ChinaTalk 2025 Year in Review

Podcast: ChinaTalk
Host: Jordan Schneider (Guest Host: Lily Odinger)
Date: December 30, 2025
Theme: Reflecting on ChinaTalk’s growth, impact, content, and vision for the future, with behind-the-scenes insights from founder Jordan Schneider.

Episode Overview

In this special “Year in Review” episode, Lily Odinger interviews ChinaTalk founder and host Jordan Schneider. Together, they dissect the show and newsletter’s growth, editorial philosophy, top content of 2025, and their unique model at the intersection of media and think-tank analysis. The conversation covers ChinaTalk’s expansion, the changing role of niche media in global policy conversations, memorable episodes and articles, and what the future holds for ChinaTalk and its community.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

ChinaTalk’s Hybrid Identity and Organizational Growth

Hybrid Model: Jordan describes ChinaTalk as both a newspaper and a think tank. Their core niche is US-China relations and emerging technologies, serving a policy-focused audience with a blend of accessible reporting and deep analysis.

“We’re both. That’s the magic.”
— Jordan Schneider [00:22]
Growth & Reach:
- 65,000 newsletter subscribers, growing from 40,000 at the start of the year.
- “We are a niche outlet that primarily covers U.S.-China relations and technology for the foreign policy focused think tank world.”
  — Jordan Schneider [00:55]
- Operates with a relatively small budget and staff (5 full-time), yet rivals legacy organizations like SCSP and CFR in audience size.
Funding Philosophy:
- Relies on unrestricted philanthropic donations instead of paywalled content or restrictive grants.
- This allows editorial freedom and responsiveness, avoiding “doing work that nobody read, listened to, [or] engaged with” or producing outdated content.
  — [02:31]

Editorial Model and Culture

Passion-Driven Content: Freedom and personal enthusiasm are key to high-quality content. Schneider credits latitude in topic choices as the differentiator; team members pursue subjects they’re “most excited to do at any given… day, week or month.”

“If the writers or the podcast hosts are into the thing or not. And if they're not, you know, why? Listen.”
— Jordan Schneider [04:34]
Team Selection: The team sits at the intersection of policy analysis and journalistic curiosity, layered with Mandarin skills and “enthusiasm and openness to things adjacent to the ChinaTalk worldview.”
— [06:15]
Editorial Gaps and Future Growth:
- Jordan sees untapped stories daily — especially on China+AI, robotics, and biotech — and hopes to expand the analyst bench.

Sponsorships and Independence

Sponsorship Mix: About 25% of funding from transparent, low-intrusion corporate sponsorships; majority from nonprofit and foundation donors.
Editorial Control: Sponsors do not get to shape content.

“No kind of creative control or even back and forth beyond me saying, hey, we're going to cover more about US, China, and AI. And they say, okay, great, go have fun.”
— Jordan Schneider [08:34]

Themes & Standout Topics from 2025

Content Expansion: Growth in subscribers funded deeper dives into niche areas — industrial diamonds, Central Asia, Taiwanese WWII veterans, Chinese tourism in Taiwan’s outlying islands [10:06].
China + AI Coverage:
- AI is a top-priority and underreported issue in English-language analysis, especially from the China perspective.
  
  “For the English language world, it is shocking still in… December 2025… this is like a, a dramatically undercovered story.” — Jordan Schneider [10:40]
- Proposed sub-areas: China+provincial AI policy, labs, semiconductors, hyperscalers, applications across the economy.
- “I could probably put… five or six people on it full time and still not… hit diminishing marginal returns.”
  — [11:54]
Emerging U.S. Policy Areas:
- Unexpected U.S. emphasis on industrial policy, critical minerals, and rare earths—especially under the Trump administration.
- Ongoing tracking of CCP leadership succession and undercovered topics like Tibetan Buddhism, framed as “an underappreciated powder keg” [12:02–13:00].

2025 By the Numbers

Podcast Production:
- 101 podcast episodes published in 2025 (up from 59 in 2024) [14:25].
- Multiple new series: “Second Breakfast” (defense chat), “Overfit” (AI conversations), plus guest-driven episodes with Semianalysis and Asianometry contributors [14:36].
Content Output:
- 176 Substack articles in 2025 (up from 140 in 2024).

