“Many of the people who are active get interested because of something that happened to them personally.” - Ian Johnson when asked about the demographics of Chinese underground historians. For more: bit.ly/CP_historians

This is a strong book about a vanished era--the 'reform era' of Deng Xiaoping and his successors. Jonathan Chatwin has a flair for colorful anecdotes and brings on-the-ground reporting to Deng's famous Southern Tour of 1992, when he restarted reforms post Tiananmen.

A very interesting piece on how Chinese directors deal with censorship. I really like the idea of 'complicit creativity.'

I'm looking forward to this book by a China correspondent turned Labor candidate for Parliament (shades of Rod Macfarquhar!)

While history is no doubt a sensitive topic in China, Ian Johnson says that the role of history goes beyond what we see in many countries because “the Communist Party legitimizes its rule by calling on history.” For more: bit.ly/CP_historians

Next Tuesday Boston University join me in exploring the brave people inside China today challenging the CCP on its most sensitive ground: its control of history.
bu.edu/asian/2023/12/…

Great to be on Mark Hurst 's Radio Techtonic on @wfmu to discuss the technology behind China's underground history movement. (Intv starts at 8'30')
wfmu.org/archiveplayer/…

Just completed 'Spark' by Ian Johnson —a gripping account of dissidents in China. The book sheds light on the neglected voices, crucial in a world becoming more undemocratic. Excited to review in Thai very relevant here & hope to work on a Thai version.A timely read for all.

San Diegans (?!) join me and Paul Picowicz next Tuesday to discuss the brave Chinese people challenging the CCP on its most hallowed ground: the historical myths it tells to legitimize its rule.

Thanks so much to Steve Jones, whose blog is one of the most insightful China ethnographic-history site around, for this intro to minjiandanganguan -- our platform for China's independent history movement. Check out his intro--it answers a lot of question about what it's all about.

Join us on 3/19 5pm.co.uk PT for a public talk featuring Ian Johnson, Sr. fellow @cfr_org, who will present a nuanced view of China under Xi Jinping, a movement where people challenge the CCP's narratives. RSVP:
In-person: ow.ly/oPsH50QIWSv
Zoom: ow.ly/A2kx50QIWT2

In this interview translated by China Heritage , Li Yuan袁莉 interviews Wang Lixiong on his new book. Wang meditates on the past half century: was the reform era and digression and now things are back on the authoritarian path that had been the case earlier?
chinaheritage.net/journal/turn-t…

Finally had time to read “Sparks” from cover to cover. I couldn’t recommend this book more highly for its in-depth coverage of so many inspiring individuals in China and their important work. Ian Johnson

Excellent The TLS Stephen R. Platt review of SPARKS by Ian Johnson/'Johnson is doing here what he does best: patient long-form journalism based on years of first-hand research & interviews. The result is a book that is bold, necessary & morally urgent.' the-tls.co.uk/articles/spark…

This just out: Stephen R. Platt in The TLS on Sparks:
'Johnson is doing here what he does best: patient long-form journalism based on years of first-hand research and interviews. The result is a book that is bold, necessary and morally urgent.'
the-tls.co.uk/articles/spark…

【新上传】今天档案馆为大家奉上的是中国社会主义市场经济理论奠基人之一顾准的生前日记。顾准（1915-1974）是中国当代思想家、经济学家、历史学家，早在毛时代就提出计划经济也可以用市场调节，也因此多次受到政治迫害。
minjian-danganguan.org/zh/collection/…

We're adding more and more books to minjiandanganguan -- now available are the diaries of Gu Zhun, a person far ahead of his time in developing market economics for China--alas he perished in the Mao era before his ideas became widespread.