Sinobabble

This is the first episode in another short series I’ll be doing about the Hong Kong protests.Tensions in Hong Kong have flared up once again as the CCP pushes to introduce the National Security Law in the wake of last year's protests. This law seeks to punish those who threaten the integrity of the state through sedition, secession, terrorism, or collusion with external forces. The public and some members of parliament have also been angered by the push of the national anthem law, which would criminalise parody or insult of the March of the People.This episode provides an overview of the most recent protests from April till date, discusses some of the international responses, and describes the escalation of police brutality and authoritarianism in Hong Kong. It is clear that Beijing has lost patience with Hong Kong and the freedoms the territory currently enjoys will be taken away much sooner than 2047.Carrie Lam’s Letter to Hong Kong https://hongkongfp.com/2020/05/29/letter-to-hong-kong-from-carrie-lam/New York Times “‘Facing the Darkest Hour’: Hong Kong’s Protest Movement in Crisis” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/world/asia/hong-kong-protest-future-china.htmlSupport the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

This is the second episode in another short series I’ll be doing about the Hong Kong protests.Certain outlets have chosen to remain silent on the most recent events in Hong Kong, as well as the June 4th vigil that was officially cancelled by the state but took place in Victoria Park regardless. This episode discusses the rise of self-censorship, instances of innocuous creeping censorship of the Chinese state against international institutions, and what this means for freedom of expression not just in China, but for everyone.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

This episode is another addition to the modern China series. Today we’re going to be talking about a deep rooted problem in China, that of frequent and recurrent academic scandals. There are many reasons why I’m not sure a career in academia is for me, and one of those reasons does revolve around the problem of ethics and free speech when it comes to doing any sort of research in or about China. We discuss some of the most prominent examples in three differentcategories: fake research, deleted research, and conflict of interest.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

This episode is the first in a series of three discussing the incorporation of Tibet, Xinjiang, and Mongolia into the PRC after 1949.In this episode we discuss the historical relationship between Tibet and China, as well as the changing nature of the CCP's approach to the inclusion of Tibet in the new nation. What makes the Tiebtans feel like they deserve their own independent nation? The answer lies in their own beliefs surrounding the unique nature of Tibetan culture and ethnicity, and their rejection of Chinese hegemony.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

The second episode of three  on the CCP’s incorporation of the periphery into the PRC after 1949. We discuss the historical relationship between the Mongolian people and the Mainland Han Chinese people, to give context to why modern China feels that Inner Mongolia is part of the great Chinese nation.At the end of the episode, we discuss the numerous articles on attitudes towards sex in China that I've come across in my casual reading. We highlight a woman working towards bringing foreplay into Chinese couples' bedrooms, and a survey revealing the lack of sexual knowledge among Chinese university students.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

This episode discusses the historical background of the relationship between China and the Xinjiang region, putting into context the current situation of the Uyghur people. It traces Chinese imperial attempts to first turn the area into a vassal, and then incorporate the region entirely into the empire, creating a new nationalist ideology  based on a multicultural identity. The discussion starts from the 8th century AD and the fall of the Uyghur Khaghanate, and ends with the story of the reintegration of Xinjiang into the PRC after 1949, and the CCP's views on the status of the region since then.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

In this episode we discuss China's first Five Year Plan, a centralised form of economic development that encompasses elements of social engineering and which is still used in China till this day. What were the major aims of the FYP, what were the outcomes, and why did the CCP end up abandoning this system of slow but steady development in favour of a Great Leap? We discuss these questions, as well as looking at how the foundations of Mao's ideological and political dominance were laid in this period following the death of Stalin.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

This episode focuses on China's post-1949 literary world up until around 1960. We discuss how writers were organised by the party-state, what kind of works they produced, and what was considered acceptable and unacceptable. How good were Chinese writers at producing socialist realist works? Turns out the answer changed on a daily basis.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

In this episode we're discussing the campaigns carried out by the CCP against intellectuals and, more specifically, writers, from 1951-1957. We talk about the expansion of campaigns and implementation of thought reform, followed by periods of retraction and why the Party felt the need to pull back during certain periods. We also talk about the Hundred Flowers Movement, the prelude to the destructive Anti-Rightist Movement which was promptly followed up by the Great Leap Forward just one year later.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

The final installment in the three-part series on writers and intellectuals in 1950's China. In today's episode we discuss the Anti-Rightist Campaign, launched by the CCP in 1957 after they had lost all patience with the cultural and scientific community prioritising the quality of their work over politics and generally dissing the CCP.The Anti-Rightist Campaign sought to undo all the progress in terms of open discussion and the use of different methodologies that had been started just a year earlier, and instead replace intellectuals with party cadres in the cultural and scientific spheres.This period also signals the beginning of the descent into the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, as Mao faces the first real challenge to his supremacy, and starts a trend of lashing out against those who would dare defy him.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

