China’s shadow war: The dissidents | Episode One
The Slow Newscast
Alice Sandelson
4.6 • 894 Ratings
🗓️ 31 March 2026
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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.
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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.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Observer. |
| 0:08.8 | Hello, it's Alexi, and you're listening to the slow newscast from The Observer. |
| 0:13.6 | This is episode one of a three-part series. |
| 0:17.0 | Subscribe to The Observer to get early access to episodes 2 and 3. |
| 0:21.6 | Use the code Audio 50 to get 50% off. |
| 0:26.1 | A few years ago, there was a great show on TV called The Americans. |
| 0:30.9 | It was about two KGB spies who were posing as an American couple living in a Virginia suburb. I really recommend it. But actually, |
| 0:40.8 | it's not that realistic. When it comes to spying, the reality is more messy. This month, an old |
| 0:48.6 | Bailey trial started in London, which prosecuted two men accused of acting for the Chinese state. The men are not charged |
| 0:57.1 | with stealing secrets or planting misinformation. They're accused of targeting dissidents. The men |
| 1:04.4 | deny the charges and the case is ongoing, but so-called transnational repression is a growing |
| 1:10.7 | problem. All over the world, pro-democracy |
| 1:14.5 | activists, artists, musicians, they're all being targeted. And of all the countries which carry out |
| 1:22.3 | transnational repression, it's China that does it the most. This is the subject of today's show, hosted by me and produced by Jonathan Lewis. |
| 1:32.8 | It's the first in a three-parter we're calling China's Shadow War. |
| 1:38.2 | I really hope you enjoy the show. |
| 1:50.1 | I was about to sleep when the authorities announced my bounty. |
| 1:57.3 | It starts with a message, sent all the way from Hong Kong to a teenage girl in Leeds. |
| 2:03.0 | I think it was like 3, 4 a.m. in the the UK and Christmas Eve. They want to let you know that they are monitoring you and you can't escape from them. |
| 2:09.0 | 200 miles away in London, something else happens. |
| 2:13.0 | Two figures follow a couple home after a pro-democracy protest. |
| 2:17.2 | We were followed by someone and then our iPhone received an alert saying that an attack |
... |
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