China’s Spring and Summer

On July 8, the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies and the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings hosted James Miles, The Economist ‘s China correspondent, for a conversation about current issues in China.

Over the past several months, China has faced a number of very public challenges, including the devastating earthquake affecting hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens. At the same time, China is completing its preparations for the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games. What impact have these events had on the growth of Chinese nationalism? Have they influenced the relationship between the people of China and the Communist Party? Is China’s stability being affected? Miles, who was the only foreign journalist in Lhasa when violence broke out on March 14, talked about his experience in Lhasa, the Sichuan earthquake and the upcoming Olympics, in the context of how these events are changing China.

Miles has been based in Beijing with The Economist since 2001. Prior to joining The Economist, he held a number of positions with the BBC, including Beijing bureau chief, Hong Kong correspondent and senior Chinese affairs analyst. Richard Bush, Brookings senior fellow and director of the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies, provided introductory remarks and moderated the discussion.

After the program, James Miles took audience questions.