China’s shadow war: The dissidents | Episode One

China’s shadow war: The dissidents | Episode One

From The Slow Newscast by The Observer

March 31, 2026 · 38 min · Season 1 · Episode 389

About this episode

Alexi investigates the impact of Chinese state actions on dissidents in the UK.

Alexi goes in search of the “long arm” of the Chinese state following a series of attacks and bounties on British soil. He uncovers a coordinated campaign of fear that has left dissidents feeling unsafe in the UK – and asks what British authorities are doing to protect them.  This is Part One of a three part series. To listen to all episodes today, and enjoy the Slow Newscast ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription. You’ll get access to: This series and all our podcasts before anyone else Ad-free listening Premium newsletters Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword Exclusive offers from our partners Tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads. Reporters - Alexi Mostrous and Frankie Vetch Producer - Jonathan Lewis Additional production - Amalie Sortland Sound design - Dominic Delargy Podcast illustration - Shonagh Rae Editor - Jasper Corbett Credits - Channel 4, Sky News, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Alexi Mostrous

Topics covered

  • China
  • dissidents
  • British authorities
  • campaign of fear
  • safety
  • attacks

Keywords

  • China
  • dissidents
  • UK
  • attacks
  • campaign of fear
  • safety
  • British authorities

Sponsors

The Observer

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Observer, Channel 4, Sky News, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC

Places: UK, China

More episodes of The Slow Newscast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Slow Newscast podcast page.