际风筝节（含夜间活动），吸引游客超 16.3 万人次，实现旅游收入超 6000 万元。Night markets, roadside concerts in parks, trunk markets and other nighttime consumption scenes were attractive to tourists.夜市、公园路边音乐会、后备箱集市等夜间消费场景，对游客具有很强的吸引力。"This type of nighttime cultural tourism model, with feature activities as its core, gathers popularity and forms a consumption loop, and has become an effective way to boost the nighttime economy," said Mu Qianyi, an analyst of LeadLeo Research Institute, a market research provider based in Shanghai.“这种以特色活动为核心的夜间文旅模式，能聚集人气、形成消费闭环，已成为拉动夜间经济的有效方式。” 上海市场研究机构头豹研究院分析师穆芊伊说。Mu added that new technologies and scenarios such as drone light shows at night will help enrich the experiences of tourists. The improvement in the quality of scenes naturally enhances the attractiveness and vitality of nighttime cultural tourism, and could help inject new impetus into economic growth.穆芊伊补充道，夜间无人机灯光秀等新技术、新场景，将进一步丰富游客体验。消费场景品质的提升，自然会增强夜间文旅的吸引力与活力，为经济增长注入新动力。Particularly, Shanghai has been developing a booming nighttime economy, and the city's after-dark economy index has maintained the top position in the country for five consecutive years. This year, it has been followed by Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Chengdu, Sichuan province, said Rising Lab, a city-oriented big data platform of Yicai Media Group.值得关注的是，上海夜间经济持续繁荣。第一财经传媒集团旗下城市大数据平台“第一财经研究院” 数据显示，上海夜间经济指数已连续五年位居全国首位，今年紧随其后的是广东广州与四川成都。In Shanghai, nighttime lighting covered 75 percent of the city's area last year, and nighttime public transportation covered 1,975 square kilometers, which significantly helped to improve the local nighttime consumption environment, the platform found.该平台还发现，去年上海夜间照明覆盖面积占全市面积的75%，夜间公共交通覆盖范围达 1975 平方公里，这一配套设施的完善显著改善了当地夜间消费环境。

Last time we spoke about the crossing of Nanjing's Rubicon. By November 1, Shanghai had become a lost cause, the Chinese were forced to retreat. In the wake of this turmoil, the Japanese set their sights on Nanjing, keenly aware that its fall would spell disaster for Chiang Kai-Shek's government. Despite the desperate situation, guerrilla fighters began fortifying the city as civilians rallied to support the defense, preparing for the inevitable assault that loomed. However, political divisions plagued the Chinese leadership, with some generals advocating for abandoning the city. After intense discussions, it was decided that Nanjing would be a hill worth dying on, driven largely by propaganda needs. As November 12 approached, Japanese troops rapidly advanced west, capturing towns along the way and inflicting unimaginable brutality. On November 19, Yanagawa, a commander, took the initiative, decreeing that pursuing the retreating Chinese forces toward Nanjing was paramount.    #164 The Battle of Lake Tai 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. As the Chinese troops fled westwards, at 7:00 am on November 19th, Yanagawa issued instructions to his troops in the field. “The enemy's command system is in disarray, and a mood of defeat has descended over their entire army. They have lost the will to fight. We must not miss the opportunity to pursue the enemy to Nanjing.” The order went out to the 10th Army, sending, the 6th, 18th, and 114th Divisions west along the southern shore of Lake Tai, passing through Huzhou before turning right towards Nanjing. The Kunisaki Detachment, trained for rapid movement by water and land, was ordered east along the Yangtze River near Wuhu city and, if possible, cross the river to cut off the Chinese Army's retreat from Nanjing. Yanagawa envisioned an operation unlike any other conducted by the Japanese Army in recent history. He believed this could not only end the war but also surpass previous victories, such as the defeat of tsarist Russia more than three decades earlier. Confident in a swift victory, he wrote in a follow-up message to his commanders, “The day is near when the banner of the Rising Sun will fly over Nanjing's city wall.” However, Yanagawa's order elicited panic in Tokyo once it became known. His superiors viewed it as an outrageous attempt to entirely change the war focus away from the north. They understood that taking Nanjing was primarily a political decision rather than a strategic one. There was still hopes of finding terms through the Germans to end the conflict, thus carving up more of China. The Japanese did not want to become bogged down in a real war. Major General Tada was particularly opposed to increasing efforts on the Shanghai front. He belonged to a faction that believed the best way to avoid a quagmire in China was to deliver a swift, decisive blow to the Chinese Army. This mindset had turned him into a major advocate for landing a strong force in Hangzhou Bay in early November. Nevertheless, he had initially resisted expanding operations to the Suzhou-Jiaxing line, only relenting on the condition that this line would not be crossed under any circumstances. Tada's immediate response was to halt the 10th Army's offensive. Shimomura Sadamu, Ishiwara Kanji's hardline successor as chief of operations, strongly disagreed, arguing that field commanders should have the authority to make significant decisions. Undeterred, Tada insisted on restraining the field commanders, and at 6:00 pm on November 20th, the Army General Staff sent a cable to the Central China Area Army reprimanding them for advancing beyond Order No. 600, which had established the Suzhou-Jiaxing line. The response from the Central China Area Army arrived two days later whereupon the field commanders argued that Nanjing needed to be captured to bring the war to an early conclusion. To do otherwise, they argued, would provide the enemy with an opportunity to regain the will to fight. Moreover, the officers claimed that delaying the decisive battle would not sit well with the Japanese public, potentially jeopardizing national unity. On the same day it responded to Tokyo, the Central China Area Army instructed the 10th Army to proceed cautiously: “The pursuit to Nanjing is to be halted, although you may still send an advance force towards Huzhou. Each division is to select four or five battalions to pursue the enemy rapidly”. The remainder of the troops were instructed to advance towards Huzhou and prepare to join the pursuit “at any time.” Meanwhile Chiang Kai-shek officially appointed Tang Shengzhi as the commandant of Nanjing's garrison. Born in 1889, Tang embodied the era of officers leading China into war with Japan. They straddled the line between old and new China. During their youth, they lived in a society that had seen little change for centuries, where young men immersed themselves in 2,000-year-old classics to prepare for life. Like their ancestors across countless generations, they were governed by an emperor residing in a distant capital. Following the 1911 revolution, they embraced the new republic and received modern military training, Tang, for instance, at the esteemed Baoding Academy in northern China. Yet, they struggled to fully relinquish their traditional mindsets. These traditional beliefs often included a significant distrust of foreigners. Before his appointment as garrison commander, Tang had led the garrison's operations section. During this time, Chiang Kai-shek suggested that he permit the German chief advisor, General Alexander von Falkenhausen, to attend staff meetings. Tang hesitated, expressing concern due to Falkenhausen's past as a military