Sinobabble
by Edi Obiakpani
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.
Copyright: © 2024 Sinobabble
Episodes
Authenticity and the Disney-fication of China's Cultural Heritage
50m · PublishedWhy are so many cultural heritage sites in China fake? Why is the architecture all the same? And why does no one care that all these old towns were built in the past 20 years? Let's take a deep dive into the history of the cultural heritage industry in China, the role of the CCP party-state, the agency of local actors, and try and figure out why Chinese tourists love fake reconstructions of mini European villages in the middle of their megacities.
*Diary of the visit to Furong was in 2022 not 2002!!
#China #culturalheritage #unesco #culturalrevolution #chinesehistory #chinatourism
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(03:45) Attitudes to cultural heritage around the world
(06:45) The destruction of China's cultural heritage
(11:11) Reasons for rebuilding China's cultural heritage sites
(12:38) Defining authenticity
(17:00) Examples of Disney-fied heritage sites
(40:25) What tourists want
(44:45) Does authenticity matter?
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Announcing the first ever Sinobabble livestream!
51s · PublishedHi everyone,
I’m really excited to announce that I will be hosting my first ever livestream this Friday 10th May over on Youtube. This is just a casual event, where you guys can ask me any questions you want, we can discuss current affairs and China news, and we can brainstorm future episode ideas as a collective.
The stream will be at 10pm BST. You can join us at this link on Friday - I’m really looking forward to chatting with everyone!
See you soon,
Edi
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China's EV industry (was funded by the US)
42m · PublishedThere’s a lot of outrage currently about China’s attempts to grow its EV market, at the expense of the US economy. But the truth is that the Chinese EV market wouldn't be where it is today without the generous funding it received (and continues to receive) from the US, Western governments, and multinational companies looking to cash in on the next big thing.
So let's talk about the ways in which China's EV industry is funded by the US, both directly and indirectly, partly with the help of your pension fund.
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(03:15) Timeline of China's EV industry
(12:20) The threat of Chinese made EVs
(15:00) #1: The West was happy with China’s EV development (when it benefited them)
(20:40) #2: China's EV market was funded with US FDI and investor capital
(28:45) #3: China's investment scene is better than Silicon Valley
(39:30) The West as get rich quick scheme
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Support the Show.
Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442
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I read all 212 pages of Hong Kong's new National Security Bill. It's not good.
43m · Published"Safeguarding National Security Bill", also known as Article 23 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong, was passed in March to no public opposition. I read through the whole bill and discussed how it may be used to transgress human rights and common sense in Hong Kong. I also discuss the history of recent protests in Hong Kong, and how they paved the way for Beijing to get its way and increase its control over its people
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction to Article 23
(03:15) Background: protests and new legislation 2019 - 2021
(13:07) Going through Article 23
(16:00) Part 2: Treason
(18:45) Part 3: Sedition
(22:55) Part 4: Espionage
(26:55) Part 5: Sabotage
(27:27) Part 6: External Interference
(31:15) Part 7: Enforcement
(36:08) Foreign commentary
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Links to everything: https://linktree.com/sinobabble
Support the Show.
Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442
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Young Chinese people can't find jobs (they actually want)
44m · PublishedIn the face of economic turbulence, China's youth are struggling to find jobs that are suited to their skills and can give them the life that they want and were promised. While China's government strives to alleviate youth unemployment, societal and cultural factors pose significant challenges. China's young people are reacting in unpredictable ways - finding alternate ways to get jobs, taking time out to become full time kids, or forging their own paths altogether.
Chapters
00:00 Background: Employment in China vs the West
03:50 Reasons for youth unemployment in China
08:55 Crazy job requirements
11:30 Chinese gov helps youth find jobs
17:20 Caveat about youth unemployment
18:37 Chinese social culture and jobs
27:18 Young people's response to joblessness
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China's ecommerce dystopia: TEMU, SHEIN and the fast-everything model
31m · PublishedThe newer and nimbler players in Chinese e-commerce are pushing buttons in the West. Rock-bottom prices, fast fulfilment and addictive interfaces are pushed to their limits to take China's dopamine economy global. What's going on, where does AI fit in the picture and what can we do to take on these new standards of consumption?
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The "White Woman aesthetic" trend and Chinese class struggle
41m · PublishedYoghurt bowls. Lululemon leggings. Ugg slippers. More young Chinese women embrace what they identify as the "white woman aesthetic" as an antidote to the pressures of high maintenance beauty standards and material achievement. As more Chinese women question the grind and settle for less, is the "white woman aesthetic" really an innocent social media fad or a deeper awakening of class consciousness?
