WHICH VOICES FROM THE CHINESE CENTURY?

Who speak for the Chinese people? In this esssay for The New York Review of Books, I look at two groups of Chinese thinkers: those inside and outside the system, and try to answer the question of who best reflects the diversity of opinion in China.

The essay is based on several new books, especially Voices from the Chinese Century, and Minjian: The Rise of China’s Grassroots Intellectuals, both of which are excellent books–really, must-read books for anyone interested in Chinese thought.