official in Japan and the current alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan. “That's not good, is it?” he asked. Chiang reassured him that Falkenhausen was an experienced officer who remembered earlier loyalties despite political shifts in Berlin. “It's all right,” Chiang insisted, “we can trust him.” Reluctantly, Tang acquiesced but never fully trusted the German officer. Tang also faced issues with morale. He was Hunanese, the majority of his troops were locals, many from Nanjing. Tang also suffered from many ongoing illnesses. While he put on a bravado face, its unlikely he expected to be able to defend the capital for very long. On November 19th, the IJA 16th division and Shigeto Detachment conquered Changshu, a crucial point along the Wufu defense line, spanning from Fushan on the Yangtze to Suzhou and then to Wujiang sitting on the shores of Lake Tai. The fight for Changshu had surprised the Japanese. As they approached they ran into a network of interlocking cement pillboxes that had to be taken individually, resulting in heavy casualties. Frequently, when the Japanese believed they had finally destroyed a position and advanced, they were dismayed to discover that some defenders remained alive, continuing to fire at their flanks. Another obstacle facing them was Chinese artillery. During the night's capture of the city, the Japanese makeshift camps were hit relentlessly by bombardment. That same day further south, the IJA 9th division captured Suzhou , reporting to the press they did so without firing a single shot. General Matsui wrote in his diary “The enemy troops near Suzhou have completely lost their morale. Some soldiers are discarding their equipment and surrendering, while others flee westward in utter chaos. Our forces have not encountered the resistance we anticipated. So far, the Shanghai Expeditionary Force has achieved all its objectives. I am thrilled by this.” In reality, this was mere propaganda. The IJA 9th Division actually had to overpower a series of Chinese pillboxes outside the city. Once they entered through the medieval walls, they faced the task of eliminating pockets of resistance one by one. According to Japanese sources, over 1,000 Chinese soldiers were killed during these clearing operations. The Japanese found a wealth of spoils in Suzhou. Among the booty were 100 artillery pieces and other military equipment. Historically known as one of China's wealthiest cities, Suzhou still contained an abundance of loot even after months of conflict. Many Japanese soldiers had their pockets filled with cigarettes after raiding a tobacco factory, while others transported barrels filled with coins after robbing a bank. Meanwhile the government had officially moved from Nanjing to Chongqing. Chongqing was an unusual choice for the new capital as it was historically something of a backwater, not very cosmopolitan such as the great coastal cities in the east. However it was distant enough to be out of reach from the Japanese land forces, but not so distant that it would make governing China impossible. Not all the governmental agencies moved to Chongqing at once. The foreign ministry first moved to Wuhan, as did most of the foreign diplomats. Yet out of some several hundred foreign nationals, 30 American and 19 British did stay behind in Nanjing. Tang Shengzhi met with the remaining foreign community and began promising them guarantees of their lives and property would be protected to the fullest. In turn the foreign community were thinking up ways to help defend the city's civilian population. They formed a special demilitarized district, akin to the one in Shanghai. They named it the Jacquinot Safety Zone after its founder, French Jesuit Robert Jacquinot de Besange. An international committee for establishing a neutral zone for noncombatants in Nanjing was formed on November 19th and famously John Rabe chaired it. The committee knew their neutral zone depended solely upon Japan respecting it, thus Rabe was an ideal pick for chairman. Meanwhile Chiang Kai-Shek was determined to stay for as long as possible in Nanjing, and remain in the public view to maintain morale. Song Meiling also went around touring the capital by automobile to raise public spirit. Preparations for battle were being dished out in haste. Du Yuming, the commander of Nanjing's armored regiment was called up to the headquarters of He Yingqin, then chief of staff. There Du was briefed on Chiang Kai-Shek's war plans and how his tiny armored force would fit in. He Yingqin said “It has been decided that Tang Shengzhi is to defend Nanjing. Chairman Chiang wants the German vehicles to stay in Nanjing and fight.” This was referring to their Leichter Panzerspahwagen or “sd KFZ 221” armored cars. These were recent purchases from Germany. Du questioned using them however “The German vehicles are the best armor we have at the moment, but they have no cannon, only machine guns, so their firepower is limited. We just have 15 of them. And they are not suited for the terrain around Nanjing, with all its rivers and lakes.” Du instead argued for using the British-made Vickers Carden Lloyd tanks. Of these China had recently purchased the amphibious variants. Du said “Those tanks both have machine guns and cannon, and they can float. They are much more useful for the Nanjing area.” He further suggested the tanks might even make it to the other side of the Yangtze once all hope was out. To this He replied “No, don't even think about crossing the Yangtze. The chairman wants the tank crews to fight to the death.” As far as war strategy was concerned, China had actually developed one against Japan decades prior. Ever since the nasty conflicts between the two nations had broken out back during the Great War days, China sought an answer to Japan's aggression. One man rose to the occasion, a young officer named Jiang Baili. In 1922 Jiang wrote “The only way to prevail over the enemy, will be to do the opposite of what he does in every respect. It will be to his advantage to seek a quick resolution; we should aim for protracted warfare. He will try to focus on a decisive blow at the front line; we should move to the second line of defense and rob him of the opportunity to concentrate his forces in one place.” Soon Jiang became the forefather in China for theories involving protracted war. One could also call it a war of attrition, and it was the type of war suited to China. In the words of Jiang “We should thank our ancestors. China is blessed with two major advantages, a vast land area and a huge population. Abstaining from fighting will be enough. And if we do fight, we should drag it out. We should force the front to move west, and turn our weakness into strength, while allowing the enemy to overstretch himself”. China's geography significantly influenced Jiang's military strategy. In his works titled Organization of Mechanized Forces, Jiang wrote “The flat North Chinese plain offers ideal conditions for a large mechanized army. In contrast, the agricultural regions further south, characterized by their mix of rice paddies and waterways, are far less suitable.” Faced with a technologically superior enemy, China had no option but to draw the opponent away from the north, where their armored units would dominate the battlefield, to the Yangtze River area, where their mobility would be severely restricted. Jiang served as the director of the