The Wire China Podcast

The Organization at the Heart of China's Tech Complex

China’s leading science organization does much more than spearhead basic research. It runs universities, advises the government, and incubates leading technology companies in frontier areas such as quantum and AI. In this episode, news editor Andrew Peaple and reporter Savannah Billman discuss her recent overview of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. A crucial engine behind China’s technological rise, CAS is nonetheless an organization little understood.  Read the piece: www.thewirechina.com/2026/06/21/the-long-arm-of-the-chinese-academy-of-sciences/ Subscribe to our free newsletter: www.thewirechina.com/newsletter/  Follow us on social media: x.com/thewirechina bsky.app/profile/thewirechina.bsky.social www.linkedin.com/company/thewirechina www.instagram.com/thewirechina/?hl=en

Whatever Happened to Jupiter?

Jupiter Systems is an American company that makes video screen technology for the U.S. military. In 2024, the government discovered something shocking — it had been sold to a Chinese tech company years earlier. Reporters Noah Berman and Rachel Cheung are back on the podcast to go behind the scenes on their recent investigation into the sale of Jupiter Systems and how the United States government is trying to get it back. Read their story on The Wire China here: https://www.thewirechina.com/2026/06/14/behind-the-screens/ We also feature an excerpt from our forthcoming Q&A with the former head of the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, Alan Estevez. Subscribe to our free newsletter: www.thewirechina.com/newsletter/  Follow us on social media: x.com/thewirechina bsky.app/profile/thewirechina.bsky.social www.linkedin.com/company/thewirechina www.instagram.com/thewirechina/?hl=en

China's AI Pains and Gains

AI is driving layoffs and discontent across the United States. China wants to avoid the same problems — or is it already too late? Reporter Rachel Cheung and editor Tom Mitchell discuss her recent article on how much pain Beijing may allow AI to inflict on Chinese society in exchange for productivity gains. From the unemployed Chinese youths ‘squatting’ in their parents’ homes to the optimistic hustlers using AI agents to get ahead, the technology is already transforming daily life. Plus, a clip from our forthcoming Q&A with Soumaya Keynes and Chad P. Bown on their new book, “How to Win a Trade War." Follow us on social media: x.com/thewirechina bsky.app/profile/thewirechina.bsky.social www.linkedin.com/company/thewirechina www.instagram.com/thewirechina/?hl=en

How the PLA Tried To Get Nvidia's Chips

SALE: We’re offering your first month of The Wire China for just one dollar. More details below! For years, the United States has tried to stop China from getting its most advanced chips out of concern the technology could bolster the People’s Liberation Army’s capabilities. But the web of export controls it has imposed has not stopped the Chinese military from trying to get Nvidia’s products.  John Costello, Director of Strategic Affairs for WireScreen and author of a new report on the acquisition attempts, joins us this episode. We discuss how and why China's military tried to obtain advanced computing technology over a six year period, and the supplier network that has emerged around it. Read more on The Wire China: www.thewirechina.com/2026/06/04/how-the-pla-has-tried-to-get-around-chip-export-controls/ We also feature an excerpt from our forthcoming Q&A with Liz Cannon, formerly at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Start your subscription to The Wire China today! We’re making it easy with your first month for just one dollar. Sign up for our free newsletter below and we’ll send you the discount code to apply at checkout.  Subscribe to our free newsletter: www.thewirechina.com/newsletter/  Follow us on social media: x.com/thewirechina bsky.app/profile/thewirechina.bsky.social www.linkedin.com/company/thewirechina www.instagram.com/thewirechina/?hl=en

When the Chips Are Down, Turn to China?

SALE: We’re offering your first month of The Wire China for just one dollar. More details below! The world is facing a global memory chip shortage, with companies scrambling to buy what they can. The crunch puts desperate U.S. firms in a bind: will they need to start purchasing chips from China? In this episode, reporters Rachel Cheung and Noah Berman discuss the rise  and global allure of China’s homegrown chipmakers. Even though the U.S. government designated two of China’s biggest suppliers as military companies and subjected them to export controls, looming chip shortages mean purchases from China aren’t off the table just yet.  We also feature an extract from our Q&A with author and historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom on the importance of understanding Chinese history.  Start your subscription to The Wire China today! We’re making it easy with your first month for just one dollar. Sign up for our free newsletter below and we’ll send you the discount code to apply at checkout.  Subscribe to our free newsletter: www.thewirechina.com/newsletter/  Follow us on social media: x.com/thewirechina bsky.app/profile/thewirechina.bsky.social www.linkedin.com/company/thewirechina www.instagram.com/thewirechina/?hl=en