Most Popular Podcasts and Articles of 2025

Top Podcast Episodes:
- #1: Emergency Deep Seek episode with Miles Brundage [16:31]
- #2: Ezra Klein, Dan Wang, Derek Thompson mega-show
- #3: Daria Moday on export controls
- #4: Another Deep Seek episode with Kevin Hsu
- #5: “America’s R&D Reckoning” with Divyan Shkashik and Alex Rubin [16:49]
- Other notable hits: House of Huawei, sycophancy episode with Nathan Lambert, “Rush Sochi” [17:16]
Jordan’s Memorable Guests:
- Joseph Torigian (2-parter on Sejongshun biography, co-hosted with John Sein)
- Sergey Radchenko (US, China, Soviet Union, Cold War history) [17:29]
- Emergency pods as a love–hate relationship: “...it blows up my day… but those...are memorable, too in that it is fun to… process real time, the first and second order implications of news.” [17:50–19:20]
Top Substack Articles:
- #1: Zilan Chen’s “Why China Makes AI Boyfriends and America Makes AI Girlfriends” — “that got like 500,000 views. Grimes talked about it on some podcast.” [22:12]
- #2: “Rickover’s Lessons” by Charles Yang (piece on U.S. Navy and industrial policy)
- Wonky, technical pieces routinely convert best for new subscribers, even across diverse topics (e.g., CUDA, HBM, PLA Purges, Rare Earths) [23:39]
- “See, Rumors” and “Why Chinese Elite Run to Japan” also made the top 10 [25:27].

Editorial Flexibility & Community

ChinaTalk’s Value:
- Allows for all tones and lengths, adjusting form to subject — makes it a special place to publish for outside contributors.
  
  "We accept all forms and lengths and tones in a way that other policy oriented outlets don't."
  — Jordan Schneider [25:54]
Community Reflections:
- High appreciation for the audience’s engagement and interest in “wonky” content.
- Active feedback channels fuel ideas and motivation [35:46].

Vision for the Future

Three-Year Outlook:
- Grow to 12–24 staff, including senior China/tech analysts
- Retain editorial freedom; expand deep-dive efforts
- Expect continued evolution as topics shift alongside world events and Schneider’s interests [26:31–28:40]
2026 Goals:
- Reach a $1 million budget, double team size, and further improve quality.
  
  “Let’s get to eight. Let’s get to a million dollar budget…I think we can double the team and still not just retain the quality, but improve the quality…”
  — Jordan Schneider [28:47]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |---|---|---| | 00:22 | "We're both. That's the magic." | Jordan Schneider | | 02:31 | “Having worked in think tanks and research organizations… I wanted to avoid … doing work that nobody read, listened to, engaged with and... being forced to do work that you weren’t interested in.” | Jordan Schneider | | 04:34 | “…if the writers or the podcast hosts are into the thing or not. And if they’re not, you know, why? Listen.” | Jordan Schneider | | 10:40 | “AI is a big deal and it's just getting started, which...there’s somehow still not enough writing about it… for the English language world, it is shocking still in 2025…this is like a, a dramatically undercovered story.” | Jordan Schneider | | 16:31 | “Number one was the emergency Pod on Deep Seek with Miles Brundage.” | Lily Odinger | | 17:29 | “The two that are coming to mind…Joseph Torigian…Sergey Radchenko…” | Jordan Schneider | | 19:20 | “I have, like, a conflicted relationship to our emergency pod shows...it blows up my day...But those, I think, are memorable, too...” | Jordan Schneider | | 22:12 | “By a wide margin, it was the AI girlfriend’s comparison between how they manifest in China and the US. So shout out to Zilan Chen for a fantastic piece…” | Jordan Schneider | | 25:54 | “We accept all forms and lengths and tones in a way that other policy oriented outlets don't. So that flexibility...allows the writers to...do their topics the, like, optimal amount of justice.” | Jordan Schneider | | 28:47 | “Let’s get to eight. Let’s get to a million dollar budget. I think we can do it and I think we can double the team and still not just retain the quality, but improve…” | Jordan Schneider |

Additional Highlights

Creative Endeavors & AI in Music

Music on the Show:
- Early episodes featured copyright music; due to changes in Spotify’s policy, Jordan now uses Suno to generate AI music, often crafting lyrics with AI tools like Claude [32:09–34:10].
“Now I’m at actually writing lyrics or like writing lyrics with like a Claude prompt…and…try to make a song that I think is cool.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:22 – Jordan explains ChinaTalk’s hybrid identity and funding philosophy
04:34 – Keys to content quality and editorial enthusiasm
06:15 – Team selection and culture
08:34 – Sponsorships and editorial independence
10:06 – 2025 subscriber growth and expansion into niche topics
10:40 – China+AI’s priority and gaps in coverage
12:02 – US industrial policy and future content interests
14:25 – 2025 podcast statistics and new series
16:09 – Top-performing podcasts and memorable guests
22:12 – Most viewed Substack articles and audience dynamics
26:31 – Three-year vision for ChinaTalk’s growth
28:47 – 2026 organizational goals
32:09 – AI music creation on ChinaTalk
34:14 – Favorite new read
34:53 – Personal resolution for 2026

Closing Thoughts

ChinaTalk wrapped 2025 marked by record-breaking growth, new editorial experiments, and recognition as a tastemaker in the US-China-tech-policy discourse. The year reflected ChinaTalk’s distinctive blend of rigorous analysis, niche curiosity, and a flexible, passion-driven editorial approach. As Jordan Schneider sets sights on expanding both the team and the platform’s ambition, the episode is a call for continued community engagement and an open invitation for future collaborators and supporters.

