Kaiser Kuo
@KaiserKuo
AKA 郭怡廣. Host of the Sinica Podcast, a weekly discussion of current affairs in China. Guitarist of Chunqiu (春秋乐队 Spring & Autumn). Now at @kaiserkuo.bsky.social
1/ A quick word from me — not a promo, but a personal note. If you’ve been listening to Sinica or reading the newsletter and found it valuable, I’d be grateful if you’d consider becoming a paid subscriber. Here’s why 👇
I've had a lot of new (free) subscribers after publishing the Adam Tooze podcast and the follow-up essay. If you value the work I do, please consider helping out. For the next 24 hours, annual subscription will be steeply discounted, from $88 to $66. Hurry!
1/ A quick word from me — not a promo, but a personal note. If you’ve been listening to Sinica or reading the newsletter and found it valuable, I’d be grateful if you’d consider becoming a paid subscriber. Here’s why 👇
“China isn’t just sort of an analytical problem, it is the political problem…. The development of China is the master key, I think, to understanding modernity…. And without it, you just don’t have a hope of grasping what’s going on.” podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sin…
I just can’t believe it! My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park. It’s just such heartbreaking news that I can’t really find the words, there won’t ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother. My thoughts go…
Exciting personal news: I've just signed a book contract with Princeton University Press. My book will be about China's industrial policy, from EVs and batteries to AI and robotics. It's aimed at both general readers and researchers, in the style of my High Capacity newsletter.
My last full day in Shaxi before heading back to Beijing tomorrow. An incredibly productive and memorable month. L-R: Yang Meng (vox), me (gtr), Li Meng (keys), Song Yang (bass), Kou Zhengyu (gtr). Wu Gang (drums) couldn't join, alas!
🧠 CNN gains rare access to a brain research lab in Beijing, where scientists are working to improve brain technology to help patients gain control of their speech and movement. Here's our report. edition.cnn.com/2025/07/20/chi…
About to go on here at the Flower Inn Guest House in Shaxi, Yunnan, where we will debut about 10 new songs and unplugged versions of older material. Great crowd of local folks and some who drove from Kunming and Shangri-la to come see us! Spring & Autumn rides again!
New Foreign Affairs piece by Taylor Fravel: Is China’s Military Ready for War? Looks at recent purges and effect on readiness. foreignaffairs.com/china/chinas-m… via @ForeignAffairs
I just played the Yes song "Turn of the Century" for my Chinese bandmates, who'd never heard it. First I gave them a translation of the lyrics & told them the basic gist — the Pygmalion/Galatea theme, the Impressionist periodization. They were properly moved. What a work of art.
Could this mark a turning point in US industrial policy? The US government will become the largest shareholder in rare earths producer MP Materials through a $400 million direct investment, giving it a 15% stake. More details in this slide: