Andy Yee is a policy analyst for Google in Asia Pacific, and a former researcher at the Political Section of the European Union Delegation to China in Beijing. He writes at openDemocracy, East Asia Forum and China Geeks.
(Website: ahkyee.com)
Latest posts by Andy Yee
Michael Sandel in China
Last month, renowned Harvard professor Michael Sandel delivered a lecture on justice and morality at Tsinghua University in China. He also talked about how his theories relate to contemporary China in an interview with the Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolitan Weekend.
China: The Machinery of Stability Preservation
The Dui Hua Foundation's Human Rights Journal has translated a detailed report by the liberal Caijing magazine about the organizational structure behind China's efforts to maintain social stability as it exists at both central and local levels, and how the structure actually increases social tensions.
China: Writing Imaginary Book Reviews
In 2010, a collection of reviews for non-existent books, written by Chinese author Bimuyu, was published. This month Bimuyu shared with readers his thinking behind these reviews.
China: Death of Bin Laden and the Clash of Civilizations
In the early 1990s, political scientist Samuel Huntington put forward the clash of civilizations theory that the fundamental source of conflict in the post-Cold War world will be cultural. Two Chinese writers examine the implications of the death of Osama Bin Laden on Sino-US relations, through the lens of the clash of civilizations.
China: Yang Hengjun's thoughts on his kidnapping
China Media Project has posted an English version of the blog of Sino-Australian novelist Yang Hengjun, who shared his thoughts and feelings on his disappearance from Guangzhou airport last month, widely imagined as part of the Chinese government crackdown on activists.
China: Ran Yunfei’s Blogging for Political Change
A well-known and respected blogger, Ran Yunfei consistently writes about social justice and democratic reforms in China. He has been charged with 'inciting subversion of state power' on March 28 this year. His blog is nominated for the 2011 Deutsche Welle International Blog Awards' Chinese category.
China: Reactions to Global Times’ Lashing Out at Ai Weiwei
China's official newspaper Global Times has issued a harsh editorial condemning missing artist Ai Weiwei as a maverick of Chinese society, sparking reactions from Chinese netizens.
China: Ai Weiwei Detained, Initial Twitter Reactions
China’s best known artist and dissident, Ai Weiwei, was detained in Beijing as he tried to board a flight to Hong Kong on Sunday 3 April, 2011. Ai is the latest to join a long list of human rights activists, lawyers and writers who have been arrested, detained or gone missing in the country. Here is a selection of initial reactions by Chinese users on Twitter.
China: Disappearance of human rights activists
As the world’s attention is focusing on the Middle East and North Africa, crackdown on human rights activists in China is continuing unabated following online calls for ‘Jasmine Revolution’. C. Custer at ChinaGeeks documented a list of people who have disappeared last month, and Geng He, wife of missing lawyer...
China: No real friends abroad?
In recent years, China has spent a lot to cultivate alliances with illiberal regimes around the world. While it is portrayed as a battle against Western "universal values", the real reasons may lie at home. And it remains to be seen whether this policy would eventually come back to haunt China itself.
China: Open letter from Jasmine organizers
Human Rights in China translated an open letter, first posted on Boxun's temporary website, from the organizers of the Chinese Jasmine rallies held on 20 February 2011. The letter calls for people to gather every Sunday to continue to push for political reforms in China.
China and Mongolia: Goliath and David?
At East Asia Forum, Justin Li discussed the Sinophobia in Mongolia caused by high dependence on China for trade and investment. In another article on the Forum, Julian Dierkes questioned Li's claims, and highlighted that significant shift in Mongolia's ‘third neighbour’ policy is possible. In a separate but related article...
China: The coming of age of Political Confucianism?
The unveiling of the Confucius statue in Tiananmen Square last month has renewed the debate about Political Confucianism as the state ideology of China.
China: Mapping labor unrest
Cornell PhD student Manfred Elfstrom has started a website to map instances of labor unrest across China on the Ushahidi platform.
China: Social media for social change
It would be innocent to think that social media can lead to revolutionary changes in China, but we should not underestimate the potential of micro-power for social progress, China media expert Hu Yong comments.
Hong Kong: Remembering Szeto Wah
Hong Kong democracy icon Szeto Wah passed away on 2 January 2011, aged 79. Eddie Cheng, author of the book Standoff at Tiananmen, reviews the life of the democracy advocate. He also translates exerpts of an interview that Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao conducted with Szeto Wah last October. The...
China: Qian Yunhui’s death and the role of citizen investigation
The Qian Yunhui case sparks further debate about the role of citizen investigation teams in China.
China: Conditions in Tibet Since 2008
In an interview with Asia Pacific Memo, Dr. Robert J. Barnett talks about what life has been like in Tibet since 2008 and the obstacles to talks between exiled Tibetans and China.
China: Educated youth face a tough future
China Media Project translates an article by Yu Jianrong about educated youth in China, which can be divided into two groups. The first one are privileged by their access to wealth and power. The second, and much larger, group lack this privilege. It is the latter group which face a...
China: First case of Twitter inquisition
A woman in China was sentenced to one year of ‘re-education through labour’ for sending a single tweet, under the charge of 'disrupting social order.'
China: Comments on Ai Weiwei's River Crab Banquet
Over the weekend, prominent Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei was under house arrest, a move believed to be coming from powerful political figures in Shanghai. Ai had planned to fly to Shanghai to host a goodbye party at his condemned studio on Sunday. Although the authorities say the studio...
