Have so appreciated this podcast and the range of perspectives and issues it covers. Kaiser is a thoughtful, warm host, and seems to draw out the best of his guests. He navigates the complexities of modern China and its place in the world with nuance, without falling into the trap of binaristic moralizing that dominates mainstream discourse. Thankful for his and these voices.

Pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this podcast. While the host certainly has unique insight to the topics, he’s also a gracious host to provide a platform for a wide range of guests. Definitely recommend if you are tired of the “conventional wisdom” about China.

The recent episode with Benno Weiner on China’s minzu policy was shocking. I have been a listener for many years, and I greatly appreciated Kaiser’s ability to speak from different perspectives, even when I disagreed. This episode changed that. I was horrified by how Kaiser defended the suppression of minority cultures and languages with half-baked whataboutisms and straw man arguments. I am glad that Benno eloquently rebutted these points, not that this is difficult. It was just embarrassing. It made me seriously wonder what has happened—this is deeply strange and far beneath the level of discussion I had grown to love. I won’t be listening anymore.

Great podcast and a host!

Long time listener, Kaiser is a brilliant man and an excellent host. He is always well prepared for every interview and asks very thoughtful questions. He interrupts guests less than he used to, which is great. I would give the show five stars, however there was a time when the intro of the show was “we cover China with neither fear nor favor.” It feels to me in recent months Kaiser and the guests he invites on are rarely critical of China (besides Mr. Hessler). Kaiser is constantly going on about how we need to have more “cognitive empathy” for the Chinese people and government. He seldom brings on guests and discusses with them how they could potentially have more “cognitive empathy” for the west.

Great material but the hosts need to steer clear of partisan politics to avoid diluted analysis.

Depth, breadth, insight, earnest and honest intensity. THANKS and as Don Francisco says “Que Sigue!”

I would like to give both Kaiser and Adam benefit of the doubt, and say they are calling a spade a spade. However, their discussion puts 100% blame on US for the current state of U.S. - China relations. An alien listening to this Podcast without any prior knowledge would go home thinking US is the big bad bully and China is an innocent child worthy of the World’s protection.

Sinica has been part of my life for the last decade. It has educated me on the complexity of Chinese history, culture and society that informed my time living in Beijing and since back in Africa. Kaiser Kuo’s passion for building bridges between China and US is so valuable in our world of diminishing trust, nuance and common humanity. May the show and the power of dialogue and conversation continue to grow.

I love the perspectives on this show - it manages to stay accessible while still going really deep beyond media headlines. The experts really know what they’re talking about and provide much needed nuance.

By far the best current events China podcast for English speaking audiences.

I’ve been listening to Sinica for several years, mostly while taking long walks in my neighborhood. Kaiser Kuo makes the time sail by with thought-provoking discussions and interviews with a wide variety of guests who are true experts on China and U.S.-China relations. He approaches China “without fear or favor”, as he said in his intros. This podcast will enhance the understanding of the Middle Kingdom for anyone who takes the time to listen weekly.

Nice podcast that provide some much needed non-American centric views with regards to foreign affairs, if not all that in depth. However, the host could use some training in interviewing and speaking. Too much mumbling and rambling with a proclivity to cut off the guests at random that disrupts the flow of the main argument and goes in some trivia weeds, while always raise his voice to override others’ interjections. Would be much better if he takes into consider that these are not merely lively conversations between him and the guests, but also shows to be listened to an audience.

Hong Kong S.A.R. China one country 2 system and it’s engagement in East West tussle, rather than where East meets West. The November elections and the anticipated escalating of anti China rhetoric.

Have been listening to you guys since I first moved to China over a decade ago and thrilled to see you’re keeping it going now. Best China podcast there ever was. Thanks for the education. All the best.

Great news to hear about your return after what was feared to be a permanent hiatus. As someone who’s lived in Chengdu since 2010, you’ve been an invaluable resource to help me build a clearer picture of the society in which I live. I’m feeling relieved. Thanks!

Long time listener of Sinica / SupChina…Kaiser and Jeremy are my jam and are beloved by Zhongguo tongs and heady expats who respect their incredibly knowledgeable and thought provoking perspectives on China. Of all my years listening, the episode with Robert Daly was one of Kaiser’s finest yet. Keep up the great work Sinica team and I hope to come to a live event soon!

This show doesn’t try to give a critical, even-handed view of events. Very pro China. I remember he had a guest on that write a critical report(“US Taiwan relations in new era”)of the us foreign policy(nothing wrong that). He asked the guest to give their overall view of who was at fault for tensions. Before letting the guest speak he prompted him to discuss America’s faults and not china’s. It was not enough for the host to bring on a critical voice(again nothing wrong that), he had to make absolutely sure the guest gave the pro china answer he wanted to hear! This bias accounts for the rating. It would a good show if the host tried to bring balanced takes but he doesn’t.

