The Honest Drink Podcast

Yaling Jiang is a writer and researcher helping people understand China through real individuals, rather than through headlines or stereotypes. Yaling is a former journalist and translator and founder of the popular newsletter Following the Yuan. She is also the founder of the research and strategy consultancy ApertureChina. Today, Yaling joins us to talk about what it really means to explain China to the outside world—and why seeing Chinese people as individuals matters. We talk about what it's like to have your country, your culture, and your own identity be misunderstood. We also talk about the growing desire among Chinese women to have more control over the lives they choose to live. We talk about dating, marriage, motherhood, gender expectations and the fear of becoming "leftover". We explore how younger generations are challenging traditional norms and whether China's changing social attitudes are pointing toward a more equal future. We also talk about the loneliness of a world that feels increasingly divided, and Yaling's hope that we can learn to see each other as individuals rather than stereotypes. It's a conversation about identity, agency, belonging—and the fragile hope that we might find our way back to each other.

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(00:00) Teaser Intro

(02:40) Yaling's mission: human stories about China

(11:30) Growing up in a globalized China

(14:00) Gender, ambition, and what Chinese women want

(18:00) Dating in Shanghai and the numbers problem

(23:00) "Leftover women" and changing expectations

(32:50) Are gender norms actually changing?

(39:00) Marriage, birth rates, and who carries the cost

(44:00) Egg freezing as a safety net

(49:00) Dating across cultures

(55:00) History, race, and the "inferiority complex"

(63:00) Asian representation in Western film and TV

(71:00) Race and identity from China to the UK

(79:00) Being called "banana"

(85:00) Assimilation and the trauma of belonging

(94:00) Empathy as the takeaway

(98:00) Outro

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American fitness coach and social-media creator Mike Pistilli reveals what it's really like building an online following in China, including becoming the country's top livestream for all the wrong reasons. He is known on Chinese social-media with millions of followers as Coach Mike or 麦霹雳. We discuss the rules foreign creators face on Douyin抖音 (Chinese Tiktok), RedNote (Xiaohongshu小红书), Kuaishou, and WeChat, the hate directed at male and female influencers, and the surprising things Mike believes Chinese platforms get right. We also explore China's changing fitness culture, body-image pressure, mental-health stigma, nutrition, everyday East-West culture clashes, and Mike's new VR wellness project, FunFitland.

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Professor Daniel Graff leads design and AI research at Tongji University's College of Design and Innovation. He is a Distinguished Research Fellow, educator, and co-author of the 2026 book "Design Thinking with Artificial Intelligence". With a background spanning design innovation, business, and emerging technology, his work explores how humans design, collaborate, and create alongside artificial intelligence. Today we talk about creativity, critical thinking and the tension between technology and human input.

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(00:00) Meet Professor Daniel Graff

(01:32) Will people reject AI-made products?

(05:43) Can AI replace human creativity?

(16:08) Why one-shot prompting fails

(24:00) The next phase of AI

(32:01) The AI boom: scary and exciting

(37:37) Faster work, cheaper output, more sameness

(43:19) Creativity requires taking risks

(55:15) China and Europe approach AI differently

(01:04:01) AI saves time, then creates more work

(01:14:31) Why people sometimes prefer AI

(01:17:10) AI hallucinations and human mistakes

(01:25:33) What happens when junior jobs disappear?

(01:30:50) Are we choosing machines over people?

(01:40:03) Does Higher Education still matter?

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Zak Dychtwald is the founder and CEO of BridgeWorks Global and author of the critically acclaimed book, Young China. He runs a cross-geography collaboration lab, helping people in some of the world's largest companies get along better across national borders, through science and data backed research. Zak is a distinguished speaker having delivered over 100 keynotes to Fortune 500 companies and global investor. Today we talk about the brutal side of competition and collaboration between people, society, business and countries. Zak explains why he founded BridgeWorks and outlines the seven factors preventing effective global collaboration between working people. We compare work culture between Chinese companies and the rest of the world and explore China's internal competitive intensity, education pressures and scarcity mindset. We also talk about AI's impact on jobs and what a life is for.