prestigious military academy at Baoding, near Beijing, where he could instill his philosophies in the minds of upcoming leaders of the Chinese armed forces, including Tang Shengzhi. Tang was able to put Jiang's theories into practice. In the autumn of 1935, he played a crucial role in planning and executing the decade's largest military maneuver. Conducted south of the Yangtze, between Nanjing and Shanghai, this drill involved over 20,000 troops, allowing for a realistic simulation of battle conditions. Its primary objective was to test the strategy of "luring the enemy in deep." Upon concluding the maneuver, Tang described the location as exceptionally well chosen, a tank commander's nightmare. The area consisted of steep hills alongside rivers, with very few robust roads and virtually no bridges capable of supporting tanks. Countless small paddy fields were divided by dikes that rarely exceeded a few feet in width, perfectly suited for swift infantry movements but utterly inadequate for tracked vehicles. It appeared to be a graveyard for any mechanized army. As the war broke out with Japan, Jiang's ideas initially seemed validated. Chiang Kai-shek deliberately refrained from deploying his best troops to the northern Beijing area. Instead, he chose to instigate a significant battle in and around Shanghai, where the terrain presented the exact disadvantages for Japanese armor that Jiang had anticipated. Although the Japanese gradually introduced tactical innovations that allowed them to navigate the partly submerged paddy fields north and west of Shanghai, their tanks often found themselves forced along elevated roads, making them vulnerable targets for hidden Chinese infantry. For several weeks during September and October, the Shanghai area indeed resembled a quagmire, seemingly poised to ensnare the Japanese forces until they were utterly depleted. However, the successful Japanese landings in early November, first in Hangzhou Bay and then on the south bank of the Yangtze, dramatically changed things. The stalemate was broken, allowing the Japanese Army to advance despite the persistent challenges posed by the local geography. What would happen next would determine whether Jiang's theories from a decade earlier could work or if Japan's tanks would ultimately triumph even in the river terrain south of the Yangtze.  The Japanese field commanders' decision to shift their focus from defeating Chinese forces near Shanghai to pursuing them all the way to Nanjing, sent ripples throughout the ranks. Every unit had to reconsider their plans, but none felt the impact more acutely than the 6th Division. As one of the first contingents of the 10th Army to come ashore in Hangzhou Bay in early November, its soldiers had advanced with remarkable ease, cutting through the defenses like a knife through butter. Now, with orders to drive west towards Nanjing, they were required to make a huge U-turn and head south. Geography hurt them greatly, specifically the presence of Lake Tai. The original Shanghai Expeditionary Force, bolstered by the 16th Division and other newly arrived units, was set to advance north of the lake, while the 10th Army was tasked with operations to the south of it. This situation implied that the 6th Division had to hurry to catch up with the rest of the 10th Army.   Upon turning south, they reached Jiashan on November 21, only to face a brutal outbreak of cholera among their ranks, which delayed their advance by three days. Meanwhile the other elements of the 10th Army, including the Kunisaki Detachment and the 18th and 114th Divisions advanced  rapidly, entering Huzhou on November 23. To speed up their advance they had commandeered every vessel they could grab and tossed men in piece meal across the southern bank of Lake Tai to its western shore.  However the 10th army was unaware that they would soon face a brutal fight. As the Chinese government evacuated Nanjing, fresh troops from Sichuan province in southwest China were being unloaded at the city's docks and marched toward imminent danger. Starting to disembark on November 20, these soldiers formed the Chinese 23rd Group Army. They presented an exotic sight, sporting broad straw hats typical of southern China, often adorned with yellow and green camouflage patterns. While some appeared freshly uniformed, many were ill-prepared for the colder central Chinese winter, dressed in thin cotton better suited for subtropical climates. A number looked as ragged as the most destitute coolie. Nearly all wore straw shoes that required repairs every evening after a long day of marching. Their equipment was rudimentary and often quite primitive. The most common weapon among the newly arrived soldiers was a locally produced rifle from Sichuan, yet many had no firearms at all, carrying only “stout sticks and packs” into battle. Each division had a maximum of a dozen light machine guns, and radio communication was available only at the brigade level and above. The absence of any artillery or heavy equipment was quite alarming. It was as if they expected to be facing a warlord army of the 1920s. They were organized into five divisions and two brigades, supplied by Liu Xiang, a notable southern warlord. Remarkably, Liu Xiang had been one of Chiang Kai-shek's worst enemies less than a year prior. Now, Liu's troops fought alongside Chiang's against Japan, yet their loyalties remained fiercely provincial, listening to Liu Xiang rather than Chiang Kai-shek. China's warlord era never really ended. Chiang Kai-Shek was actually doing two things at once, meeting the enemy but also getting warlord troops away from their provincial powerbase. This in turn would reduce the influence of regional warlords. Now the Chinese recognized the had to stop the Japanese from reaching Wuhu, a Yangtze port city due south of Nanjing, basically the last escape route from the capital. If it was captured, those in Nanjing would be effectively stuck. General Gu Zhutong, who personally witnessed the chaotic evacuation of Suzhou, had already dispatched two divisions from Guangxi province to block the Japanese advance. However, they were quickly routed. Liu Xiang's troops were then sent to fill the gap on the battlefield. By the last week of November, the Japanese 10th Army and the newly arrived Sichuan divisions, were converging on the same area southwest of Lake Tai. Marching as quickly as possible, they were fated to clash in one of the bloodiest battles of the entire Nanjing campaign. As the Sichuanese troops reached the battlefield at the end of November, they  quickly realized just how ill-equipped they were to confront the modern Japanese Army. The Sichuan divisions hurried towards Lake Tai, primarily marching after sunset to avoid harassment from Japanese aircraft. A significant challenge for the soldiers was the condition of the roads, which were paved with gravel that wore down their straw shoes. Despite their best efforts to repair their footwear late at night, many soldiers found themselves entering battle barefoot. Along their route, they encountered numerous Chinese soldiers retreating. One particular column caught their attention; these troops were better uniformed and equipped, appearing as though they had not seen battle at all. They looked rested and well-nourished, as if they had just emerged from their barracks. This prompted unspoken doubts among the Sichuanese soldiers. Upon arriving