Inkstone
507 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★ - 9 ratingsA daily digest of the top China stories.
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Episodes
From Belarus to Thailand: Hong Kong’s protest playbook is spreading everywhere
August 19, 2020 10:58 - 6 minutes - 8.67 MBProtest tactics popularized in Hong Kong’s 2019 unrest have shaped a new wave of savvy anti-establishment demonstrations around the world – and a headache for governments.
How to govern China: Chinese provinces and administrative units explained
August 18, 2020 06:38 - 5 minutes - 6.77 MBChina’s vast territory and 1.4 billion population are governed in a hierarchical administrative system, but the division of powers is not always uniform.
Another LGBT festival cancelled in China
August 17, 2020 10:07 - 4 minutes - 5.83 MB‘We love our community, and we are grateful for the experiences we've shared together. No matter what, we will always be proud, and you should be, too,’ organizers say.
Beijing to make laws against food waste following Xi’s call
August 14, 2020 09:32 - 3 minutes - 5.18 MBChina’s top legislative body says it will introduce legislation against food wastage, as the country carries out Xi Jinping’s order to reduce food waste.
What is China’s digital currency?
August 13, 2020 08:13 - 4 minutes - 6.66 MBThe world’s second-largest economy is moving closer to launching a digital currency. It will be the opposite of what bitcoin is like.
This group may be the reason for recent Hong Kong national security law arrests
August 12, 2020 11:24 - 3 minutes - 4.98 MBCalled “I want laam caau,” this crowdfunding group has received over $129,000 from overseas bank accounts, which Hong Kong authorities say may put people at risk of being accused of “collusion with foreign forces” of a new national security law.
Why can the US force TikTok to sell?
August 11, 2020 03:54 - 5 minutes - 7.28 MBThe popular short video app TikTok’s future in the US hinges on a powerful agency called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
Covid-19 vaccines may be ready in early 2021. That’s a start
August 10, 2020 12:02 - 9 minutes - 11.6 MBSix vaccines are in the midst of the final clinical trials, but scientists warn that they are unlikely to be a silver bullet to destroy the coronavirus.
Trump targets TikTok and WeChat in latest salvo against China
August 07, 2020 10:41 - 4 minutes - 5.55 MBUnspecified transactions with Chinese owners of the video and messaging apps are banned after they are ruled to be a threat to America’s national security, foreign policy and economy.
The #MilkTeaAlliance that connects Asian protesters
August 06, 2020 03:46 - 5 minutes - 7.4 MBOriginated in an online trolling campaign, the hashtag #MilkTeaAlliance has prompted political activists from different places to support one another’s democracy movements.
Philippines caught between superpowers in South China Sea
August 05, 2020 10:09 - 4 minutes - 5.06 MBThe United States is staging military exercises in the disputed South China Sea, but its ally the Philippines will not take part. Officially, the decision is aimed at keeping a lid on tensions, but could it indicate a move closer to China?
How did Taiwan transition to democracy?
August 04, 2020 07:11 - 7 minutes - 9.28 MBTaiwan has often been hailed by the United States as a model democracy rooted in Chinese society, created by a transformation they once hoped would take place in mainland China.
Are China’s dams causing droughts in its neighbors?
August 03, 2020 12:00 - 9 minutes - 11.9 MBDueling reports backed by the US and China have sparked debate about whether Chinese dams in the Mekong River put the 60 million people downstream at risk.
Americans' opinion of China hits new lows
July 31, 2020 09:34 - 5 minutes - 6.97 MBMore Americans than ever have a negative view of China, and 77% say they don't trust Xi Jinping to do the right thing, according to the Pew Research Center.
Meet the Chinese company behind the growing moped sharing scene in the US
July 30, 2020 10:03 - 5 minutes - 7.39 MBElectric mopeds are getting popular in the US by way of moped sharing companies. The phenomenon is partly driven by a Chinese moped maker.
Deaths of wives prompt outrage over violence against women
July 29, 2020 10:48 - 4 minutes - 6.15 MBA series of cases involving women reportedly killed by their husbands have sparked outrage over violence against women.
Who are the 92 million Chinese Communist Party members?
