RealTime Mandarin

RealTime Mandarin

Home
Membership
RTM Advanced
RTM Intermediate
RTM Conversations
RTM Fluent
RTM Deep Dives
Blog

🔈 Society

View all
22:22
#219: Recruitment blitz turns into PR disaster
1.2 million applications for 8,000 roles in state-owned firm sparks backlash over China’s job market
 • 
Andrew Methven
4
22:50
#218: Teenage daughter of Baidu exec accused of online attacks
Doxxing incident sparks widespread discussion in China about online safety
 • 
Andrew Methven
3
20:13
#214: Should two-day weekends for high school kids be "news"?
School policies allowing weekends cause fierce debate
 • 
Andrew Methven
3
22:44
#213: Ne Zha is no longer the audience favourite
Beyond the success of blockbuster Ne Zha 2, people empathise more with antagonist Shen Gongbao—but why?
 • 
Andrew Methven
21:44
#212: Doctors question reliability of China-made drugs
Allegations of falsified data for generic drugs deepen concerns over domestic pharmaceuticals
 • 
Andrew Methven
26:08
#210: Video sharing platform censors Spring Festival Gala livestream
Bilibili's appeal becomes its problem in China’s biggest TV event of the year
 • 
Andrew Methven
30:30
#209: Flight ticket prices tumble ahead of Spring Festival
Some passengers are ripped off while others go for last-minute gamble
 • 
Andrew Methven
33:51
#208: Thousands of “TikTok refugees” join RedNote
Listen now (34 mins) | How the phenomenon is being discussed in China
 • 
Andrew Methven

🔈 Politics

View all
Trade War Meets Fairy Tale: China’s Latest Trump Nickname
From "Comrade Trump" to the "Tariff Beauty," Trump has many nicknames on Chinese social media.
 • 
Andrew Methven
 and 
Manya Koetse
2
22:54
#217: Nationalist online influencer fined for tax fraud
Sima Nan tries to turn reputation crisis into opportunity
 • 
Andrew Methven
28:43
#185: High profile political pundit goes silent
Former Global Times editor Hu Xijin disappears from public view
 • 
Andrew Methven
34:40
#174: 100,000 protesters take to the streets in Taipei
Opposition parties play "black box politics" bringing memories of protests 10 years ago
 • 
Andrew Methven
4
30:14
#164: State media journalists obstructed by police
CCTV reporter forced to stop broadcasting on live TV
 • 
Andrew Methven
1
34:11
#155: How to discuss Taiwan elections in Mandarin
Exploring the unique language of democracy in Chinese
 • 
Andrew Methven
RealTime Mandarin
RealTime Mandarin
A resource to help you bridge the gap to real-world fluency, stay informed about China, and communicate with confidence in Mandarin.
Podcasts
Logo for RTM Advanced
RTM Advanced
#222: Automakers scramble to meet new marketing guidelines
Logo for RTM Intermediate
RTM Intermediate
#222[中级]: 上海车展折射智驾行业转型
Logo for RTM Conversations
RTM Conversations
#222[对话]: 智驾宣传闭麦了？是谁踩了刹车？
Logo for RTM Fluent
RTM Fluent
#222[文章]: 当智驾宣传陷入缄默，车企们都在上海车展谈论什么？
© 2025 Andrew Methven
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture