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Why did a Chinese row ruin a bake off?

From Versace handbags to NBA players it鈥檚 hard to escape Chinese politics

Pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have been going on for months now. In the past few days the violence has escalated and schools are being closed for safety reasons. The row centres on a fight for national identity. For Hong Kong protestors this is a fight for freedom from influence from mainland China. For the Chinese authorities it is a fight to protect their nation.

In this episode, we meet Maggie Watson, a cake maker from Derby who was surprised to witness the ferocity of this row at a cake competition in Birmingham. We speak to Vincent Ni from the 麻豆社鈥檚 China desk who explains why this happened and what it tells us about the Chinese psyche.

He explores how the scars of the past affect trading relationships with Western mega brands like the NBA, Versace, Dior and Gap and how China is sensitive to foreign interference in its affairs.

Presenter: Tina Daheley
Producers: Lucy Hancock, Duncan Barber.
Mixed by Nicolas Raufast
Editor: John Shields

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19 minutes

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