ARTICLES
CHINA’S PUSH INTO AFRICA
In this article in the New York Review of Books, I review two new books on China in Africa, one by Columbia Journalism school and former New York Times correspondent Howard French, the other by freelancer Jacob Kushner.
INSPIRING DIALOGUE, NOT DISSENT, IN CHINA
In this piece for the New York Times, I profile filmmaker Jocelyn Ford and her documentary on Zanta, a Tibetan woman trying to get an education for her son.
A WAY OUT OF CHINA’S ETHNIC UNREST?
Continuing the “Talking About China” series for the NYR blog, here’s part 2 of the Q&A with Woeser and Wang Lixiong, focusing on some potential solutions.
BEYOND THE DALAI LAMA: INTERVIEW WITH WOESER AND WANG LIXIONG PART 1
In this interview on the New York Review of Books blog, I talk to Woeser and Wang Lixiong, two of the most insightful thinkers on China's ethnic policies.
IMPACT ON ACTIVISTS OF WECHAT SHIFT
The rise of WeChat (Weixin in Chinese) and its replacement of Weibo as the country’s preeminent social media has huge implications for China’s activists. In this story for the NYT, I talk to some organizers.
CHINA CLASHES WITH PROTESTANTISM OVER CHURCH DEMOLITION
The demolition of a church in Wenzhou, the economic boomtown south of Shanghai, garnered some attention when it occurred in late April.
A BORN CONTRARIAN
In this Q&A for the New York Review of Books blog, I talk to one of China’s best-known dissidents, Hu Jia, about his experience on Tiananmen Square, being a Buddhist, and how he lives under house arrest.
THE GHOSTS OF TIANANMEN
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the June 4 Tiananmen massacre.
THE CHINA CHALLENGE
In this essay in the New York Review of Books, I tackle a bevy of new books on China and foreign policy.
CHINESE AND AMERICAN SCHOOLS: THE GREAT CONVERGENCE?
As the U.S. moves toward more standardized testing, China seems to be moving in the opposite direction by experimenting in more creative ways of educating people
HOW CHINA ADAPTS NEW IDEAS
I recently had the chance to read a couple of fascinating books about Christianity's growth in China.
ARE CHINESE PEOPLE HAPPY?
At last year's U.S. Catholic China conference, I had the honor of interviewing UC San Diego professor Richard Madsen, one of the modern pioneers of Chinese religious studies in the West.