China Translated | Robert Wu | Substack

Mirror in a mirror

How does Beijing really see Maduro's capture?

China Translated - Briefing #67

Jan 6 • Robert Wu

What do Chinese people think of the US? How has the sentiment changed over the last 10–15 years?

Today’s piece is another Q&A with Simone Pieranni, of Il Partito. If you remember, we also did another Q&A together regarding the Century of Humiliation…

Nov 29, 2025 • Robert Wu

Tech, work culture, services industry, the mystic, purges, and 1989

Anniversary ask-me-anything Q&A - 2025 edition

Nov 6, 2025 • Robert Wu

Breakneck, the big parade, and mirrors in mirrors

China Translated - Briefing #58

Sep 7, 2025 • Robert Wu

War and Peace

Why is China not attacking Taiwan? (Full version)

The "pull" and "push" factors that make a peaceful reunification increasingly likely

Mar 24 • Robert Wu

The US is trapped in Iran. Will China attack Taiwan now? (Part 1)

On why, how and when Beijing will resolve the Taiwan Question

Mar 16 • Robert Wu

Is Takaichi detering war or encouraging war with her comments?

Is China too emotional, or are Takaichi and Lai Ching-te too unserious? - Briefing #64

Nov 23, 2025 • Robert Wu

One of China's most important PE investors on why China is not an expansionist power

"A state, no matter how large, will perish if it is warlike; the world, no matter how peaceful, will be in danger if it forgets the threat of war."

Feb 21, 2025 • Robert Wu

The US-China "Great Divorce"

The Asymmetry of Paranoia between US and China

China Translated - Briefing #73

Aug 9 • Robert Wu

Who is the good guy now in AI?

China Translated - Briefing #72

Aug 5 • Robert Wu

How does Beijing really see Maduro's capture?

China Translated - Briefing #67

Jan 6 • Robert Wu

2025 is a watershed year

A year when decades happened

Dec 29, 2025 • Robert Wu

Politics, policy, governance

An anecdote about surveillance at the tomb of "China's Himmler"

Are you allowed to take photos of the founding father of China's first secret police system?

May 25 • Robert Wu

The hunger game continues in the PLA

China Translated - Briefing #69

Jan 24 • Robert Wu

Consumption as "strategic move", Vanke, PDD, censorship on extreme views, US-China detente

China Translated - Briefing #66

Dec 19, 2025 • Robert Wu

Forgoing privilege, restricting EV export

China Translated - Briefing #59

Oct 3, 2025 • Robert Wu

Contemporary Chinese culture

How do people preserve history in China, secretly, sometimes with the help of a miracle

Remembering my grandpa

Feb 23 • Robert Wu

China is cracking down on extremism—from both the left and the right

But will it be enough?

Dec 22, 2025 • Robert Wu

K visa, and the rise of China's "MAGA"

China Translated - Briefing #61

Oct 7, 2025 • Robert Wu

The silencing of prominent influencers

China Translated - Briefing #60

Oct 6, 2025 • Robert Wu

China's transition from low-trust to high-trust society

What role does technology play for China's transition from a "low-trust" society to a potentially high-trust one?

A mini-travelogue

Sep 22, 2025 • Robert Wu

What's the winning strategy in China's "low-trust" society?

And does "Guanxi" just mean networking and enjoying Moutai together? - China's "low-trust" society - Part 2

Mar 31, 2025 • Robert Wu

China's "low-trust" society - intermission post

Caveats before I write Part 2

Mar 28, 2025 • Robert Wu

China's "low-trust" society - Part 1

and why is there so much vagueness in Chinese laws?

Mar 22, 2025 • Robert Wu

Travelogue

An anecdote about surveillance at the tomb of "China's Himmler"

Are you allowed to take photos of the founding father of China's first secret police system?

May 25 • Robert Wu

What role does technology play for China's transition from a "low-trust" society to a potentially high-trust one?

A mini-travelogue

Sep 22, 2025 • Robert Wu

3 principles for a small country to survive great-power competition (Part 2)

“This is not a game of cards"

Sep 17, 2024 • Robert Wu

3 principles for a small country to survive great-power competition (Part 1)

A travelogue to Georgia (the country)

Sep 1, 2024 • Robert Wu

Noah Smith's China cluelessness

Is Taiwan only the first step for China's expansionist ambition? - Noah Smith is clueless about China (Part 5)

In the last installment of the “Noah Smith is clueless about China” series, I look at history and culture to explain that China does not have a warlike…

Jan 29, 2025 • Robert Wu

Is China a "warlike culture"? - Noah Smith is clueless about China (Part 4)

It has been almost a year since the last installment of the “Noah Smith is clueless about China” series.

Jan 19, 2025 • Robert Wu

Is China defeating Tesla? - Noah Smith is clueless about China (Part 3)

This week, Noah Smith set his ever-sharp eyes on China’s industrial policy and explained to us how it is “defeating” Western companies such as Tesla.

Apr 19, 2024 • Robert Wu

Noah Smith is clueless about China (Part 2) - Will China squander its moment in the sun?

Folks, as promised last time, this is Part 2 of my Noah Smith critique. This time I will specifically comment on his latest article about China, titled…

Feb 2, 2024 • Robert Wu

China Translated

China Translated

Where China starts to make some sense to you

Hong Kong is not over

It pains to me to say Hong Kong is NOT over (Part 2): not if we try

Hi folks, welcome to Part 2 of my series on Hong Kong, where I call home. Last time, I laid out my key argument for my belief that “Hong Kong is not…

Mar 10, 2024 • Robert Wu

It pains to me to say Hong Kong is NOT over (Part 1)

Perhaps global sentiment for Hong Kong is so low, that a top mainland official’s significant visit to Hong Kong got very little coverage.

Mar 2, 2024 • Robert Wu

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