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Christian Göbel

Christian Göbel

@christiangoebel.bsky.social

2.3K followers 660 following 400 posts

Prof of China Studies, Uni Vienna. Political scientist working on state-society relations, protest, government responsiveness in China. Data hoarder, computational methods.

Political science 58%

Sociology 16%

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Christian Göbel @christiangoebel.bsky.social · Nov 22

In the 🧵 below, you will find all China-related starter packs that I know of, reverse sorted by number of people today.

I occasionally search for new ones, but won't find them if the post (!) which introduces them doesn't contain certain keywords.

Adding #Chinastarterpack facilitates search.

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Fergus Ryan @fergus.bsky.social · 23h

Our new ASPI report 'The Party’s AI' is out now. It shows how China’s LLMs, vision models and “AI+” governance architecture are hard-coding censorship and control into the future of AI.

www.aspi.org.au/repo...

Cover of ASPI’s “The Party’s AI”. A lone man stands on a road where tanks should be, but they’ve been erased, mirroring how Chinese LLMs censor sensitive images. For more, see Chapter 1.

Reposted by Christian Göbel

John Paul Helveston @jhelvy.bsky.social · 2d

Online survey research is screwed. LLM-enabled agents can take surveys just like humans.

Here's a video I made where the Comet browser agent takes a simple survey and gets around nearly all my bot detection checks.

The crisis is here already...more in this 🧵

www.youtube.com/watch?v=05Je...

Comet browser fills out a survey with bot detection questions

YouTube video by John Helveston

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Cherie Wong 王卓妍 @chercywong.bsky.social · 2d

While Hongkongers are mobilizing to get beds, student's textbooks, curtains, baby formulas, missing pets to survivors of the Tai Po Hung Fuk fire, western-centric discourse are quick to paint us as "backwards, unscientific, unsafe"...

and I have zero patience for this racist bs.

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Yuen Chan @yuenchan.bsky.social · 2d

State-backed Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao has taken down an investigative report published on 28 Nov which cited industry sources saying building maintenance works effectively controlled by cartel, rife with corrupt practices in tender process, widespread cost and corner-cutting in materials.

Screenshot of a page of the Ta Kung Pao newspaper with picture of fire-hose on Wang Fung Court tower, bamboo scaffolder at work alongside Chinese text. Headline reads: Revealing dark dealings behind maintenance work scaffolding.

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Wing Kuang @wingkuang.bsky.social · 3d

I’ve been monitoring online discussions from Hong Kong about why HKers consider blaming bamboo scaffolding is a gov spin, and I think many AUS media have got it WRONG.

They think it’s a spin NOT because they see bamboo scaffolding as a tradition that distinguishes HK from China.

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Kiwi Ting @kiwiting.bsky.social · 3d

Multiple local new sources in Hong Kong are reporting that the police have begun arresting activists calling for independent inquiries and accountability for the Tai Po fire 😡

Christian Göbel @christiangoebel.bsky.social · 3d

It does make sense if you are utterly devoid of compassion and feel compelled to seize this tragedy as an opportunity to showcase your internalisation of Beijing’s fear of incipient collective action.

Christian Göbel @christiangoebel.bsky.social · 6d

天朝物產豐盈，無所不有，原不藉外夷貨物以通有無

Sense Hofstede @sensehofstede.nl · 6d

China is making trade impossible – Robin Harding in FT: ‘There is nothing that China wants to import, nothing it does not believe it can make better and cheaper, nothing for which it wants to rely on foreigners a single day longer than it has to.’ www.ft.com/content/f294...

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Sense Hofstede @sensehofstede.nl · 6d

China is making trade impossible – Robin Harding in FT: ‘There is nothing that China wants to import, nothing it does not believe it can make better and cheaper, nothing for which it wants to rely on foreigners a single day longer than it has to.’ www.ft.com/content/f294...

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Sense Hofstede @sensehofstede.nl · 9d

📊 In this blog post, I use my visits database to look at Xi Jinping’s changing dominance seen through diplomatic patterns in MFA data: the third term really is different. sensehofstede.nl/xi-jinpings-...

