Lurking silently behind practically every story on Chinese economic growth over the last thirty years has been the country's unprecedented shift from being an overwhelmingly rural society to what is now a largely urban one, with almost 700 million urban residents now outnumbering their rural counterparts.

Joining Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn to talk about the biggest migration in human history is Tom Miller, analyst at GK Dragonomics and author of the newly-published China's Urban Billion. If you find this topic as fascinating as we do, join us for an in-depth discussion of why China has reluctantly embraced urbanization, and how the resulting pressures are forcing changes in China's hukou system, land-usage rights, and ask with us whether these changes are pushing cities like Beijing into a new kind of urban dystopia.

ANNOUNCEMENT: This week let us mention as well that we're trying something new next week: a call-in show featuring Kaiser, Jeremy and Gady Epstein from the Economist. Also in the show will be whatever questions and comments you'd like to throw their way. So if you've got any thoughts you'd like to throw into the fray, record yourself asking the question and send it in to us at sinica@popupchinese.com. We'll cover as many submissions as we can. Details on our Facebook page.

On a separate note, we usually take a minute before each show to remind you that it is possible to subscribe to Sinica by RSS, as well as share a link you can use to download this show as a standalone mp3 file.
 said on
January 18, 2013
好在我学了十多年英语,要不然我什么都看不懂 ╮(╯▽╰)╭
 said on
January 18, 2013
MENTIONS

China's Urban Billion: The Story Behind the Biggest Migration in Human History by Tom Miller

http://www.amazon.com/Chinas-Urban-Billion-Migration-Arguments/dp/1780321414

One Nation Under Smog: The Rules for Beijing Living by Evan Osnos

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/evanosnos/2013/01/one-nation-under-smog-the-rules-for-beijing-living.html

RECOMMENDATIONS

Tom:

Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia by Thant Myint-U

http://www.amazon.com/Where-China-Meets-India-Crossroads/dp/0374533520/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358423591&sr=8-2&keywords=Where+China+Meets+India%3A+Burma+and+the+New+Crossroads+of+Asia

Jeremy:

[NOTE: Jeremy's recommendation for this week, John Biesnecker's China license plate app, is no longer available. Below is an untested substitute app which, sadly, is not free]

China Vehicle License Plate (app)

itunes.apple.com/tw/app/china-vehicle-license-plate/id357484765?mt=8

Kaiser:

1. The China Africa Project

www.chinaafricaproject.com

2. Cowries and Rice

http://cowriesrice.blogspot.com/
 said on
January 18, 2013
This would have been a pretty interesting topic... But the format was too much of a formal Q&A or lecture, not enough of the witty back and forth between hosts and guests. Barely heard anything from Jeremy! I had trouble focusing for the entire podcast, I problem I don't normally have since you two usually do a great job of making technical/serious topics accessible and interesting.
 said on
January 19, 2013
@Wu Shan - Point taken, with this topic it was going to be hard to avoid an in-depth discussion on policy. We'll make up for it next week with the listener call-in show. Send us a question of your own! Thanks much for listening. -KK
 said on
January 19, 2013
Still glad you guys tackled the topic. I learned a lot about 'dipiao' (地票?)and other aspects of China's urbanization that I probably would not have looked up myself. Looking forward to the call-in show!
 said on
January 20, 2013
There are many ways we can introduce the Chinese language into the American (Western) culture. I am happy to announce that my Chinese American books featuring Becky Bing now has a significant following for teens (and others) It is the first time a Chinese American teenager is the protagonist and heroine in American Literature (Mysteries). I have used Mandarin in some dialogue to introduce the language (traditonal characters adn Pin Yin) to young and old readers.

The books are becoming popular and in order to make the price more attractive, I have converted them into Kindle retaining the Pin Yin. All title me, author Gordon Mathieson, are available on AMAZAON as well as my own author website.

As an author and film screenwriter, I have adapted thest titles into film scripts for producer consideration.
 said on
February 17, 2013
I am willing to give Jeremy the benefit of the doubt to some degree, but I do believe that as a White South-African he should be more careful (perhaps not say at all) in screaming out "kill the black devils". The Chinese in 1980s Nanjing may have been saying that but I believe it is inappropriate to air such hateful words in a public forum.
 said on
February 17, 2013
"I am willing to give Jeremy the benefit of the doubt to some degree." That's very kind of you, @junsu21. He'd been worrying -- the poor man has barely eaten in days, in fact.
Mark Lesson Studied