Chinese Socialism and Green Development with Ashwin Shantha

<p>In this episode, I’m joined by Ashwin Shantha, PhD student in politics at York University and host of the <em>International Solidarity Podcast</em>, to discuss their recent article “<a href="https://intlsolidarity.substack.com/p/chinas-green-development-is-both" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">China’s Green Development is Both Anti-Imperialist and Socialist</a>.” We explore the history and current state of China’s green industrialization, its implications for energy sovereignty in China and across the Global South, and why such a development path is only possible because of the socialist nature of China’s political and economic system.</p><p><strong>About the show:</strong></p><p><em>Return to Bandung</em> is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His work explores themes of diaspora, (inter)nationalism, anticolonial politics, and the many lives and afterlives of empire. You can learn more about Pranay and read his writing on his <a href="https://www.pranaysomayajula.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">website</a>, as well as on his Substack blog, <a href="https://www.culture-shock.xyz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><em>culture shock</em></a>.</p><p><strong>Support </strong><em><strong>Return to Bandung</strong></em><strong>:</strong></p><p>If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review or rating, and subscribe to the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! If you’re able, please also consider supporting my work—which encompasses both my writing and this podcast, as well as various other political education projects by signing up as a paid subscriber to my Substack or making a one-off contribution:</p><ul><li><p><a href="http://www.culture-shock.xyz/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Become a paid Substack subscriber</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/returntobandung" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Buy Me a Coffee</a></p></li></ul><p><strong>Sources and helpful links:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Ashwin Shantha — <a href="https://intlsolidarity.substack.com/p/chinas-green-development-is-both" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">China’s Green Development is Both Anti-Imperialist and Socialist</a> (<em>Journal of International Solidarity</em>, February 2026)</p></li><li><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/7EF7oVQf87yjBEUKhbK0yL?go=1&sp