Inkstone
507 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★ - 9 ratingsA daily digest of the top China stories.
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Episodes
School principal sparks debate about becoming housewife
October 29, 2020 10:12 - 4 minutes - 6.28 MBA girls’ school principal said she would never take donations from alumni who become full-time housewives. And furniture salespeople were seen slapping themselves while kneeling during a staff training program.
Distribution may be the hardest step of Covid-19 vaccine journey
October 28, 2020 10:02 - 7 minutes - 10.7 MBThe toughest part of vaccinating the world during the pandemic may not be whether or not the drug works, but how to deliver it globally.
Why Chinese people use ‘surrogate shoppers’ to buy stuff from abroad
October 27, 2020 07:15 - 5 minutes - 6.31 MBDaigou, or “surrogate shoppers” in Chinese, are professional shoppers who buy luxury and everyday goods from abroad for customers in China. But their business is threatened by regulations and travel restrictions.
China races to contain coronavirus outbreak in Xinjiang
October 26, 2020 11:36 - 2 minutes - 3.21 MBThe city found 137 asymptomatic carriers that were linked to a factory via a 17-year-old girl.
US missiles give Taiwan ability to strike Chinese mainland
October 23, 2020 10:26 - 4 minutes - 6.55 MBA $1.8bn package that includes cruise missiles are the first offensive weapons Washington has provided to the island for four decades.
Decoding the censorship apparatus used by WeChat
October 22, 2020 09:01 - 7 minutes - 9.89 MBEven as WeChat, an all-in-one app with over a billion users in mainland China, continues to roll out new features and functions, its restrictions on content sharing have only grown tighter over the past few years.
Rare protest in Beijing puts the spotlight on an industry in trouble
October 21, 2020 10:37 - 3 minutes - 4.23 MBIn a rare public display of anger, hundreds of Chinese parents demonstrated in Beijing on Monday to demand a refund from a private tutoring company they feared would soon go out of business.
This global coronavirus alliance was spurned by the US
October 20, 2020 07:54 - 4 minutes - 6.35 MBCovax is a global alliance aimed at fairly distributing coronavirus vaccines when they become available. China joined the scheme in early October, but Russia and the US have refused to participate.
Welcoming message for Hong Kong refugees adds to China’s tensions with US, Canada
October 19, 2020 11:02 - 3 minutes - 4.12 MBCountries including Canada and the US have pledged to let in Hong Kong pro-democracy activists as political refugees, but Beijing says such policies encourage violent protests.
Chinese Muslims banned from going on individual trips to Mecca
October 16, 2020 10:37 - 4 minutes - 5 MBA new rule in China means Muslims who want to visit Mecca must go on government-approved trips, further tightening rules that had already made individual trips to the haj near-impossible.
What’s the deal between the Vatican and Beijing?
October 15, 2020 10:26 - 4 minutes - 6.47 MBThe Vatican is working with Beijing to try and strike a deal that would mark a significant diplomatic turning point, but some Catholics are not happy.
From China with mystery: how unsolicited seed packages fed conspiracy fears
October 14, 2020 11:10 - 8 minutes - 10.4 MBMysterious seed packages postmarked from China have fueled speculations in America, but experts say they are likely part of a scheme used by merchants to trick the algorithms of shopping websites.
Why stylish pedestrians from China are showing up on your feed
October 13, 2020 10:26 - 3 minutes - 4.92 MBVideos of fashionistas casually walking down China’s shopping districts have renewed interest in Chinese street fashion. Far from spontaneous, they’re the products of e-commerce.
Patriotic movies may have unlocked China’s blockbuster machine
October 09, 2020 09:33 - 6 minutes - 7.24 MBThe highest-grossing film of the year is a Chinese war movie about the second Sino-Japanese war, but the heroes this time are not the Communists.
Why tattoos are still frowned upon in East Asia
October 08, 2020 05:56 - 5 minutes - 6.68 MBYoung people in East Asia have embraced tattoos, but many still see the body art in an unflattering light due to the Confucian value of filial piety and tattoos’ connotation with crime and punishment.
Amid wave of Sinophobia, new US museum tells the Chinese-American story
October 07, 2020 10:36 - 7 minutes - 9.79 MBSet to open in spring, a Washington museum aims to cut through stereotypes and highlight Chinese-American contributions to the very fabric of the United States.
How did China become the factory of the world?
