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★★★★★

4.8

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19 reviews

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The China Books Podcast is a monthly interview series on all things China and bookish, from ChinaBooksReview.com. Hosted by Alec Ash, 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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Check latest episodes from China Books Podcast podcast

Ep. 37: What China’s Writing with Na Zhong

2026/10/06

Sally Rooney’s Chinese translator and our own “What China’s Reading” columnist talks to us about Chinese tastes in literature and her own debut novella. 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].

Food Writing with Clarissa Wei

2026/09/01

The author of a new book of postpartum recovery recipes tells us what to eat while “sitting the month,” and how Taiwanese food is distinct from Chinese cuisine. 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].

34: Spies in Shanghai with Heather Salter

2026/08/04

The author and historian discusses a dramatic Soviet espionage case in interwar Shanghai that rocked the international community and presaged the Cold War. 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].

China’s Disappearing Countryside, with Colin Flahive

2026/07/07

Over the last quarter century, the countryside of southwest China has been transformed. The author of two memoirs reflects on what is lost, and what is gained. 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].

Murder in Hong Kong with Simon Elegant

2026/06/02

The Hong Kong-born novelist and journalist talks us through his new novel "City on Fire," a whodunnit thriller set against the 2019 protests. 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].

Ancient Chinese Politics with Daniel Bell

2026/05/05

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

2026/04/07

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

2026/03/03

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

2026/02/03

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

2026/01/06

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].

Ep. 27: Sex, Scams and Sorcery with Bruce Rusk and Christopher Rea

2025/12/02

Tales of trickery were popular in the late Ming dynasty. The translators of a new collection explain how they still resonate today. 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].

Ep. 26: Chris Horton on Taiwan’s History and Present

2025/11/04

Colonized by the Dutch, Qing China and Japan, the island of Taiwan has a complicated past and a tense present. We invited the author of a new primer to lay it out for us. 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].

Ep. 25: Timothy Thurston on Tibetan Satire

2025/10/07

Tibetans inside China have found various ways to push back against Beijing and voice their dissatisfaction. A lesser-known form of subtle resistance is the art of “zurza,” or satirical repartee. 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].

Ep. 24: China Conspiracy Theories

2025/09/02

From Covid as a bioweapon to Chinese soldiers infiltrating America, Alexander Boyd discusses the right-wing conspiracy theories that lead our ranking of bestselling China books. 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].

Ep. 23: Mark Kitto on Shanghai in the 2000s

2025/08/05

The author and former media mogul explains why he chose fiction as the best way to capture Shanghai’s go-go years in his new novel. 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].

Podcast reviews

Read China Books Podcast podcast reviews

4.8 out of 5

19 reviews

★☆☆☆☆

Stephan Zweig 2025/09/11

Horrible Left wing bias - despite their denials

The review of Senator Tom Cotton’s book was one of the most condescending, smug and unprofessional book reviews I have ever encountered. Stating that...

★★★★★

Owentastic 2024/04/17

Fab guests and insightful conversations

Wonderful new podcast about all things China

★★★★★

ialec86 2023/10/10

Fantastic pod

Informative and insightful!

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