Lijia Zhang's Blog, page 21
November 4, 2022
an interview with Chartist
I had an interview with Chartist, Labour Party’s magazine – well, George Orwell used to write for the publication. It is about China’s rise and what should the West do. This is the first time I have been described as a ‘leading activist’. Interesting!
October 29, 2022
Party congress interviews
I had a busy day yesterday. At 2 pm, I had an interview with the BBC at the Broadcasting House in central London about the Party Congress, then I rushed back for Chicago Council on Global Affair’s Weekly World Review panel discussion and podcast, scheduled at 4 pm. But the taxi from the BBC’s broadcasting House to my house took so long. So I only had time for a pee before joining the Zoom. However, I couldn’t access my camera for some reason and we had no time to sort it out. So we went ahead. Those who watched it alive couldn’t see me, but the podcast works just fine.
I was flattered to be among the distinguished panelists: Ravi Agrawal, the Foreign Policy magazine’s editor in chief; Prashant Rao, a senior editor with Semafor. The program was presented by Ivo Daalder, the US’s former ambassador to Nato. We mostly talked about the Party Congress and Xi’s consolidation of power and a bit about Ukraine.
Live interview is a fickle thing where so many things can go wrong. I think I did alright there, if I do say so myself.
https://globalaffairs.org/commentary-and-analysis/videos/world-review-oct-28
My opinion piece on zero-Covid and citizens support for the government
Has China’s handling of Covid-19 increased the government’s popularity or decreased it? I find the question fascinating and confusing. Here’s my commentary piece exploring the theme, using the idea of social contract. Yesterday I wrote to my oped editor, asking to add the protests reported in Lhasa, Xingjiang and Zhengzhou, but the piece had just been published.
https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197326/how-will-chinas-zero-covid-policy-affect-public-support-government-its-complicated.
October 22, 2022
Re-joining EU march
Once again, I found myself marching in central London. This time, it was for ‘rejoining EU’. I took part in all the major anti-Brexit marches before. Today’s was the first major one since 2019. Tens of thousands people turned up. In the warm sunshine, protesters sang, danced and chanted, while holding flags or placards bearing witty messages. My favourite is “I voted Romaine” (a type of lettuce) with an image of cabbage: remember the story of the Romaine lettuce outlived Liz Truss!? I loved the carnival atmosphere and the sense of togetherness. With this spirit, we can achieve anything, including re-joining EU!
October 18, 2022
a course in geopolitics
活到老，学到老，never too cold to learn, goes the Chinese saying. This summer, I took a six-week intensive course to study international relations titled China, Russia, the US and the Future of Geopolitics, run by the Economist.
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, a monumental event that has shaken the old world order, inspired my interest in geopolitics. I learnt a lot. I am pleased to say that I have been awarded a certificate.
Now I am taking another course in psychology at Goldsmiths, where I got my MA.
September 30, 2022
My Review of novel Run and Hide
Indian writer Pankaj Mishra is an amazingly talented writer ‘whose magic pen can produce flowers’, as the Chinese would say.
Run and Hide is his second novel, after a 20-year break, and I loved it. With his poetic prose and his insight into the Indian society, it is a deeply satisfying novel about the new India under the reign of Modi. It concerns the fortunes of three friends Arun, Aseed and Virendra, All coming from humble origins, they meet at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, their ladder to climb up in society. Aseed becomes a writer and editor while Virendra enriches himself on Wall Street. Modest in his ambition, Arun, the novel’s protagonist, settles in a Himalayan village with his mother, indulging in literary translation.
As a Chinese, I found the book illuminating, as both China and India have become obsessed with power and money in recent decades. In fact, Mishra seems to know China rather well. I smiled when he made a reference to Chairman Mao swimming in the Yangtze River.
Some 15 years ago, as I was travelling around India for the first time, I read Mishra’s first novel The Romantics about a young Indian man finding fulfillment in another culture. Despite our different backgrounds, I found the story resonated with me.
Once again, it didn’t disappoint.
The novel is structured as a letter from Arun to his ex-girl Alia. I am not sure that the structure works for me. Generally speaking, people don’t write letters to their former lovers in such an impersonal fashion.
Nevertheless, it is just a ‘slight blemish on a jade’.
September 23, 2022
September 15, 2022
The Coming War on China
The Coming War on China
In 2016, award-winning journalist John Pilger made a documentary titled ‘The Coming War on China. I was one of the ‘talking heads’. In this documentary, Pilger, a rather radical film maker, explores how two military and economic superpowers, the United States and China, may be on the road to war. At that time, I thought that his theme might be rather sensational. Back then, things were going on well overall between the two countries and the trade war had not started.
Then I forgot about the documentary until recently when my friend Vincent Ni, the
Guardian’s China correspondent, saw it and commented on it.
A few days ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Pilger at his home. In the film, the director cuts a fine if somber figure. In real life, he is smiling and charming. Anyway, I think the documentary is still relevant. You can watch it on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAfeYMONj9E
August 31, 2022
Gorbachev, Xi and China’s Current Situation
I am saddened to hear about the passing of Gorbachev, the reformist Soviet leader, and one of the towering figures of the 20th century. He helped to end the Cold War and had a significant role in the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Chinese media reported his death, describing him as ‘the tomb digger of the Soviet Union’. Some reports did mention the positive role he played in easing the tension with China and normalizing the relationship between the two countries.
Many people outside China may not know that Gorbachev also had a role in the current political situation in China. President Xi was convinced that Gorbachev’s decision to allow the Soviet Communist Party to lose a certain grip finally led to the demise of the Soviet Union. At one point, he described those Soviet Communists were ‘not man enough.’ Determined that the Chinese Communist Party would never meet such a fate, he tightened the social and political control as soon as he took power.
How ironic that when Xi was first elected at the end of 2012, some western pundits hopefully thought he might be China’s Gorbachev!
I think we should all be thankful to Gorbachev for having the courage to pursue peace with those holding different ideologies. Unfortunately, the new Cold War has descended.
Will there be other Gorbachevs, in Russia and beyond?
August 11, 2022
China’s brain drain and dual citizenship
I’ve been interested in the question of dual citizenship for a while. I am glad to have an occasion to discuss it. https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3188535/reverse-its-brain-drain-china-should-be-more-flexible-dual