Xi Jinping’s changing dominance seen through diplomatic patterns

Since Xi Jinping has begun his third term, much has been written about him delegating more responsibilities to a new crop of trusted subordinates, both domestically and abroad. This is an important de...

sensehofstede.nl

Christian Göbel @christiangoebel.bsky.social · 9d

Thank you for this tribute. He must have been an amazing mentor. A long time ago, I spent a whole day with him cafe-hopping in snowy Lund, and I will never forget his kindness, wisdom, brilliance and curiosity. I am very grateful for that day, and think about it often.

Reposted by Christian Göbel, James A. Benn

𝑪. 𝑫𝒂𝒂𝒆́ @christinedaae.bsky.social · 9d

I lied. Put your clothes back on. We’re going to talk about how there are actually female scholars within Confucianism who contributed significantly to Chinese literature, philosophy, and history, and their accomplishments are worthy of note and should be studied just as much as the men

Christian Göbel @christiangoebel.bsky.social · 10d

Stellar, important and painstaking work tracing China's external investments worldwide on a project-by-project level, more than 33k in total. The dataset and very good visualisations available on china.aiddata.org. Can't believe this isn't getting more attention here.

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Mike Tierney @miketierneyir.bsky.social · 10d

Interesting conversation on China's lending and investments in the US, UK, and EU. With AidData's Brad Parks, David Culver, and Sailor Miao (all @wm.edu alums). Foreign aid nerds, see Brad's comments on U.S. now emulating China: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8ZL...

Tracking China's Global Influence: A Conversation with CNN and W&M's AidData

YouTube video by William & Mary

www.youtube.com

Christian Göbel @christiangoebel.bsky.social · 19d

In a nutshell

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Ariel Edwards-Levy @aedwardslevy.bsky.social · 19d

Leib Littman at CloudResearch notes that acquiescence bias is often exacerbated on some opt-in online panels typically used for consumer research, where fraudulent respondents have an incentive to say "yes" and route themselves into more surveys.

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Sheena Chestnut Greitens @sheenagreitens.bsky.social · 19d

Delighted to share a new @carnegieendowment.org report on China’s Foreign Police Training: A Global Footprint. Over 50 entities in China have provided training to at least 138 countries, forming a major pillar of Beijing’s drive to reshape global security:
carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

China’s Foreign Police Training: A Global Footprint

New data reveal how China’s foreign police training programs have become an integral part of Beijing’s strategy to remake global security.

carnegieendowment.org

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Cameron D. Campbell 康文林 @camerondcampbell.blog · 21d

New edited volume just dropped! Quantitative History of China: State Capacity, Institutions, and Development edited by Chen Zhiwu, myself, and Ma Debin is now able as a free PDF/ePub download. 1/2
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

Quantitative History of China

This Open Access book showcases a collection of new findings concerning China's political, social, and economic history based on large historical datasets.

link.springer.com

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Sense Hofstede @sensehofstede.nl · 25d

Independent Chinese-language film festival in US canceled after pressure campaign – Nikkei Asia: ‘said that he did not feel he was in physical danger but that the relentless messages forced him to shut down the event.’

Indie Chinese film festival in US canceled after pressure campaign

Organizer's reports of harassment echo other allegations of transnational repression

asia.nikkei.com

Christian Göbel @christiangoebel.bsky.social · 26d

Tang Dynasty

„She destroyed a literal dynasty“

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Lev Nachman @lnachman32.bsky.social · 27d

In case you missed it, Kerry Brown wrote a book that plagiarized Shelley Rigger’s classic book title.

I, along with others who were asked to review Kerry’s manuscript, said verbatim to change the title.

In the most tacky and unprofessional fashion, he stole her title anyway.

