The Demise of The China Project: The Erosion of the Middle

Today I learned that The China Project is shutting down. A post entitled "Some sad news" on their website explains why, as does a thread of tweets from Kaiser Kuo. 

The China Project was a media company that tried to provide balanced coverage of China for global English-speaking audiences. It was formerly known as SupChina, and began as a newsletter in 2016, expanding to include podcasts and events, and becoming a "news and business intelligence company focused on helping a global audience understand China." 

They reported on abuses in China, including on the horrible treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang, but also called out China-bashing in the US. As a result, as Goldkorn put it, "We have been accused many times in both countries of working for nefarious purposes for the government of the other."

There may have been many reasons for its closure. The "Some sad news" post refers to legal issues; apparently they were being sued by people or companies on both sides of the Pacific, though there are no specifics. I would like to know some examples because it seems bizarre, but this is a classic example of a "strategic secret": neither The China Project nor those who sue them have any interest in publicizing the suit, as it draws additional negative publicity to both of them.

It is clear that the main reason they are closing is that it is becoming dangerous to try to stand in the middle between the US and China. People both in China and in the US who understand both sides and try to explain the other side to their people are accused of being biased, or partial to the other side. In fact, despite the excellent work of The China Project/SupChina writers, when my wife was invited to speak at a one of their events last year, she was advised by her company's outside PR firm that she should not go because the organization was viewed as too pro-China, but she went anyway since she felt SupChina was quite balanced. One can see what effect this would have if everyone coming in contact with The China Project got similar advice.

Indeed, the trigger for the closing was a sponsorship not coming through as expected. Most companies are very cautious about associating with controversial groups. Nowadays, anything in the US having to do with China is controversial. And the reverse is also true.

The early colonists in 17th century Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, were able to cooperate with the Native Americans by exchanging 10-year old boys who lived with a family of the other culture and would thus learn the other group's language and culture. These interpreters understood both cultures intimately. But in the lead-up to King Philip's War (1675-76), which is often considered the deadliest war in colonial America, these interpreters were distrusted by both sides, and were unable to prevent the conflagration. It is worrisome to see a similar pattern with The China Project. A voice of reason that understands and can explain both sides has been lost. Gradually, only shrill nationalistic voices will remain.

On Families

I read transcripts of interviews of six Hong Kong high school students who have returned in the past two years from a year abroad on AFS. Their stories are incredibly moving; they reflect on the cultural differences and how they’ve learned to be more active, to take the initiative, and to adapt to sometimes difficult conditions (e.g. living with 10 people in a small, working class home, in a tropical country with no AC).

Especially interesting is reading that the students say that they find other cultures very family oriented. One student in America commented that his family did not like for him to go to his room upstairs with his laptop. He commented that the family watched TV together every evening on the family sofa. They expected him to work on his laptop at the kitchen table, near where other family members were also doing homework. Of course, not all Americans are so family-oriented, but this is what you’d expect of AFS families. A student who had gone to Italy commented that she, like her classmates, was expected to go home to have lunch and dinner with her (host) family every day, and that they went to visit relatives a lot, “not like in Hong Kong.”

Several interviewees commented on how they really learned to see different meanings of life, that life was not only about work. I especially find it interesting that Chinese students discover other cultures value family, because hearing elite Chinese discourse, sometimes one would think only Confucians had families.