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(00:00) Whiskey Kickoff (04:00) Risk Tolerance After Kids (07:55) From Young China to Bridgeworks (15:10) Seven Elements of Collaboration (22:29) US vs China Work Styles (31:54) Why China Works So Hard (35:24) Education Pressure (44:00) Tiger Mom Success Formula (54:35) Scarcity Trauma Mindset (01:18:20) AI And Future Of Work (01:28:06) Asian Talent in US (01:35:24) Compete or Die (01:43:19) What is all this hardwork for? (01:49:55) Be Adaptive and Kind

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Cyrus Janssen is a YouTuber and speaker on China and the world. Today we talk about countering fear-driven narratives about other countries, being a "global citizen", and its impact on how we engage or disengage with the rest of the world. We also talk about Chinese brands in America, as cost-of-living pressures rise and US domestic polarization and war continues. Cyrus also describes how he was recently offered $10,000 US dollars to lie to his viewers, and how the money was ultimately traced back to perhaps the most recognizable AI company in the world.

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Julie Sun is a brand marketer and content creator who creates English content on Instagram and TikTok as, "Julie your China friend", explaining Chinese culture and dating to foreigners. She uses her voice to introduce modern China to a Western audience, providing an honest perspective on Chinese society, dating and everyday life.

Today we talk about modern society and the search for our place in it. We talk about when after receiving countless messages from foreign men asking her to help them find a Chinese wife, Julie found herself researching China's matchmaking industry—and what she discovered raised difficult questions about love, practicality, immigration, family expectations, and whether the search for the "perfect partner" has become one of the defining struggles of our generation. We talk about differences between Western and Chinese communication styles, criticism and social norms around hugging, staying friends with exes, and saying "I love you". We also get into marriage customs like cai li or dowry, financial independence, and the quarter-life crisis.

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Eric Hovagim is an American content creator, industrial engineer and political commentator who, in his own words, "moved to China in late 2025 to escape the American Century of Humiliation". He's worked in politics in his home state of Arizona and in New York City, producing a handful of videos that helped get Zohran Mamdani elected NYC mayor in 2025. Recently, Eric has been producing content for popular political commentator, Hasan Piker. He was also previously part of a climate-policy think tank in the US and an engineer on the Hyperloop team. Today, we talk about why Eric is here in China and what he hopes to learn. He shares his frustrations with the state of affairs in the US and the crisis of the American dream. He argues the need for revolutionary change and optimism as we talk about what he's observing and studying from his experience in China that he could one day bring back to America. We also talk about our experiences with policing and surveillance in China, societal fear, AI concerns, Eric's self-identification as a socialist and what annoys him being here. We share plenty of laughs in an otherwise serious discussion, and we might also have offended all French people.

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Raffe is the owner of Cantina Agave, the very first Mexican restaurant in Shanghai. Today he is joined by some old friends, BT and Dino on the podcast, as we celebrate Cantina's 18th anniversary and the launch of his new restaurant, Vice. We talk about why he's stayed in Shanghai and discuss the constant pressure to keep up with this unique city, the challenges of running F&B amid unpredictable rules and high turnover, and how the city shifted from "wild east" days to stricter, safer, more equal enforcement. We compare Shanghai's convenience and safety with rising costs, crime, and lenient enforcement in the U.S., especially LA, and talk about perspective, media-driven fear, and cultural adaptation. We talk about a renaissance in Shanghai's dining scene, social media's impact, and Cantina's clientele flipping to 70% local Chinese. We also end the episode with a blindfolded taco taste test that doesn't go as planned.

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Daniel Dumbrill is a geopolitical commentator, independent journalist, and entrepreneur. He is known for his in-depth analysis of China, global politics, media narratives, and the shifting balance of power in an increasingly multipolar world. His commentary explores US-China relations, international affairs, and how media framing influences public understanding of global events. Daniel is recognized for challenging conventional narratives and encouraging audiences to examine geopolitical issues with a critical and evidence-based approach. Today we talk about defending China against Western propaganda. How control of information is influencing global discussion, society, and personal beliefs. We also talk about life in China, the great firewall, censorship, and lessons from China's past.

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YI is the owner of fine jewelry brand YI Collection and former stylist for Vogue China. Today we talk about "love bombing", attraction, sex and the city…literally. We talk about the differences in what men and women might be attracted to and the games we play when we're in the chase. We talk about rejection, self-worth, appearance vs personality, and judging faces. YI shares her mindset after leaving a relationship of eight years, her views on independence, loneliness, monogamy, white expat men, and dating strategies like negging and acting dumb. We discuss ethnicity and identity as Chinese-Americans, changing beauty standards, and the importance of health and fitness in maintaining marriages and relationships. We also talk about squat toilets.

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