in Guangde, the 145th Division quickly began fortifying its positions, particularly around a strategic airfield near the city and dispatched units towards the town of Sian. On November 25, skirmishes erupted throughout the day, and on the following day, the Chinese soldiers began facing the full force of the advancing enemy. Japanese planes bombed the Chinese positions near Sian, followed by rapid tank assaults from the 18th Japanese Division. Unaccustomed to combat against armored vehicles, they quickly routed. The Japanese forces rolled over the shattered Chinese defenses and advanced to capture Sian with minimal resistance. To make matters worse, amidst this critical moment when the Sichuan troops were engaged in their first battle against a foreign enemy, Liu Xiang, fell seriously ill. In his place, Chiang Kai-shek assigned one of his most trusted commanders, Chen Cheng. The Sichuanese soldiers were not happy with the new alien commander. Meanwhile, the Nine Power Treaty Conference in Brussels held its final session. The delegates concluded three weeks of fruitless discussions with a declaration that immediately struck observers as lacking any real substance. The decree stated “Force by itself can provide no just and lasting solution for disputes between nations,”. This was met with approval from all participants except Italy, one of Japan's few allies in Europe. They strongly urged that hostilities be suspended and that peaceful processes be pursued, but offered zero consequences for either belligerent should they choose not to comply. As they say today in politics, a nothing burger. China found itself resorting to shaming the international community into action, with barely any success.  In Berlin, the evening following the conference's conclusion, diplomats gathered as the Japanese embassy hosted a dinner to mark the first anniversary of the Anti-Comintern Pact. Among the guests, though he probably really did not want to be there, was Adolf Hitler. The Japanese Communications Minister, Nagai Ryutaro, speaking via radio stated “The Sino-Japanese conflict is a holy struggle for us. The objective is to hold the Nanjing government accountable for its anti-Japanese stance, to liberate the Chinese people from the red menace, and to secure peace in the Far East.” By hosting such an event, Germany was basically signalling that she would abandon her old Chinese ally to forge a stronger partnership with Japan. This was driving the world into two camps that would emerge as the Axis and Allies. My favorite boardgame by the way, I make a lot of goofy videos on my youtube channel about it.  Back at the front, a city sat midway along the Yangtze River between Shanghai and Nanjing, Jiangyin. By Chinese standards, Jiangyin was not a large city; its population numbered just 50,000, most of whom had already fled by the end of November. The city's military significance had considerably diminished after a naval battle in late September resulted in the sinking of half the Chinese fleet, forcing the remainder to retreat upriver. Nevertheless, the Chinese still maintained control on land. This became a pressing concern for the Japanese after the fall of Suzhou and Changshu led to the collapse of the Wufu defensive line. Consequently, the next line of defense was the Xicheng line, of which Jiangyin formed the northern end. The city stood directly in the path of the 13th Japanese Division, positioned at the far right of the front line. Jiangyin featured 33 partially fortified hills, and like many other cities in the region, its primary defense was a robust 10-mile wall constructed of brick and stone. Standing 30 feet high, the wall was reinforced on the inside by an earthen embankment measuring up to 25 feet in diameter. Defending Jiangyin alone was the 112th Division, comprising approximately 5,000 soldiers. Only in November did it receive reinforcements from the 103rd Division, which had previously participated in the brutal fighting in Shanghai and withdrew westward after the Japanese victory there. Like the 112th, the 103rd also consisted of around 5,000 soldiers from former warlord armies, though they hailed from the hot and humid southwest of China rather than the cold and arid northeast. Both divisions faced an adversary with far superior equipment and training. Just hours after Japanese observation balloons appeared on the horizon, their artillery opened fire. The initial shells fell at approximately 30 second intervals, but the pace quickly accelerated. Most of the shells landed near the river, obliterating the buildings in that area. The explosions tore up telephone wires, severing communication between the scattered Chinese units. As the first shells began to fall over Jiangyin, Tang Shengzhi gathered with Chinese and foreign journalists in Nanjing, openly acknowledging the monumental challenge ahead but resolutely vowing to defend Nanjing to the bitter end. “Even though it is lagging behind in material terms, China has the will to fight. Since the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, we have suffered defeats in various theaters, but we will continue to fight until we achieve final victory.” Tang then promised that Nanjing would be fought to the last man. As early as November 14, the central government had ordered the evacuation of women and children from Nanjing, calling for all means of transportation available to be dedicated to this purpose. However, this directive proved to be an empty proclamation. Almost all resources were directed toward relocating government officials westward. Moving office furniture and filing cabinets took precedence over evacuating people. The government commandeered 600 trucks and 220 boats and ships to aid in this effort, but once those means of transportation were exhausted, little remained for the common people. In the final days of November, Nanjing's mayor, Ma Chaojun, attempted to rectify this dire situation. He sent a cable to the Ministry of Communications requesting that the ships used to relocate government agencies be returned to Nanjing as soon as possible to assist with the evacuation. For most vessels, there wasn't enough time to make the journey back. The people of Nanjing were left to fend for themselves. Meanwhile the battles south and west of the Lake Tai continued to rage in late November. While the 18th Japanese Division advanced toward Guangde, aiming eventually for Wuhu and the Yangtze River, the 114th Japanese Division received different orders. It turned right along the western bank of Lake Tai, clearly intending to push onward to Nanjing. Awaiting them was the 144th Chinese Division, consisting primarily of Sichuanese soldiers. They dug in across the one viable road running west of the lake, with a large body of water on one side and rugged terrain on the other. This terrain forced the Japanese to attack over a narrow front, constraining the advantage they held due to their technological superiority. The Chinese were able to concentrate their limited artillery, primarily mountain guns that could be disassembled and transported by mules or even men, on the advancing Japanese attackers, and utilized it effectively. They allowed the Japanese to shell their positions without immediate retaliation, waiting until the infantry was within 1,000 yards before ordering their mountain guns to open fire. The result was devastating; the Japanese column became