The Legalists and Confucians still run the show in today’s China, argues a scholar of classical Chinese thought — but the Mohists and Daoists still have a voice in the debate. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations and The Wire China. For any queries or comments, please write to [email protected].
Confucius and Women, with Erin Cline
07/04/2026 | 37 mins.
Misogyny and patriarchy are a later misreading of The Analects, argues the author of a new translation of the Confucian classic. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations and The Wire China. For any queries or comments, please write to [email protected].
Chinese Comedy with Jesse Appell
03/03/2026 | 46 mins.
The bilingual comedian talks us through the traditional “xiangsheng” form of Chinese comic repartee, and explains whether Beijing can take a joke. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations and The Wire China. For any queries or comments, please write to [email protected].
Islamic China with Rian Thum
03/02/2026 | 37 mins.
Islam has been part of China’s religious and cultural fabric for over a millennium, yet often it is seen as a foreign element. The author of a new study explains just how wrong that is. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations and The Wire China. For any queries or comments, please write to [email protected].
Chinese Horror with Xueting C. Ni
06/01/2026 | 30 mins.
Horror writing has an unsavory reputation in China, but comes with a long history and is full of biting social commentary. The translator of a recent collection explains what lurks beneath. The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations and The Wire China. For any queries or comments, please write to [email protected].
The China Books Podcast is a monthly interview series on all things China and bookish, from ChinaBooksReview.com. Hosted by Alec Ash or Alexander Boyd, we talk to authors about their recent works on or from China and the Sinophone world, from politics and history to fiction and culture. Subscribe to stay in the loop, and drop us a rating if you enjoyed it! China Books Review is a project of Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations and The Wire China.
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