1. Studying Party history Last week we wrote about the upcoming 100th anniversary of the CCP in July, and the importance of current and historical narratives for the Party’s rule. As we mentioned, this includes what the Party calls the “four histories” (histories of the CCP, “New China”, reform and opening up, and development of … more
How do mainland Chinese migrants to Australia form families and who do they marry? In our recent research, we analyse data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to shed light on these questions. We find that migrants born in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are more likely to marry other PRC-born migrants than … more
1. The Party at 100 In July this year, the CCP will celebrate its centenary. In celebrating its big birthday, the Party is putting huge efforts into telling an overwhelmingly positive story of its past, one linking its “glorious revolutionary past” to its current day achievements. More than 100 films, TV dramas, operas, documentaries and … more
The Scanlon Foundation’s annual Mapping Social Cohesion report found widespread negative feelings towards immigrants from China. It has implications for how Australia discusses matters involving China and Chinese people as there may be unintended consequences. Further research is urgently needed to understand the cause of these negative sentiments and how to address this complex problem. … more
The politics of time are an important dimension of Chinese state discourse about Tibet, yet one that has received relatively little attention to date. This piece examines the written and visual discourses about Tibet’s past, present and future across Chinese state media in the post-2008 era. The focus is on how these media discourses attempt … more
Dear President Xi Jinping, As Chinese New Year, with its promise of new beginnings, approaches, I write in sorrow at the tension that presently clouds the relationship between our two countries. I write as a private Australian citizen, one with no connection to government or political life, but also as a philosopher who has for … more
In January, the Chinese government released its third white paper on foreign aid, entitled “China’s International Development Cooperation in the New Era”. It is worth taking a closer look at the Chinese-language original, which is more detailed in content than the English-language version, to see what has changed in some aspects of China’s foreign aid … more
Classical Chinese quotes are frequently used in speeches by China’s political leaders to give greater depth to the content of their talk as well as to concisely sum up the speaker’s intentions. But the insights they offer rarely see the light of day in international media. In fact, their mistranslation and omission is the norm. … more
In my recent article published in the International Studies Quarterly, I explore why 15th century Chinese maritime navigator Zheng He has become such a prominent iconic symbol of the New Silk Road. The article seeks to unravel the meaning and timing behind the revival and reconstruction of the legacy of Zheng He, as a way … more
1. Abuses of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang Tursunay Ziawudun is a Uyghur woman who spent nine months in internment camps in Xinjiang. She recounted her personal experience to the BBC. Warning: the details in this article are distressing and contains references to rape and torture. Gulzira Auelkhan, a Kazakh woman, also recounted shocking experiences. Moreover, … more