October 06, 2020 03:45 - 5 minutes - 6.57 MBChina became the world’s manufacturing hub thanks to cheap labor and abundant resources. But now that China is becoming more expensive, businesses are looking elsewhere, particularly to Southeast Asia.
Why China’s liberals like Trump
October 05, 2020 08:47 - 9 minutes - 11.1 MBTrump’s appeal to liberal Chinese thinkers in China and the United States is rooted in antagonism and trauma, experts say.
‘A National Day gift’: Chinese internet ridicules Trump’s Covid-19 test result
October 02, 2020 10:52 - 3 minutes - 4.89 MBMany Chinese internet users are reacting to Donald Trump’s positive Covid-19 test result with ridicule and glee.
The hidden engine of Hong Kong’s economy
October 01, 2020 07:48 - 5 minutes - 7.07 MBForeign domestic helpers provide essential services and care to many Hong Kong households, but many have to live in cramped spaces and suffer from discrimination and even abuse.
Presidential debate: Donald Trump blames ‘China plague’ for US economic woes
September 30, 2020 10:23 - 6 minutes - 7.81 MBThe #PresidentialDebate2020 was a controversial affair full of interruptions and name-calling. On China, Trump blamed the country for America’s economic woes
What are Confucius Institutes and why are some closing?
September 29, 2020 08:40 - 5 minutes - 7.22 MBChina says its Confucius Institutes are a “bridge reinforcing friendship” between it and the rest of the world, but these educational outlets are facing increasing scrutiny amid claims they are spreading propaganda, extending Chinese censorship and even conducting espionage.
These scientists hope to find the future of medicine in frozen bodies
September 28, 2020 09:56 - 6 minutes - 8.11 MBCryonics involves freezing a human body with the hope to revive them later. One scientist thinks China is set to lead the world.
From bone marrow to shortcrust: the history of the egg tart
September 25, 2020 09:34 - 8 minutes - 9.87 MBEgg tarts are widely associated with the Portuguese because of their popularity in Macau, but historians think the pastry’s history is British.
China’s trying to promote a national language. Not everyone is pleased
September 24, 2020 03:43 - 4 minutes - 6.7 MBChina’s efforts to promote Mandarin as the national language for 1.4 billion people have met resistance in parts of the country.
Should NBA exit China? Adam Silver passes the ball to US government
September 23, 2020 09:35 - 4 minutes - 5.04 MBThe basketball league’s relationship with China has been increasingly politicized amid its increasing support for social justice movements at home.
How bottled water created China's second-richest man
September 22, 2020 08:26 - 4 minutes - 5.53 MBThe owner of Nongfu Spring recently took his bottled water company public, and in the process became China’s second-richest man.
Presidential election proves a nail-biter for those caught in crossfire of US-China rivalry
September 21, 2020 10:45 - 7 minutes - 8.85 MBThe outcome of November's vote could have a major impact on the lives of many Chinese people living in the US. But few believe a Biden victory will bring things back to the way they were before.
Did China just acknowledge the scale of its Xinjiang camps?
September 18, 2020 10:35 - 4 minutes - 5.14 MBChina claims 1.3 million Xinjiang residents have been given “vocational training” each year. Observers said it could be the first time the authorities “indirectly” confirmed the scale of the internment facilities targeting Uygurs and other ethnic Muslim minorities.
China-India border dispute: Beijing raised combat readiness to the highest level since 1987
September 16, 2020 09:36 - 3 minutes - 4.65 MBThe Chinese military raised their combat readiness to the second-highest possible level last week after an exchange of gunfire with Indian troops on their disputed border, sources told the South China Morning Post.
China Trends: China’s first lesbian custody case, and a parapolice officer detained
September 15, 2020 09:57 - 3 minutes - 4.93 MBChina heard the first child custody lawsuit between a same-sex couple. And the police acquitted a fruit vendor who injured a law enforcer with a knife.
America’s ‘old friend of the Chinese people’ is stepping down
September 14, 2020 10:50 - 4 minutes - 5.86 MBIn a tweet, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo thanked Terry Branstad for serving as ambassador to China since 2017. Beijing said it had not been informed of Branstad departure.
Huawei hopes to find Harmony in a new operating system
September 11, 2020 09:15 - 4 minutes - 5.67 MBHuawei is set to launch Harmony, its new operation system, after being cut off from the Google marketplace.
