ARTICLES
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.
ONCE THE VILLAGES ARE GONE, THE CULTURE IS GONE
After a bit of a hiatus, part 5 of our series on urbanization, on the loss of rural culture, the bedrock of Chinese culture.
CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS
In the West, everyone is familiar with pushy tiger moms, but in China, this way of raising children is coming into question.
DISCONTENT IN CHINA’S MOST POLLUTED CITIES
My second piece in the New Yorker this year is on pollution in Chinese cities.
LEAVING THE LAND PART IV: MODEL TOWN OF HUAMINGZHEN
In part 4 of a series on urbanization in China that I've been doing for the New York Times, I look at the model town of Huamingzhen, which was featured in the 2010 Shanghai Expo as a win-win situation for farmers and developers.
DREAMS OF A NEW CHINA
What’s the China Dream? In this New York Review of Books essay of six new books on China–some good, some atrocious–I look at what’s motivated China’s leaders over the decades. Paywall alert.
TOUCH OF GENIUS? JIA ZHANGKE’S LATEST FILM, REVIEWED IN NYRB
While in New York City earlier this month I had the chance to see the Chinese film director Jia Zhangke speak at The Asia Society, and later watch his film. Here’s my review in the New York Review of Books blog.