This is part 1 in a 4 part series on the Great Leap Forward. This series will cover the whys and hows of China's disastrous Second Five-Year Plan, showing how the Leap went from an idea, to a reality, to a famine, all within the period of 3 years.This first episode looks at how the decision was made to launch the Great Leap. Was it Mao alone who concocted the idea? Who supported him? Was there no one who stood up against him when they saw that things were not going according to plan? This week reveal the heroes and the cowards of China's senior politicians during the late 1950s, drawing a line between those looking to survive and those who truly wanted to do the right thing for the nation they had fought hard to win over.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

**There is an audio glitch from around 15:30-15:40 that I couldn't fix in the edit! It's only brief and minor, but sorry nonetheless!**This is part 2 in a 4 part series on the Great Leap Forward. This series will cover the whys and hows of China's disastrous Second Five-Year Plan, showing how the Leap went from an idea, to a reality, to a famine, all within the period of 3 years.This episode looks at how the Great Leap policies were implemented in villages and cities, and what effects they had on the lives of different sectors of society. We look at how life changd for men and women, rich and poor, urban and rural, and young and old.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

This is part 3 in a 4 part series on the Great Leap Forward. This series will cover the whys and hows of China's disastrous Second Five-Year Plan, showing how the Leap went from an idea, to a reality, to a famine, all within the period of 3 years.In this episode we discuss the Great Famine, which lasted between 1958 and 1962. The famine mainly affected rural areas, and many of the stories and anecdotes we have are from some of the worst affected regions. We also discuss how the famine affected food supplies in the cities, and how the central government went about undoing the worst effects of the Great Leap Forward from 1960 onward.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

This is part 4 in a 4 part series on the Great Leap Forward. This series will cover the whys and hows of China's disastrous Second Five-Year Plan, showing how the Leap went from an idea, to a reality, to a famine, all within the period of 3 years.In this episode we explore the main academic debates surrounding the Great Leap Forward: what were the major causes of the famine, how many people died as a result of the famine, and how responsible was Mao for the famine? Questions are thoroughly explored but left open ended for the listener to discover and decide for themselves where the truth may lie.Check out my recent appearance on The History Voyager: Podbean | GoogleSupport the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

**Hi guys,I'm so sorry the audio is so terrible for this episode! I think my mic wasn't plugged in properly and the programme defaulted to my computer mic which is obviously terrible. I wasn't able to rerecord as I had gone away for the weekend and wanted to get the episode out on time. If it's completely unlistenable let me know and I will rerecord for your pleasure.**Taking a break from our survey of Chinese history, this episode is a review of The Firemaker by Scottish screenwriter and author Peter May. This is the first book in a series of 6 novels and 1 novella set in China, following the story of detective Li Yan and American pathologist Margaret Campbell as they solve a series of interrelated murders.https://maypeter.com/2016/05/21/the-china-thrillers-new-editions/ In this review I look at the story, writing, and historical and cultural accuracy to help you decide whether or not you would like to read it yourself.If you have any other book recommendations for me, let me know!Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

A review of the 50 years of Chinese history we've covered on this podcast.Find the questions and answers on the Sinobabble websiteSupport the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

This is the first of two parts covering the events that led to the breakdown in relations between China and the Soviet Union between 1958 and 1964. This episode covers the years 1958 and 1959, and discusses the major ideological differences between the two nations which led to them disagreeing on how to handle international relations with Taiwan, the US, and India. We also see how China's domestic policies served as a point of contention with the post-Stalin Soviet leadership, who saw Mao's cult of personality and the setting up of communes as a return to the horrors of the 1930s.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

This is the second of two parts covering the events that led to the breakdown in relations between China and the Soviet Union between 1958 and 1964. In this episode we discuss the heating up of tensions, the publication of polemics, and the personal disagreements that served to worsen the situation. We talk about how external events such as the Cuban missile crisis were used by Mao to further his own political agenda, both at home and abroad, while also destabalising Krushchev's position. Finally, we outline the major causes of the downfall of Sino-Soviet relations, which could not be saved even with the introduction of a new government in the Soviet Union.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

Now that we understand the Great Leap Forward, we turn to the period just after the leap to see how China began to recover from economic and political disaster.Two factions emerged in the party's leadership - a moderate group who wanted to allow some market forces to help boost the economy and reduce inflation, and the leftists who still believed in Mao's vision. Instead of ousting Mao when they could, the leadership decided to let the chairman keep his position, while taking all economic powers away from him. Their failure to denounce his role in the Great Leap Forward, however, left him ample space to stage a comeback, which eventually led to the launch of the Cultural Revolution in 1966.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

In this episode we discuss the Socialist Education Movement (SEM), a campaign conducted in the Chinese countryside from 1962-1966 in order to restore socialist values and purge pernicious 'capitalist tendencies' that had reemerged after the Great Leap Forward. The period 1962 to 1965 generally saw Mao attempt to regain control over the cultural and ideological spheres in both the countryside and the cities, but ultimately these attempts failed to make a lasting impact. They were likely instrumental in encouraging Mao to stop relying on the Party cadres and intellectuals to continue as the vanguard of the revolution, and instead launch the Cultural Revolution to reinvigorate socialism in China and boost the prestige of his own cult of personality.Support the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod