Is the Narrative on China Shifting?

Sinica's Kaiser Kuo on how we talk about China, and much more

Kaiser Kuo, host of the long-running Sinica podcast, joins us in Zurich to discuss the evolving narrative on China, and why the West is so often 'stunned' by Chinese breakthroughs in electric vehicles, green technology, or, most recently: AI, with DeepSeek.
We explore the reasons behind the challenges of reporting on China, the importance of strategic empathy, and the shifting dynamics of global influence, particularly in relation to American exceptionalism.

Recommendations mentioned at the end of the episode:

Chartbook, by Adam Tooze
Pekingnology and The East is Read, by Zichen Wang
Interconnected, by Kevin Xu
Baiguan, by Robert Wu
Chinese Cooking Demystified
Playground, by Richard Powers
Dal recipe

GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE

Kaiser Kuo is the host of the Sinica podcast, a weekly discussion of current affairs in China that has run since 2010. He was Head of Podcasts and Editor-at-Large for The China Project, and previously served as Director of International Communications for Baidu. In his over 20 years in China, his career ran the gamut from rock music to tech journalism to corporate communications. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and holds an M.A. from the University of Arizona. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

STATE OF ASIA podcast

Season 8, Episode 5 – published February 4, 2025

Hosts: Nico Luchsinger and Remko Tanis, Asia Society Switzerland

Editor: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Find previous and future episodes here, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or search for 'State of Asia' in any other podcast app. We're also on YouTube.

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