Love this podcast. It has a unique feel due to they way Kaiser segments his work. We get to hear from compelling guests who are experts and Kaiser is always on top of the subject and is able to ask great questions which allow listeners to glean even more insight to matters. Highly recommend for China news

They still offer the best mix of the social scientific, the high cultural, and the humanistic when it comes to China podcasts.

The recent Sinica podcast episode on Xiong’an, China’s designer city, fascinated me. Although China probably won’t produce the flying cars we had all hoped for after watching the The Jetsons, a TV show beloved by Boomer kids, maybe China can build a low pollution, high tech city where traffic jams are unknown and everything works. Of course, it will also be a high-surveillance city. Will this project come to fruition? Will people want to live there? Will Western democracies want to copy some of the Chinese urban planning successes? Will the Star Fleet academy be located in Xiong’an? Lots to think about here.

As someonecwho has specialized in East Asia and lived in China, this is one of my favorite podcasts for considered and intelligent conversation on relevant matters to China and the surrounding region. Sincerely recommend for anyone sho wants to better understand the what and why of events and flows in and around the PRC.

Enjoyed most of the guests on the show with few exceptions - the few with extreme views who, IMHO, doesn’t fit the show’s mantra that promotes nuanced discussions on China. Those who stands out are current U.S. or Chinese government officials and hacks such as Kishore Mahbubani. With these guests biased view towards U.S. or China, and for their selfish reasons, they contribute little to the mostly interesting academic style discussions on this show.

The Sinica Podcast is always great—highly informative and even-sided. Right now, it’s presenting “Strangers in China”—highly riveting!

Thoughtful; in depth; knowledgeable …extremely important. Everyone should follow this and make use of it to try to understand our relationship with China and China’s relationship with us. A must listen.

I really appreciate the discussions by knowledgable guests that don’t feel compelled to drop sound bites for ratings or votes. Great job Kaiser.

Just discovered. Great job with Evan.

A must-listen de-brief on Pelosi’s visit. Kaiser and Jeremy give a balanced view of Taiwan’s latest international crisis from the US, Taiwan, and CCP points of view. One insight regarding the CC Party is that over recent years the internationalists are gone or were not promoted. So, there are fewer constrained people to balance out the hot-blooded wolf warriors.

Must listen for people interested in understanding China deeply. If you just listen to the mainstream american political discourse about China, you have no idea how much you are missing.

Not much fluff, a lot of substance and the host is consistently on point.

Host is brilliant and has a wonderful rich voice Excellent guests and I’m a metal head myself

Kaiser Guo, more like SIMP Guo. What happened to this guy? What is it with these neo-liberal think tankish podcast and organizations like the National Committee on US China Relations in their constant assumption China will do the right thing and come together with the global community? Besides that, this show is good. My favorite are the Rana Mitter episodes.

This podcast is balanced and intelligent. Kaiser does an excellent job hosting it. If you are a china-hugger or a china-slugger, you probably won't like it. If you are looking for deeper sophisticated analysis, this is the place.

As our two societies continue to tussle, there’s never been a better time to get more informed about China. Sinica’s coverage is committed to China watching “without fear or favor” and features a deep list of knowledgeable guests each week. Having been China-involved for a number of years and now not being able to visit China on business trips, Sinica’s (indeed SupChina’s) content really helps me to keep current with primary source information. I hope also that Sinica/SupChina can grow into a more prominent position in media America, such that Americans can become better informed about the enormous, fascinating topic of China! **pro-tip - don’t be afraid to read up on a guest’s most recent or pertinent paper when Kaiser prompts you to do so.

I’m new to learning about China and this podcast has been key for me. It is informative without being didactic, represents many angles and makes me smarter without first making me feel stupid. It’s provided me with suggested reading and other sources that are enriching my quest to become more “Sinoliterate”. Thank you for for evident careful thought that goes into these hours.

At last, a deeply informed, nuanced, subtle and sophisticated look at China. An outstanding show that is constantly surprising: it forces us to think about China—and the world—in new ways. It reveals China’s complexities and contradictions in unexpected ways.

Absolutely excellent podcast providing exceptional detail on the Taiwan/Mainland economic and political relationship as well as amazing info on the peculiarities of Taiwan and Foxconn. Full of humorous moments which make it even better. Brilliant stuff by both speakers.

This is the Granddad of English-language podcasts, and still essential.

Kaiser should just stop interviewing people and solo every episode lol — dude is as insightful and knowledgeable as they come. All jokes aside, great podcast for anyone interesting in *actually* understanding something about China.

This is a show with well balanced view on China. One that is very rare these days, but much needed in the current debate of this very complicated topic.

Gave a listen as it was recommended by a friend.

In light of “discovering” thousands of children’s remnants in the Catholic schools, one can’t help but draw conclusion to the origin of lies concerning forced labor and genocide in XinJiang.

