Chinese Whispers

By: The Spectator
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  • Summary

  • A fortnightly podcast from the Spectator on the latest in Chinese politics, society, and more. From Huawei to Hong Kong, Cindy Yu talks to experts, journalists, and long time China-watchers on what you need to know about China.
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Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
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Episodes
  • A compilation of Chinese Whispers: Understanding China

    A compilation of Chinese Whispers: Understanding China
    May 5 2025
    As Chinese Whispers comes to an end, here is a compilation of some of the best discussions Cindy Yu has had across the podcast to understand modern China and President Xi.

    On this episode you can hear from: journalist Bill Hayton on what it means to be Chinese (1:10); writer and actor Mark Kitto and author Alex Ash on being foreign in China (13:07; professor of international history Elizabeth Ingleson on whether China’s economic boom was made in America (23:08); professor of Chinese studies and former diplomat Kerry Brown and professor of history Steve Tsang on how the cultural revolution shaped China’s leaders today (47:05); journalist Bill Bishop and professor of political science Victor Shih on how Xi took complete control at the 20th party congress in 2022 (58:13); journalist and advisor Noah Barkin on the relationship between Europe and China (1:10:04); and, professor of China studies William Kirby and former diplomat Charles Parton on why China won’t invade Taiwan (1:19:56).

    To stay abreast of Cindy’s latest work, subscribe to her free Substack at chinesewhispers.substack.com

    Produced by Cindy You and Patrick Gibbons.
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    1 hr and 38 mins
  • What does it take to be 'an old friend of the Chinese people'?

    What does it take to be 'an old friend of the Chinese people'?
    Apr 7 2025
    ** Chinese Whispers is coming to an end. Later this year, Cindy Yu will be joining The Times and The Sunday Times to write a regular column on China. To stay abreast of her latest work, subscribe to her free Substack at chinesewhispers.substack.com **

    The term ‘old friend of the Chinese people’ might seem a colloquial, almost sentimental, phrase to appear in official diplomatic language, but in the Chinese context, those words have a very specific meaning. Most often, they refer to high profile foreigners whose actions have helped the Chinese Communist Party in one way or another. The most famous of these is Henry Kissinger, who led the way for American rapprochement with China.

    That the CCP gives various foreigners this honour is revealing of China’s priorities over the decades, but also of its attempts to co-opt foreign forces to its cause. Think back to the United Front strategy, which we looked at on the podcast earlier in the year.

    To discuss this honorific, I’m joined Professor Anne-Marie Brady, a China expert at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, who was among the first to look at China’s old friends as a serious political concept some 20 years ago, and Ryan Ho Kilpatrick, a journalist based in Hong Kong.
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    38 mins
  • From Chimerica to Cold War II: how US-China relations soured

    From Chimerica to Cold War II: how US-China relations soured
    Mar 24 2025
    ** Chinese Whispers is coming to an end. Later this year, Cindy Yu will be joining The Times and The Sunday Times to write a regular column on China. To stay abreast of her latest work, subscribe to her free Substack at chinesewhispers.substack.com **

    It’s easy to forget that, as recently as the start of this century, the US was China’s biggest ally. Washington saw Beijing as a necessary bulwark against Moscow, and consistently supported China’s entry into the world economy ever since rapprochement in the 1970s, including its accession to the World Trade Organisation.

    These days, the relationship couldn’t be more different. Why have relations cooled quite so fast? When was the turning point? And can we now say that rapprochement was a strategic mistake from the US?

    Bob Davis is a former senior editor at the Wall Street Journal, who was posted to China between 2011 and 2014. In recent years, he has been conducting a long running series of interviews - with dozens of high level officials over successive American administrations - for the online magazine, The Wire China. He has interviewed defense secretaries, ambassadors, national security advisors, treasury secretaries and more. Now, these interviews have been collated into a new e-book released by The Wire China: Broken Engagement.

    Through these interviews, we can see the changing direction of US-China relations through the eyes and words of those at the very heart of America’s decisions. Bob joins this episode to tell us all about it.
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    37 mins
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How ‘common prosperity’ is important for China’s future

Listening to Scott Rozelle discuss the transformation of 90% of China's rural low-income population into middle-class consumers provided me with valuable insights into the motivations behind the 'common prosperity' agenda. Despite political complexities, the potential impact on countless lives is evident. This candid conversation between Cindy and Scott offers a refreshing departure from shallow demonization, presenting a nuanced understanding of developments in China. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of what is happening in China.

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Informative fun and warm hearted

I initially found the podcast on the Apple App where I listened this and half dozen other episodes. They offer rich information about today’s China and the world around it, through the interviews of long time “China watchers” who provide not just expertise but also a mixture of perspectives, all nicely produced and fun to listen to. Thank you!

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