Sinobabble

In 2019 China introduced an Extradition Law that sparked protests across Hong Kong. In this episode we revisit Hong Kong and get up to speed on how the national security law has changed life for the people who have stayed. What plans does the CCP have to revamp the economy and plug the brain drain? And where are all the people leaving going?

Chapters
Background: 00:10
Hong Kong 47: 07:40
National Security Law updates: 17:55
Post-covid lull: 22:47
Migration: 24:37
Outro: 30:49

Sources
What does the National Security Law actually say again? (March 2021) https://sinobabble.substack.com/p/what-does-the-national-security-law 

Apple Daily and the end of Hong Kong (July 2021) https://sinobabble.substack.com/p/apple-daily-and-the-end-of-hong-kong 

The sinking ship (Jul 2022) https://sinobabble.substack.com/p/the-sinking-ship

47 democrats charged with ‘conspiracy to commit subversion’ over legislative primaries https://hongkongfp.com/2021/02/28/47-democrats-charged-with-conspiracy-to-commit-subversion-over-legislative-primaries/ 

Hong 47 Trial https://hongkongfp.com/hong-kongs-47-democrats-national-security-trial/ 

National security law trial of 47 opposition figures starts in Hong Kong (Global Times) https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202302/1284940.shtml

‘The frontline in our homes’: Covid-19’s lasting impact on Hong Kong’s migrant domestic workers https://hongkongfp.com/2023/01/29/the-frontline-in-our-homes-covid-19s-lasting-impact-on-hong-kongs-migrant-domestic-workers/ 

HK$2bn ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign gives away 500,000 plane tickets to help reboot tourism https://hongkongfp.com/2023/02/02/hk2bn-hello-hong-kong-campaign-gives-away-500000-plane-tickets-to-help-reboot-tourism/

Hong Kong’s population drops for 3rd straight year, while city posts net outflow of 60,000 residents in 2022 https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210429/hong-kong-emigration-wave-net-outflow-60000-residents-2022-marking-09-cent-population-drop-3rd

Understanding Migration into Greater Bay Area Cities in Mainland China as an Investment for Hong Kong Young Adults
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-16-9531-5_5 

The intention to migrate from more developed to less developed areas: evidence from Hong Kong https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17441730.2022.2087933?journalCode=raps20

SURVEY: 72% HONGKONGERS ATTRACTED TO MAINLAND GBA OPPORTUNITIES https://www.oliverwyman.com/media-center/2022/jul/survey-72-hongkongers-attracted-to-mainland-gba-opportunities.html

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There's been a lot of speculation in the news recently over whether or not China will come to Russia's aid in the fight in Ukraine. Although many Western outlets are panicking about the likelihood, is it as straightforward as China jumping into the fray? The answer may lie in the recent history of the relationship of the two powers.

Sources
"China and Russia: Economic Unequals", Jonathan E. Hillman, 2020
"China’s Relations with Russia", Alexei D. Voskressenski (in China and the World, David Shambaugh eds.), 2020
"FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS?: Russian-Chinese Relations After the Ukraine Crisis", Alexander Gabuev, 2016
"The "Rise" of China in the Eyes of Russia: A Source of Threats or New Opportunities?", Anastasia Solomentseva, 2014
"Russia: New Eastern Perspectives", Vladimir Putin, 2000
"Will China rescue Russia", Sinobabble Substack
Axis of authoritarians:  Implications of China-Russia Cooperation,  Richard J. Ellings and Robert Sutter, 2018
"China and Russia: united in opposition", Roderick Kefferpütz (text) and Vincent Brussee (data), 2022
"Moscow’s Failed Pivot to China", Thomas S. Eder and Mikko Huotari, 2016

Chapters
00:00: Intro
02:07: Deng Xiaoping Era
03:49: Jiang Zemin Era
09:50: Hu Jintao Era
17:43: Xi Jinping Era
23:35: The Future of China-Russia Relations
27:30: Outro

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China's Belt and Road Initiative turns 10 years old this year. Launched by Xi Jinping in 2013 as a way to "promote infrastructure construction and connectivity, align national policies and development strategies, deepen practical cooperation, promote coordinated and interconnected development, and achieve common prosperity,” many analysts think that the BRI is on the brink of collapse. 

Plagued with allegations of creating debt traps, aiding corrupt governments, and causing ecological damage, there are many who are suspicious and disapproving of the new Silk Road. But China insists that its plans are for the good of the global economy, and is a crucial tool in fighting poverty.

Will the BRI be able to survive the post-pandemic global economic slowdown? Or is China's flagship globalist policy a vital lifeline for developing and emerging countries that have otherwise been overlooked by Western nations?

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Intro: 00:00
What is the Belt and Road?: 03:00
China's view on BRI: 06:22
World Bank analysis: 11:03
Western/anti-BRI views: 14:27
BRI in Tajikistan: 20:30 
BRI in Nigeria: 22:25
Labour and security: 26:10
BRI in Vietnam: 26:45
BRI in Ghana: 28:16
BRI as a debt trap?: 30:15
BRI post-lockdown: 32:56
Outro: 36:46

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A recently released statement by the UN expresses concern about residential schools in the province that take children away from their ancestral homes, suppressing language and religious teaching, and causing cultural genocide.

