Sinobabble

After reading the story about a young woman abused and kidnapped by her family, I went down a rabbit hole to learn why police and judiciary avoid prosecuting what they consider to be ‘family disputes’. In this episode, I unpack how domestic violence is routinely dismissed as a “family affair,” why police and courts avoid intervention, how cultural norms around shame and harmony shape reporting beh...

For more on the book club, including upcoming books and where to buy them, head to this webpage. To support the show, head over to my Buy Me a Coffee page to give a one-off or monthly donations, if your discretionary entertainment funds allow! Support the show This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sinobabble.substack.c...

In 2022, Freedom House released a report titled “Beijing's Global Media Influence 2022”, highlighting the numerous ways in which the Chinese government seeks to influence media across the world. They stated that China’s main tactics were the mass distribution of content, harassment and intimidation of outlets that publish negative news, disinformation campaigns, and training for media workers and...

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Leave a comment to let me know what you thought about the book, the review, and whether or not you’re more likely to read it if you haven’t already. For more on the book club, including upcoming books and where to buy them, head to this webpage. To support the show, head over to my Buy Me a Coffee page to give a one-off or monthly donations, if y...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit sinobabble.substack.com **This is a bonus episode for paid subscribers. If you would like to become a paid sub and receive bonus content, head over to Buy Me a Coffee using the link in the description, or upgrade your Substack account** An article in the Journal of Contemporary China inspire me to dip my toe in the Chinamaxxing trend an...

Earlier this week, I read a Substack article discussing the rise in viral anti-Japanese content on Chinese social media. The gruesome posts and recent polling data all point to the fact that anti-Japanese sentiment is increasing among Chinese people, despite increasing economic ties and a move away from 'wolf warrior' style diplomacy. Why, when China seems to be more doveish, does Japan still draw...

That is the entire description of this episode. I wish I could give more detail but… you’ll see for yourself when you get there! Follow the China Monitor and Nick on Substack Buy bookclub books here Buy me a coffee Latest Substack post Links to everything This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sinobabble.substack.com/su...

A (late!) review of our April Book club book The Last Quarter of the Moon by Chi Zijian. A 90-year-old Evenki woman who has spent her life in the forests of northeast China herding reindeer recounts the story of her life, her people, and the encroachment of modernity and imperialism on how they live. A story of nature, love, loss, despair, and change, we also ask if someone who is not part of a pa...

In early March, the PRC's National People's Congress passed a law titled the P.R.C. Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress. According to the government the law, which has been in development since 2023, the law "lays out the overall requirements, important principles, and responsibilities and duties of relevant entities concerning the promotion of ethnic unity and progress. It also outl...

Over the Easter break, the next two episodes of the podcast will be archival episodes covering the medieval and modern history of Mongolia and Xinjiang. This is in preparation for an episode I’ll be doing when I get back on the New Ethnic Unity Policy released by the Chinese government. Our book club book for this month is The Last Quarter of the Moon, also on the theme of ethnic minorities in Chi...

Over the Easter break, the next two episodes of the podcast will be archival episodes covering the medieval and modern history of Mongolia and Xinjiang. This is in preparation for an episode I'll be doing when I get back on the New Ethnic Unity Policy released by the Chinese government. Our book club book for this month is The Last Quarter of the Moon, also on the theme of ethnic minorities in Chi...

This episode is the third installment in our book club, we’re doing well guys. The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic certainly tries to live up to its name. It covers the “‘extraordinary life story’ (Publishers Weekly) of the billionaire businessman Jimmy Lai, a leading Hong Kong democracy activist fighting for freedom...

A look at three recent papers published in the China Quarterly, and what they say about local governance, internal propaganda and the politics of ‘getting things done’ in modern China. Buy bookclub books here Buy me a coffee Latest Substack post This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sinobabble.substack.com/subscribe

China’s post 90s and 00s generation are burnt out, mentally and emotionally drained, and apparently are not getting enough sunlight. While grinding in the city seems to have led to a law of diminishing returns -- typically referred to as ‘involution’ -- many young hopefuls are still seeking opportunity elsewhere. In this episode I explore the phenonmenon of the ‘rural reset’, the idea that one can...

Today’s guest is Yaling Jiang. Yaling is a former journalist who currently uses her research and reporting skills to provide businesses with insights and analysis on the Chinese consumer market. She is the founder of research agency Aperture China, alongside which she runs the newsletter Following the Yuan on Substack, which provides nuanced takes on Chinese consumer trends. We discuss how Chinese...

This is a recording of the livestream of our monthly book club. In this livestream we discuss the book Serve the People! by Yan Lianke, a banned book set during the Cultural Revolution in China. If you would like to find out more about the book club and which books we’re reading, please see this post: Buy me a coffee Links to everything This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with...

The death of Mao Zedong and the trial of the Gang of Four are traditionally used as the signifiers of the end of the Cultural Revolution. The violent and turbulent 10 year period came to a sudden stop as political in-fighting continued until Deng Xiaoping was able to quash his foes and come out on top. In this episode, we cover how the Cultural Revolution finally came to an end, how the period is...

In this episode, we discuss the changes made to China’s cultural realm during the Cultural Revolution. As the main target of the Cultural Revolution Group, cultural production including art, literature, theatre, and film were all subject to the new rules of the decade. But were those rules made to last? And were the CRG able to impose their will completely when they relied on the existing bourgeoi...

In this episode we look at how the economy and educational system fared during the Cultural Revolution decade. We discuss how a period of chaos led into a period of stagnation, where things neither got much better nor much worse. We also talk about differences between the countryside and the cities, and how every day life was irrevocably impacted by the social turmoil that occurred.0:00 Introducti...

In this episode we explore the mysterious and complex character of Lin Biao, and his even more mysterious demise. We ask how he rose to prominence so quickly after being a largely background figure in the party for so many years, and what effect his vice-chairmanship and sudden death had on the Cultural Revolution.*I accidentally say Liu instead of Lin at around the 22:30 minute mark*00:00 Introdu...

In episode 4 of the Cultural Revolution series, we look at how the party began to rebuild itself in the period 1968-1972 through a series of internal meetings, some last-minute purges, and a few devastating mass campaigns that would end up having a much higher impact than anything the Red Guards had carried out in previous years. Though much had happened in China during the last few years, to many...

In this episode, we look at how Mao reversed the course of the Cultural Revolution, bringing in the army to end the violence and destruction caused by the factionalism between the Red Guards and other mass organisations. We discuss the much vaunted revolutionary committees, temporary governments made up of a triple alliance between the mass organisations, the Cultural Revolution Group, and the Peo...

In this episode we talk about the violence that gripped the Chinese nation at the height of the Cultural Revolution. We discuss the difference between the brutality that took place in the cities, which was mainly perpetrated by Red Guards and affected culture as much as people, and the countryside, which pitted neighbour against neighbour. Music clips are from “The East is Red” and “We Walk on the...

The first of 8 episodes covering the build up, events, and aftermath of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, which took place in China from 1966 to 1976. In this episode we discuss what the Cultural Revolution was supposed to be, recap its principal causes, discuss the events that led to the declaration of the CR, and cover the formation and expansion of the Red Guards, Mao’s children of the...

I’m very excited to have on Rory Truex as my guest for today’s episode. Rory is Associate Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. His research focuses on Chinese politics and authoritarian systems, and his work has been published in the American Political Science Review, British Journal of Political Science, The China Quarterly and many more. He has been featured i...