The downward spiral of Australia-China ties
September 11, 2020 09:13 - 7 minutes - 9.43 MBThe relationship between Canberra and Beijing has worsened over Covid-19, Hong Kong, 5G and the Communist Party’s influences in Australia. The diplomatic spat could undo the strong trade ties between the two major economies.
How China braces its economy for a more hostile world
September 10, 2020 09:51 - 3 minutes - 4.87 MBCoronavirus and worsening US-China relations have pushed Beijing to rethink its assumptions about China’s role in the global economy.
Disney’s Mulan is besieged by critics. The worst may still lie ahead
September 09, 2020 10:09 - 3 minutes - 4.99 MBEarly ticket sales suggest Disney’s remake of Mulan will bomb at the Chinese box office, dealing a further blow to a film that is already mired in controversy over its partnership with officials in China’s Xinjiang region.
Taiwan redesigned its passport so people won’t mistake it with China
September 08, 2020 10:05 - 4 minutes - 6.43 MBTaiwan will issue a new passport to tell the world that the Republic of China is not the People’s Republic of China.
Beijing warns its neighbors not to back America in South China Sea
September 04, 2020 10:24 - 3 minutes - 4.86 MBA senior Chinese diplomat took aim at Washington and its Indo-Pacific partners amid rising tensions in the disputed waters.
What is going on with Kim Jong-un, and is his sister taking charge?
September 03, 2020 03:44 - 7 minutes - 9.21 MBRumors around Kim Jong-un’s health and his sister Kim Yo-jong have attracted global interest. But North Korea experts say most claims are yet to be substantiated.
Who does China want to be the next US president?
September 02, 2020 10:53 - 11 minutes - 14.5 MBChina expects a potential Joe Biden presidency to exercise a more predictable foreign policy strategy, but the goals may not differ much from the current animosity towards Beijing.
Inkstone Explains: What is Asean, the group that (loosely) binds Southeast Asia
September 01, 2020 07:03 - 6 minutes - 8.24 MBA regional organization of ten Southeast Asian countries is courted by great powers, thanks to its robust economic potential and geopolitical importance.
What is Asean, the group that (loosely) binds Southeast Asia
September 01, 2020 07:03 - 6 minutes - 8.24 MBA regional organization of ten Southeast Asian countries is courted by great powers, thanks to its robust economic potential and geopolitical importance.
‘Don’t try to tame me’: Mongols in China protest plan to teach in Chinese
August 31, 2020 12:42 - 5 minutes - 7.34 MBThe Chinese government’s push to expand the use of Mandarin Chinese in Mongolian schools has prompted widespread anger among ethnic Mongols in China.
Rise of authoritarianism and what to do about it: a Q&A with Timothy Snyder
August 28, 2020 11:25 - 10 minutes - 14.8 MBA global turn to authoritarianism is threatening to upset the liberal world order established after WWII. The historian and author Timothy Snyder offers a way to turn the tide.
Game developer’s sexual comments spark gender debate
August 26, 2020 09:43 - 3 minutes - 5.06 MBA trailer for the Chinese game Black Myth: Wukong wowed players with stunning visual effects. Vulgar comments by its maker may turn off a growing legion of female gamers.
This secretive, powerful Chinese group is facing US sanctions
August 26, 2020 09:20 - 7 minutes - 11 MBThe Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps has come under the global spotlight for its role in alleged human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the far western Chinese region.
News or propaganda? Not all media outlets in China are created equal
August 25, 2020 06:42 - 7 minutes - 8.98 MBBeijing’s tight grip on information has created a media landscape that spans from government mouthpieces and news outlets that routinely push the boundaries of news reporting in mainland China.
TikTok’s challenge to Trump will not be easy
August 24, 2020 11:19 - 4 minutes - 5.56 MBTikTok’s decision to challenge an executive order to divest its US operations will be an “uphill battle,” legal experts say.
Xinjiang residents grapple with sweeping coronavirus measures
August 21, 2020 11:16 - 7 minutes - 9.03 MBAuthorities in the far western region of Xinjiang have imposed harsh lockdown measures during a recent Covid-19 outbreak, including forcing healthy residents to take herbal medicines.
What’s behind China’s looming demographic crisis?
August 20, 2020 09:26 - 6 minutes - 8.55 MBThe world’s biggest population will soon begin to shrink because of a rapidly aging populace and dwindling birth rate, resulting in changes that could drastically alter China’s economic future.