Nearly sixty years ago, China declared an all out war on the bird of capitalism: sparrows. In this episode, we discuss the goals, the reality, the hysteria, the environmental impact of the legendary Four Pests Campaign. What started off as a health campaign to combat allegations of American biological warfare quickly evolved into one of the first of Mao's great social mass mobilizations - and the near extinction of sparrows in China. We also discuss the legacy and the historical memory of this event in China, and how it features in the country’s 2020 Coronavirus response.

Each week a Chinese and an American Podcaster discuss events with Chinese Characteristics.