July 28, 2020 09:33 - 4 minutes - 5.72 MBThe Chinese Communist Party has more members than the population of Germany. Many have joined the party for better career prospects rather than because of a belief in communism.
Selfies and telescopes as closure of US consulate draws a crowd in China
July 27, 2020 09:19 - 3 minutes - 4.22 MBStaff and vehicles leave the US’ Chengdu facility, closed by China in retaliation for the closure of its Houston consulate, in the latest sign of a decoupling between the two countries.
Timeline: What happened in the US-China consulate dispute
July 24, 2020 09:52 - 4 minutes - 6.24 MBBeijing and Washington are ordering the closure of each other's consulates. Here’s what we know happened in the unprecedented diplomatic dispute.
Defectors from North Korea hit an all-time low
July 23, 2020 03:20 - 3 minutes - 4.17 MBStrict border controls, particularly in China, have made it extremely difficult for North Koreans to defect.
Homicide in Canada cast new doubts on the Chinese group ‘Create Abundance’
July 22, 2020 10:07 - 4 minutes - 6.2 MBThe homicide of a Chinese citizen in Canada rekindled suspicions of a Chinese spiritual group called Create Abundance, a group that had been accused of fraud by Chinese media.
What is Moutai, the spirit of China?
July 21, 2020 04:13 - 5 minutes - 6.3 MBMoutai, China’s most prominent liquor brand, has a special place in the country’s social, political and economic lives.
Can the US and China avoid stumbling into armed conflict?
July 20, 2020 10:12 - 7 minutes - 8.54 MBWhile it is unlikely that either the US or China will launch a premeditated military attack, the spiralling relationship creates the possibility of the two superpowers drifting into a conflict they can't control.
Even a coronavirus vaccine won’t offer an easy way out
July 17, 2020 09:55 - 6 minutes - 7.62 MBThe WHO chief and medical experts agree there is no going back to the “old normal” any time soon, and warn that how people and governments behave is critical to getting things under control.
Why David Beckham’s tattoos look blurry on Chinese television
July 16, 2020 03:12 - 3 minutes - 5.05 MBA Chinese state broadcaster pixelated the large tattoos of the former soccer star David Beckham in a travel documentary. The reasons are political as well as cultural.
Trump moves to punish China over Hong Kong
July 15, 2020 09:05 - 3 minutes - 4.63 MBUS President Donald Trump signed an executive order and a law that would sanction people and banks deemed to have eroded Hong Kong's autonomy.
How Taiwan handles unwanted statues of its former leader
July 14, 2020 07:15 - 4 minutes - 5.57 MBTaiwan’s former leader Chiang Kai-shek is revered by some but hated by others. Since the island became a democracy, hundreds of statues of the authoritarian ruler have been discarded.
Floods hit 34 million people and keep China’s dike watchers up at night
July 13, 2020 10:33 - 3 minutes - 4.12 MBAt least 140 people have been reported dead or missing as storms and deluges ravage parts of China.
We may never find the origin of the coronavirus
July 10, 2020 09:20 - 5 minutes - 7.23 MBThe animals that originally carried the coronavirus may no longer have the virus, and finding “patient zero” will be extremely difficult after all the time that has passed.
Trump is making life really difficult for Chinese students in US
July 08, 2020 09:26 - 8 minutes - 10.5 MBChinese students in America are unnerved by the suspension of foreign work visa programs and a new ban on foreign students at schools with online classes.
How a Chinese short-video app took the world by storm
July 07, 2020 08:51 - 4 minutes - 5.75 MBTikTok is one of the first (and few) Chinese-made apps that gained global success. But its Chinese ownership has been a subject of skepticism amid heightened US-China tensions.
Can Pope Francis and Xi Jinping find common ground?
July 06, 2020 07:43 - 7 minutes - 9.8 MBA provisional deal to grant the Pope more authority in China has not amounted to much impact on the ground, and questions remain about the relationship moving forward.
The passport that allows 3 million Hongkongers to move to the UK
July 06, 2020 07:43 - 4 minutes - 5.85 MBSome young Hongkongers are looking for a way out of the city as a national security law comes into effect. Those holding a colonial-era passport will have a shot at moving to the United Kingdom.
