China Unscripted

Modern life depends on microchips for the function of everything tech, from microwaves to phones to airplanes to drones. As important as microchips are though, their supply chain is just as fragile. In this episode of China Unscripted, we talk about the importance of microchips to the world economy, how a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could break the microchip supply chain, and how China is trying to shore up its chip manufacturing to insulate it from supply chain breaks. Joining us in this episode is Chris Miller, the author of Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. You can buy Chris's book Chip War at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Chip-War/Chris-Miller/9781982172008

Chinese propaganda is no longer confined to Chinese state-controlled media. The Chinese Communist Party has realized that its propaganda is much more effective when it comes from sources that appear independent from the Chinese government. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss how Chinese propaganda has become more international and covert, how Chinese companies and ambassadors are involved in suppressing and promoting certain narratives about China, and how China tries to co-opt social media influencers. Joining us in this episode of is Sarah Cook, the research director for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan at Freedom House.

China is sending its police overseas, and it could soon spread to every corner of the globe. In this just us episode of China Unscripted, we talk about China's overseas police bureaus, Hong Kong's subtle protest of CCP rule, and what to call China's form of colonialism.

Chengdu residents were under strict Covid lockdowns when a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the city of 16 million. In some areas, local officials kept people from fleeing their homes due to the lockdowns. In this Just Us episode of China Unscripted, we talk about China's strict zero covid policy, China's subversion of the United Nations, a new fashion trend we've dubbed "cadre chic" and much, much more.

China has a network of spies, but not necessarily the kind of spies you might imagine. Instead of using highly-trained informants, China uses everyday citizens to monitor and suppress dissidents overseas. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss how China exports its repression overseas, how China uses its Covid app to track dissidents inside China, and why the Chinese Communist Party's No. 1 enemy is a group that meditates.

Chinese citizens are leaving China in droves as an economic crisis fueled by greedy real estate developers looms large. Things have gotten so bad that a new "run philosophy" has pushed many to seek a life elsewhere. China is no longer hiding its intentions to invade Taiwan. Why it will be better for US businesses if they pull out of China now rather than after a war with Taiwan. Watch this "just us" episode of China Unscripted for that and more hot China news topics.

Could China attack India before Taiwan? While the world is watching breathlessly what China does with Taiwan, the conflict on the China-India border is flying under the radar. In 2020, China and India fought hand-to-hand combat there, and neither China nor India’s territorial claims have gone away. In this episode of China Unscripted, we talk about the difficult logistics of waging a war in the Himalayas, China and India's territorial claims along their border, and China-India trade. Joining us in this episode is Rajiv Dogra, former Indian ambassador to Romania and Italy, and the author of the new book Wartime: The World in Danger.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan Aug. 2-3 as part of a tour of Asia. What made it newsworthy was not that she visited a fellow democratic nation, but how Taiwan's biggest neighbor, China, reacted to her visit. In this episode of China Unscripted, we talk about why Pelosi's trip was so significant, what China's response to it was, and what Taiwan and its allies might have learned about China's plans to invade Taiwan. Joining us in this episode is Guermantes Lailari, a retired US Air Force foreign area officer specializing in the Middle East and Europe, as well as irregular warfare and missile defense. He is currently a Taiwan Fellow at National Chengchi University in Taipei.

Chinese apps don't have to steal your data from you, you give them permission to steal your data when you download them. And even after you delete Chinese apps from your phone, Beijing can still track you. Watch this episode of China Unscripted for more on how China is tracking you through your phone, other reasons Chinese apps are so dangerous, and what China could be doing with your data. Joining us in this episode is Dr. Jaswinder Singh Sekhon, a cybersecurity expert and assistant professor at GTB National College Dakha.

The Chinese Communist Party is running a global network of drug trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking. It's worth billions of dollars in Canada alone. And the CCP has corrupted Canadian government officials to the point where many of them prefer to take CCP money and benefits, rather than tackle the problem. Is Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau a sellout? Find out on this China Unscripted podcast!

Read Sam Cooper’s Book, Wilful Blindness: https://www.shorturl.at/wBQUY (Updated edition)