China in the Americas

In this episode I'm speaking with Jordan Schneider, host of the ChinaTalk Podcast.  He also has a great newsletter that you should subscribe to: https://chinatalk.substack.com/

We discuss:

• The possible future of US-China tech competition under the incoming Biden Administration
• The nature of China's twitter influence campaigns and what we can learn about making viral memes from Russian disinformation operators 
• Why open source software should be the basis for a new US industrial policy and why China is looking to push that same strategy
• What we can learn from good Chinese tv shows
• Why we should all be listening to Chinese rap

Recommendations:
Jordan

1. American Mandarin Society 'China Syllabi Project'
2. 隐秘的角落 (Chinese TV show about the drama that ensues after a group of young kids accidentally film a murder.)
3. 令人心动的offer (Chinese reality show about legal interns. Season 2 is particularly recommended.)
4. 棋魂 (Chinese TV drama about a Fairy godfather who guides a kid in the ways of Weiqi/Go)

Rasheed

1. 猎狐 (Chinese police drama about the anti-corruption campaign in China around 2014-2015 to prosecute financial criminals. The official Chinese campaign was called "Operation Fox Hunting".)
2. 中国新说唱 (Chinese rap/hip content competition show)
3. Caribbean Soca Music

Twitter links
Jordan @jordanschnyc
Rasheed @rasheedguo

Intro Music: Chronixx - Here Comes Trouble
Outro Music: Farmer Nappy - Big People Party

Jared Ward is a lecturer at a number of Midwest universities including the University of Akron, John Carroll University, and Notre Dame College (Ohio). In this episode we discuss his PhD research that traces Beijing’s earliest attempts to gain a diplomatic foothold in the Western Hemisphere — from supporting the armed revolution of Fidel Castro to building a brick making factory in Guyana. 

Guest contact info:
Personal website: https://jaredaward.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @JA_Ward_

Intro Music:
Here Comes Trouble
Chronixx 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeIfiiBTfY

Outro Music:
Mañana Sureña
Los Aguas Aguas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joL1uQVv_QU&ab_channel=LosAguasAguas-Topic

Sino-CARICOM trade is a hot topic now. But can a trade agreement between the Caribbean and China actually be useful? In this episode, Alicia Nicholls offers some skepticism on that point.  We had a wide ranging discussion about all things trade within the CARICOM (Caribbean Community): issues from the "One China" Recognition split in the region to the lack of policy capacity to even exploit current trade agreements will continue to frustrate the prospects of a Sino-CARICOM trade agreement.


Guest Bio
Alicia Nicholls is an international trade and development specialist with over a decade of experience working and writing on the area. She is also the founder of the Caribbean Trade Law & Development Blog.  

Guest Contact Info
Twitter - @LicyLaw

I recommend listeners to check out Alicia's fantastic blog focused on Caribbean trade policy:
https://caribbeantradelaw.com/

Intro Music:
Chronixx (from Jamaica) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeIfiiBTfY

In this episode I speak with Dr. Antonio Alleyne. He is a Lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Previously, he was an Economist in the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Barbados. Dr. Alleyne is one of the few Caribbean persons to receive a PhD from a university in China.  

We discuss:

1. Pivoting from traditional tourism markets to Asian markets
2. How can Caribbean states reimagine the purpose of embassies 
3. Persistent protectionist policies in the Caribbean
4. and more... 

You can find out more about Dr. Alleyne's work at this Research Gate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Antonio_Alleyne

You can reach him at his email address if you have any questions related to his academic work: [email protected]

Intro Music:
Chronixx (from Jamaica) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeIfiiBTfY

In this episode I speak with Dr. Delisle Worrell. He is the former Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados and a current member of the Financial Policy Council of the Bermuda Monetary Authority. He first visited China in 1980. As Governor he established the Fish & Dragon festival; an annual celebration bringing Chinese culture to the Barbadian public. 

Recommendations:
Dr. Worrell

1. The Economic History of the Caribbean since the Napoleonic Wars by Victor Bulmer-Thomas
2. Handbook of Caribbean Economies (Routledge, forthcoming) edited by Robert Looney

Rasheed 

1. The Theory of Economic Growth by Arthur Lewis