Reposted by Christian Göbel

China Digital Times @chinadigitaltimes.net · 28d

Beijing Banner Protester: "Establish a New China That is Free, Humane, and Governed by Rule of Law"

"CDT Chinese editors noted censorship of the following combinations: 'Sanlitun + lift ban on political parties', 'Sanlitun + protest', 'Sanlitun + warrior', 'Sitong Bridge + Sanlitun' …"

Beijing Banner Protester: "Establish a New China That is Free, Humane, and Governed by Rule of Law"

The image above shows a one-man protest that reportedly took place at the high-end Taikoo Li Sanlitun mall (formerly Sanlitun Village) in Beijing on October 25, shortly after the end of the Party’s Fo...

chinadigitaltimes.net

Reposted by Christian Göbel, Jane Duckett

Chenchen Zhang 🤦🏻‍♀️ @chenchenzhang.net · 28d

"a decision by the university not to publish a final phase of the research... was communicated to the National Security Service..." "China is not believed to have an organisation named National Security Service, so it is not clear who the individuals were".
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

China academic intimidation claim referred to counter-terrorism police

Sensitive research into alleged human rights abuses is alleged to have been shut down by Chinese agents.

Christian Göbel @christiangoebel.bsky.social · 29d

Local LLM just translated 王文涛 as "Wang Textao" 😂

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Finbarr Bermingham @fbermingham.bsky.social · 29d

A British university complied with a demand from Beijing to halt research about human rights abuses in China, leading to a major project being dropped, the Guardian can reveal.

UK university halted human rights research after pressure from China

Exclusive: Leading professor at Sheffield Hallam was told to cease research on supply chains and forced labour in China after demands from authorities

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Christian Göbel, Jen Nelles, David Spurrett

con questi nuovi ritmi americani (she/her) 🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇸🏳 @racheledini.bsky.social · Oct 31

I'm excited to share my piece in Los Angeles Review of Books @lareviewofbooks.bsky.social, which examines OpenAI's claims about ChatGPT's creative writing skills, Big Tech's weaponisation of grief and nostalgia, and the collapse of the academic humanities. lareviewofbooks.org/article/lite...

Literature Is Not a Vibe: On ChatGPT and the Humanities | Los Angeles Review of Books

Rachele Dini discusses OpenAI’s “A Machine-Shaped Hand” and an academic sector in crisis.

lareviewofbooks.org

Christian Göbel @christiangoebel.bsky.social · Oct 4

I really liked Huntington-Klein, The Effect.

Christian Göbel @christiangoebel.bsky.social · Oct 2

Very solid and entertaining introduction to Labubu mania. Wondered why my visitors from China went into the Vienna Labubu store and straight out again last summer. Now I have an explanation. The Labubu store probably had no Labubus.

Zeyi Yang 杨泽毅 @zeyiyang.bsky.social · Oct 1

In college, I'd always walk past an unremarkable store in Beijing that sold a variety of trendy, but tacky, toys. That store has turned into Pop Mart, the $45-billion Chinese toy empire behind Labubu, the biggest global fad of 2025.

This is my big story/pilgrimage trip to explain how they got here

A Journey Into the Heart of Labubu

I made an epic trek across four countries to answer one question: Why is the world going mad for a plushie monster?

Reposted by Christian Göbel

Zeyi Yang 杨泽毅 @zeyiyang.bsky.social · Oct 1

In college, I'd always walk past an unremarkable store in Beijing that sold a variety of trendy, but tacky, toys. That store has turned into Pop Mart, the $45-billion Chinese toy empire behind Labubu, the biggest global fad of 2025.

This is my big story/pilgrimage trip to explain how they got here

A Journey Into the Heart of Labubu

I made an epic trek across four countries to answer one question: Why is the world going mad for a plushie monster?

Christian Göbel @christiangoebel.bsky.social · Sep 30

Genuinely delighted to have received a postcard from @polbehavior.bsky.social today. This is a very nice gesture that truly made my day.

Back of the postcard. "Thank you so much for your recent review for Political Behavior! Your work as a reviewer is invaluable to us as we make decisions and try to provide constructive feedback for the authors. We are glad you are a part of the Political Behavior research community and hope to have more opportunities to work together in the future.
Chris Karpowitz and Jessica Preece
Co-Editors-in-Chief, Political Behavior"

Front of the postcard. A drawing with snowy mountains in the background, a bell tower in the foreground and a yellow sun in the top right corner. In the bottom right corner, it says "Political Behavior".