100 episodes
Inside China South China Morning Post
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- News
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3.8 • 52 Ratings
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Want to learn more about China first-hand, from reporters on the ground? In every episode, we take a deep-dive into a specific topic, mixing independent reporting and exclusive interviews to bring you unique insights into an emerging potential superpower. Now, we’re featuring regular updates on the coronavirus pandemic from across the country. Brought to you by the South China Morning Post.
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How China’s middle-class belt-tightening will impact the world
With slower growth in China’s economy, young professionals and middle-class people across the country are tightening their belts and cutting down on spending. But what can the rest of the world expect from diminished demand in the second-biggest economy?
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John Lee’s uphill battle to secure Hong Kong’s future
Two years after taking office as Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee has shifted his focus from enforcing national security to improving the lives of residents and rebuilding the city's economy. But he faces formidable challenges, stemming from geopolitical tensions between China and the West with Hong Kong caught in the middle. Lee discusses all this and more with the Post's managing editor of content, Yonden Lhatoo, in this extended version of Talking Post.
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Anwar Ibrahim on navigating Malaysia through China-US tensions
How does a country deepen its relationship and do business with China without risking retaliation by the US and its allies? How can a nation protect its territorial claims in the South China Sea yet maintain a delicate balancing act with its neighbours with their own views and claims? Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim discusses these issues and more, including his deep anguish over the Israel-Gaza war, in this extended version of Talking Post with Yonden Lhatoo.
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Why the EU, US are concerned about China’s overcapacity
The European Union and the United States claim that China is flooding global markets with cheap goods. China says these assertions are groundless. Post Europe correspondent Finbarr Bermingham breaks down the arguments for and against overcapacity, and looks at whether the EU and China are heading towards a trade war.
Read more about this: https://sc.mp/a1e73f -
Unravelling China and India’s roles in the US fentanyl crisis
The US has been grappling with an opioid crisis for decades, but the problem has been exacerbated by the arrival of fentanyl – a synthetic drug 50 times more potent than heroin. What roles do China and India play in the global illicit fentanyl trade? Post correspondent Khushboo Razdan and independent investigative journalist Ben Westhoff walk us through their reporting.
For more on this: https://sc.mp/8c9626 -
Tourism trouble: post-pandemic hurdles of China travel
Domestic tourism in China is steadily recovering, but what about inbound tourism? Post senior correspondent Ralph Jennings has a look at who is visiting China and who is not and explores the various hurdles foreigners face when travelling to China.
For more on China travel: https://sc.mp/facef8
Customer Reviews
Update + The Huawei Episode
Update: There are times when SCMP reporters get a surprising amount of free reign both in terms of tone and content, but there are also plenty of times when it’s clear that it’s under mainland ownership now, and that HK has changed significantly post return.
The 2024 ‘Two-Sessions’ episode is a good example of fairly strong mainlander, pro-Beijing bias, with limited understanding of Western perspectives (sadly, many mainland Chinese have about as poor an understanding of the West as people in the West do of China; some SCMP journalists are better informed and more experienced with the West than others). That doesn’t mean SCMP content isn’t worth listening to, it often is, but it’s worth knowing what you’re getting.
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Re: The Huawei Episode
This episode took place in three acts:
Act 1: Repeat the name Huawei over and over again, slowly and carefully. Apparently they are really tired of hearing everyone mispronounce it. I get it, but it still felt like a bit much.
Act 2: Give a little bit of background, mostly by way of telling us that it’s complicated and we don’t know why Trump’s administration seems so butthurt about Huawei. People who should know say it could be used for spying, but won’t tell us how. Maybe it’s not true, or maybe it’s because the US likes to spy and doesn’t like it when the tables are turned.
Act 3: Reluctantly and briefly admit that some people say bad things about Huawei (that may be true), but quickly move on and talk about how unfair this all is for for the poor, lovely, and admirable pack of wolves that is Huawei.
The whole thing was, like too much of most Chinese coverage related to Huawei, very one sided. Often SCMP still manages to do good work, but this is a time when Ma’s ownership (or, perhaps, the implications of the new national security law) was showing.
Chinese Propaganda Masquerading as News
Listened to several episodes. I will say this; well produced and well done propaganda. You need to listen closely. The average layman won’t notice it but if you truly listen it’s very clear. The dead giveaway is the constant juxtaposing of China vs USA and the passive aggressive anti-USA positioning. Most news sources just report basic facts. The interviews have a very Chiba slant. It’s nuanced but it is there. Well done propaganda. Kudos.
Why Taiwan is a “life of death” question for China
This was an excellent discussion on several topics, but mainly on U.S.-China relations and each country’s views on Taiwan. As an American, I appreciated hearing the Chinese point of view, as one doesn’t always get the full picture here in the U.S. The Chinese-U.S. relationship is of huge global importance and should not be allowed to descend into vitriol and closed-off dialogues. I’m hopeful that the recent Xi-Biden meeting can be extended in order to further warm relations between our countries. My hope is that wisdom can prevail in China that its collective intelligence and - hopefully - patience allows Taiwan to eventually rejoin an integrated China, but only if that can be achieved peacefully and with the support of the majority of the Taiwanese themselves. Force should not be used under any circumstances; not by China, and not by the U.S.