The Documentary Podcast
The Documentary Podcast
BBC World Service
Decoding China’s doublespeak
27 minutes Posted Sep 14, 2025 at 12:30 am.
0:00
27:20
Download MP3
Show notes

How the Chinese Communist Party gets lost in translation and whether it’s accidental or intentional. “The Belt and Road Initiative”, “community with a shared future for humankind”, “socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era” - the slogans and proclamations coming out of Beijing can sound abstract and bewildering. We examine the complex character of the language and how it’s put to use by the CCP to understand why its message can get lost on the outside world.

Contributor: Tom Lam

Producer: Kriszta Satori, Elchin Suleymanov
Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg
Music: Pete Cunningham