With 772 million internet users and 717 million smartphone users, China accounts for 19% of the world’s internet users and 26% of the world’s smartphone users. In 2018, the average adult in China spent 3 hours online each day and Chinese consumers spent over $1.5 trillion in online purchases. A world leader in mobile payments, artificial intelligence, and drones, China is home to 9 of the 20 largest tech companies in the world. Together, China’s largest tech companies––Alibaba, Tencent, and Ant Financial––boast a $1.1 trillion market valuation. Although China’s tech industry parallels Sillicon Valley in size, innovation, and influence, due to language barriers, cultural differences, and Chinese internet regulations, China’s tech industry has remained relatively insulated and frequently misunderstood by the Western world. Recognizing the growing need in the West to understand China’s tech ecosystem, the following podcasts provide quality news and analysis in English on tech in China.
(1) 996 by GGV Capital
Hosted by Hans Tung, Managing Partner at GGV Capital, and Zara Zhang, former investment analyst at GGV Capital, the 996 podcast features entrepreneurs and tech executives who often bring a U.S.-China cross-border perspective, such as Yahoo Co-founder Jerry Yang, Chairman and CEO of Sinovation Ventures Kai-Fu Lee, and Bytedance (Toutiao) Senior Vice President Liu Zhen. What is “996,” you may ask? “996” — 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6 days a week — is the intense work schedule commonly practiced at Chinese technology companies such as Huawei, Alibaba, JD, and Bytedance. GGV Capital is a global venture capital firm that focuses on seed-to-growth stage investments in consumer, social, cloud, and frontier tech sectors.
Average episode length: 1 hour.
Available on: iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Player FM, Overcast, Ximalaya, Castbox, and SoundCloud.
(2) China Tech Talk by TechNode
In China Tech Talk, Matthew Brennan, Founder of China Channel, and John Artman, Editor-in-Chief at TechNode, discuss tech and business trends in China and interview analysts and industry insiders of China’s tech ecosystem. The podcast covers a myriad of topics ranging from gaming, VR, new retail, and mobility to work culture, cybersecurity law, and key opinion leaders (KOLs). China Channel provides digital marketing advice to foreign companies looking to access the Chinese market. TechNode covers tech trends in China in both English and Chinese and is the exclusive China partner of TechCrunch.
Average episode length: 50 minutes.
Available on: iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Player FM, and Castbox.
(3) Analyse Asia by Bernard Leong
With over 300 episodes, Analyse Asia is a weekly podcast on tech, business, and media trends in Asia. While most Analyse Asia episodes focus on China, some episodes have covered India, Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea. Past guests include Kaiser Kuo, Co-founder and Host of the Sinica Podcast, Eva Xiao, former reporter at Tech in Asia and TechNode, and Andreas Ehn, Partner at Approach and former Chief Technology Officer at Spotify. In addition to being the host of Analyse Asia, Bernard Leong is Head of Airbus Aerial Asia for Airbus and an entrepreneur-in-residence at INSEAD Business School.
Average episode length: 35 minutes.
Available on: iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Player FM, Castbox, and SoundCloud.
(4) Inside China Tech by South China Morning Post
Hosted by Zen Soo, Senior Technology Reporter at South China Morning Post (SCMP), who is joined by SCMP reporters based in Hong Kong and mainland China, Inside China Tech reports on tech developments in China in 20–30 minute episodes each week. Past episode topics include the U.S.-China “tech war,” the 996 GitHub protest, live-streaming, the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show, and Singles’ Day. Acquired by Alibaba in 2016, South China Morning Post is a English media outlet based in Hong Kong.
Average episode length: 25 minutes.
Available on: iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Player FM, and Podtail.
(5) TechBuzz China by Pandaily
In each weekly episode of TechBuzz China, Ying-Ying Lu, Owner of Red Threads, and Rui Ma, Founder of Transformative Technology Academy, dive deep into a specific aspect of tech in China, sometimes offering commentary from entrepreneurs, industry insiders, and investors. Past episode topics run the gamut, from the the rise of e-cigarettes in China and the Chinese plastic surgery market to the rise of Luckin Coffee and WeChat Mini Programs. Pandaily is a Beijing-based media company reporting on tech, sports, and business in China.
Average episode length: 30 minutes.
Available on: iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Player FM, and Castbox.