disorganized, and their advance stalled. However, just as the Chinese artillery appeared on the verge of achieving a significant victory, the decision was made to withdraw. The officers responsible for the mountain guns argued that the Japanese would soon overrun their positions, and it was preferable to take preemptive measures to prevent their valuable equipment from falling into enemy hands. The commanders of the 144th Division reluctantly concurred. The Chinese did their best to maintain the facade that their artillery remained in position, but the Japanese quickly noticed the weakened defense and attacked with renewed fervor. Despite this setback, Chinese soldiers found their morale boosted as their division commander, Guo Junqi, led from the front, issuing orders from a stretcher after sustaining a leg injury. However, deprived of their artillery, the Chinese faced increasingly dire odds, and they were pushed back along the entire front. As the Chinese front neared collapse, the officers of the 144th Division faced yet another challenge: Japanese infantry approached across Lake Tai in boats commandeered in previous days. With no artillery to defend themselves, the Chinese could only direct small arms fire at the vessels, allowing the Japanese to make an almost unimpeded landing. This was the final straw. Under pressure from two sides, the 144th Division had no choice but to abandon its position, retreating westward toward the main Chinese force around Guangde. Jiangyin endured two days of continuous shelling before the Japanese infantry attack commenced, but the city was fortified to withstand such a bombardment of this magnitude and duration. The 33 hills in and around the city had long served as scenic viewpoints and natural strongholds. The tallest hill, known as Mount Ding, rose 900 feet above the area, providing a commanding view and boasted over 100 artillery pieces. By late November, when the Japanese Army reached the area, most civilians had fled, but their homes remained, and the Chinese defenders effectively utilized them, converting them into concealed strongholds. The attack by the Japanese 13th Division on November 29 was led by the 26th Brigade on its right flank and the 103rd Brigade on its left. The advance proved challenging, constantly disrupted by Chinese ambushes. As a row of Japanese soldiers cautiously crossed an empty field, gunshots would erupt, striking down one of their ranks while the others scrambled for cover, desperately trying to identify the source of the fire. The Chinese launched frequent counterattacks, and on several occasions, individual Japanese units found themselves cut off from the main body and had to be rescued. Despite some setbacks, the 13th Division made satisfactory progress, bolstered by both land and ship-based artillery, and soon nearly encircled Jiangyin, leaving only a narrow corridor to the west of the city. However, the Chinese artillery was well-prepared, effectively targeting Japanese vessels on the Yangtze River. This led to an artillery duel that lasted three hours, resulting in several hits on Japanese ships; however, the Chinese batteries also suffered considerable damage. In the sector of the 103rd Chinese Division, the defenders had taken time to construct deep antitank ditches, hindering the advance of Japanese armored units. During the night of November 29-30, the Chinese organized suicide missions behind enemy lines to level the playing field. Armed only with a belt, a combat knife, a rifle, and explosives, the soldiers infiltrated Japanese positions, targeting armored vehicles. They quietly climbed onto the tanks, dropping hand grenades into turrets or detonating explosives strapped to their bodies. Though reducing Japanese armored superiority granted the Chinese some time, the attackers' momentum simply could not be stopped. On November 30, the Japanese launched a relentless assault on Mount Ding, the dominant hill in the Jiangyin area. Supported by aircraft, artillery, and naval bombardments, Japanese infantry engaged the entrenched Chinese company at the summit. After a fierce and bloody battle, the Japanese succeeded in capturing the position. The Chinese company commander, Xia Min'an, withdrew with his troops toward Jiangyin to report the loss to the regimental command post. When the deputy commander of the 103rd Division, Dai Zhiqi, heard the news, he was furious and wanted to execute Xia on the spot. However, Xia's regimental commander intervened, saving him from a firing squad. Instead, he insisted that Xia redeem himself by recapturing the hill from the Japanese. Xia was put in command of a company that had previously been held in reserve. What followed was a fierce battle lasting over four hours. Eventually, the Japanese were forced to relinquish the hill, but the victory came at a steep price, with numerous casualties on both sides, including the death of Xia Min'an. The last days of November also witnessed chaotic fighting around Guangde, where the unfamiliar terrain added to the confusion for both sides. For the Chinese, this chaos was exacerbated by their upper command issuing contradictory orders, instructing troops to advance and retreat simultaneously. Pan Wenhua, the Sichuanese commander of the 23rd Army, prepared a pincer maneuver, directing the 13th Independent Brigade to launch a counterattack against the town of Sian, which was held by the Japanese, while the 146th Division would attack from the south. Both units set out immediately. However, due to a lack of radio equipment, a common issue among the Sichuanese forces, they did not receive the new orders to withdraw, which originated not from Pan Wenhua but from Chen Cheng, the Chiang Kai-shek loyalist who had taken command after Liu Xiang fell ill and was eager to assert his authority. Fortunately, the officers of the 13th Independent Brigade were alerted to the general order for withdrawal by neighboring units and managed to halt their advance on Sian in time. The 146th Division, however, had no such luck and continued its march toward the Japanese-occupied city. It was joined by the 14th Independent Brigade, which had just arrived from Wuhu and was also unaware of the general retreat order. Upon reaching Sian, these Chinese troops engaged in intense close combat with the Japanese. It was a familiar scenario of Japanese technological superiority pitted against Chinese determination. The Japanese brought armor up from the rear, while the Chinese lay in ambush, tossing hand grenades into tank turrets before jumping onto the burning vehicles to kill any surviving crew members. As the fighting around the flanks slowed, the area in front of Guangde became the focal point of the battle. Japanese soldiers advanced toward the city during the day, passing piles of dead Chinese and numerous houses set ablaze by retreating defenders. At night, the situation became perilous for the Japanese, as Chinese forces infiltrated their positions under the cover of darkness. In the confusion, small units from both sides often got lost and were just as likely to encounter hostile forces as friendly ones. Despite the chaos along the front lines, it was evident that the Japanese were gaining the upper hand primarily due to their material superiority. Japanese artillery bombarded Guangde, igniting many structures, while infantry approached the city from multiple directions. The Chinese 145th Division, led by Rao Guohua, was nearing its breaking point. In a desperate gamble, on November 30, Rao ordered one of his regiments to counterattack, but the regimental commander, sensing the futility of the move, simply refused. This refusal was a personal failure for Rao, one he could not accept. Deeply ashamed, Rao Guohua withdrew from Guangde. As darkness enveloped the battlefield, he and a small group of staff officers found a place to rest for the night in a house near a bamboo grove. Overwhelmed with anguish, he penned a letter to Liu Xiang, apparently unaware that Liu had been evacuated to the rear due to stomach issues. In the letter, he apologized for his inability to hold Guangde. Telling his bodyguard to get some rest, he stepped outside, disappearing into the bamboo grove. Shortly thereafter, his staff heard a single gunshot. When they rushed out and searched the dense bamboo, they found Rao sitting against a tree, his service weapon beside him. Blood streamed thickly from a wound to his temple. He was already dead. 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. As the Japanese forces advanced on Nanjing, tensions escalated within the Chinese leadership. While Commander Tang Shengzhi fortified the city, some sought retreat. Japanese Commander Yanagawa, confident of victory, pushed his troops westward, disregarding high command's hesitations. Meanwhile, ill-equipped Sichuanese reinforcements hurried to defend Nanjing, braving cholera and disorganization. Intense battles unfolded around Lake Tai, marked by fierce ambushes and casualties. 

This week on Sinica, I'm delighted to be joined by Dan Wang, formerly of Gavekal Dragonomics and the Paul Tsai Law Center at Yale University, now with the Hoover Institute's History Lab. Dan's new book is Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future, and it's already one of the year's most talked-about books. In this conversation, we go beyond what's actually in the book to discuss the origins and implications of the Chinese "engineering state" — the world's biggest technocratic polity — and what the United States should and should not learn from China. We discuss how Dan's ideas sit with Abundance by Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein, and much more. Don't miss this episode!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Artificial intelligence has been a frequent topic on Sinica in recent years — but usually through the lens of the two countries that have produced the leading models and companies: the United States and China. We've covered generative AI, national strategies, governance frameworks, and the geopolitical implications of AI leadership.This webinar, broadcast on the morning of August 14, broadens that lens to explore how other countries — and especially Ukraine — are approaching AI in the public sector. Around the world, governments are experimenting with AI well beyond chatbots and text generation: China's “City Brain” optimizes traffic, energy use, and public safety; U.S. agencies are streamlining services and automating benefits processing; and elsewhere, smart grids, predictive infrastructure planning, and AI-enabled e-governance are reshaping public administration. These projects reveal both the promise and the complexity of bringing AI into government — along with valid concerns over privacy, fairness, and inclusiveness.We'll look at what lessons Ukraine might draw from U.S. and Chinese experiences, the opportunities and challenges of adapting these practices, and the strategic risks of sourcing AI solutions from different providers — especially in the context of Ukraine's eventual postwar reconstruction.Joining us are three distinguished guests:Dmytro Yefremov, Board Member of the Ukrainian Association of Sinologists, with deep expertise in China's political and technological strategies and Ukraine's policy landscape.Wang Guan, Chairman of Learnable.ai in China, bringing extensive experience in AI applications for public administration and education.Karman Lucero, Associate Research Scholar and Senior Fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center, whose work focuses on Chinese law, governance, and the regulation of emerging technologies.Thanks to the Ukrainian Platform for Contemporary China, the Ukrainian Association of Sinologists, and the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill for organizing and sponsoring today's event. Special thanks to Vita Golod for putting together the panel and inviting me to moderate.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join me for a conversation with four fantastic panelists about nuclear safety and security issues brought on by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and more broadly on the state of nuclear security globally during this era of dramatic change.This program was made possible by the Ukrainian Platform for Contemporary China and the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.Nickolas Roth is Senior Director for Nuclear Materials Security at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). Nickolas works at the intersection of arms control, risk reduction, and institutional resilience, and previously directed nuclear security work at the Stimson Center and contributed to Harvard's Project on Managing the Atom.Mariana Budjeryn is a Senior Research Associate with Managing the Atom at Harvard's Belfer Center and author of Inheriting the Bomb, a definitive study of Ukraine's post-Soviet disarmament and the limits of the Budapest Memorandum. Her scholarship grounds today's debates about guarantees, coercion, and nuclear restraint.Pan Yanliang is a Research Associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS). He studies the Russian and Chinese nuclear industries and the nuclear fuel cycle, and works on CNS engagement with Chinese counterparts—giving him a distinctive cross-regional vantage.Lily Wojtowicz is a Research Fellow at the Hertie School (Berlin) and a USIP–Minerva Peace & Security Scholar, whose work focuses on extended deterrence credibility, European security, and alliance adaptation under great-power rivalry.5:19 - The Gap Between Coercive Rhetoric and First-use Thresholds11:26 - The Implication of Ukraine's allies regarding weapons 17:26 - Golden Dome21:30 - China's Position on Nuclear Weapons29:25 - How Belarus Altered European Debates 31:13 - Civilian Nuclear Power 38:32 - North Korea's Support for Russia40:59 - Beijing on NATO and Asian Security43:09 - Europe's Reaction to Nuclear Risk45:44 - Nuclear Risk in the Russia-Ukraine War52:56 - Trump's Impact on Kremlin Nuclear Thinking1:01:52 - US-China Nuclear Relations1:04:49 - Ukraine's Nuclear DisarmamentSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week's episode of China Insider, Miles Yu breaks down the latest round of trade talks between the US and China as both sides agree to a 90-day extension for continued negotiations toward a potential trade deal. Next, Miles covers the rising public outrage in Sichuan province over local law enforcement's alleged mishandling of a violent school bullying incident in Jiangyou City. Lastly, Miles comments on the rising anti-Japanese sentiment across China that coincides with the 80th anniversary of Japanese surrender ending WWII in the Pacific.   China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute's China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world's future. 

