Kaiser Kuo, host of the long-running Sinica podcast, joins us in Zurich to discuss the evolving narrative on China, and why the West is so often 'stunned' by Chinese breakthroughs in electric vehicles, green technology, or, most recently: AI, with DeepSeek.
We explore the reasons behind the challenges of reporting on China, the importance of strategic empathy, and the shifting dynamics of global influence, particularly in relation to American exceptionalism.

Recommendations mentioned at the end of the episode:

Chartbook, by Adam Tooze

Pekingnology and The East is Read, by Zichen Wang

Interconnected, by Kevin Xu

Baiguan, by Robert Wu

Chinese Cooking Demystified

Playground, by Richard Powers

Dal recipe