Cindy Yu is an assistant editor of The Spectator and presenter of our Chinese Whispers podcast. She was brought up in Nanjing. She tweets at @CindyXiaodanYu
32 min listen
Until a few years ago, Hollywood dominated Chinese cinemas. In the People’s Republic, Marvel’s superhero romps were the people’s favourite, with Avengers: Endgame taking in over £510 million at Chinese box offices. Hollywood is desperate to crack the Chinese market – after all, it’s a country with a fifth of the world’s population and a
9 min listen
Tory party divisions over the small boats policy are starting to appear. Although the bill sailed through its second reading in parliament, now Rishi Sunak is facing amendments to the legislation. Where are the dividing lines? Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and James Heale.
52 min listen
As Xi Jinping visits Vladimir Putin in Russia this week, this episode of Chinese Whispers is returning to one of the missions of this podcast series – to look at things as the Chinese see them. My guest today is Zhou Bo, a retired Senior Colonel of the People’s Liberation Army whose military service started
15 min listen
This week: Cindy Yu discusses Britain’s invisible East Asians (00:51), Leah McLaren discloses the truth about single motherhood (06:02), and Hannah Tomes reads her notes on dining alone (12:08). Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.
16 min listen
Today Rishi Sunak’s diplomacy is taking centre stage. He is currently in San Diego for talks with President Biden and the government has just released its refreshed Integrated Review, which includes strengthened language on China, the Russia-Ukraine war and science and tech. Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and Sophia Gaston, head of foreign policy
10 min listen
Two stories dominated the news agenda over the weekend, one concerning a household name and the other involving a bank which – before Sunday – few had heard of. What is the political significance of Gary Lineker’s row with the BBC? And after the fall of Silicon Valley Bank, are we heading for a regional
10 min listen
Rishi Sunak was in Paris today meeting with President Emmanuel Macron. The pair unveiled a new deal to stop the Channel crossings as part of the first Franco-British summit for five years. Will the new measures work? Cindy Yu speaks to Fraser Nelson and Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform.
17 min listen
The shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson is giving a speech to centre-right think tank Onward today, all about childcare. But is the party actually saying anything new on the issue? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and the FT‘s Stephen Bush. Produced by Cindy Yu.
12 min listen
It’s been reported that more damaging messages sent by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case during the pandemic will surface in the Daily Telegraph’s Lockdown Files, leading to speculation over whether he will still be in position by the time of the King’s coronation. Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Heale about whether the Cabinet
47 min listen
The Chinese Communist Party likes to blame its domestic political problems on foreign interference, and it has done so since the days of Chairman Mao. But sometimes, does this paranoia, this narrative, have a point? Or at least during the depths of the Cold War, when the United States, via the CIA, was countering communism
13 min listen
Tomorrow the government is set to deliver its plan the tackle small boats, legislation Rishi Sunak has been promising since before Christmas. Is Rishi about to get tough on immigration? Also on the podcast, what is the latest in the Sue Gray scandal? Will this – alongside continuing questions over Simon Case – start a
14 min listen
Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson about Sue Gray’s new role as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff and what happened on the Tory MP’s away day in Windsor.
10 min listen
A poll of the SNP membership puts Kate Forbes as the frontrunner. Despite becoming embroiled in a row over her religious views, Forbes enjoys the support of 28 per cent of members, compared to Humza Yousaf’s 20 per cent. Could she win the contest? Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and James Heale.
10 min listen
Keir Starmer has set out Labour’s five missions for government in a speech today, but was there anything Labour about them? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman about where this speech leaves the Labour party’s chances to win the next election. Also on the podcast: the government’s plan to cut the asylum
14 min listen
Today was meant to be the day that Rishi Sunak presented his Northern Ireland Protocol plans to parliament, instead he told the cabinet that intensive negotiations continue with the EU. Is he doomed to repeat Theresa May’s Brexit mistakes? Will he need the backing of the DUP for any agreement? Also on the podcast, as
35 min listen
Every protest needs an anthem, and for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, ‘Nothing to My Name’ by Cui Jian became that emblem. Cui was one of China’s earliest rockers, taking inspiration from the peasant music of China’s northwest and fusing it with the rock ‘n’ roll that was beginning to arrive in the country. It
12 min listen
Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for defence has launched a security review in the wake of Chinese spy balloons entering Western airspace. This accelerated a row over defence spending ahead of the Spring Budget. How far is the government willing to go under pressure over the Ukraine war and now an intensified Chinese threat?
36 min listen
This week has seen the return of Liz Truss, firstly with her op-ed in the Telegraph and then her Spectator TV exclusive interview. Has enough time passed to revise our opinion of her pro-growth agenda? Or will her legacy forever be one of failure? Cindy Yu speaks to Fraser Nelson and Kate Andrews.
42 min listen
A few months ago, an intriguing article in the Washington Post shed light on the latest situation Xinjiang, the western region of China where the Uighur minority live. The two journalists, Eva Dou and Cate Cadell, saw on their travels around the region last summer that many of the infamous re-education camps had been shut down, or turned into
13 min listen
A new poll today shows that more than half of voters think that Rishi Sunak has handled the economy badly, and that a third of voters think Boris Johnson was a better prime minister. This comes as Sunak marks his first 100 days in office. But did the PM ever have a political honeymoon to
