Helsinki China Podcast

In this episode, China's sci-fi writer Chen Qiufan and our researcher Eero Suoranta discuss his novel Waste Tide, which was recently translated into Finnish as "Jättömaa". #climatechange #ewaste #chenqiufan #sciencefiction 

Our guest today is Monique Taylor, senior lecturer in world politics at the University of Helsinki.  In 2014, Monique published a book entitled “The Chinese State, Oil and Energy Security”. In this book, she analysed the policy rationale and institutional underpinnings of China's state-led or neomercantilist oil strategy, and its development. Nearly seven years have passed since Monique published her book. In today’s podcast, Monique will share with us how China’s energy security strategy has evolved. 

Tero Tähtinen, PhD candidate at Tampere University offered a course on Chinese poetry at the University of Helsinki this summer. It was a summer course open to all students in Finland and his course received very positive feedback.  In this episode of Helsinki China Podcast, Tero shares his views on human-nature relationship reflected in classicial Chinese poems. 

You are warmly invited to the screening of an award-winning documentary Black Bauhinia. In this film, two young Hong Kong activists reflect on their resistance against China, are forced to decide between long-term imprisonment and refugee camps for a life in exile, while their movement inspires mass protests in the city they love. If you want to know more details of Black Bauhinia, please follow and/or like its Facebook page. Here is the trailer.Black Bauhinia has been selected by the Helsinki Education Film Festival International. The film festival aims to educate the young generation through films. The organiser has very kindly organised a small-scale screening, which is scheduled at 2 pm on the 3rd of October. The venue is Sepetlahdentie 2-4 B, Matinkyla 02230, Espoo. It is a small venue that can host up to 20 people. The director will be there for the Q and A session.If you decide to come to the screening, please get in touch with the film organiser (heffifinland@gmail.com) with the subject line ‘HEFFI Black Bauhinia screening 3 Oct’. They can then have an overview of how many people have signed up and let you know whether there is still space.

In July this year, Taiwan novelist Li Qin-feng (李琴峰) was named winner of the Akutagawa Prize in Japan. Li Qin-feng’s 2021’s novel is written in Japanese-language and it is called "Island where Flowers Bloom on the Shore” in English, 彼岸花盛開之島 in Chinese and 彼岸花が咲く島 in Japanese. Li is 31 years old. She moved from Taiwan to Japan in 2013. After studying at Waseda University graduate school, she released her debut novel "Hitorimai" (Dance alone) written in Japanese in 2017. The novel is set on a fictional island between Taiwan and Japan whose culture and language are a blending of those of Japan and Taiwan. Joining us today is Sara Park, lecturer in Japanese studies at University of Helsinki. Sara discusses the importance of this award, the plot, and her personal view of the novel. 

Eero Suoranta, PhD candidate at University of Helsinki, talks about Chen Qiufan, one of the most successful sci-fi writers in China. His book, The Waste Tide has been translated into Finnish (Jättömaa). Eero shares his view of Jättömaa. 

David O’Brien from the Faculty of East Asian Studies at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany shares with us his view on China's recent cooperation with the Taliban in Afghanistan.  

Martin Mandl from University of Vienna shares with us about his research on Taiwan's gastro-diplomacy and bubble tea in his city, Vienna!