“We wouldn’t be able to do this without an audience. So thank you so much for listening and engaging and here’s to a wonderful and content filled 2026.”
— Jordan Schneider [35:46]

ChinaTalk 2025 Year in Review

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

ChinaTalk’s Hybrid Identity and Organizational Growth

Hybrid Model: Jordan describes ChinaTalk as both a newspaper and a think tank. Their core niche is US-China relations and emerging technologies, serving a policy-focused audience with a blend of accessible reporting and deep analysis.

“We’re both. That’s the magic.”
— Jordan Schneider [00:22]
Growth & Reach:
- 65,000 newsletter subscribers, growing from 40,000 at the start of the year.
- “We are a niche outlet that primarily covers U.S.-China relations and technology for the foreign policy focused think tank world.”
  — Jordan Schneider [00:55]
- Operates with a relatively small budget and staff (5 full-time), yet rivals legacy organizations like SCSP and CFR in audience size.
Funding Philosophy:
- Relies on unrestricted philanthropic donations instead of paywalled content or restrictive grants.
- This allows editorial freedom and responsiveness, avoiding “doing work that nobody read, listened to, [or] engaged with” or producing outdated content.
  — [02:31]

Editorial Model and Culture

Passion-Driven Content: Freedom and personal enthusiasm are key to high-quality content. Schneider credits latitude in topic choices as the differentiator; team members pursue subjects they’re “most excited to do at any given… day, week or month.”

“If the writers or the podcast hosts are into the thing or not. And if they're not, you know, why? Listen.”
— Jordan Schneider [04:34]
Team Selection: The team sits at the intersection of policy analysis and journalistic curiosity, layered with Mandarin skills and “enthusiasm and openness to things adjacent to the ChinaTalk worldview.”
— [06:15]
Editorial Gaps and Future Growth:
- Jordan sees untapped stories daily — especially on China+AI, robotics, and biotech — and hopes to expand the analyst bench.

Sponsorships and Independence

Sponsorship Mix: About 25% of funding from transparent, low-intrusion corporate sponsorships; majority from nonprofit and foundation donors.
Editorial Control: Sponsors do not get to shape content.

“No kind of creative control or even back and forth beyond me saying, hey, we're going to cover more about US, China, and AI. And they say, okay, great, go have fun.”
— Jordan Schneider [08:34]

Themes & Standout Topics from 2025

Content Expansion: Growth in subscribers funded deeper dives into niche areas — industrial diamonds, Central Asia, Taiwanese WWII veterans, Chinese tourism in Taiwan’s outlying islands [10:06].
China + AI Coverage:
- AI is a top-priority and underreported issue in English-language analysis, especially from the China perspective.
  
  “For the English language world, it is shocking still in… December 2025… this is like a, a dramatically undercovered story.” — Jordan Schneider [10:40]
- Proposed sub-areas: China+provincial AI policy, labs, semiconductors, hyperscalers, applications across the economy.
- “I could probably put… five or six people on it full time and still not… hit diminishing marginal returns.”
  — [11:54]
Emerging U.S. Policy Areas:
- Unexpected U.S. emphasis on industrial policy, critical minerals, and rare earths—especially under the Trump administration.
- Ongoing tracking of CCP leadership succession and undercovered topics like Tibetan Buddhism, framed as “an underappreciated powder keg” [12:02–13:00].

2025 By the Numbers

Podcast Production:
- 101 podcast episodes published in 2025 (up from 59 in 2024) [14:25].
- Multiple new series: “Second Breakfast” (defense chat), “Overfit” (AI conversations), plus guest-driven episodes with Semianalysis and Asianometry contributors [14:36].
Content Output:
- 176 Substack articles in 2025 (up from 140 in 2024).

