Best Sichuan Podcasts (2024)

1
Space Debris: How Can the U.S. and China Avoid the Tragedy of the Commons, with Nainika Sudheendra 47:02

15m ago47:02

47:02

This week I continue my conversations with some of the outstanding Schwarzman Scholars who presented at the Capstone Showcase in late June. In this episode, I speak with Nainika Sudheendra about the problem of space debris and what can be done to reduce the creation of more of it or even begin removal of debris before it makes the launching of new …

1
Priority Pluralism: Rethinking Universal Values in U.S.-China Relations 39:06

1h ago39:06

39:06

I thought Sinica listeners might be interested in listening to an audio narration of my latest essay. I hope you enjoy and that it gives you some food for thought! If you prefer to read, you can find the essay — free for everyone this week — right here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.c…

1
The Chinese Game Industry’s Journey to the West — Rui Ma and Rob Wynne on the Success of Black Myth: Wukong 58:40

13d ago58:40

58:40

The Chinese game studio Game Science has a hit on its hands! The game Black Myth: Wukong, an action role-playing game (ARPG) based on the Monkey King from Journey to the West, has sold extraordinarily well in China and is breaking new ground in the U.S. market as well. This week, I speak with Rui Ma, who runs Tech Buzz China and is one of the most …

1
The Tragedy of Old School Beijing Hip-Hop with Olivia Fu 1:02:56

6d ago1:02:56

1:02:56

This week on Sinica, I chat with Olivia Fu, who this spring completed her year at Schwarzman College and wrote her Capstone project — a research paper that is required of all Schwarzman Scholars — on the rise and fall of the Beijing hip-hop scene. We explore some of the parallels to Beijing's rock scene, and how many of the same factors that stifle…

1
The Orlando Nightclub shooting 23:30

16d ago23:30

23:30

30-year-old Eddie Justice hears bangs over the music. Like many others at Pulse Nightclub, he and his friends don’t understand where the sound is coming from. Maybe it's just part of the music. But then reality begins to sink in. That’s not music. Those are gunshots. Eddie and the other guests at Pulse have no idea they’re about to experience the w…

1
Caviar: How China Redefined a Delicacy 20:19

20d ago20:19

20:19

You might be surprised to learn that in the world of caviar, China has emerged as a dominant force, producing half of the global supply. In today’s episode, Reisa Jiang, the co- founder of Astrea Caviar takes us on a journey from the tranquil ponds of Yunnan, China to the delicate art of caviar processing. Together, we will uncover the story behind…

1
Does Beijing Really Want Trump? 16:25

22d ago16:25

16:25

Hey folks! I took some time off to drive the kids to college and then flew to California to celebrate my brother John’s birthday. The upshot is there’s no interview this week, so in place of that, here’s my essay from this week. Hope you enjoy it. If all goes as planned, I’m back next week with regular interview for Sinica! You can find the text of…

1
The Holodomor 26:46

1M ago26:46

26:46

All the animals have gone. There are no birds singing in the trees, no cats playing in the streets. When Vasyl returns home after a failed hunting trip, the family dog is nowhere to be seen. And there’s a strange smell coming from the kitchen. Only one of many nightmares people had to live through because of the Holodomor, the artificial famine in …

1
The Swifts of Beijing, with Terry Townshend of Birding Beijing 58:00

1M ago58:00

58:00

I was looking for a good episode to pull from the archive to run this week as I'll be traveling and I asked my good friend Deb Seligsohn for a recommendation. She went immediately to this one, and by God if it's not an oldie-but-goodie. This is from December 2015 and features Jeremy Goldkorn — I miss him dearly! — and Terry Townshend, an absolute i…

1
Bonus: A Free-Range Father in a Tiger Mom World — Reflections on Chinese and American Education 13:26

1M ago13:26

13:26

Here's a little bonus ep for you ahead of tomorrow's show, which will be a re-run of a really fun one from about 10 years ago! I'm driving the rest of this week to the Midwest to drop my kids off at their respective universities, and I've been thinking a lot about the education systems in China and the U.S. So here's my essay for this week. See Pri…

1
China's Response to U.S. Semiconductor Export Controls, with Paul Triolo and Kevin Xu 1:35:08

2M ago1:35:08

1:35:08

This week on Sinica, Paul Triolo rejoins the show for a deep, deep dive into China's response to American export controls on advanced semiconductors and related technologies. How much hurt has the policy put on Chinese firms — and how far along is China in finding its way toward technological autonomy? Kevin Xu, author of the fantastic "Interconnec…