Chapters
3:15: Introduction to the "White Woman aesthetic"
12:00 Chinese middle class anxiety
14:31 Defining the Chinese middle class
21:05 Morality and responsibility of the Chinese middle class
27:32 Limitations of the Chinese middle class
37:08 Conclusions
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Education Part 2: The University Gap
42m · PublishedThis is part 2 of 3. In this episode we discuss the gaokao exam, the toll it takes on young people, and the increasing divide between those from richer, more developed areas and students from the margins of society.
In part 1 we explored life for middle schoolers racing to the top of an increasingly steep hill: https://youtu.be/hg86rP15eOE
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Sources
The Mental Health Camp Treating China’s Troubled ‘Gaokao’ Kids, Sixth Tone
Choice of Higher Education Institutions: Perspectives of Students from Different Provinces in China, Ashraf et al.
Fairness in Admission: Voices from Rural Chinese Female Students in Selective Universities in Chinese Mainland, Ma and Wang
Access to Higher Education in China: Differences in Opportunity, WANG Houxiong
Higher education expansion and inequality in educational opportunities in China, Lingli Wu & Kun Yan & Yuqi Zhang
Rural students’ evolving educational aspirations and the sense of ‘ft’ in the changing context of China’s higher education: a life history approach, Jiexiu Chen
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China's education system part 1: A broken starting line
34m · PublishedAfter reading an article on mother's who sacrifice everything to make sure their children get into middle school in China, I was inspired to take a deep dive and learn more about one of the world's biggest school systems. Why has China's education system become so fiercely competitive? How is this impacting children? And who are the people making huge profits from parental anxiety?
This is part 1 of at least 2 episodes (potentially 3)!
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Sources
Education Development in China: Education Return, Quality, and Equity, by Guo, Huang and Zhang
Exploring Compulsory Education Policy of Rural and Urban Area in China, by Yizhong Mao
Hopes and Hurdles: Rural Migrant Children’s Education in Urban China, by Gu and Yeung
The education of China’s migrant children: The missing link in China’s education system, Lai et al.
A Studied Sacrifice: Why China’s Moms Bet All on Education, Sixth Tone
China Is Cracking Down on ‘Hidden’ Tutoring Schools, Sixth Tone
China’s anxious parents turn to tutoring black market after Xi Jinping’s crackdown, FT
China Tried to Ban Private Tutoring. It Created a Huge Black Market. Sixth Tone
China’s TikTok Launches Campaign to Protect Parents From ‘Anxiety Marketing’ During Summer, Sixth Tone
Zhongkao, Not Gaokao, Now the Make-or-Break Exam, Parents Say, Sixth Tone
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Socialism with Chinese Characteristics Explained
47m · Published#china #socialism #xijinping #communism
Socialism with Chinese characteristics is a phrase that comes up when discussing Chinese politics. It's a cornerstone of Chinese political theory and heavily relied on by leadership when formulating new internal policies and deciding the direction the country is headed.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics is an evolving theory that encapsulates the thoughts of China's major leaders, and is the lens through which the country sees itself and the party sees its mission. It includes concepts like economic prosperity, territorial integrity, social stability, and the continued political leadership of the CCP.
Link to the Youtube poll to vote for the next episode: https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkx_LM44S61UAXDi7zJT-X44KsO-je_K_EU?lc=Ugz2EJGLmmQ6YHZTcip4AaABAg&lc=Ugz2EJGLmmQ6YHZTcip4AaABAg
The Zhao Ziyang biography that I mention is called Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Zhao Ziyang
Intro
Definition 1:20
Deng era (1980-1992) 7:52
Jiang Zemin era (90s) 18:12
Hu Jintao era (00s) 22:12
Xi Jinping era (10s-20s) 24:30
Policy application 33:10
The 14th 5 year plan 40:22
Outro 44:45
*My voice changes noticeable at around 21:25. Had to stop recording and restart after a break after which point my cold was significantly worse. Apologies!
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Sources
2012 Full Text of Hu Jintao's Report at 18th Party Congress
2018 Backgrounder_ Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era - Xinhua
China’s Plan for Economic and Social Development - Jun Yin and Jia Xu
Chinese Economic Statecraft from 1978 to 1989 The First Decade of Deng Xiaoping’s Reforms - Priscilla Roberts eds
Constructing Political Economy with Chinese Characteristics - Fang Cai and Xiaojing Zhang
Socialism with Chinese Characteristics - Roland Boer
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Sinobabble has 85 episodes in total of non- explicit content. Total playtime is 53:46:10. The language of the podcast is English. This podcast has been added on November 27th 2022. It might contain more episodes than the ones shown here. It was last updated on May 24th, 2024 14:40.