From Toilets to Bullet Trains: The China Story Western Media ‘Forgot’ to Tell | Roughly Chinese Pod EP12

In this episode, we talk with Zephyr—YouTuber, Bilibili creator, and current affairs commentator; and Mikaela Nhondo Erskog, PhD candidate at Fudan University and researcher at Tricontinental Institute, about their lived experiences navigating safety, infrastructure, and daily life in China versus the U.S. 

From being robbed repeatedly in Boston to walking alone at 2 a.m. in Shanghai without fear, from the “toilet revolution” and high-speed rail connecting rural villages to the global silence on Chinese solar lamps lighting up off-grid Africa—we unpack what “people-centered development” actually looks like on the ground, and why Western media won’t show it.

0:00 Living in China vs. the West: Personal Stories from International Residents
4:45 Safety as a Woman: Why Shanghai Feels Like a Culture Shock After New York & South Africa
20:25 Public Toilets as Human Rights: China’s “Toilet Revolution” vs. Privatized Bathrooms in the U.S.
37:21 Lighting Up Africa: How $1 Chinese Solar Lamps Are Changing Lives in Sub-Saharan Africa
49:24 Rural Tourism & High-Speed Rails: How China Connects Cities, Countryside, and Culture
58:45 Eating for $2 in Shanghai vs. Surviving on Instant Noodles in New York: The Real Cost of Living

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For more news and stories about China, pls visit:
https://thechinaacademy.org/