Most Popular Podcasts and Articles of 2025

Top Podcast Episodes:
- #1: Emergency Deep Seek episode with Miles Brundage [16:31]
- #2: Ezra Klein, Dan Wang, Derek Thompson mega-show
- #3: Daria Moday on export controls
- #4: Another Deep Seek episode with Kevin Hsu
- #5: “America’s R&D Reckoning” with Divyan Shkashik and Alex Rubin [16:49]
- Other notable hits: House of Huawei, sycophancy episode with Nathan Lambert, “Rush Sochi” [17:16]
Jordan’s Memorable Guests:
- Joseph Torigian (2-parter on Sejongshun biography, co-hosted with John Sein)
- Sergey Radchenko (US, China, Soviet Union, Cold War history) [17:29]
- Emergency pods as a love–hate relationship: “...it blows up my day… but those...are memorable, too in that it is fun to… process real time, the first and second order implications of news.” [17:50–19:20]
Top Substack Articles:
- #1: Zilan Chen’s “Why China Makes AI Boyfriends and America Makes AI Girlfriends” — “that got like 500,000 views. Grimes talked about it on some podcast.” [22:12]
- #2: “Rickover’s Lessons” by Charles Yang (piece on U.S. Navy and industrial policy)
- Wonky, technical pieces routinely convert best for new subscribers, even across diverse topics (e.g., CUDA, HBM, PLA Purges, Rare Earths) [23:39]
- “See, Rumors” and “Why Chinese Elite Run to Japan” also made the top 10 [25:27].

Editorial Flexibility & Community

ChinaTalk’s Value:
- Allows for all tones and lengths, adjusting form to subject — makes it a special place to publish for outside contributors.
  
  "We accept all forms and lengths and tones in a way that other policy oriented outlets don't."
  — Jordan Schneider [25:54]
Community Reflections:
- High appreciation for the audience’s engagement and interest in “wonky” content.
- Active feedback channels fuel ideas and motivation [35:46].

Vision for the Future

Three-Year Outlook:
- Grow to 12–24 staff, including senior China/tech analysts
- Retain editorial freedom; expand deep-dive efforts
- Expect continued evolution as topics shift alongside world events and Schneider’s interests [26:31–28:40]
2026 Goals:
- Reach a $1 million budget, double team size, and further improve quality.
  
  “Let’s get to eight. Let’s get to a million dollar budget…I think we can double the team and still not just retain the quality, but improve the quality…”
  — Jordan Schneider [28:47]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Additional Highlights

Creative Endeavors & AI in Music

Music on the Show:
- Early episodes featured copyright music; due to changes in Spotify’s policy, Jordan now uses Suno to generate AI music, often crafting lyrics with AI tools like Claude [32:09–34:10].
“Now I’m at actually writing lyrics or like writing lyrics with like a Claude prompt…and…try to make a song that I think is cool.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:22 – Jordan explains ChinaTalk’s hybrid identity and funding philosophy
04:34 – Keys to content quality and editorial enthusiasm
06:15 – Team selection and culture
08:34 – Sponsorships and editorial independence
10:06 – 2025 subscriber growth and expansion into niche topics
10:40 – China+AI’s priority and gaps in coverage
12:02 – US industrial policy and future content interests
14:25 – 2025 podcast statistics and new series
16:09 – Top-performing podcasts and memorable guests
22:12 – Most viewed Substack articles and audience dynamics
26:31 – Three-year vision for ChinaTalk’s growth
28:47 – 2026 organizational goals
32:09 – AI music creation on ChinaTalk
34:14 – Favorite new read
34:53 – Personal resolution for 2026

Closing Thoughts

“We wouldn’t be able to do this without an audience. So thank you so much for listening and engaging and here’s to a wonderful and content filled 2026.”
— Jordan Schneider [35:46]

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ChinaTalk 2025 Year in Review

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Summary

ChinaTalk 2025 Year in Review

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

ChinaTalk’s Hybrid Identity and Organizational Growth

Editorial Model and Culture

Sponsorships and Independence

Themes & Standout Topics from 2025

2025 By the Numbers

Most Popular Podcasts and Articles of 2025

Editorial Flexibility & Community

Vision for the Future

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Additional Highlights

Creative Endeavors & AI in Music

Recommended Reads & Personal Resolutions

Timestamps for Key Segments

Closing Thoughts

Summary

ChinaTalk 2025 Year in Review

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

ChinaTalk’s Hybrid Identity and Organizational Growth

Editorial Model and Culture

Sponsorships and Independence

Themes & Standout Topics from 2025

2025 By the Numbers

Most Popular Podcasts and Articles of 2025

Editorial Flexibility & Community

Vision for the Future

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Additional Highlights

Creative Endeavors & AI in Music

Recommended Reads & Personal Resolutions

Timestamps for Key Segments

Closing Thoughts