Scientia Sinica

As internal pressures mount on governments around the world, international partners are often forced to make quiet but consequential choices. This episode examines how  China approaches political instability in Iran , drawing on analysis from leading U.S. scholars and situating the case within China’s broader foreign policy behavior. Using insights from a Brookings Institution article by  Ryan Has...

Christmas in China is often misunderstood. For some, it looks like a sign of Westernization. For others, it seems suddenly restricted or discouraged. But the real story is more complicated — and it has been unfolding for years. This podcast draws on academic research to explain how Christmas became popular in China as a secular, commercial, and cultural phenomenon, and why its public expression ha...

Why does Chinese state media repeatedly portray the United States as a nation in decline? This podcast is based on the peer-reviewed article “America the Failure? Critical Narratives of the United States in Chinese State Media” by Christopher Carothers and Joshua Freedman, published in The China Quarterly (2024).🔗 Read the original research article here: https://doi.org/10.1017/S030574102400... D...

China’s private hospital sector is growing faster than ever — but this boom brings new challenges for health equity, regulation, and patient trust. Based on The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific (2024) study, this podcast explores the data behind the rapid rise of private hospitals, the issues threatening sustainability, and policy ideas to make healthcare fairer for all. Link to the articl...

Why do China and Japan remain locked in a cycle of tension, cooperation, and uneasy stability? In this podcast episode, we break down the deeper forces behind today’s dispute — and explain why neither country can afford to walk away. Drawing on insights from Rumi Aoyama, one of the leading scholars on China–Japan relations, we explore how this relationship is held together by economic interdepende...

China’s space program has gone from humble beginnings to one of the most ambitious space efforts in the world. In this podcast, we explore how China built its path to the stars — from the first Shenzhou missions to the Tiangong Space Station, Chang’e lunar exploration, and plans for Mars and beyond. We’ll also look at what’s driving this expansion — national pride, science, and strategy — and disc...

The U.S.–China trade war changed global agriculture, and soybeans were at the center of the conflict. 🌱🇺🇸🇨🇳 In this podcast, we explore how tariffs, Chinese retaliation, and falling soybean prices affected American farmers during the Trump trade war. Based on the study “Partisanship in the Trump Trade War: Evidence from County-Level Crop Planting Data,” we discuss how U.S. soybean farmers were im...

🇨🇳 China’s Global Strategy: Soft Power & Multilateralism ExplainedHow is China reshaping its global image? In this podcast, we explore the academic study “Multilateralism and Soft Power Made-in-China: (re)Adjusting Role Conception to Meet International Expectations.” The research looks at how China uses soft power—culture, diplomacy, and cooperation—to strengthen its influence in a changing wo...

🇨🇳💰 Why is China buying so much gold? In this podcast, we explore the real reasons behind the People’s Bank of China’s gold accumulation and what it means for the global financial system. Many believe China’s gold strategy signals the end of the U.S. dollar’s dominance — but is that really true?🎓 Based on research by Moritz Weiss, this podcast looks at:Why central banks — especially China’s — ar...

In this podcast, we explore how China’s new export controls on rare earth materials and magnets are reshaping global diplomacy and supply chains. Based on Gracelin Baskaran’s analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS):“China’s New Rare Earth and Magnet Restrictions Threaten U.S. Defense Supply Chains.” https://www.csis.org/analysis/chinas-... 🎯 Topics covered:– Why ra...

China’s economic miracle was built on a powerful demographic dividend — a huge working-age population that fueled growth for decades. But today, that advantage is disappearing. 🚨In this podcast, we explain:✅ Why China’s working-age population is shrinking✅ How the aging population is reshaping society✅ The long-term effects of the one-child policy on birth rates✅ What a declining demographic...