Sinobabble
A relaxing, educational podcast covering China's modern history, current events, and academic analyses of China's politics, society, and culture in a variety of mini-series. Starting with the history of the 20th century, this podcast aims to explore all facets of the history of China, from the major events to the smallest local changes, to give you a full picture of the development of one of the world's most powerful nations. As the series develops, we will discuss Chinese art, religion, politics, culture, and economics, bringing the country's past to life. If you're more interested in modern China, stay tuned for the modern China series where we talk about how the CCP exercises control, makes people disappear, and encourages loyalty. We also get on the ground and talk to the people of Hong Kong about their recent experiences with the protests in the territory in 2019.
Episodes
53 episodes
How to glaze your billionaire bestie | The Troublemaker Book Review | Sinobabble Book Club
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....
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1:02:39
Internal agitprop & 'minimum compliance' in Chinese governance
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 bookcl...
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31:57
Down to the countryside 2.0 & the myth of the rural reset
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 ‘invol...
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51:20
Consumption as identity and politics in China w/Yaling Jiang
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 Ch...
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1:00:31
Sex and irreverence during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution | "Serve the People!" Review (Sinobabble Book club)
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...
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40:30
[Archive] 20th Century History Episode 48 | The Cultural Revolution part 8: The end of the Cultural Revolution
Part 8 of reuploading classic history episodes in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke.The death of Mao Zedong and the trial of the Gang of Four are traditionally used as the signifiers of the end ...
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43:22
[Archive] 20th Century History Episode 51 | The Cultural Revolution part 7: Culture
Part 7 of reuploading classic history episodes in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke.In this episode, we discuss the changes made to China's cultural realm during the Cultural Revolution. As the ...
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44:56
[Archive] 20th Century History Episode 50 | The Cultural Revolution part 6: Economy, Education & Everyday Life
Part 6 of reuploading classic history episodes in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke.In this episode we look at how the economy and educational system fared during the Cultural Revolution decade....
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42:23
[Archive] 20th Century History Episode 49 | The Cultural Revolution part 5: The death of Lin Biao
Part 5 of reuploading classic history episodes in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke.In this episode we explore the mysterious and complex character of Lin Biao, and his even more mysterious demi...
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45:30
[Archive] 20th Century History Episode 48 | The Cultural Revolution part 4: The party restored (1968-1972)
Part 4 of reuploading classic history episodes in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke.In episode 4 of the Cultural Revolution series, we look at how the party began to rebuild itself in the period...
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45:30
[Archive] 20th Century History Episode 47 | The Cultural Revolution part 3: Ending the chaos (1967-68)
Part 3 of reuploading classic history episodes in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke.In this episode, we look at how Mao reversed the course of the Cultural Revolution, bringing in the army to en...
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45:19
[Archive] 20th Century History Episode 46 | The Cultural Revolution Part 2: Violence in the cities, violence in the countryside
Part 2 of reuploading classic history episodes in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke.In this episode we talk about the violence that gripped the Chinese nation at the height of the Cultural Revolution. ...
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41:00
[Archive] 20th Century History Episode 45 | The Cultural Revolution part 1: The end of the tea party
A reupload of a classic history episode in the run up to our book club review of Serve the People! by Yan Lianke.The first of 8 episodes covering the build up, events, and aftermath of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, ...
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49:06
The end of exchange? The state of US-China academic relations w/Rory Truex
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 ...
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46:49
China travel & Ghost cities w/David Fishman
I’m very excited to have on David Fishman as my guest for today’s episode.David is Head of Lantau Group in Shanghai, where he works as a consultant for stakeholders in the power sector, and advises on energy development, energy infrastructu...
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1:02:00
Engineering or Authoritarianism? Breakneck Book Review (Sinobabble Bookclub)
**This livestream was recorded on Tuesday 27th January 2026**We discuss the book Breakneck by Dan Wang. A huge hit towards the end of 2025, we talk about whether the hype is merited, the strengths and weaknesses of his narrative, and whe...
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1:10:50
Hebei heating scandal & the politics of clean energy in China
Recently, news of Hebei villagers freezing in their homes this winter has sparked heated discussion online. The villagers are part of a government scheme to convert the population to 'clean' energy sources, mainly via a coal-to-gas policy. But ...
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39:49
The CCP's war against bad vibes
In 2025, the Chinese Cyberspace Administration introduced a new policy that aims to police online content that promotes violence, aggression, pessimism and negative emotions. While censorship is nothing new in China, this new law poses a new se...
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46:30
Does China owe the world good trade?
China shock 2.0, $1trillion surplus, Adam Smith. Is the neoliberal global order coming to an end? Is it China's fault? Do they care?In this episode we tackle the underlying questions surrounding fears of China's domination of all major m...
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53:42
All the China books I read in 2025
Leave your recommendations below. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!Chapters (00:00) About the books(2:20) The Dean of Shandong(12:35) Private Revolutions(20:35) The New China Playbook(29:20) I Deliver Parcels i...
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44:42
Xi's PLA purges in their historical context
In recent months news of purges at the very top of the PLA have gripped headlines, with many speculating as to the cause and outcomes of this series of high-profile oustings. Many have concluded that regardless of the cause -- coup attempt, ram...
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49:22
What do Chinese people really think about China? (W/Nick Zeller & Craig Kafura)
I'm joined by Nick Zeller (https://uscnpm.substack.com/) and Craig Kafura (https://bsky.app/profile/ckafura.bsky.social) to discuss a public opinion poll carried out earlier this year and what it tells us about what Chinese people really think ...
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1:23:41
Did China build too much High-Speed Railway?
Today we'll be examining the argument of a prominent Chinese scholar that China has built too much High-Speed Railway that is underutilised, unprofitable, and will cause major economic problems in the future. We ask why the state-government wou...
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34:54