This week on Sinica, Paul Triolo of DGA Albright Stonebridge and tech investor Ryan Cunningham join to talk about their observations and insights from the World AI Conference (WAIC), held in July in Shanghai, and what it tells them about China's ambitions in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence. Don't miss this one!04:21 - Ryan on his Edgerunner fund06:23 - Impressions of the World AI Conference in Shanghai13:52 - Approaches to AI development in the US and China24:04 - China's role in global AI safety 33:42 - AI market: US vs China38:20 - AI diffusion in China44:56 - AI safety frameworks52:06 - Domestic development of Chinese AI1:04:06 - Pressure of Domestic AI Alternatives1:08:43 - Can AI have a dual role in the U.S.?1:17:25 -Paying it Forward 1:20:16 - RecommendationsPaying it Forward: Kevin Xu, Kyle Chan, Helen Toner (Rising Tide Substack), Piotr Mazurek and Felix Gabriel (LLM Inference Economics from First Principles).Recommendations: Paul: Neil deGrasse Tyson - Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution (book), Sara Imari Walker's Life As No One Knows It (book)Ryan: Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (video game)Kaiser: The Studio (TV series), Platonic (TV series)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Sinica: On my final two days in Shaxi in Yunnan, Chris Thomas and Stephanie Li, the hosts of the marvelous YouTube channel Chinese Cooking Demystified, joined me for some cooking and lots of chatting about food! We recorded this show together and focus our conversation on their heroic attempt at a taxonomy of different Chinese cuisines. We don't talk about all 63 that they identify, but we do get into their04:31 - Flavors of Yunnan 08:44 - On balancing between the “exotic” and “normal” China 11:53 - The origin story behind “Chinese Cooking Demystified”14:56 - The Breath of the Wok (Wok Hei, 鑊氣 / huo6 hei3)21:05 - A Comprehensive Taxonomy on Chinese Cuisine 32:25 - Correlations between dialects and cuisine 37:15 - Efforts behind the work39:09 - Promoting local specialties44:23 - Chinese identity and food trends52:30 - "Minority" cuisine in Yunnan01:00:52 - Yunnan cuisine and the Chinese hipster generation01:05:52 - Dali dish recommendationsRecommendations: Chris & Steph: Shunde Lao Baby, Pin Nuo, Lao DongbeiKaiser: Taking time off to do something you love!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the riskiest ingredient in your recipe for success was your own story? Jing Gao walked away from a secure tech career with no safety net to rediscover her Sichuan roots through food. She launched a fast-casual restaurant in Shanghai, apprenticed under a Michelin-caliber chef, and transformed a home-kitchen supper club into a crowdfunded CPG phenomenon—all to challenge stereotypes and rewrite the narrative around Chinese cuisine. Host Andrea Marquez unpacks how Jing had the courage to price her chili crisp at a high price when they first launched despite widespread belief that Chinese food “shouldn't cost that much,” to reclaim her birth name, and to find a manufacturer that was willing to use the ingredients she preferred. If you've ever wondered whether sticking to your roots can pay off, Jing's story proves that conviction is more than just a risk – it's the secret ingredient.Got a bold leap of your own? Share it with us in an Apple Podcasts review, Spotify comment, or email us at thisissmallbusiness@amazon.com – you might hear it in a future episode.In this episode, you'll hear: (01:44) Have you ever lost touch with your roots and wondered how to find them again? Jing shares how a diasporic childhood led her back to Sichuan cuisine.(06:22) Would you quit a secure tech job with zero backup? Jing talks about walking away from stability to follow her culinary passion and launch her first venture, Boaism. (09:52) What do you do when you realize your first venture isn't your true calling? Jing closed Baoism to apprentice under a Sichuan master chef and deepened her knowledge of ingredients before launching her next chapter: a food pop up called Fly by Jing.(13:48) How do you test demand before you even have a product? Jing bottled her sauces for her travel pop-up, spotted a market gap, and crowdfunded.(18:58) Have you ever hesitated to charge what you're really worth? Jing defied the stigma that “Chinese food should be cheap” by pricing her chili crisp at a premium and reframing it as the must-have “hot sauce.”(22:12) What happens when authenticity becomes your brand? Jing reclaimed her birth name during the pandemic, built customer trust, and sold out six months of inventory overnight after a New York Times feature.(24:18) How do you scale from crowdfunding success to retail distribution? Jing on launching on Amazon, landing in Whole Foods, and forging dream collaborations.(27:47) When should you take the next leap? Jing talks about blending deep research, unwavering conviction, and a touch of “delusion” to keep pushing forward.