1
The Sichuan School Disaster 26:06

1M ago26:06

26:06

Principal Ye Zhiping has to make it back. A massive earthquake has just hit his province Sichuan, and all he can think about is whether his students and teachers are okay. When he finally gets to the school, his coarse cheeks are stained with tears. The hosts of this episode are Maya Nalani and Luke Welland. The script is written by Mattias Jonsson…

1
Eric Olander on China in the Global South 1:03:57

2M ago1:03:57

1:03:57

This week on Sinica, I'm joined by Eric Olander, host of the outstanding China in Africa Podcast and the indispensable China-Global South Podcast, and creator of the China-Global South Project. Eric's detailed and very current knowledge of China's relations across the developing world is on display in this whirlwind tour that takes us from the trou…

1
Beyond Flavors: Mastering the Art of Blind Wine Tasting with Nick Jackson Master of Wine 27:45

2M ago27:45

27:45

In this episode, we sit down with Nick Jackson, Master of Wine and author of the acclaimed book "Beyond Flavour: The Indispensable Handbook to Blind Wine Tasting." Nick shares his personal journey to becoming a Master of Wine and the pivotal moment when he realized the importance of focusing on a wine's structure rather than just its flavors. Nick'…

1
A Letter from Beijing 34:05

2M ago34:05

34:05

This week, my narration of a longish essay about my recently-concluded four-week trip to Dalian and, more importantly, Beijing — my first time back in the city I called home for so long since the COVID pandemic. If you prefer to read rather than listen, you can find the essay — free for everyone this week — on the Substack. I hope you enjoy this! S…

1
The AMIA Bombing 24:28

2M ago24:28

24:28

Anita doesn’t know how much time has passed. But she knows she has to get out. The building is collapsing around her, and people are stumbling over each other trying to find an escape. Just moments earlier, a van filled with explosives drove right into the AMIA center in Buenos Aires, where Anita works. She is in the middle of a terrorist attack th…

1
Anthony Tao: The Poetry and Soul of Beijing 1:02:08

2M ago1:02:08

1:02:08

This week on Sinica, I'm in Beijing, where I spoke with my dear friend Anthony Tao, an English-language poet and a builder of community in the city where I lived for over 20 years. Anthony recently published a volume of his poetry called We Met in Beijing, and it captures the relationship that so many have with the city wherever they might come fro…

1
Sinica Unscripted: Wang Zichen of CCG with a Third Plenum Preview and more 56:37

2M ago56:37

56:37

I'm trying something different: totally unscripted and very, very lightly edited recordings grabbed on the go where I happen to be. For the inaugural episode, I've got Wang Zichen, the author of the amazing Pekingnology newsletter on Substack, as well as the man behind the Center for China and Globalization's newsletter "The East is Read." Hear Zic…

1
Improbable Diplomats: Historian Pete Millwood on how Scientific and Cultural Exchange Remade U.S.-China Relations 1:20:19

2M ago1:20:19

1:20:19

This week on Sinica, I chat with University of Melbourne transnational historian Pete Millwood about his outstanding book Improbable Diplomats: How Ping-Pong Players, Musicians, and Scientists Remade U.S.-China Relations. The road to normalization is told too often with a focus only on the Nixon-Kissinger opening and official diplomatic efforts cul…

1
The Sinking of MV Sewol 28:38

2M ago28:38

28:38

The water is rising. What just seconds ago was the wall, is now a slippery floor submerged under ice cold ocean. Ae-Jin knows that she has to reach the door in the ceiling. That there is no other way of getting out alive. The hosts of this episode are Maya Nalani and Luke Welland. The script is written by Johanna Lundblad. Sound design: Viktor Pers…

1
Andrew Jefford on the Art of Wine Writing: Lessons from a Master of the Craft 23:31

2M ago23:31

23:31

In this episode of the Bottled in China Podcast, we are thrilled to welcome Andrew Jefford, an acclaimed journalist, poet, and writer whose expertise spans the diverse realms of wine, whisky, travel, and perfume. Jefford is a Contributing Editor and columnist for both Decanter and The World of Fine Wine, as well as the Academic Advisor to the Wine …