Thank you for this wonderful podcast. Can’t wait to see this documentary and to see some concerts in Beijing

This one varies week to week. Some are worth it, others are easy to delete. Usually Kaiser’s solo interviews are not worth it. Jeremy adds something different since Kaiser has clear and obvious jaded views that he does not hide. Much better when it’s a multi-party discussion.

I listened to the 2nd most recent episode today and the host sounds muffled or far away and the music is dubbed too loud to hear clearly. It can be very difficult to make out what they’re saying.

The guests are always well informed and present really interesting & nuanced perspectives. Very insightful. BUT the hosts are obnoxious. Both repeatedly interrupt and/or talk over guest. If you want to do the talking, perhaps don’t do interviews. Also, the intro music is too loud. It’s not pleasant at all.

I love this podcast. Anyone who is interested in foreign policy / China / geopolitics needs to listen! Really smart hosts / guests who understand China talking about important issues!

Kaiser Kuo is an apologist for the Communist Party for the following reasons. Firstly, he tends to promote a theme that we should have empathy for the Chinese people based on their brutal history of imperialism and self inflicted wounds, which I think many people can agree with at first glance, even myself. However, implicit in this claim is if you advocate human rights for the Chinese people, regardless of your political orientation, you do not have empathy for them and are engaging in cultural imperialism. On the contrary, promoting democratization and human rights for China is a fundamental aspect of having empathy for the Chinese people, especially because it’s what most of them want. According a survey conducted by prominent sinologists called ‘How East Asians View Democracy’, 72.3 percent of the Chinese public polled said they believed that democracy is "desirable for our country now," and 67 percent said that democracy is "suitable for our country now.” And, even for those Chinese who oppose democratization, it would be ridiculous not to attempt to persuade them otherwise because it would improve their quality of life, especially in regards to labor rights. In regards to “cultural imperialism”, it’s not like McDonalds and Cocacola warships parked off the coast of Canton and started another Opium War. It was Deng Xiaoping et. al.’s decision to open up China and expose their population to new ideas the developed world had to offer. It is apologetic to ignore the aforementioned points because it legitimizes the horrible things the Communist Party does against the better interests of their populace. Secondly, on his associated Facebook page, he routinely allows the political views of many indoctrinated mainland Chinese and their sympathizers to take precedence over anyone who promotes human rights. It’s ok with him if a mainland Chinese person advocates that the South China Sea belongs to China. However, those who argue for democratization and human rights are barraged with condescending remarks about not having empathy and engaging in cultural imperialism. They are often not given space to fully argue their point and are gaslighted and cursed at. Thirdly, in direct conversations with Kaiser, he has claimed that well documented human rights abuses happening in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, and on the mainland are hyperbole in western media, along with how China is constantly threatening Taiwan with military invasion. He has also mentioned that the Communist Party’s degradation of Hong Kong’s One Country, Two Systems policy does not matter to him. This perspective is bewildering considering it’s nearly impossible to get accurate news about these topics in mainland China, with outside sources being the only option. How someone could not care about Hong Kong being absorbed into the mainland is unsettling. Finally, underlying every one of the aforementioned points is a degree of racism towards those who are non Han-Chinese and especially white. Used within the context of Kaiser et. al., the term “cultural imperialism” implies an action that only white westerners do under the guise of democratization. Apparently, the multiple times China imperialized its neighbors throughout history, the tributary system, the annexation of periphery regions, threatening Taiwan with invasion, building islands in the South China Sea, and concentration camps in Xinjiang do not count. The concept that a white person may have a compelling argument for why China should democratize and have human rights does not seem conceivable them. Kaiser has never experienced China as someone who is not ethnically Chinese, so he has never felt the the full burden of institutional racism taking place against non Han-Chinese under the regime, thus limiting his perspective. In conclusion, Kaiser should realize that promoting human rights for China is a fundamental aspect of having empathy for the Chinese people and to ignore this is being apologetic for the CCP. He should realize that the company he keeps is a reflection of who he is and, so far, it’s not good company if human rights is what he truly values. He should also develop his media literacy skills. I hope his racism will end. I say this as someone who worked and lived in developing mainland China for almost ten years, has Chinese family, is literate in the Chinese language, is well educated in the social sciences, is a secular anti-imperialist democratic socialist, and identify in part as Chinese.

This is an excellent, highly informative, balanced, and very entertaining podcast on contemporary China. Absolutely worth listening to for anybody interested in contemporary Chinese society, politics, economics, and foreign affairs.

the first episode of Mary Kay Magistad's brand new podcast, On China's New Silk Road, is disappointing. Mary Kay resorted to the tired cliches and politically correct narratives such as “china debt traps”, “one million” Uyghur, with no back up data and evidence. She quoted exclusively people who support her narratives. Very disappointed