How China tests millions of people for Covid-19
July 02, 2020 08:11 - 5 minutes - 6.9 MBChina’s transformation from a country that could not test its sick citizens to one that can test an entire city’s population for Covid-19 offers a potential framework for other countries that are struggling to manage the coronavirus pandemic.
Thousands protest China’s security law for Hong Kong
July 01, 2020 12:13 - 4 minutes - 5.74 MBHong Kong residents defied a ban and joined street protests against a new national security law that gives Beijing sweeping powers to clamp down on dissent in the city.
Inkstone Explains: India and China’s deadliest border clash in decades
June 30, 2020 07:09 - 5 minutes - 6.16 MBIndian and Chinese soldiers fought with sticks and rocks in their worst clash in decades that has roots in a century-old dispute.
Hongkongers convicted under new security law could be imprisoned for life
June 29, 2020 10:23 - 3 minutes - 4.21 MBBeijing is expected to pass a controversial national security bill for Hong Kong on Tuesday that could carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
China tight-lipped after India border skirmish
June 26, 2020 08:54 - 4 minutes - 5.9 MBThe India-China border conflict was bloody, and has raised concerns about future provocations. But the aftermath of the incident has featured a lack of information coming out of China.
How to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival
June 25, 2020 02:59 - 3 minutes - 3.74 MBThe tragic tale of a poet who died more than 2,000 years ago continues to be remembered every year in China with dragon boat races and a feast.
China confirms arrest of citizen journalist covering coronavirus
June 24, 2020 09:20 - 2 minutes - 3.63 MBZhang Zhan was confirmed to have been arrested in Shanghai for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a charge that is often used to crack down on dissidents.
China Trends: farmers forced out of homes and an ‘old’ girl group show
June 23, 2020 04:33 - 2 minutes - 3.58 MBUrbanization push in eastern China triggers outrage. And an unconventional girl group competition.
The stark reality of China’s wage gap
June 23, 2020 04:33 - 2 minutes - 2.66 MBThe bottom 40% of China’s economy is only making enough money to buy a pair of Air Jordans every month.
What is it like to be gay in China?
June 23, 2020 04:33 - 8 minutes - 10 MBBeing gay in China is an existence full of contradiction. The authorities routinely censor and erase LGBTQ expressions, but some gay communities have flourished and believe same-sex marriage is on the horizon.
How the coronavirus is delivering more rubbish problems in China
June 22, 2020 12:10 - 7 minutes - 8.43 MBConfined to their homes, more Chinese consumers turned to online shopping to get their essentials couriered to their door. This worsened an existing garbage crisis created in part by the explosive growth of China’s delivery economy.
Mongolia is largely spared by the coronavirus. Some credit Genghis Khan
June 22, 2020 12:10 - 4 minutes - 5.27 MBCould the spirit of the founder of the Mongol Empire explain why the country has suffered relatively little during the pandemic? Some Mongolians believe so.
Coronavirus mutations raise vaccine worries
June 22, 2020 12:10 - 4 minutes - 5.35 MBA study suggests that antibodies found in some recovered Covid-19 patients are ineffective against a new strand of the coronavirus.
Why China’s hip-hop stars are staying silent on Black Lives Matter
June 19, 2020 11:03 - 9 minutes - 11.9 MBThe silence on the Black Lives Matter movement among China’s hip-hop community highlights how the genre has been embraced by Chinese yet cut off from its African-American roots.
Here’s what Trump told China’s president behind closed doors, according to John Bolton
June 19, 2020 11:03 - 4 minutes - 6.27 MBA new book by former US national security adviser John Bolton makes controversial allegations about President Donald Trump’s conduct with the leader of America’s top competitor.
China’s leaders in Covid-19 vaccine race use a method shunned in the West
June 19, 2020 11:03 - 8 minutes - 11.3 MBAccounting for half of the world’s potential vaccines making the fastest progress, China is the only country using inactivated viruses – used in the past in vaccines for hepatitis A, influenza and polio.
Why Beijing constantly talks about China’s ‘century of humiliation’
June 18, 2020 07:58 - 5 minutes - 6.89 MBThe Communist Party of China has often invoked a painful chapter of the country’s history under foreign aggression to drum up support for its rule.