1
Adam Tooze on the U.S., China, the Energy Transition — and Saying the Unsayable 1:05:48

2M ago1:05:48

1:05:48

This week on Sinica, in a show recorded on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, historian Adam Tooze joins to chat about what the U.S. wants from China, China's vaulting green energy ambitions, and much more. Don't miss this episode: Tooze gets pretty darn spicy! 3:13 How Adam launched Chartbook in Chines…

1
An Ecological History of Modern China, with Stevan Harrell — Part 2 1:15:14

3M ago1:15:14

1:15:14

This week on Sinica, Part 2 of the interview with anthropologist Stevan Harrell, professor emeritus at the University of Washington, about his magnum opus, An Ecological History of China. Be sure to listen to Part 1 first, as many important framing concepts are discussed in that episode! 1:44 “– The Four Horsemen of Ecopocalypse” and ecological dis…

1
The 1985 Mexico City Earthquake 22:54

3M ago22:54

22:54

Oscar Flores can feel the floor starting to shake. Soon, the ceiling is falling down in large chunks, and the walls are folding like paper. He doesn't know that what he's experiencing is one of the worst earthquakes in recent memory. An earthquake that is about to devastate an entire city. The hosts of this episode are Maya Nalani and Luke Welland.…

1
An Ecological History of Modern China, with Stevan Harrell — Part 1 1:14:07

3M ago1:14:07

1:14:07

This week on Sinica, Part 1 of a two-part podcast with Stevan Harrell, Professor Emeritus in Anthropology at the University of Washington. Steve's groundbreaking book An Ecological History of Modern China represents the culmination of a professional lifetime of work in disparate fields. It synthesizes ideas from geography, earth science, biology, a…

1
Peter Hessler on his new book, "Other Rivers: A Chinese Education" 1:26:15

3M ago1:26:15

1:26:15

This week on Sinica, the highly-regarded writer Peter Hessler joins to talk about his new book, out July 9: Other Rivers: A Chinese Education. Over 20 years after teaching with the Peace Corps in Fuling (the subject of his first book, Rivertown, Pete returns to China to teach at Sichuan University in Chengdu. He writes about the two cohorts of stud…

1
The Alexander Kielland Platform Collapse 29:31

3M ago29:31

29:31

In this episode, we will tell you about the Alexander Kielland disaster of 1980, one of the worst oil rig accidents in history. The hosts of this episode are Maya Nalani and Luke Welland. The script was written by Per Johansson. Sound design: Viktor Persson. Mayday is produced by the podcast company qast. Charities and Non-Profits: The Nautical Ins…

1
Taiwan, Ukraine, and the Sino-American Rivalry 1:19:21

3M ago1:19:21

1:19:21

This week on Sinica, a conversation that I moderated on May 30th called “Assessing the Impact of US-China Rivalry on Ukraine and Taiwan,” put on by the Ukrainian Platform for Contemporary China. The main organizer was my friend Vita Golod, who is the chair of the Ukrainian Association of Sinologists. The panelists are: Dmytro Burtsev, a Junior Fell…

1
Jonathan Chatwin on Deng Xiaoping's 1992 Southern Tour 1:00:09

4M ago1:00:09

1:00:09

This week on Sinica, Kaiser is joined by Jonathan Chatwin, author of a new book about Deng Xiaoping's "Southern Tour" of early 1992 — a pivotal event that renewed a commitment to economic reforms after they'd stalled following 1989, and seized the initiative from conservatives in the Chinese leadership. The book is called The Southern Tour: Deng Xi…

1
Three Mile Island 32:46

4M ago32:46

32:46

In this episode, we tell the story of the worst nuclear accident in the United States. A story about a partial meltdown that threatened the lives of hundreds of people. And about how the plants’ owners tried to cover it all up. The hosts for this episode are Maya Nalani and Luke Welland. The script was written by Johanna Lundblad. Sound design: Vik…

1
Ed Lanfranco: from Hoarder to Historian 1:06:07

4M ago1:06:07

1:06:07

This week on the Sinica Podcast, Kaiser is joined by old friend Ed Lanfranco, who lived in Beijing from 1988 to 2009. An inveterate packrat, Ed managed to accumulate an incredible trove of documents, maps, photos, and ephemera from his years there and from the decades and even centuries before his arrival. Ed talks about his collection, and invites…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Sichuan Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide