Barbarians at the Gate

What can the end of the Ming Dynasty tell us about the election of Donald Trump and what comes next Nov 12, 2024

Last week’s election of Donald Trump to a second term as U.S. President disappointed half of the American electorate and much of the world (outside the Kremlin). To help Jeremiah and David process what’s next, they’re joined by Brendan O’Kane— writer, translator, expert in the literature of the late Ming Dynasty, and a Pennsylvania voter.

Brendan explores the works of Zhang Dai (張岱 1597-1634), the Jin Ping Mei 金瓶梅, and other literary examples from the twilight of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). What was it like to witness the end of an era and the collapse of an entire state? Was the Obama era an American "restoration" (中興)? What do people do when the political order is overturned and the dynasty falls? We delve into Chinese history and literature, searching for insights to ease the pain and make sense of what lies ahead.

David also shares reactions from his students in Beijing on the election results—as well as rumors of a surprising (and unsettling) prank their peers in the U.S. may have pulled at campus polling stations.

Brendan O'Kane on substack

The Southern Mingby Lynn Struve, 1984

The Great Enterprise: The Manchu Reconstruction of Imperial Order in Seventeenth-Century China by Frederic Wakeman, 1986

Voices from the Ming-Qing Cataclysm: China in the Tiger's Jaws. Edited and translated by Lynn A. Struve, 1993

Historical Battles: Rewriting China's Past to Shape the Future Oct 16, 2024

"We can overestimate and underestimate how much things changed when Xi Jinping took power, but the intensity of concern over historical narratives has definitely grown under his leadership." - Jeffrey Wasserstrom

In this episode, Jeremiah and David are joined by Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Chancellor's Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine, and a leading expert in modern Chinese history. We discuss the legacies of the Hong Kong protests, the rise of Xi Jinping's historical narrative control, and how academic engagement with China is evolving amidst growing geopolitical tensions.

Professor Wasserstrom delves into the shifts in how history is managed in China, particularly the tightening control under Xi Jinping’s regime. He elaborates on Xi’s new patriotic education law, which codifies the regime's control over historical narratives to align with national security. We also examine the challenges academics face when giving talks on sensitive topics and the growing restrictions on public discourse in Hong Kong since the imposition of the national security law.

Further Reading/Links:

Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink
Maura Cunnigham and Jeffrey Wasserstrom, China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know
Follow Jeffrey Wasserstrom on Twitter @jwassers

Back to School 2: The View from the EU Sep 19, 2024

In this episode of Barbarian at the Gate, hosts Jeremiah Jenne and David Moser are joined by special guest Karlis Rokpelnis, China country representative for the European Union's Euraxess Research Mobility Initiative. Together, they delve into the evolving landscape of international education in China, discussing the factors influencing the decline in student exchanges and the varying approaches of American and European institutions. Karlis offers his unique perspective on the changes he's observed over the past decade, from a gradual decline in short-term exchanges to a rise in long-term study programs at top universities.

The conversation also explores the differing cultural and political dynamics between the U.S. and Europe when it comes to studying in China, including the impact of xenophobia, political rhetoric, and international relations on academic exchanges. The trio reflects on what motivates students to come to China, how they engage with their studies, and the future of China-related scholarship. With a blend of humor and insight, this episode captures the complexities of navigating education and politics across borders, offering listeners a thoughtful and engaging look into the current state of studying China from abroad.

Back to School? Aug 27, 2024

As David at least gets set for another semester, he and Jeremiah reconnect to catch up on a mix of timely topics from China and the US. They explore the declining number of Chinese students studying in the US and the cautious return of American students to China, offering insights and practical advice on how to introduce China to American students in nuanced ways. They discuss the difference between fostering an appreciation for Chinese culture and people versus endorsing government policies.

The conversation also delves into the current US presidential race and how it’s being portrayed on Chinese platforms like Weibo, focusing on reactions to Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Walz’s China ties. Finally, they wrap up with a lively discussion on Beijing’s North-South axis being added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, considering what it means for the city’s identity and global recognition.

Edge of Empire with author and journalist Edward Wong Jul 22, 2024

In this episode, Edward Wong, diplomatic correspondent and former Beijing Bureau Chief for the New York Times, joins us to discuss his new book, Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China. Edward’s father, Yook Kearn Wong, lived through the Japanese occupation and the Communist Revolution in China. Captivated by Mao’s vision of a powerful China, he served in the People’s Liberation Army during the Korean War and later served in Xinjiang. By 1962, disillusioned with the Communist Party, he made a daring escape to Hong Kong.

Wong’s book is one part a family memoir and one part a reflection of Edward's experiences in China both as a student and as a journalist. We discuss the legacies of empire, China’s frontiers, what the Qing Dynasty means for China today, and how memories of the past continue to be used and misused in the PRC.

There and Back Again: Deng Xiaoping's Southern Tour and the Legacy of Reform and Opening in China Jun 27, 2024

In this episode, we welcome back a friend of the podcast, Jonathan Chatwin, to discuss his new book, The Southern Tour: Deng Xiaoping and the Fight for China's Future.

Since the Emperor Kangxi made his southern tour in 1684, many emperors and Chinese leaders have undertaken similar inspection tours, including Mao, Deng, and Xi Jinping. Deng’s southern tour took place in the backdrop of contentious debates about his radical restructuring of the economy in the Reform era. Jonathan describes how Deng used the tour to reinvigorate his market reforms amidst the turmoil after 1989 and the difficulties with squaring the tenets of socialism with the new agenda of wealth creation.

Our conversation also covers Deng’s legacy, Xi Jinping’s attempt to downplay Deng’s role in the historic reforms, and the obstacles of publishing a China book in the current Sino-skeptic environment.

Publisher’s link for The Southern Tour: Deng Xiaoping and the Fight for China's Future

Our previous episode with Dr. Chatwin discussed his book, Long Peace Street: A Walk in Modern China

Deng-zilla Poster! from Chineseposters.net

From Firefly to Fox News: The Evolution of "Chimerican" Media Jun 05, 2024

This episode features a lively conversation with Fan Yang, Professor of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, about her new book Disorienting Politics: Chimerican Media and Transpacific Entanglements.

The term “Chimerica” is a portmanteau word, blending “China” and “America.” The neologism denotes the economic, political, and cultural entanglements of the two countries. Fan Yang uses the concept of “Chimerican media” to explore how the conflicts and tensions between the world’s two superpowers are played out in movies, television series, journalism, and media products that are often viewed by people in both countries.

Drawing upon media examples such as House of Cards, The Martian, and Firefly, Prof. Yang shows how the tendency of American media to portray the Chinese state as a racialized “other” tends to complicate the two countries' increasing geopolitical entanglement. The conversation also touches on the reconceptualized Netflix version of The Three Body Problem and the complex reactions on both sides of the Pacific to the depictions of Cultural Revolution violence in the series.

What happens after a Barbarian walks away from the Gate? Apr 17, 2024

This episode represents a new direction for the podcast, recorded on the eve of Jeremiah’s move to a new home base in Geneva. We start with a retrospective snapshot of the podcast’s beginnings – with many episodes recorded under the backdrop of COVID-19 – and then segue into our perennial concern, the plight of academic exchange in China, for which our consensus was “cautious optimism," while accepting an unsatisfying "new normal.” We sign off with future plans and ideas for the next phase of Barbarians at the Gate.

Seeking News, Making China Mar 26, 2024

In this episode, John Alekna talks about his fascinating new book Seeking News, Making China: Information Technology and the Emergence of Mass Society. In 20^th-century China, the gradual importation and development of information technology had an enormous impact on the way that news was disseminated and accessed by the general public. When radio first appeared in the early 1920s, less than 8 in 1,000 people had access to newspapers, whereas, by the time of the Mao period, hundreds of millions of citizens were receiving daily news and information via radio, TV, and shortwave technology.

This book provides an enlightening “meta-historical” account of the evolving communications technologies that fueled the May 4^th movement, KMT and CCP propaganda campaigns during WWII, and the mass information campaigns of the Mao era, such as the Cultural Revolution. The book describes how the various interlocking information technologies, infrastructure, and communication channels – what Alekna calls the “newsscape” – affect popular opinion, politics, and state power.

John Alekna is an Assistant Professor of History of Science, Technology, and Medicine at Peking University.

The publisher’s link for the book Seeking News, Making China: Information Technology and the Emergence of Mass Society.

The Mountains Are High with author Alec Ash Mar 06, 2024

In this episode, we welcome back to the podcast our good friend, Alec Ash, who has written a fascinating book recounting a year spent in the city of Dali, Yunan Province. Unlike Alec’s previous book, Wish Lanterns, his new book, The Mountains are High, is a highly personal account of his attempt to find solace and healing after a pivotal emotional crisis and his decision to disentangle himself from his urban Beijing life and escape to a simpler life in mountainous Yunnan Province. But Alec’s life in Dali was not completely hermitic. Quite the contrary, Alec found his new life interwoven with a peripatetic group of fellow escapees, a kaleidoscopic array of religious seekers, hippies, stoners, and disenchanted white-collar elites, all seeking solace or salvation through Buddhism, psychedelics, New Age mysticism, or just a simpler, more meaningful life.

We discuss the process of writing the book, the challenge of living off the grid, the struggle to resist the distracting allure of the Internet, and the hard work of transforming oneself to achieve a sense of contentment and peace.

Previous episodes featuring Alec Ash:

“China's New Youth” October 01, 2020

“Back to the Land: Author Alec Ash on escaping to Dali, rural retreats, and a return to England” October 30, 2022

Alec’s website information about The Mountains Are High

Exile from Expat-ville Feb 09, 2024

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, our guest is Michael Wester, founder and publisher of True Run Media and The Beijinger. Mike is a long-time resident of Beijing, and we talked with him about running the city’s most-read expat publication, his experiences in organizing the “Safe and Sane” WeChat communities during the pandemic, and what the future holds for the international population of China’s capital. Later, Jeremiah surprises David and Mike with an announcement.

Xi Built This City Jan 16, 2024

In this episode, we chat with Andrew Stokols, who is currently a Ph.D. candidate at MIT researching varieties of digital urbanism globally, with an emphasis on China.

On the podcast, we briefly compare notes on the urban development of Beijing in the 21st century, including the contradictions between Beijing as a technologically advanced urban center and an ancient capital city. Andrew also provides updates on the progress of Xiong’an, the digital “smart city” being constructed in Hebei province, as a showcase for Xi Jinping’s vision for urban development. The urban plan was initially unveiled in 2017 to relieve pressure on Beijing and promote the coordinated regional development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, but what Xi has called a “thousand-year plan of national significance” has run into numerous setbacks and controversy.

We also hear from Andrew about how the Party is merging Marxist ideology with traditional Chinese culture in recent urban architectural projects, particularly the mammoth National Archives of Publications and Culture (Zhongguo guojia banbenguan 中国国家版本馆), described as a “seed bank” of Chinese civilization. These mammoth archives, being constructed in the four geographically significant locations of Beijing, Hangzhou, Xi’an, and Guangzhou, will house original and digitized editions of imperial archives such as the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries (the Siku quanshu四库全书), as well as historical artifacts, music, and literature from the Mao era, thus effecting the goal of “two combines” (liangge jiehe 两个结合), Xi Jinping’s goal of “combining Marxist theory with China’s outstanding traditional culture.”

Andrew's own online archive: https://www.andrewstokols.com/

No Laughing Matters: The State of Stand-up in China Today Dec 19, 2023

Has the Chinese government killed stand-up comedy in China?

In May of 2023, a popular standup comedian made an innocuous joke in which he mentioned a phrase used to laud the fighting spirit of the People’s Liberation Army. The next day, a complaint from a nationalistic netizen resulted in the Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Company being fined a whopping $2 million and the temporary shutdown of virtually all the standup TV shows and comedy clubs in China’s major cities.

The immediate aftermath of the incident also cast a pall over other entertainment venues, leading to increased scrutiny of music and live entertainment in clubs and bars. In this episode, we talk with reporter and freelance writer Chang Che, who initially reported this incident and has been interviewing comedians and promoters grappling with the repercussions in the entertainment industry. Chang Che provides insights into how comedians, musicians, and creative media workers must function within a system where the lines for acceptable discourse are nebulous and ever-changing.

Chang Che’s writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, and he was formerly with the New York Times reporting on tech in Asia.His first article on this subject of the podcast can be found at this link:

No Joke: China Fines a Comedy Firm $2 Million for ‘Insulting’ the Military

Chang Che’s website

Our earlier episode on comedy in China:

Chinese Funny Business with Mark "Da Shan" Roswell

Art with Altitude Dec 05, 2023

On this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, I talk to Kristel Ouwehand, also known by her Tibetan language name, Tenzin Dolma, the founder of Snowland Academy in Gansu province where she lives with and teaches young Tibetan artists.

Beginning at age 17, Tenzin traveled across Central America, Europe, parts of the Middle East, and the east coast of Africa before settling in India. She stayed in India for 11 years, mastering the traditional art of thangka painting. She also learned to craft butter sculptures and sand mandalas, contributed as one of 30 artists painting a new prayer hall, and even organized and translated for a year-long fundraising arts tour in North America from 2005-2006.

In 2007, Kristel relocated to China, initially living in Sichuan until the earthquake in 2008, and then in Qinghai. In 2010, a pivotal moment occurred when a monk approached her, seeking art lessons. In the summer of 2014, she settled in Labrang (Xiahe), Gansu, where Snowland continues to operate today.

Link to Snowland Art:

http://www.snowlandart.org/about-us/

History Wars: The PRC pushes back against unsanctioned views of the past Nov 16, 2023

Jeremiah kicks off the podcast with news that the decades-long Qing History Projectn being carried out by, among other institutions, Renmin University and the Chinese Academy of Social Science(CASS) seems to have been "put on ice" after the draft document produced by the team of Chinese historians was deemed as “politically unacceptable” by the authorities.

One of the specific objections to the project’s content was that it was “overly influenced by the New Qing History,” referring to a group of prominent Western historians who have used Manchu-language sources and new perspectives to offer an interpretation of Qing history that departs from earlier narratives that emphasized the "Sinicization" of the Qing Empire.

In the podcast, we discuss how the PRC government attempts to rewrite history to promote current-day political narratives, including revisionist attempts to downplay Mongol and Manchu influences in the story of China.

Mentioned in the podcast:

China Digital Times, Qing History another front against Western Influence

Young Tsu-wong review of Qingchaoshi de jiben tezheng zai tanjiu: Yi dui beimei xin Qingshi guandian de fansi wei zhongxin 清朝史的基本特徵再探究: 以對北美新清史觀點的反思為中心 [A New Look at the Fundamental Characteristics of the Qing Dynasty History: Focus on Rethinking the Views of the New Qing History School of North America by Zhong Han

Guo Wu, New Qing History: Dispute, Dialog, and Influence

The Art, “Blocked show on Genghis Khan finally opens in France,”

Christian Henriot, "Who owns China's Past? American Universities and the Writing of Chinese History"

Jeremiah’s review of Ian Johnson’s new book Sparks: China's Underground Historians and Their Battle for the Future, on the China Project

Riding the "Harmony Express" with author Thomas Bird Oct 31, 2023

In today’s episode, we talk with journalist and travel writer Thomas Bird about his latest book, The Harmony Express.

Entering an uncertain new chapter of his life several years ago, Bird decided to embark on an exploration of the People’s Republic of China via the country’s vast web of railroad lines. In the spiritual footsteps of travel writers such as Paul Theroux (Riding the Iron Rooster and The Great Railway Bazaar), Bird took the trains as his trajectory, exploring and documenting the diverse ethnic, geographical, linguistic, and culinary worlds of China by rail.

With solid Mandarin skills, an intrepid, often foolhardy willingness to immerse himself into unfamiliar surroundings, and an ethnographer’s voracious intellectual appetite for detail, Bird gives the reader vivid accounts of the diverse places and personalities he encounters in his journey.

We also talk about his impetus for writing the book, the evolution of train travel from the 绿皮火车 lüpi huoche “green trains” to the new sci-fi-style bullet trains, and what has changed – and not changed – in China.

Thomas Bird, Harmony Express. (Earnshaw Books, 2023)

Amazon Link

Do you really need to learn to write characters to study Chinese? Oct 03, 2023

Warning: GEEKY CONTENT

Hosting solo in this week’s episode, David takes a geeky deep dive into the digital revolution in Chinese language learning in conversation with Chinese language pedagogy expert Matt Coss. The Sisyphean task of learning to write hundreds of Chinese characters has long been the bête noire of Chinese language students. The explosion of digital devices and apps for processing Chinese characters is giving rise to a radical rethinking (no pun intended) of the handwriting and dictation components of Chinese language curricula.

Matt Coss is on the front line of a new generation of Chinese language educators who advocate a drastic reduction, if not outright elimination, of the handwriting requirement for Chinese language learners. Topics covered include the disturbing drop in the number of American students studying Mandarin, the implications of AI tools such as ChatGPT for Chinese language learning, and the escalating problem of native Chinese speakers forgetting how to write common characters (“character amnesia” tíbǐ wàngzì提笔忘字).

Matt Coss holds a BA in Hispanic Linguistics and Asian Studies (Chinese) and an MA in Second Language Acquisition from the University of Maryland College Park. Matt has taught Chinese classes at George Washington University and Georgetown University and has worked as a Second Language Acquisition Specialist on the STARTALK project at the National Foreign Language Center. He is currently a PhD Student in Second Language Studies (Michigan State University)

Mentioned in the podcast:

Transforming L2 Hanzi Teaching & Learning in the Age of Digital Writing: Theory and Pedagogy (《电写时代汉字教学的理论与实践》) published by Routledge 2023

https://scholarworks.brandeis.edu/esploro/outputs/bookChapter/Save-Your-Strokes-Further-Studies-on/9924210987301921

L1: First language (i.e., native language)

L2: Second language

“The New Paperless Revolution in Chinese Reading.” Olle Linge’s Hacking Chinese Site. https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-new-paperless-revolution-in-chinese-reading/

“Character Amnesia Yet Again” Victor Mair, Language Log, April 28, 2022.

https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=54465

Hanzi Yingxiong 《汉字英雄》 “Chinese Character Heroes” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaoxdiwKaHo&t=337s

Zhongguo Hanzi tingxie dahui《中国汉字听写大会》”Chinese Character Dictation Competition.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=insD5qbJw2g&list=PL0eGJygpmOH4xEZ7Gu2IluCL07GYcHiZu

A Career of Change Making: A Conversation with Isabel Nepstad of BellaTerra Consulting Aug 21, 2023

Isabel Nepstad’s passion for nature, food, and agriculture can be traced back to her childhood growing up in Belém, a city on the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil. Her connection to China dates to Isabel’s experience studying Chinese at the Beijing Foreign Studies University and economic development and environmental science at Yunnan University while still an undergraduate. For over 11 years, Isabel has worked in the food and agriculture industry in the United States, Brazil, the Netherlands, and China. From 2011 to 2012, she worked as an Analyst for a Brazilian NGO, Alliança da Terra, in Cuiaba, Brazil, and as a Program Manager for Solidaridad Network based in Beijing. In 2021, she founded BellaTerra Consulting to provide sustainability consulting in the food and agriculture supply chains, bridging China and the world.

Isabel takes time out of her busy schedule to drop by the Barbarians at the Gate studio to share her career journey, give advice to those looking to pursue their professional lives in China, and discuss the challenges and opportunities in the environmental and agricultural sectors in China and around the world.

Have Tunes, Will Travel: The Musical Adventures of DJ Bo Aug 08, 2023

On this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, Jeremiah talks to Brian “DJ Bo” Offenther. From being the FKFDJ (First Known Foreign DJ) to play in Pyongyang since 1945 to putting together the first Elvis Festival in Mainland China, DJ Bo has been at the center of China’s music scene for over a decade. The self-proclaimed "Shanghai's #2 DJ" is a DJ and event producer based in Shanghai who has performed in 29 countries and 42 cities around China. He’s involved in many cultural activities, including lecturing at universities, hosting the streaming The Critical Music Club, producing ARTGER, presenting public domain events, writing/editing, and more. DJ Bo also created a wonderfully curated Spotify playlist that accompanied past BATG guest Andrew Field’s book Rocking China.

With David off on summer shenanigans, Jeremiah flies solo as DJ Bo, in town for a couple of gigs, regales us with his adventures performing across China, what drives his passion for music, and makes a case for Shanghai, that other city, as the true birthplace of Rock n’ Roll.

One From the Vault: Ideology and Education in China with Educator Jiang Xueqin Jul 19, 2023

David and Jeremiah are on holiday this week, but we hope you enjoy this encore episode with educator Jiang Xueqin, originally released in February 2022.

Contrary to the common stereotype that Chinese education is regimented and mired in tradition, the education system in China is actually one of the most dynamic sectors of Chinese society, with core aspects such as the gaokao college entrance exam constantly in flux. On the podcast, this week to discuss the evolution of Chinese education is Jiang Xueqin, an educational consultant who has worked with schools throughout China to promote the ideas of creativity and critical thinking skills.

Topics include the new emphasis on ideology in the curriculum since the ascent of Xi Jinping, the massive effort to turn elite Chinese universities into “world-class” institutions to compete with schools such as Harvard and Oxford, and the plight of cross-national educational projects and international schools in these years of Covid-19 shutdowns and US-China “decoupling.”

Jiang Xueqin has published two books: Creative China, which recounts his experiences working in the Chinese public school system, and Schools for the Soul, which presents his approach to fostering creativity in secondary education.

Jiang’s articles have appeared in publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Chronicle of Higher Education.

A Great Leap Backwards?: The Closing of Cultural Spaces and the New Normal in Beijing Jun 28, 2023

This episode of the podcast addresses a worrisome question: Is China’s “cultural space” shrinking?

The recent crackdown on stand-up comedy content and the scrutiny of foreign musicians performing in bars have raised worries that other artistic domains will soon be targeted. Over the past decade, there has been a perception of a “death by a thousand cuts,” as increasing scrutiny and tightening regulations have slowly sanitized, squelched, or strangled many areas of artistic and cultural expression.

The once vibrant LGBTQ scene in Beijing, characterized by thriving queer film festivals and active “tongzhi” websites, is now virtually moribund. Venues such as the Bookworm, where freewheeling literary festivals and public talks were tacitly allowed, are now a thing of the past. And the numerous academic exchanges that collapsed during the COVID-19 years do not show signs of reviving soon.

In the podcast, we discuss questions such as: What are the implications of this trend for Chinese soft power? Can alternative “safe spaces” allow creative activity to continue? And what are the ramifications for the foreign exodus from China, as many ex-pats find the country less welcoming than in times past?

Rocking China with Historian Andrew Field Jun 07, 2023

In this episode, we welcome back Andrew Field to discuss his new book Rocking China: Rock Music Scenes in Beijing, Shanghai and Beyond.

While having already conducted valuable research into the history of Shanghai jazz, in 2007, Andrew began a deep dive into the nascent Chinese underground rock scene of the early 2000s with the passion of a rock fan and the intellectual fascination of an anthropologist. He spent years haunting the indie rock bars and performance venues of Beijing and other cities, interviewing the performers, observing the audience reactions, and taking extensive “field notes” (pun intended), all documenting this explosive chapter in the evolution of rock music in the PRC.

Andrew followed seminal groups such as the Carsick Cars, Subs, and Hedgehog, giving first-hand accounts of the performance ambiance and providing fascinating portraits of performers like Yang Haisong, Kang Mao, and Wu Hao.

Andrew has become one of the go-to documentarians of popular music in China:

Rocking China:Rock Music Scenes in Beijing, Shanghai & Beyond

Spotify playlist for Rocking China by DJ BO

Shanghai’s Dancing World: Cabaret Culture and Urban Politics, 1919–1954

The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press, 2010

Documentary: A Century of Jazz in Shanghai

Andrew Field's website

http://shanghaisojourns.net/

Mentioned on the show:

China with a Cut: Globalisation, Urban Youth and Popular Music

Jeroen de Kloet (IIAS Publications series)

Tik-Tok-for-Tat: Jeremiah and David try to Fix US-China Relations May 15, 2023

Fueled by too many red bulls (Jeremiah) and some pretty good pharmaceuticals following an emergency root canal (David), our intrepid cohosts throw caution to the wind and attempt to fix US-China Relations in a single podcast. For those outside of China, the ups and downs of this troubled bilateral relationship are sometimes felt as a rather abstract quandary. Still, for those of us who have invested decades of our lives in this China, the often juvenile skirmishes between the two superpowers have existential consequences. In this episode of BATG, Jeremiah and David describe the deterioration of US-China relations brought about by an ongoing series of reciprocal clashes. The conversation includes media bias, tit-for-tat sanctions and expulsions, what-about-ism, ideological silos, historical grudges, diplomatic standoffs, national humiliation, and “face,” -- all problems for which we provide absolutely no solutions, but for which ranting can be cathartic. Grab a red bull (or four) and/or your favorite pharmaceuticals and join the conversation.

What Xi Said: Comedy and Cross-Cultural Communication with Performer and Content Creator Jesse Appell Apr 18, 2023

This week we catch up with Jesse Appell, an English-Chinese standup comedy star better known to his more than 3 million Chinese followers as Ai Jiexi 艾杰西. Jesse talks about how he parlayed his Fulbright Fellowship research on Chinese humor into a stellar comedy career in China. Stuck in the US for several years during the Covid-19 crisis, Jesse had to find ways to continue his successful comedy career outside China. Jesse recounts how he began to make a name for himself in the media environment of the vast number of diaspora Chinese living and working in America and other countries. We explore the cultural differences between these more Westernized diaspora audiences and those of mainland China. We also hear about the struggles of maintaining a successful career as a standup comedian in the world of Chinese media.

Jesse on Instagram (comedy): @whatxisaid

Jesse on Instagram (tea): @jessesteahouse

Jesse's Tea House

Jesse's World Podcast

The Peking Express with Author James Zimmerman Apr 03, 2023

In this episode, we are delighted to talk with James Zimmerman about his new book, Peking Express: The Bandits who Stole a Train, Stunned the West, and Broke the Republic of China. The book is an enthralling account of a largely forgotten chapter in Chinese history, the harrowing 1923 raid on a luxury train by Chinese bandits and the ensuing 37-day hostage standoff. Jim fills us in on the backstory of the incident, based on the treasure trove of diaries, newspaper accounts, and personal testimony, which he skillfully knits together into a fascinating narrative of a China in turmoil, contrasting the poverty-stricken villages caught in the crossfire between bandits and warlords with the opulent lifestyles of the elite group of western tourists.

Jim Zimmerman is a lawyer who has lived and worked in Beijing for over 25 years and served four terms as the chairman of the Beijing American Chamber of Commerce.

Getting Elevated in Qinghai with Entrepreneur and Mountain Guide Ben Cubbage Mar 22, 2023

In this episode, we are joined by Ben Cubbage, who calls in from the lofty heights of Xining, the capital of Qinghai province. Ben co-founded Elevated Trips, an organization that offers specialized tours in the remote regions of Tibet, Qinghai, Mongolia, and Gansu provinces. As a passionate advocate for eco-friendly tourism, Ben emphasizes principles such as respect for local cultures, providing sustainable economic value to local communities, minimizing visitor impact, and prioritizing biodiversity. We explore Ben's mission to offer travelers life-changing experiences, whether it's gaining a deeper understanding of Buddhist philosophy and material culture, admiring the breathtaking beauty of the Qinghai and Tibetan landscapes, or catching a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse of the elusive snow leopard that calls the Tibetan plateau home.

https://www.elevatedtrips.com/

The Official Elevated Trips Intro Video, Eco-tourism on the Tibetan Plateau

An Interview with Ben Cubbage from Elevated Trips

The Forbidden City with Matthew Hu Mar 06, 2023

This week’s topic is the Forbidden City, and our tour guide once again is Matthew Hu Xinyu, Trustee of the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP) and founder of the Courtyard Institute. Matthew provides us with updates on recently renovated sections of the Palace Museum previously inaccessible to tourists, such as the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility (Cining Gong 慈宁宫), where the Empress Dowager celebrated her birthdays and worshipped the Buddha, and the living quarters of the imperial concubines located north and west of Longzong Gate. Matthew also gives us a fascinating overview of the complex task of renovating the centuries-old compound and the challenges faced by the Palace Museum in restoring, protecting, and exhibiting the museum’s 1.8 million artifacts.

Palaces, artifacts historical figures mentioned on the podcast:

Hall of Mental Cultivation, Yangxin Dian养心殿

Palace of Established Happiness建福宮Jianfu Gong

jinzhuan金砖 ”metal/gold bricks”

Dr. Shan Jixiang 单霁翔, curator of the Palace Museum from 2012 and 2019

Imperial Fasting Palace Zhai Gong斋宫

“Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains” Fuchun Shanju Tu 富春山居圖, famous Yuan Dynasty painted by Huang Gongwang (黃公望, 1269-1354). The painting was divided into two pieces after being rescued from a fire. The two sections were later separated, the main section is now housed at the Taipei Palace Museum, and the smaller section, referred to as “The Remaining Mountain,” 剩山圖 Sheng Shan Tu, is part of the Beijing collection.

“Precious Works of the Stone Canal Pavilion” 石渠宝笈 Shiqu Baoji. A vast Qing collection of paintings and calligraphy by emperors and famous artists, divided into categories such as books, paintings, scrolls, and calligraphy.

Hall of Three Rarities Sanxi Tang 三希堂

“Reign behind the curtain” Chuilian tingzheng垂帘听政

Retirement Lodge Juanqin Zhai倦勤斋

Palace of Longevity and Health Shoukang Gong寿康宫

Fragile Cargo: China’s Wartime Race to Save the Treasures of the Forbidden City by Adam Brookes. “The gripping true story of the bold and determined museum curators who saved the priceless treasures of China’s Forbidden City in the years leading up to World War II and beyond.”

“Masters in the Forbidden City” Wo zai Gugong xiu wenwu 我在故宫修文物. State media documentary on the ongoing restoration projects of the Forbidden City. Available on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw6awYYu_6s

CCTV Follies with Journalist and Author Philip Cunningham Feb 14, 2023

In this episode, we welcome to the podcast journalist Philip Cunningham, freelance writer for newspapers such as South China Morning Post and Japan Times, and was a former Knight Fellow and Harvard Nieman Fellowship recipient. Philip is currently posting a daily Substack entitled CCTV Follies, which provides a visual chronicle of the daily CCTV evening news report Xinwen Lianbo《新闻联播》, accompanied with running commentary that is illuminating and humorous. Phil talks about the program’s quasi-ritual role in defining the boundaries of political discourse and its overt and subliminal influence on the framing of news stories in the Chinese information environment.

Philip is also the author of the book Tiananmen Moon, a first-hand account of the 1989 protests in Beijing.

When will China re-open its doors for study abroad and educational exchanges? Jan 16, 2023

In this episode, recorded on January 13, 2023, Jeremiah in Florida and David in Taiwan touch base and exchange updates on the evolving Covid-19 situation in China and elsewhere. We compare and contrast the foreign media accounts of China’s current Covid struggles with the reports from friends and family within China. David gives an account of his wife’s bout with Covid-19 in Taiwan. We also offer a quick update on the gradual opening of student visas for study in China and provide prognostications on the prospects for restoring academic exchanges with Chinese universities and educational institutions.

One from the Vault: Touring China with Historian Mo Yajun Jan 03, 2023

David and Jeremiah are both traveling this week, and in that spirit, we offer a rebroadcast of one of our favorite episodes from the archives. In this episode from March 2022, we spoke with historian and author Mo Yajun about her book Touring China: A History of Travel Culture, 1912-1949. Enjoy, and Happy New Year!

As Covid-19 gradually recedes and China resumes domestic travel, we are pleased to interview Mo Yajun about her book Touring China: A History of Travel Culture, 1912-1949, a fascinating history of the development of China’s travel industry during the Republican period. Professor Mo recounts how early tourism guides and photographic travel journals enabled Chinese people to expand the concept of quanguo 全国 ”the nation as a whole,” providing the public with an enhanced mental image of the vast scope and diversity of their “national space.”

We also hear the story of Chen Guangfu, the father of China’s modern travel industry. He founded the China Travel Service during the tumultuous warlord period, partially responding to the hegemony of foreign travel services, which treated Chinese tourists as second-class citizens. Other topics covered include the issue of class in the tourism environment of semi-colonial China, cultural clashes with well-funded foreign researchers who traveled to historical sites such as the Dunhuang caves to study – and often purloin -- cultural relics, and the effect of the new technology of the personal camera on the perception, promotion and imagining of China’s historical sites.

Notes from the Medical Tent: Beijing Learns to Live with COVID Dec 15, 2022

In an abrupt reversal, On December 7, China announced a rollback of most of its most draconian anti-COVID-19 restrictions, including limiting lockdowns, mass testing, and health app requirements for public transportation. About that same time – it had to happen sooner or later – Jeremiah caught COVID-19. In this episode, we talk about what it's like to deal with the virus at this historic juncture, joined by our frequent guest Zhang Yajun – who also has COVID-19. In addition to the first-hand experiences of Jeremiah and Yajun, we also discuss the possible consequences of the explosion of cases, the public uncertainty and anxiety about the reversal, and the motivations of the Chinese government in making this sudden change from the "zero-COVID" policy to a ZERO "COVID policy."

Zhang Yajun is an executive living and working in Beijing and co-host of the WǑMEN PODCAST, an English podcast featuring Chinese people's daily lives from a female perspective.

Standing Up to Zero COVID: The View from Beijing Nov 28, 2022

This episode of BATG provides a “time stamp” and an initial reaction to protests in several major Chinese cities on November 26 and 27, events that are still developing at the time of this recording. After a week of growing frustration over renewed lockdowns amid a spike in Covid cases, and increasing anger over the death of 10 people in a fire in Urumqi, Chinese citizens took to the streets in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Wuhan, and other cities to protest the continuing disruptive effects of the “zero Covid” policy. Expressions of rage and disillusionment expanded from complaints about the mishandling of the epidemic to furious calls for Xi Jinping to step down.

We cover questions such as: What factors triggered these protests? Will the protests continue after this tumultuous weekend? What will the government’s next move be? Will the public dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the epidemic lead to a collapse in public support for the Party and an undermining of the implicit “performance legitimacy” justification that has been the basis for CCP state control?

For those interested in following the protests and the response, we highly recommend the Chinese Twitter feed 李老师不是你老师 (@whyyoutouzhele).

Lockdowns, Legacies, and Looking Back with Journalist Melinda Liu Nov 15, 2022

In this week’s podcast, we are delighted and honored to talk to Melinda Liu, legendary journalist and long-time observer of post-Mao China. In addition to her long-time stint as Beijing Bureau Chief for Newsweek, Melinda has also covered the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the 1991 liberation of Kuwait, and the fall of Saddam Hussein. The conversation begins with updates on China’s “zero Covid” strategy against a backdrop of a new set of lockdowns in Beijing. Melinda then provides a journalist’s overview of the evolving censorship mechanism in China since Deng’s reforms, tracing the periods of relative openness and transparency and the increasing totalistic information control paradigm in the new era. Melinda also recounts the fascinating story of her father’s involvement during WWII as translator and go-between for the Doolittle Raiders, the small group of American pilots who conducted a bombing raid in Tokyo and were forced to land in an occupied area of China.

Back to the Land: Author Alec Ash on escaping to Dali, rural retreats, and a return to England Oct 30, 2022

In this week’s episode, we catch up with our old friend Alec Ash, writer, journalist, and author of the Wish Lanterns, a portrait of six diverse members of China’s “post-80s” generation. Having resided in Beijing since 2008, Alec migrated to the mountain valley of Dali in Yunnan province in 2019, where he encountered other like-minded Chinese and ex-pats who had fled the big cities for the relative tranquility of the Chinese countryside. His experiences in Yunnan became his latest book project, which depicts the aspirations and lifestyles of this diverse group of migrants. The podcast conversation covers the results of the recent 20th Party Congress, the evolution of Beijing under Xi Jinping, and China’s ongoing Covid-19 policy (what else?).

CoCo19 and the Quarantines: The Scene from Beijing Oct 02, 2022

Post-Covid China border closings, the expulsion of western journalists, and suspensions of academic exchanges have resulted in a woeful lack of foreign “eyes on the ground” to provide updates and insights into the current situation in China. While the like-minded community of foreign journalists and China watchers often constitutes an insular community whose reportage devolves into group-think and fixed narratives, the presence of knowledgeable China-based reporters and researchers is essential for dispelling the Twitter-fed misinformation and hackneyed western media tropes. In addition to the podcast’s perennial topic of the “information asymmetry” between China and the US, Jeremiah and David also touch upon current Covid-19 restrictions on the eve of the 20th National Party Conference and the thorny question of whether or not foreigners should agree to appear as commentators on Chinese state media.

Beijing Calling Taipei Aug 30, 2022

In this episode, David phones in from Taiwan to share some of his impressions of the current mood of the beleaguered island. The discussion touches on the recent visit of Nancy Pelosi, how the Taiwan people cope with their geopolitical plight, how the Taiwan health authorities have handled the COVID-19 crisis, the lack of Taiwanese voices in both Mainland and Western media, the influence of mainland China pop culture and media in Taiwan social life, Taiwan food culture, and the evolving ethnic self-identity of the younger generation of Taiwanese.

The Destruction of Yuanmingyuan (One from the Vault) Aug 03, 2022

David and Jeremiah are on vacation this month, which means, like the days of summer TV (pre-Internet and pre-InfiniteStreamingNetflixVerse), we are replaying one of our favorite earlier episodes. We hope you enjoy this one from the vault, and we'll be back with fresh episodes later this month.

This episode was originally posted on October 26, 2020.

Yuanmingyuan, the "Garden of Perfect Brightness," commonly referred to as the Old Summer Palace, was a Qing Dynasty imperial residence comprised of hundreds of buildings, halls, gardens, temples, artificial lakes, and landscapes, covering a land area five times that of the Forbidden City, and eight times the size of Vatican City. This expansive compound, once referred to by Victor Hugo as "one of the wonders of the world," now exists only as a sprawl of scattered ruins on the northern outskirts of Beijing, having been thoroughly burned and looted by French and British over three days in October of 1860, in the aftermath of the Second Opium War.

The razed remnants of the glorious gardens have been left in place by the Chinese government as an outdoor museum of China's "Century of Humiliation" at the hands of the foreign powers. On the 160th anniversary of the destruction of Yuanmingyuan, Jeremiah and David discuss the political and cultural clashes that led to the action, the significance of the incident for China's national self-image, and the government's attempts to repatriate the massive amounts of looted artifacts found scattered among the museums of Europe and the West. The conversation also explores the changing symbolic significance of the ruins in the context of a rejuvenated and economically powerful China.

It's a Matter of Trust: Social and Political Confidence in the United States and the PRC Jul 18, 2022

Three years of Covid-19 chaos, political upheavals, climate change disasters, and economic downturns have triggered an increasing lack of faith in government institutions worldwide. The United States, in particular, has seen trust in government plummet, with a Pew report indicating that American confidence in government has fallen to a historic low of 20%. According to a report from the public relations firm Edelman, China might seem to be an exception to this trend. The Edelman report put Chinese citizens’ trust in their government at a record 91 percent, the highest rate in a decade. But recent outbursts of angry protests by Shanghai citizens suffering under extended Covid-19 lockdowns suggest a different story. How much faith do the Chinese people have in their government? Is Chinese nationalism still riding a wave of increasing economic prosperity, or is the Chinese model losing its luster among average citizens? How is the role of government viewed differently in the United States and China? In this episode, we welcome communications and content specialist Zhang Yajun, co-host of the WǑMEN podcast, to explore these issues of government accountability and public trust in the Chinese and US context.

Writing about China for the World Jul 07, 2022

This week we talk with Hatty Liu, Managing Editor of The World of Chinese. This bi-monthly magazine explores all aspects of Chinese culture and society, providing vivid storytelling accounts of the experiences of Chinese people from all walks of life. We discuss the publication’s editorial mission and target audience and the challenges of conveying complex Chinese social issues in an accessible way to foreign readers. Whether it be topics of consent culture, Chinese UFO hunters, or the plight of migrant workers under the Covid-19 restrictions, Hatty and her multicultural writing staff are bringing to light fascinating glimpses of Chinese life that are seldom featured in the mainstream press.

Teaching Values: Ideology and Education in China with Jiang Xueqin Jun 01, 2022

Contrary to the common stereotype that Chinese education is regimented and mired in tradition, the education system in China is actually one of the most dynamic sectors of Chinese society, with core aspects such as the gaokao college entrance exam constantly in flux. On the podcast this week to discuss the evolution of Chinese education is Jiang Xueqin, an educational consultant who has worked with schools throughout China to promote the ideas of creativity and critical thinking skills.

Topics include the new emphasis on ideology in the curriculum since the ascent of Xi Jinping, the massive effort to turn elite Chinese universities into “world-class” institutions to compete with schools such as Harvard and Oxford, and the plight of cross-national educational projects and international schools in these years of Covid-19 shutdowns and US-China “decoupling.”

Jiang Xueqin has published two books: Creative China, which recounts his experiences working in the Chinese public school system, and Schools for the Soul, which presents his approach to fostering creativity in secondary education.

Jiang’s articles have appeared in publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Chronicle of Higher Education.

Pride, Politics, and Pandemics: Understanding China's Nationalism with Peter Gries May 17, 2022

What do we know about Chinese nationalism? Do nationalistic sentiments manifest differently among different demographic groups, as is often the case in Western democratic countries? What kinds of global situations can provoke bouts of nationalism? And to what extent does grassroots nationalism influence China’s foreign policy? We explore these questions with this week’s guest, Peter Gries, Professor of Chinese Politics at the University of Manchester, and the Lee Kai Hung Chair of the Manchester China Institute.

“Nationalism, Social Influences, and Chinese Foreign Policy” in China and the World. Shambaugh, D. (ed.). Oxford University Press, 2021.

China’s New Nationalism: Pride, Politics, and Diplomacy, University of California Press, 2004.

Peter Hessler. "A Teacher in China Learns the Limits of Free Expression," The New Yorker, May 16, 2022

Lockdown 2: Shacked up in Shanghai Apr 19, 2022

No sooner had Jeremiah’s lockdown experience come to an end when Shanghai announced plans to shut down the entire city as cases of the Omicron variant skyrocketed. Now entering its third week, Shanghai’s historic citywide lockdown has imposed unprecedented restrictions and sacrifices on its 25 million people.

Among the hapless homebound residents was our longtime friend and colleague, Andrew Field, who – unfortunately for him -- had plenty of free time to talk with us about his experiences during these turbulent few weeks. Andrew reports from the nearby suburb of Kunshan on the mood of residents in and around Shanghai (spoiler: it’s foul), the administrative and policy fiascos of the city government, and his ways of coping during the shutdown (Andrew has left us a special musical treat at the end of the episode).

Andrew Field is Associate Professor of Chinese History at Duke Kunshan University and the author of three books, including Shanghai’s Dancing World: Cabaret Culture and Urban Politics 1919-1954. Andy is also a documentary filmmaker, having produced several films exploring China’s underground rock scene and the world of Shanghai jazz. We’ve wanted to get Andrew on the podcast for some time and will definitely invite him back on soon to discuss other topics – hopefully maskless and in the same room.

Andrew Field’s blog Shanghai Sojourns

http://shanghaisojourns.net/

Shanghai’s Dancing World: Cabaret Culture and Urban Politics 1919-1954

http://cup.columbia.edu/book/shanghais-dancing-world/9789629964481

Shanghai Nightscapes: A Nocturnal Biography of a Global City (with James Farrer)

https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo20298865.html

Mu Shiying: China’s Lost Modernist

https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/M/bo37857676.html

Locked Down in Beijing! Mar 28, 2022

As China launches the most stringent lockdowns since the first Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan two years ago, Jeremiah enters his second week in lockdown mode in his Beijing apartment. David and Jeremiah exchange personal accounts and analyses of their own experiences under China’s official “Zero Covid” directive.

Topics include the inconsistent and sometimes baffling lockdown protocols, incessant PCR testing, and administrative policy snafus as municipal governments, district authorities, neighborhood committees, and residential property management companies cooperate or clash to implement the constantly-evolving top-down Covid-19 mandates.

We are also joined once again on the podcast by Zhang Yajun, former journalist and communications specialist co-host of the WǑMEN PODCAST, an English podcast featuring Chinese people’s daily lives from a female perspective. Yajun shares her insights into the increasing sense of frustration of Chinese people under the Covid-19 restrictions, the anxieties and complaints that reverberate in social media, the gaps and breaches in the monitoring and control system, and class differences in the level of hardship and sacrifice experienced under lockdown restrictions.

For additional background information, check out these social media posts:

Jeremiah’s Twitter feed account of his lockdown experience.

(Done as an epic fantasy of orcs, ogres, goblins, and trolls)

Shane Learning’s Twitter account of his quarantine experience in Shanghai

Touring China with Professor Mo Yajun Mar 17, 2022

As Covid-19 gradually recedes and China resumes domestic travel, we are pleased to interview Mo Yajun about her book Touring China: A History of Travel Culture, 1912-1949, a fascinating history of the development of China’s travel industry during the Republican period. Professor Mo recounts how early tourism guides and photographic travel journals enabled Chinese people to expand the concept of quanguo 全国 ”the nation as a whole,” providing the public with an enhanced mental image of the vast scope and diversity of their “national space.”

We also hear the story of Chen Guangfu, the father of China’s modern travel industry. He founded the China Travel Service during the tumultuous warlord period, partially responding to the hegemony of foreign travel services, which treated Chinese tourists as second-class citizens. Other topics covered include the issue of class in the tourism environment of semi-colonial China, cultural clashes with well-funded foreign researchers who traveled to historical sites such as the Dunhuang caves to study – and often purloin -- cultural relics, and the effect of the new technology of the personal camera on the perception, promotion and imagining of China’s historical sites.

Communication Breakdown: Asymmetry, Decoupling, and the Information Deficit affecting China and the World Mar 03, 2022

Do Chinese people know more about the US than Americans know about China? Is there an “information deficit” between average educated Americans and their Chinese counterparts?

Educators working in US-China academic exchange programs have noticed a marked information asymmetry, a “China cluelessness” on the part of American students. At the same time, their Chinese peers enter into American studies with a substantial amount of cultural and historical background knowledge. How serious is this problem, what are its causes? And what are the implications for building greater cross-cultural understanding of China?

To address these issues, Jeremiah and David are fortunate to be joined on the podcast by Yajun Zhang, the co-host of the WǑ MEN PODCAST, an English podcast featuring Chinese people’s daily lives from a female perspective. As a former journalist and communication specialist, Yajun has crafted content to facilitate mutual understanding between Chinese and international audiences. Now, leading content and program design for one of the largest conferences in the world, she has witnessed how information asymmetry and decoupling between China and the world has grown over the past couple of years.

The podcast discussion examines the causes of the information asymmetry, which include the status of English as the world’s lingua franca, America’s decades-long global soft power dominance, and the sheer numerical imbalance (e.g., 370,000 Chinese students studying at US universities in 2019, as compared to only 11,000 US students studying Chinese language and culture in 2017-18), all factors resulting in the educated Chinese populace having a more intuitive grasp of the complexities of American culture. The podcast also discusses the effects of the information deficit amidst the chaotic news wars during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, the importance of an informed electorate when American leaders formulate China policy, and the need to cultivate a supply of China-savvy policy-makers in areas such as diplomacy, military, trade.

“A Fearful Asymmetry: Covid-19 and America’s Information Deficit with China”

David Moser

The Asia-Pacific Journal | Japan Focus Volume 18 | Issue 14 | Number 5 | Jul 15, 2020

The WǑ MEN PODCAST co-hosted by Yajun Zhang, Jingjing Zhang, and Karoline Kan

(Apple Podcasts)

Sporting Superpower: China's Olympic Dreams Jan 26, 2022

On the cusp of the Chinese New Year and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Jeremiah and David record an Olympian episode of the podcast. The guest is Mark Dreyer, a veteran sports reporter, who has just released his new book, Sporting Superpower: An Insider’s View on China’s Quest to Be the Best. Mark has worked for Sky Sports, Fox Sports, AP Sports, and many other outlets and currently hosts the China Sports Insider Podcast. The conversation covers issues such as the historical importance of the 2008 Olympics, challenges of Covid-19 in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the Chinese model of recruiting and training Olympic athletes, the PR disasters of Chinese athletes due to lack of media savvy, the quest for a world-class Chinese soccer/football team, and the nexus of geopolitics, economics and soft power in China’s Olympic endeavors.

Dreyer also recounts many fascinating and telling anecdotes from his many years of interviewing athletes and covering Chinese sporting events.

Other books and clips mentioned:

Susan Brownell (1995) Training the Body for China: Sports in the Moral Order of the People's Republic

Mao Zedong (1917) "A Study in Physical Education"

Yao Ming, "You can't f------ stop me" Video

From Vienna to Shanghai: A Memoir of Escape, Survival and Resistance Jan 13, 2022

In this week’s episode, we talk with Jean Hoffmann Lewanda about her father Paul Hoffmann’s memoir, Witness to History: From Vienna to Shanghai: A Memoir of Escape, Survival and Resilience, recently published by Earnshaw Books.

Paul Hoffmann left Vienna at the age of 18 to escape the rise of Nazism, arrived in Shanghai in 1938, and became a part of the historic stream of Jewish refugees who found a haven in China during WWII. His memoirs describe the harsh living conditions in the Hongkou Ghetto during the Japanese occupation and the lifestyles of the multicultural, multinational community in Shanghai.

Paul eked out a living teaching English and mathematics while obtaining a law degree from Aurora University (currently Fudan University). He worked for the American lawyer Norwood Allman (who was secretly the US spy chief in China). Paul remained in China during the communist takeover in 1949, managing the dissolution of his law firm, and witnessed firsthand the harassment, imprisonment, and expulsions to which the foreign community was subjected.

After rediscovering her father’s memoirs, Jean Hoffmann Lewanda edited the text, weaving in the various photographs and documents Paul left behind. The result is Witness to History, a gripping and sometimes harrowing memoir of a man who was caught up in the tides of one of the most tumultuous periods in history and lived to tell the story.

Mandarin Mayhem III: The Cantonese Conundrum Dec 30, 2021

In this episode, Jeremiah and David talk with James Griffiths, Asia Correspondent for the Globe and Mail, about his new book Speak Not: Empire, Identity and the Politics of Language. This podcast can be considered the third installment of a trilogy of Barbarian at the Gate episodes that deal with the politics of language and dialects in China (see the links to the earlier podcasts below). Our previous guest Gina Anne Tam aptly sums up Griffiths’ research topic in her dustjacket review of the book:

“Speak Not is a beautifully narrated and intensely smart global history of how languages are destroyed. From Hong Kong to Wales, Hawaii to South Africa, Griffiths artfully guides us through intimate stories of people fighting over decades, often in vain, to protect their linguistic heritage and identities, stories that, when taken together, reveal an oft-unexplored aspect of the ‘disasters wrought’ by colonialism, nationalism, and global inequality.”

In addition to insights from the revitalization of Welsh, one of Griffiths’ native tongues, the podcast delves deeply into the recent plight of Cantonese in Hong Kong and the mainland minority languages of Tibet, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia.

Links to:

“Mandarin Mayhem” April 10, 2020

“Mandarin Mayhem, Part II: Dialect and Nationalism in China” June 02, 2020

The Great Firewall of China

“A residential school system in China is stripping Tibetan children of their languages and culture, report claims” The Globe and Mail December 7, 2021

David Moser, A Billion Voices: China’s Search for a Common Language(Penguin, 2016)

Studying China in the 21st Century (What Everybody Needs to Know) with special guest Maura Cunningham Nov 19, 2021

In this episode, Jeremiah and David have a long-overdue discussion with historian and writer Maura Cunningham. Maura was Editor-in-Chief of the classic blog China Beat, a fellow at the Asia Society Center on US-China Relations, Program Officer at the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and is now the Digital Media Manager for The Association of Asian Scholars (AAS) in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Maura is also the co-author, with Jeffrey Wasserstrom, of the essential book China in the 21st Century: Everything You Need to Know, and the podcast conversation starts with a reconsideration of the book’s title: “What are the new China realities ‘everyone needs to know’ in the post-Covid, post-Xi Jinping era?”

We compare notes with Maura about the current state of scholarly research on China, the aftermath of the pandemic on US-China academic exchange programs, and the problems of maintaining standards of academic freedom amidst the tightening of the Chinese information environment.

Other topics include a reevaluation of the fundamental goals of China research and the prospects of increased Chinese language training and sinological research activity in China under increasing research limitations in the PRC.

Greitens, S., & Truex, R. (2020). Repressive Experiences among China Scholars: New Evidence from Survey Data. The China Quarterly, 242, 349-375. doi:10.1017/S0305741019000365

Will I Return to China?: A ChinaFile Conversation (June 21, 2021)

Wasserstrom, J. N., & Cunningham, M. E. (2018). China in the 21st century: What Everyone Needs to Know.

"Yellow Jazz, Black Music" with Marketus Presswood Sep 17, 2021

This week Jeremiah and David catch up with an old friend, China history scholar Marketus Presswood., who has just released a documentary on jazz in China entitled Yellow Jazz, Black Music, available on Vimeo. Based on years of research and extensive interviews, the documentary traces the influx and development of jazz music in China, from the Shanghai ballrooms of the 1920s to a resurgence in the urban nightclubs of the Reform-and-Opening period, and finally to the art form's flourishing in a new globalized, high-tech China.

Marketus provides a fascinating description of the lives of the African-American jazz musicians in Republican Era Shanghai, including the experiences of Langston Hughes, who visited the city in 1934 and interacting with the stars of the local jazz scene. We also discuss the difficulties of Chinese musicians in accessing and mastering the art form, the social and artistic impact of jazz on Chinese culture, and the possibilities of a new kind of "jazz with Chinese characteristics."

Links to:

Website for the film:

www.yellowjazzblackmusic.com

Yellow Jazz, Black Music on Vimeo:

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/yellowjazzblackmusic

The Yellow Jazz Black Music Spotify music site:

https://open.spotify.com/album/2oDjOu5dXCUm8atpkZfJ2W

Jeremiah on Langston Hughes in Shanghai

https://www.jeremiahjenne.com/the-archives/2021/1/28/langston-hughes-in-shanghai

David on Jazz in China

https://chinachannel.org/2018/07/20/chinese-jazz/

Marketus on "Being Black in China"

https://www.theatlantic.com/china/archive/2013/07/on-being-black-in-china/277878/

China Tripping Jul 29, 2021

In this episode, Jeremiah and David talk about the foreign experience of travel in China, drawing upon their personal experiences over the years as explorers, educators, and tour guides. The two trade accounts of the rapid expansion of China’s travel industry in decades after Reform and Opening, the occasional brushes with anti-foreign sentiment, and the exploding domestic luxury travel market as the economy booms and overseas travel has been restricted. The discussion also turns to the new post-Covid-19 reality of quarantines, vaccination records, and issues with the ubiquitous health-record apps that have become mandatory additions to everyone’s mobile phone. The podcast concludes with cautious prognostications about the upcoming Olympics, vaccination passports, and the future of foreigners traveling, studying, and working in China.

David also recommends the excellent new documentary about jazz and jazz-age Shanghai by Marketus Presswood, Yellow Jazz, Black Music now streaming on Vimeo.

Elegy for the Eighties Jun 06, 2021

In this episode (taped on the eve of June 4th), Jeremiah and David examine the zeitgeist of China in the 1980s through the lens of the historic 1988 documentary River Elegy《河殇》. The six-part documentary was a scathing critique of Chinese traditional culture and political philosophy, portraying hallowed icons such as the Great Wall and the Yellow River as morally repugnant symbols of barbarism and cultural self-deception. The TV series also touched upon previously taboo topics such as Mao's Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The documentary was highly controversial at the time yet was widely disseminated in State media such as the People's Daily, giving rise to an astonishingly frank public debate about the fate of China and the need for economic and political liberalization. The documentary was banned after 1989 but remains a cultural time capsule of the decade's relatively open political discourse. The podcast discussion examines the contentious intellectual currents of the 1980s and poses some counterfactual questions about how China's reforms might have progressed if the free-thinking trajectory of River Elegy had continued to exert an influence.

Link to a segment of River Elegy on YouTube

Moser, David, "Thoughts on River Elegy, June 1988-June 2011" (2011). The China Beat Blog Archive 2008-2012. 904.

Talking the Line between Culture Shock and Racism May 14, 2021

In this episode, we host Ruth Poulsen, Director of Curriculum and Assessment at the International School of Beijing and author of a recent article in The American Educator entitled "What's the Line between Culture Shock and Racism?" Ruth is a long-term ex-pat, having spent much of her childhood and adult life in various countries in the Middle East and Asia. In the interview, Ruth shares her cross-cultural insights gained from her years working with teachers and students living abroad and offers some strategies for coping with cultural shock, cultural misunderstandings, and negative stereotypes. Those new to the podcast might want to check out an earlier episode with Lenora Chu, which examined cross-cultural differences in the Chinese and American education systems.

Jeremiah and David Have Got No Class Apr 21, 2021

On the show this week, Jeremiah and David dialogue about one of their long-term common missions: educating American study abroad students about the complex culture and politics of China. With the rise of the PRC as an economic power, it has always been vitally important to get American scholars to this country to gain first-hand experience with the language and culture. Yet, It has always been a challenge to establish and maintain study abroad programs in China. For decades there had always been a significant disparity between the number of Chinese students in the US vs. American students in China, but now with rising US-China tensions and the onslaught of Covid-19, the China study abroad student has become somewhat of an endangered species. The pre-Covid number of Chinese students in the US studying for undergraduate and graduate degrees had increased to about 370,000 by 2019. By contrast, the number of American students studying in China, after a brief spike prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, had declined to a mere 11,000 in the 2017-18 school year. Jeremiah and David reminisce about their experience teaching US students in Beijing, discuss the geopolitical importance of fostering a China-savvy cohort of American scholars entering the US workforce, and explore possible strategies and models for building China study programs in the post-Covid world.

Jeremiah on Twitter

David on Twitter

David Moser, A Fearful Asymmetry: Covid-19 and America’s Information Deficit with China

8.7.3

Chinese Funny Business Feb 11, 2021

In today's episode, Jeremiah and David meet up with legendary Canadian TV personality, comedian, and cultural ambassador Mark Rowswell, better known to generations of Chinese audiences as Dashan. On the eve of the annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala, "the most-watched TV show in the world," Mark briefly recounts his experiences on the show, its importance as a cultural mainstay of the traditional New Year's holiday, and the evolution of the program from the early days of Chinese television to the current Internet age. Mark also takes us through the development of comedy in China, from Qing dynasty joke books, the origins and evolution of the verbal humor from xiangsheng or "crosstalk," the rise of sketch comedy, and now, in the 21st century, the growing popularity of tuokouxiu, Chinese stand-up comedy. A recurring theme in the discussion is Chinese humor's struggle to remain funny and relevant in a tightly controlled media environment.

DashanTV Youtube Channel

Dashan on the web

And, as promised, Mark and David's performance at the 1999 CCTV Spring Festival Gala

8.5.7

A Long Walk across an Expanding Beijing Jan 07, 2021

This week, Barbarians at the Gate offers another Beijing-themed podcast. Jeremiah and David talk with writer and long-time Beijing resident Jonathan Chatwin, author of the widely-acclaimed book Long Peace Street. The book is Jonathan's account of a two-day walk along Beijing's Chang'anjie (literally "Long Peace Street"), a trek of 30 kilometers traversing the capital from west to east, representing a "geographical core sample" of Beijing's history, politics, culture, architecture, and urban development. Jonathan walks us (pun intended) through some of the familiar sites of the Chinese capital, unearthing little-known historical details and recounting the ongoing tension between preserving the city's traditional landmarks and constructing a 21st-century urban space. Our discussion also touches on the Chinese government's bold "Jing-Jin-Ji" project to expand Beijing municipality into a megacity of nearly 130 million people.

8.5.5

Beijing Remixed Dec 14, 2020

In this episode, Jeremiah and David talk with Matthew Hu, former Managing Directory of the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center, Co-founder of the Beijing Courtyard Institute, and a longtime activist for the preservation and restoration of historic Beijing architecture and historical landmarks. This episode is definitely for lovers of old Beijing and hutong aficionados, as we take a deep historical dive into the ongoing struggle to maintain and preserve Beijing's historic architecture and cultural sites against the wrecking ball of urban modernization. Matthew covers topics such as the preservationist Liang Sicheng's abandoned vision for the Old City and the city wall, the botched renovation schemes for areas such as Qianmen and Dashilanr, the waves of demolition and evictions in the hutong neighborhoods of Dongcheng and Xicheng, as well as the ongoing municipal project to renovate and revitalize the city's abandoned industrial sites, such as the Shougang Iron and Steel Works, into Olympic venues.

8.5.5

The Destruction of the Yuanmingyuan Oct 26, 2020

Yuanmingyuan, the "Garden of Perfect Brightness," commonly referred to as the Old Summer Palace, was a Qing Dynasty imperial residence comprised of hundreds of buildings, halls, gardens, temples, artificial lakes, and landscapes, covering a land area five times that of the Forbidden City, and eight times the size of Vatican City. This expansive compound, once referred to by Victor Hugo as "one of the wonders of the world," now exists only as a sprawl of scattered ruins on the northern outskirts of Beijing, having been thoroughly burned and looted by French and British over three days in October of 1860, in the aftermath of the Second Opium War.

The razed remnants of the glorious gardens have been left in place by the Chinese government as an outdoor museum of China's "Century of Humiliation" at the hands of the foreign powers. On the 160th anniversary of the destruction of Yuanmingyuan, Jeremiah and David discuss the political and cultural clashes that led to the action, the significance of the incident for China's national self-image, and the government's attempts to repatriate the massive amounts of looted artifacts found scattered among the museums of Europe and the West. The conversation also explores the changing symbolic significance of the ruins in the context of a rejuvenated and economically powerful China.

8.5.2

China's New Youth Oct 01, 2020

In this episode, Jeremiah and David catch up with writer, editor, and journalist Alec Ash, to discuss the new US edition of his 2016 book Wish Lanterns: Young Lives in New China. Alec’s book is an intimate portrait of six diverse members of China’s “post-80s” generation, tracing their lives’ trajectory in the context of China’s turbulent and unpredictable economic modernization process. Orville Schell called the book “…a fascinating mosaic that gives us a wonderfully vivid sense of what it’s like to grow up today in the People’s Republic of China.”

With the themes of the book as a jumping-off point, the topic broadens in historical scope, exploring communalities and contrasts in earlier youth movements such as the May 4th movement, the Tiananmen Square movement, the Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution, and the current resurgence of nationalism among the “post-2000’s” generation. Alec’s articles have appeared in publications such as The Economist, The Guardian, Foreign Policy, and elsewhere. He is Managing Editor of the China Channel at the Los Angeles Review of Books.

Articles mentioned in the podcast:

Peter Hessler, "How China Controlled the Coronavirus: Teaching and Learning in Sichuan during the Pandemic," The New Yorker, August 10, 2020

Geremie R. Barmé, "The Good Caucasian of Sichuan & Kumbaya China," China Heritage, September 1, 2020

8.4.3

Raising Little Soldiers: Education in China, Part II Aug 26, 2020

Following on the previous BATG episode about the Chinese education system, in this installment, Jeremiah and David are pleased to continue this discussion with award-winning journalist and author Lenora Chu. Lenora is the author of Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School and the Global Race to Achieve, a melding of memoir and journalism that brings to light the enormous cultural differences between the Chinese and American education systems. In recounting the sometimes traumatic adjustments of her young son to the academic environment of an elite Shanghai elementary school, Chu explores the complex web of social conditioning and parental cooperation that results in the high-achieving “little soldiers” in the Chinese system and weighs the advantages and disadvantages of the East and West educational models. The conversation also touches on the gaokao, the controversial college entrance exam, the supposed “creativity gap” in the Chinese model, and the similarities in the phenomenon of “helicopter parents” in the two cultures. As a commentator, Chu has appeared on NPR, CBS, BBC, and the CBC, and her articles and op-eds have been published in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Cut, and Business Insider, among others.

8.1.2

Xi Don't Need No Education: Education in China, Part I Jul 31, 2020

In this episode, Jeremiah and David delve into the Chinese education system, focusing on the evolution of China’s universities. Starting with Trump’s recent ill-advised (and quickly rescinded) executive order to cancel the F-1 visas of a substantial number of 370,000 Chinese students studying in the US, the discussion moves to China’s multi-billion-dollar effort to enhance the soft power attraction of its universities by building world-class research institutes and recruiting top foreign academic talent. The Chinese education system is in a state of constant flux. The podcast explores China’s experimentation with new education formats, the ongoing revisions to the gaokao college entrance examination, and the so-called “creativity problem” of the Chinese educational tradition.

8.0.3

Are We Welcome Here, Part II Jul 08, 2020

In this episode Jeremiah and David are pleased to talk with veteran New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner Ian Johnson. Ian is one of our most prolific and wide-ranging China writers, over the last decades amassing a vast catalogue of articles covering Chinese politics, religion, language, history and media. His most recent book, The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao is a fascinating in-depth account of the resurgence of religious activity in the PRC. Ian is one of several veteran Beijing-based journalists who were expelled from China on March 17 of this year, a tit-for-tat response to the Trump administration cancelling the visas for dozens of Chinese journalists working in the US. On the podcast we discuss the challenges faced by China scholars and reporters in continuing to carry out research and reporting in the PRC under the new quasi-Cold War environment. We also catch up with events in Ian’s life, including the arrival of his new-born son, and his future writing projects.

8.0.1

Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai Jun 22, 2020

Champions Day in the city of Shanghai, November 1941. The world was at war but the clubhouse at the Shanghai Race Club (now People's Park) was packed with owners and punters cheering on the pony. The funeral of Shanghai's richest widow, Liza Hardoon, was a spectacle which filled the streets of the International Settlement. Japanese occupiers and their Chinese collaborators came together in a bizarre ritual celebrated the birthday of revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen. The opening of a new movie featuring, of all subjects, Charlie Chan, had folks lining up at the box office of the local cinema. The world had changed but the "Lone Island" of Shanghai persisted, as it had since becoming a treaty port a century earlier.

Historian James Carter's fascinating new book Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai brings to life the vivid tableau of an era coming to an end. By the end of the year, Japanese authorities would take control of Shanghai and the city would never again be the same. What did the end of the colonial era mean for Shanghai and its residents? Why were race tracks such powerful symbols?

Professor Carter joins us as we discuss the history of horse racing, colonialism, and the last days of Old Shanghai.

7.0.3

Mandarin Mayhem, Part II: Dialect and Nationalism in China Jun 02, 2020

Barbarians at the Gate returns to that ever-relevant and contentious topic, language reform in China and the fate of fangyan, the various local speech forms referred to as “dialects.”

Joining us on the podcast is Gina Anne Tam, Assistant Professor in History at Trinity University, and the author of the recent book Dialect and Nationalism in China, 1860-1960. Picking up the threads of the recent podcast “Mandarin Mayhem”, we explore with Gina issues such as the central role of language unification in the task of nation building; the tension between the goal of national unity and preserving China’s rich cultural diversity as manifested in fangyan; the future survival of the many local speech forms in the face of China’s ongoing national Putonghua promotion policy; and even a brief discussion of Chengdu rappers and the sociological implications of Sichuan dialect rap.

7.0.3

Neither boxers nor a rebellion...Discuss! May 18, 2020

Jeremiah and David welcome historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom to the show. Jeff is Chancellor's Professor of History at the UC Irvine, and is not only a prolific academic scholar, but also one of the most sought after China analysts appearing on mainstream news media outlets such as BBC and NPR. His most recent book, Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink, documents the recent political unrest in Hong Kong, putting the movement into historical context. On today’s show, we delve into Jeff’s current project, which is a reevaluation of the Boxer War of 1899-1901. The conversation draws parallels between the xenophobia and anti-foreign sentiment in China during the Boxer incident and thenationalistic and racial divisions between China and the West engendered by the Coronavirus crisis.

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Jeffrey Wasserstrom and Maura Cunningham, China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know

Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn, Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn

Zi Zhongyun, "Viral Alarm" (translated by Geremie R. Barmé)

7.0.1

Politics, Patio Furniture, and China History Pods May 01, 2020

Jeremiah and David catch up with China hand and old friend Laszlo Montgomery, who is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the China History Podcast. Laszlo describes the evolution of the podcast, how he chooses and researches the topics, and his current project on the history of Xinjiang. The trio also retrace the course of the US-China trade relation via Laszlo's first-hand experience with the "Made in China" supply chains, the Chinese manufacturers of the cheap products that have lined the shelves of the big box retailers such as Wal-mart for the past 30 years. The discussion concludes with a diagnosis and prognosis of Covid-19's impact on the US-China relation, some lamenting and gnashing of teeth about the recent deterioration of the bilateral relationship, but also some cause for optimism with the rise of a new generation of dedicated China hands.

6.9.1

Mandarin Mayhem Apr 10, 2020

In this episode, we look at Putonghua, the spoken language most people refer to as Mandarin. David wrote a book in 2016 on the evolution of Putonghua in China and we discuss his research and the recent controversy over the app Douyin penalizing users who post videos in other Chinese languages, especially Cantonese. What's the point of Putonghua? What is a dialect and what is a language in China? And what's the difference between Mandarin in the Qing Dynasty, Guoyu in the Republican Period, and Putonghua in the PRC? We also get an assist from Zhang Yajun, host of the Wo Men Podcast on Radii China, who talks with David about the differences between the spoken language of Northern China, especially around Beijing, and "Standard" Putonghua.

It's not just for Chinese speakers or students as we also tackle some tricky questions of competing national and regional identities in Chinese history.

Recommendations:

Gina Anne Tam, Dialect and Nationalism in China, 1860–1960 (Cambridge University Press, 2020)

David Moser, A Billion Voices: China's Search for a Common Language (Penguin, 2016)

6.9.0

Are we still welcome here? Apr 01, 2020

China has a long history of inviting barbarians in when useful, trying to civilize them, and then kicking them out when those barbarians prove difficult to domesticate.

As US-China relations sink to a new low and both powers seem obsessed with scoring propaganda points in the middle of global pandemic, Jeremiah and David discuss their lives in Beijing and what the future might hold for those folks living, writing, and working in China.

First, David looks back at the 1980s and 1990s, the rise of the foreign celebrity and how access has changed for researchers in the PRC. Jeremiah and David then reflect on their time as teachers here working with international university students studying in Beijing and discuss the closing of the remaining pockets of relative academic freedom that once existed. Finally, as the Chinese government expels foreign journalists and some stores and bars in China literally have closed their doors to foreigners, Jeremiah and David ask: Are we still welcome here?

Ps. We're still getting the hang of taping from two different locations. At about 20 minutes or so, Jeremiah's mic levels jump a few decibels. You may want to turn down the volume at that point. We'll get this right eventually.

6.8.0

The Language and History of Public Health in China Mar 23, 2020

The outbreak of Covid-19 has drawn attention to public health in China and around the world. In the early stages, there was considerable criticism of China's initial handling of the outbreak. This criticism drew an emotional response in China. In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, Jeremiah Jenne and David Moser look at the intimate link in Chinese history between public health, hygiene, and modernity. Note: In the podcast, we mention China's expulsion of Wall Street Journal reporters Josh Chin, Chao Deng, and Philip Wen. Since we taped the podcast, the situation has escalated and last week the government pulled the press cards of all US citizens working as reporters in China for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post. Local employees at those bureaus have also been pressured to leave their jobs. We don’t mention those events here, but we will be discussing the situation on an upcoming podcast.
Here are links to some of the articles, books, and websites mentioned during the podcast:
Walter Russell Mead, China is the Sick Man of Asia, Wall Street Journal (February 3, 2020)
Jeremiah Jenne, Empires of Disease: Why the Coronavirus is an emotional issue for China and the World, Radii China (February 10, 2020)
Ruth Rogaski, Hygienic Modernity: Meanings of Health and Disease in Treaty-Port China (2004) Mao Zedong, “A Study of Physical Education” (New Youth xin qingnian, 1917)
Karl Taro Greenfeld, China Syndrome: The True Story of the 21st Century's First Great Epidemic (2009)
Chinese Propaganda Posters website Poster: "Everybody must take precautions against epidemics" (1952) Poster: "Less births, better births, to develop China vigorously" (1987) 6.8.0

Barbarians at the Gate Podcast: Yaqub Beg and the Provincializing of Western China Aug 03, 2016

Jeremiah and James look at the life and times of Yaqub Beg (1820-1877) and what his legacy means for Beijing's relationship with Western China and Central Asia today.

Barbarians at the Gate Podcast: China’s territorial claims on the rocks in the South China Sea Jul 12, 2016

On Tuesday, an international tribunal at the Hague ruled that China’s attempts to claim almost the entire South China Sea as sovereign territory had no legal basis.

In a special emergency podcast, Jeremiah and James talk about the implications of the decision at the Hague, the reaction here in Beijing, and the use (and abuses) of history in establishing contemporary territorial claims.

Barbarians at the Gate Podcast: Keeping up with the Khitans Jun 30, 2016

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, James and Jeremiah discuss the history of the Khitans, their empire and their legacy with a little help from the Godfather Trilogy and Dragon Barbie from Game of Thrones.

Barbarians at the Gate Podcast: A couple of characters talking about Chinese characters Jun 12, 2016

David Moser (Beijing Capital Normal University, Sinica Podcast) and Brendan O'Kane (Paper Republic, University of Pennsylvania) join Jeremiah to discuss David's new book, A Billion Voices, the history of language reform and national unity in China, the best way to learn Chinese, and the debate over whether it's okay to hate on Chinese characters.

Barbarians at the Gate Podcast: The An Lushan Rebellion May 27, 2016

Our inaugural episode looks at An Lushan: the outsider who charmed his way into the court of the Tang Dynasty in the eighth century and who almost succeeded in bringing down the empire. It’s a story made for imperial slash fic: The aging emperor, his rotund but sexy concubine, and the foreigner who came between them.

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