9 episodes
How to become a dictator The Telegraph
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- News
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4.8 • 120 Ratings
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Uncle Xi, Chairman of Everything, China’s CEO, Mao 2.0, Winnie the Pooh, Steamed Bun.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has many names, but what do we really know about him? The Telegraph’s award-winning China Correspondent Sophia Yan is going to find out - but this might be her toughest assignment yet. Wish her luck.
Another series from Sophia Yan is available on this feed, Hong Kong Silenced:
Mass arrests. Newspaper raids. Banned protests. Activists fleeing into exile. A curriculum designed to brainwash. The Telegraph’s award-winning China Correspondent Sophia Yan tells the inside story of how life in Hong Kong was turned upside down in just one year.
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Live in a cave
A deep dive into Xi Jinping’s younger years, from being sent to a cave to do manual labour during the Cultural Revolution, to his dark family history. As Xi rises through the party, hints of his manifesto begin to emerge. Meanwhile, The Telegraph’s Sophia Yan begins her journey trying to get back into China.
Get 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: www.telegraph.co.uk/dictator |
Read How to build a democratic dictatorship, by Sophia Yan |
Read more from Sophia Yan: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/s/sk-so/sophia-yan/
Read more of The Telegraph's coverage of China: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/china/|
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. -
Order a crackdown
Xi Jinping is in power, and he immediately kicks off a campaign to clear up corruption in China. But he doesn’t stop there. Soon human rights activists, Uyghurs, and even former allies are disappearing off the streets with no explanation. Meanwhile, The Telegraph’s Sophia Yan wrestles with China’s strict Zero Covid policy while in quarantine.
Archive used in this episode from: CCTV, CGTN, CBS, ABC
Get 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: www.telegraph.co.uk/dictator |
Read How to build a democratic dictatorship, by Sophia Yan |
Read more from Sophia Yan: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/s/sk-so/sophia-yan/
Read more of The Telegraph's coverage of China: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/china/|
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. -
Create a personality cult
A look inside how Xi Jinping permeates every aspect of daily life in China, from the streets to schools to people’s phones. The extraordinary new levels of propaganda and censorship under him mean one thing: he is turning himself into Mao Zedong 2.0. Meanwhile, The Telegraph’s Sophia Yan deals with the increasingly grim reality of reporting in China.
Archive used in this episode from: CCTV, CNN, Sky News, BBC News
Get 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: www.telegraph.co.uk/dictator |
Read How to build a democratic dictatorship, by Sophia Yan |
Read more from Sophia Yan: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/s/sk-so/sophia-yan/ |
Read more of The Telegraph's coverage of China: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/china/ |
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. -
Build a superpower
A look inside how Xi Jinping has turned China into a superpower to rival the US, by growing its military and taking an increasingly aggressive approach to expanding Chinese influence abroad, from Taiwan and the South China Sea to spies in the UK and US. Meanwhile, The Telegraph’s Sophia Yan is forced to make a difficult decision about her future in Beijing.
Get 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: www.telegraph.co.uk/dictator |
Read How to build a democratic dictatorship, by Sophia Yan |
Read more from Sophia Yan: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/s/sk-so/sophia-yan/ |
Read more of The Telegraph's coverage of China: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/china/ |
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. -
What next for China and Xi Jinping?
Spoiler Alert. Make sure you're fully caught up on the series before listening to this bonus episode.
Join the Telegraph's award-winning China correspondent Sophia Yan and senior foreign correspondent Roland Oliphant as they explore how likely a conflict for Taiwan is, what we've learned from the G20 this week and how long Xi Jinping will really last.
We also catch up with Sophia about what life has been like since leaving China.
Get 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: www.telegraph.co.uk/dictator |
Read How to build a democratic dictatorship, by Sophia Yan |
Read more from Sophia Yan: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/s/sk-so/sophia-yan/ |
Read more of The Telegraph's coverage of China: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/china/ |
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. -
Hong Kong Silenced: Add Oil
As Hong Kong is engulfed by the biggest pro-democracy protests in its modern history, hopes rise that people power will win the day and safeguard the city’s unique way of life. But Beijing has other plans.
Get 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/silenced |
Read more from Sophia Yan: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/s/sk-so/sophia-yan/ |
Read more from Nicola Smith: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/n/nf-nj/nicola-smith/ |
Read more of The Telegraph's coverage of Hong Kong: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/hong-kong/ |
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Customer Reviews
Compelling
I can’t wait for the next episode. This very personal, gentle and restrained account has drawn me in to Sophia’s world which resonates all too loudly with my own more limited experience but in a non-alarmist way. I’m just a little terrified for her safety and that of all of China and beyond.
Terrifying but worthy listen
Really enjoying this podcast, a lot of information on Xi Jinping but without being too turgid. Also fascinating to hear the difficulties Sophia has just doing her job.
Fascinating!
Very worth your time