I'm in Shaxi, a wonderful little town in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and I was joined here by the Columbia economic historian Adam Tooze, who shared his thoughts on what he sees happening on the ground in China. Adam's been in China for the last month and reflects on his experiences learning about the country — and even attempting the language!03:49 - The economic situation in China10:42 - Patterns of consumption in China14:38 - China's industrial policy and renewable energy 18:52 - China vs. the U.S. on renewables26:15 - China's economic engagement with the Global South33:13- Beijing's strategic shift and Europe's rethinking37:49- The recent European Parliament paper42:43 - Learning about China as an “Outsider” 51:31 - Adam's evolving views on China 59:30 - Paying it Forward01:01:07 - Recommendations Paying it Forward: Kyle Chan, Pekingology.Recommendations: Adam: Caught by the Tide, Jia Zhangke (movie).Kaiser: Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI, Karen Hao (book), Vera, or Faith, Gary Shteyngart (book).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kate Adie introduces stories from China, Kenya, Australia, Bolivia and the USA.Sichuan province in China is home to a long-standing Tibetan resistance movement. While Beijing views Tibet as an integral part of China – the allegiances of many Tibetans living in China lie with its exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama - voicing support for him can lead to arrest or prison. Laura Bicker visited the town of Aba, where she met monks practicing their faith under heavy surveillance.Youth led protests erupted again in Kenya this week, with many young Kenyans angry at the lack of good job opportunities in the country - more than 30 people died in the demonstrations, and over 500 were arrested. Anne Soy has been following the story in Nairobi.The small Australian town of Morwell will be returning to some form of normality this week, following the conclusion of the trial of Erin Patterson who was found guilty of murdering three of her relatives and attempting to kill another after serving them Beef Wellington laced with toxic death cap mushrooms. Katy Watson reflects on how the town was transformed by the visiting media circus.Bolivia was once seen as an economic miracle, thanks to its huge natural gas reserves. But the energy exports on which the country once thrived have fallen sharply in recent years, pushing many people into poverty. Carolyn Lamboley reveals how the country's economic woes are now affecting people from all walks of life.And finally, we're in the Zion National Park in Utah where Stephen Moss tells the story of the conservation campaign that helped bring the Californian Condor back from the brink of extinction.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes including the story behind Mick Jagger and David Bowie's duet for Live Aid in 1985 and the Chinese artist who was jailed for his art inspired by the Sichuan earthquake in 2008. He speaks to music journalist Alice Austin to explore other concerts in world history that have had a political impact. Also, the American politician who first coined the phrase "drill, baby, drill" in 2008, the making of Back To The Future in 1985 and the trophy killing of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe in 2015.Contributors: Bernard Doherty - former Live Aid press officer. Alice Austin - music journalist. Ai Weiwei - artist. Prof Andrew Loveridge - zoologist who studied Cecil the lion. Michael Steele - the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, who came up with the slogan "Drill, baby, drill!" Bob Gale - the co-writer and producer of the Back to the Future.(Photo: Mick Jagger and David Bowie performing Dancing In The Street. Credit: Brian Cooke / Redferns)

In 2008, an earthquake in China's Sichuan province killed almost 90,000 people. Many were crushed when school buildings collapsed, exposing their poor construction quality. To counter perceived government suppression of information, the artist Ai Weiwei made an artwork from 90 tonnes of steel bars salvaged from the schools' wreckage. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was detained in harsh conditions for 81 days and banned from leaving China. While his official charge was tax evasion, his detention was widely viewed as a response to his activism. But the artwork, Straight, became a global sensation. Ai Weiwei tells the story to Ben Henderson.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina's Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall' speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler's List; and Jacques Derrida, France's ‘rock star' philosopher. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world's oldest languages.(Photo: Ai Weiwei in front of his artwork, Straight. Credit: Leon Neal/AFP via Getty Images)

This week on Sinica, in a show taped in early June in Washington, Kaiser chats with Tong Zhao (赵通) of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a leading expert on Chinese nuclear doctrine, about why the PRC has, in recent years, significantly increased the size of its nuclear arsenal. Zhao offers a master class in the practice of strategic empathy.03:12 – China's nuclear doctrine: core principles06:56 – Xi Jinping's leadership and nuclear policy12:33 – Symbolism vs. strategy: Defensive or offensive buildup?16:55 – What's driving the nuclear expansion?28:33 – Trump's second term: Impact on China's strategic thinking34:34 – Nukes and Taiwan41:45 – Washington and Beijing nuclear doctrines perceptions48:04 - China's perspective on the Golden Dome program52:32 - China's Stance on North Korea's nuclear program 01:01:00 - Beijing's View on North Korean troops in UkrainePaying it forward: David Logan, at Tufts UniversityRecommendations:Tong: Yellowstone, TV series Kaiser: Gomorrah, TV series See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Yascha Mounk and Peter Hessler describe how China has changed over the last 30 years–and where it might go next. For more than a quarter of a century, Peter Hessler has been a staff writer for the New Yorker. In 1996, he joined the Peace Corps and taught English language and literature to college students in Fuling, a small city on the Yangtze River. In 2019, Hessler returned to China, teaching at Sichuan University during the pandemic. His most recent book, Other Rivers (2024), is about his time in Sichuan.  In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Peter Hessler discuss Peter's experiences as a teacher in China in the 1990s and in recent years, how his students have changed, and what he thinks the United States could learn from China. Podcast production by Jack Shields and Leonora Barclay. Connect with us! ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Google⁠ X: ⁠@Yascha_Mounk⁠ & ⁠@JoinPersuasion⁠ YouTube: ⁠Yascha Mounk⁠, ⁠Persuasion⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2014, the writer Christopher Beam published a humorous, heartwarming story in The New Republic about an unlikely team of American football enthusiasts in Chongqing who went on to defeat their archrivals in Shanghai to win a championship. The piece was optioned by Sony Pictures, and had some big names attached, but was ultimately never made — not, at least, by an American studio. Eleven years later, Chris has written about a film that was made: Clash, produced by iQiyi, hit theaters in China earlier this year and followed the Chongqing Dockers in the same story arc, but with important and telling differences. His new story was published in The Atlantic, and he talks to me about the Dockers and the long, strange story of the film that wasn't and the one that was.03:50 – The Meaning of Chinese YOLO05:33 – Chris's First Meeting With the Chongqing Team13:11 – Chris McLaurin's Background15:54 – American Football as a Symbol of Masculinity19:50 – The Failed Hollywood Adaptation25:34 – First Impressions of the Film31:55 – Bridging Perspectives: Can a Movie Speak To Both Sides?36:42 – A Lost Moment in GlobalizationPaying it Forward: Viola ZhouRecommendations: Chris: Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte (short story collection)Kaiser: Becoming Led Zeppelin (documentary); the Beijing-based artist Michael Cherney.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.