Harvard’s William Kirby on China’s higher education system and his book “Empires of Ideas”
This week on Sinica, Harvard’s eminent sinologist William Kirby joins Kaiser to talk about his book Empires of Ideas: Creating the Modern University from Germany to America to China, and to share his views on the state of higher education in China and the U.S，
Editors’ picks — new and from the archives
- This week on TikTok: The banning of Micron, an airline accused of mainlander discrimination, and China’s new ambassador to the United States
- Vocal deepfakes of famous singers excite Mandopop listeners, but raises questions about ethics and legality
- Montana and Florida face lawsuits for free speech restriction and anti-Chinese discrimination
- Will Congress task U.S. spies to dig deeper in Xinjiang?
- Activists demand answers from U.S. company that sold DNA kits to Tibet
Featured articles
China’s global education strategy and the growing divide between East and West
Western critics of China have put a lot of scrutiny on Confucius Institutes, saying these schools of language and culture create CCP “echo chambers” that disseminate political ideology. But Beijing’s global education strategy is a lot more comprehensive than a network of CIs — and a lot less sinister.
In his time, Lin Yutang explained China to the West better than anyone
Lin Yutang, who was twice nominated for a Nobel Prize in Literature, was a most effective “soft power” tool for China in the 1930s. He comes to us in the book "My Country and My People" from another time of engagement almost unimaginable.
Lonely Planet: Imperial China, by Xu Xiake
Xu Xiake was China's first, most popular, and most prolific travel writer. He visited 16 modern provinces over more than three decades, and the observations he left behind, from the scientific to the mundane, provide us with a comprehensive guide to 17th-century China.
Playing both sides: How Turkey takes advantage of China and Western Europe
Turkey is home to the largest community of Uyghurs outside of Xinjiang, and the government's support of this diaspora has resulted in harsh words between Ankara and Beijing. Still, both sides see more to gain than lose in maintaining a vibrant economic relationship.
Business and technology
Electric car star XPeng had a disappointing first quarter
Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng’s revenues have nearly halved over last year, and profitability is a long way off. A company restructure and a flashy release next month is intended to return the firm to growth.
Alibaba’s big breakup leads to IPO hopes, staff layoffs
Alibaba will split into six separate entities with individual CEOs and boards, with several opting to pursue stock exchange listings.
Ganfeng Lithium has announced mass production of solid-state batteries
China’s largest lithium mining company has transformed itself into a battery manufacturer, and is now the very first company to announce mass production of revolutionary solid-state batteries.
China’s top 15 electric vehicle companies
The future of road transport is being forged in China. These are its leading electric vehicle companies that are ready to take on the world.
The China Project 2023 Red Paper
2022 was an annus horribilis for China, its people, and its reputation abroad: We look back on a year of lockdowns and slowdowns and make predictions for 2023, Year of the Water Rabbit.
Video from The China Project
Backfire: How sanctions reshape the world against U.S. interests | The Signal with Lizzi Lee
In this week's episode of The Signal, Lizzi Lee speaks with Agathe Demarais, author of the book 'Backfire: How Sanctions Reshape the World Against U.S. Interests.' She shares her thoughts on U.S. sanctions and how they fuel diplomatic disputes between the U.S. and its allies.
Society and culture
The battle against amnesia
For most of her life, Wang Youqin has strived to document victims of the Cultural Revolution, telling their stories without sentimentality or — in many cases, when the victims were also perpetrators of violence — remorse. For the first time, her work is now available in English.
How George Soros became China’s perfect nemesis
George Soros saw potential for political transformation in China's expanding economy in the 1980s. Under Xi Jinping, the PRC has become anathema to everything he stands for.
From the psyche to the canvas: Chinese art brut
“Art brut” is an artistic concept birthed in France in the mid-20th century, inspired by the art of outsiders, often those with mental health conditions. In China, one person has made it his life’s work to highlight the dignity and artistry of its practitioners.
Queer China deserves better journalism
Australian news outlet Crikey recently retracted a three-part series they called "China’s queer purge" after receiving backlash from the Chinese LGBTQ community. We asked two journalists passionate about reporting on LGBTQ issues to share their reactions.
Featured Categories
Business & Technology
- Electric car star XPeng had a disappointing first quarter
- Alibaba’s big breakup leads to IPO hopes, staff layoffs
- Ganfeng Lithium has announced mass production of solid-state batteries
Society & Culture
- ‘Treating trivial things as matters of principle’ — Phrase of the Week
- Vocal deepfakes of famous singers excite Mandopop listeners, but raises questions about ethics and legality
- In his time, Lin Yutang explained China to the West better than anyone
Politics & Current Affairs
- To compete with China, the U.S. should admit more immigrants and lay off government regulation — Q&A with Clark Packard
- Leader of Central Tibetan Administration says he wants ‘genuine autonomy,’ not ‘independence’
- China’s global education strategy and the growing divide between East and West
Editors' Picks
The United States’ China-centered existential crisis
This week on Sinica Jude Blanchette joins to talk about the House Select Committee on United States Competition with the Chinese Communist Party, and how its focus on the CCP as an “existential threat” adds up to an embarrassing moral panic that distracts from the serious issues the U.S. confronts when it comes to China.
Why do China books all look the same?
The color red, dragons, cropped Asian faces…when it comes to presenting China, book publishers often rely on a set of familiar tropes — to the detriment of the authors and the genre.
In search of spirit in China’s wild west
Through history, culture, and contemporary China: A motorbike trip from Xi'an to Dunhuang.
China looks to the Western classics
As American universities reevaluate the role of Western classical education, Latin and Greek courses are proliferating in China, where students see the Classics as a wellspring of wisdom that remains relevant regardless of hemisphere.