The CCP argues that its policy in Tibet is to create a prosperous region that is integrated with the whole, and protects China's borders from incursion.

Is Tibetan culture being erased? Or is Tibet merely suffering from the same global capitalist forces that have transformed China over the past century?

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Chapters
Intro: 00:00
UN Statement on Tibet: 2:20
Western views on Tibet: 8:22
Chinese views on Tibet: 15:16
Tibet as a victim of globalism: 22:39
Summary: 28:07
Outro: 31:21

References and sources

• 40 years of China's war on poverty, Zhu and Peng
• "Social Construction of National Reality: Tibet and Taiwan" Yu and Kwan
• Cultural Genocide and Asian State Peripheries, “Tibet and the (Mis-) Representation of Cultural Genocide”, Barry Sautman
• China shuts down historic monastery, evicts monks and nuns: https://savetibet.org/china-shut-downs-historic-monastery-evicts-monks-and-nuns/
• UN statement: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/02/china-un-experts-alarmed-separation-1-million-tibetan-children-families-and
• China's victory over poverty a great modern achievement: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202012/02/WS5fc6e710a31024ad0ba99340.html
• Tibet prospers from a decade of economic and social development: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202208/26/WS630803dea310fd2b29e744dc.html
• Aid-Tibet program marks significant success: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202207/26/WS62df9acda310fd2b29e6e79a.html
• Tibet podcast episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1jnKLWEBbVKiydDW2g6LLF

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The death of Mao Zedong and the trial of the Gang of Four are traditionally used as the signifiers of the end of the Cultural Revolution. The violent and turbulent 10 year period came to a sudden stop as political in-fighting continued until Deng Xiaoping was able to quash his foes and come out on top.

In this episode, we cover how the Cultural Revolution finally came to an end, how the period is interpreted both in the West and in China, and what effect the Cultural Revolution has had on Chinese society as a whole.

Intro: 00:00
Opening: 01:09
The end of the Cultural Revolution: 6:20
Interpreting the CR: 20:25
Aftermath of the CR and memory in contemporary China: 31:23
Outro: 41:25

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In this episode, we discuss the changes made to China's cultural realm during the Cultural Revolution. As the main target of the Cultural Revolution Group, cultural production including art, literature, theatre, and film were all subject to the new rules of the decade. But were those rules made to last? And were the CRG able to impose their will completely when they relied on the existing bourgeois cultural producers to cultivate their new vision?

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In this episode we look at how the economy and educational system fared during the Cultural Revolution decade. We discuss how a period of chaos led into a period of stagnation, where things neither got much better nor much worse. We also talk about differences between the countryside and the cities, and how every day life was irrevocably impacted by the social turmoil that occurred.

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In this episode we explore the mysterious and complex character of Lin Biao, and his even more mysterious demise. We ask how he rose to prominence so quickly after being a largely background figure in the party for so many years, and what effect his vice-chairmanship and sudden death had on the Cultural Revolution.

*I accidentally say Liu instead of Lin at around the 22:30 minute mark*

00:00 Introdution
05:02 Early career in the CCP
13:05 Lin Biao in the Cultural Revolution
19:58 Lin's position challenged?
27:51 The 'conspiracy'
36:31 Evaluating the coup theory
39:10 The impact of Lin's death

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Hi all,

I've been sick recently and continue to be ill enough that I can't record. To keep you guys going, I thought it would be a good idea to upload a guest appearance I made on another show, The Way Podcast, hosted by Bill. The show is fascinating, discussing a range of topics from regional politics and societal issues, to UFOs and cryptocurrencies.

The Way Podcast was made to allow everyday people the chance to hear from the experts. I believe learning new things is interesting. So, on the show you can hear from hand chosen individuals who are the best in their fields. Each week will involve a new topic to keep the show diverse.

This is the episode description: "Edi Obiakpani joined me for this episode. She has a Ph.D. in Chinese and History, has lived in China for 7 years, and has her own podcast dedicated to China called Sinobabble. As one would expect, Edi came on the show to talk about everything "China". We discussed the Hong Kong protests, the country's culture, politics, history, U.S. China relations, and what China's overall motives are. Tune in for this one to hear everything that is China."

You can find out more about Bill's show on https://www.podcasttheway.com/ and follow him on his Twitter. 

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In episode 4 of the Cultural Revolution series, we look at how the party began to rebuild itself in the period 1968-1972 through a series of internal meetings, some last-minute purges, and a few devastating mass campaigns that would end up having a much higher impact than anything the Red Guards had carried out in previous years.

Though much had happened in China during the last few years, to many people it seemed like nothing had fundamentally changed. Though the people running the government were different, the structure of the party-state itself had remained the same. If anything, the only real difference was the preeminence that Mao Zedong Thought gained during this period, largely thanks to the support of the PLA.

Songs: Long Live Chairman Mao and March of the Revolutionary Youth

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