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China
United States
Artificial Intelligence
Us-China Relations
Taiwan
Iran
National Security
U.s.-China Relations
Tariffs
Semiconductors
NVIDIA
Openai
Huawei
Russia
Ukraine
AI Technology
Deepseek
Trump Administration
AI Research
Xi Jinping

Conversations exploring China, technology, and US-China relations. Guests include a wide range of analysts, policymakers, and academics. Hosted by Jordan Schneider. Check out the newsletter at www.chinatalk.media/

PublishesDailyEpisodes561Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNewsTechnology

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Artwork for ChinaTalk

Latest Episodes

The USS Abraham Lincoln is coming home after a deployment that stretched past 240 days, and the bill is about to come due: mechanical failures, rations down to the emergency stores, 20,000 unfilled billets at sea, and a maintenance backlog funneling ... more

The political economy of AI — things are getting weird, it seems. We have models on the loose, open weights being dropped from the heavenly temple, and data center protests fanning out across the land. There’s a lot of salience in a way that feels re... more

Note: This episode was recorded in late 2024. Luckily, there haven't been any US Civil War updates since then, so the episode's content still holds up. Enjoy!

During paternity leave, the new influx of dad energy compelled me to read close to 15 titl... more

Why is North Korea so weird? Is it Stalinism? Maoism? Japan-style emperor worship? Ancient Korean hermit kingdom energy? No, argues Jonathan Cheng, Beijing bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal and author of The Korean Messiah: The Failed Dynasty ... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Wayne Hsieh
Professor at the Naval Academy and co-author of Savage War
U.S. Naval Academy
Episode: Lessons from the American Civil War
Jeremy Neufeld
Immigration policy researcher at the Institute for Progress and Civil War enthusiast
Institute for Progress
Episode: Lessons from the American Civil War
Jonathan Cheng
Beijing Bureau Chief for The Wall Street Journal; author of Korean Messiah
The Wall Street Journal
Episode: North Korea's Messiah
Fengming Lu
ANU professor and co-author of a paper on China's EV industry
Australian National University
Episode: The Rise of China’s Electric Vehicle Industry
John Chen
Professor at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
Episode: $75k Contest Launch! ChinaTalk Hiring + Evals for the Situation Room
Florian Brand
Research engineer at Prime Intellect
Prime Intellect
Episode: $75k Contest Launch! ChinaTalk Hiring + Evals for the Situation Room
Adam Chan
FCC official discussing national security and regulatory actions
Federal Communications Commission
Episode: The FCC's New Robot Rules
Sebastian Mallaby
Author and policy analyst; guest on the episode discussing AI progress and US–China AI rivalry
Brookings Institution
Episode: Jordan talks AI with Sebastian Mallaby on his show 'The Spillover'
Rory Johnston
Oil Analyst and Founder of Commodity Context
Commodity Context
Episode: The Iran War Oil Shock That Wasn’t...(Yet?)

Host

Jordan Schneider
Host of the show, leads policy and technology discussions with a focus on China and global tech policy

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 715 ratings
  • Great Listen

    Interesting topics and great guests - love the music at the end

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AtulatHK
    Hong Konga month ago
  • Up and down

    The main episodes/interviews are very good. Skip all episodes with Dylan, Doug, and Jon (Transistor Radio), ModelTalk, etc.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Mya5728
    United States3 months ago
  • Are these people Tweens?

    Perfect if you want to hear what sounds like twelve year olds gushing over video games.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    ihatenicknames99
    United States4 months ago
  • Has taken an unfortunate turn

    Cerca 2020, I was entering college and ChinaTalk became very important to me as a model for intellectual discourse, i.e. one that is nuanced, historically grounded, techno-optimistic, and curious. It lacks a lot of the pretension and credential-waving of most policy podcasts, like related shows from Lawfare. Jordan’s sensibility has always been an interesting mix of a Silicon Valley, liberal arts, and the D.C. policy world. I still think it’s a good podcast worth following. The coverage skewed U... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    jarnold palmer
    United States4 months ago
  • Some treasures and some cringe

    Other reviewers are right to complain about the lack of any “China” discussion in recent episodes, and the ear-gougingly unserious/juvenile “bro” attitudes in some episodes, particularly the ones with Dylan of SemiAnalysis and sometimes the Second Breakfast series. Recently, there’s a sort of unabashed US-nationalism that is very disquieting.

    However, I’d encourage those with genuine intellectual curiosity about China to visit some of the episodes from previous years, and to subscribe the Subst... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Drvickery22
    United States5 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Hosts push thoughtful questions and invite expert perspectives.
Engaging guests with timely, multi-disciplinary analysis.
Guests bring deep expertise across AI, energy, and security fields.
Listener feedback highlights strong interviews but variable production quality.
The show blends policy nuance with practical implications, though some episodes drift into AI ubiquity.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#249
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#218
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#231
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#182
Germany/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#224
Italy/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#14
Hong Kong/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

North Korea's Messiah
Q: How did Kim Il-sung's upbringing influence the development of his state ideology?
The guest argues that Kim Il-sung was raised in a Christian environment that deeply shaped his worldview, and this heritage was later fused with nationalist and socialist ideas to create a unique personalist ideology (Kim Il-sungism) that integrated religious ritual with political power.
The Rise of China’s Electric Vehicle Industry
Q: Can you explain the Hefei model and its impact on both rescuing startups and creating overcapacity in the EV sector?
Hefei's approach involved a city-backed equity infusion into startups such as NIO, which provided critical cash to survive difficult periods, followed by public market exits that yielded substantial returns for the local government. This model demonstrated how local governments could act like venture backers, accelerating innovation but also fueling aggressive expansion that contributed to overcapacity. The broader lesson is that well-timed local-state investment can catalyze high-growth outcomes, but without careful consolidation and market discipline, it risks amplifying cyclical busts and waste.
The Rise of China’s Electric Vehicle Industry
Q: What factors most contributed to the birth and growth of China's EV ecosystem in the 2010s, and who deserves credit—entrepreneurs, local governments, or the central government?
The ecosystem grew from a composite of all three pillars: entrepreneurial innovation, active local governments providing incentives and financing, and enabling central‑level policy and capital market access. While the central government set subsidies and policy direction, local governments often supplied capital and market access, and private firms like BYD, Geely, and Chery mobilized resources and tactics (including overseas acquisitions) to scale. The dynamic was highly collaborative, with occasional frictions (e.g., between SOEs and private entrants) but overall a pattern of partial state steering complemented by market-driven execution.
The Chemicals Powering the Chip Industry
Q: Could you explain how a gas becomes pure enough for semiconductor use?
Purification involves multi-step processes including distillation and specialized purification to remove trace impurities, with the next nine (nine nines) purity demanding significant investment and advanced metrology to ensure the gas meets exacting specs.
WarTalk: Jack Murphy of Team House on Donahue + SOF
Q: Let's bring Jack in. Jack, any thoughts on all this?
Jack offers reflections on the balance between traditional command experience and the need for creative, executive leadership skills in senior military roles, suggesting that high-performing SOF leaders often emerge from diverse backgrounds and that leadership requires vision and adaptability beyond strict unit command experience.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About ChinaTalk

What is ChinaTalk about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show features deep dives at the intersection of China, technology, and international policy, with a recurring emphasis on AI governance, national security, and energy markets. Episodes commonly explore how policy, regulation, and geopolitical dynamics shape technology development, from AI evaluation methodologies and safety frameworks to semiconductor supply chains, robotics, and energy resilience. Guests tend to be policymakers, researchers, and industry analysts who bring technical depth and strategic context, often relating global trends to US–China relations and broader security implications. A standout pattern is the blend of rigorous policy discussion with forward-looking scenario analysis, plus a willingness to tackle contentiou... more

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How many subscribers and views does ChinaTalk have?

To see how many followers or subscribers ChinaTalk has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to ChinaTalk?

These podcasts share a similar audience with ChinaTalk:

1. Sinica Podcast
2. ChinaPower
3. Pekingology
4. The Asia Chessboard
5. Ones and Tooze

How many episodes of ChinaTalk are there?

ChinaTalk launched 9 years ago and published 561 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact ChinaTalk?

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What guests have appeared on ChinaTalk?

Recent guests on ChinaTalk include:

1. Wayne Hsieh
2. Jeremy Neufeld
3. Jonathan Cheng
4. Fengming Lu
5. John Chen
6. Florian Brand
7. Adam Chan
8. Sebastian Mallaby

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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