Modern China | Prof. Rana Mitter | Talks at Google

For this talk about Modern China Talks at Google welcomes Rana Mitter, Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China in Oxford, fellow of St. Cross College, and author of Oxford University Press' Very Short Introduction to Modern China.
In his talk, Mitter discusses a country that seems to be full of contradictions: a peasant society with some of the world's most futuristic cities, heir to an ancient civilization that is still trying to find a modern identity. He offers an entry to understanding the world's most populous nation, giving an integrated picture of modern Chinese society, culture, economy, politics, and art.
Get the book here: goo.gl/bgFJRM

[@m.0829]

Eye opener. Didn't know the trenches were dug by the Chinese! I learnt that the most dangerous railway constructions in the 18th century in the U.S. & other times in Africa were also made by Chinese labours. The Chinese sure did contributed a lot to the world!

[@hankxu3457]

Being Betrayed is the worst feeling the Chinese felt and feel to this present day. Could we the Chinese trust the West and Japan ?

[@hangtuah888]

@@hankxu3457 Answer no as the Chinese has learnt to do things for themselves. Illiberal, this guy is delusional. Just have to watch the SCOTUS judgement to inform me the Chinese system is illiberal. Asked the women of the Disunited States what they think or those who died by the gun.

[@slowtine]

@@hankxu3457 you are forgetting about Duan Qirui’s role in the Shandong problem. He borrowed Japanese money (the West was at war and broke), in order to fight armies in the South of China. He gave permission to the Japanese to keep troops and build railroads in Shandong in exchange. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duan_Qirui

[@michelbeniard7145]

Excellent presentation by Professor Rana Mitter on Modern China. When Professor Mitter writes or speaks about China it is always concise and very interesting. I did myself research on China between the two world wars. I defended in 2011 a PhD at Helsinki University on specific subject concerning China in the 1920

[@kcwin]

What Deng Xiaoping did was to set aside ideology and institute a national consensus and a stable power succession system. He realized that any political system that devolves into ideological warfare or a zero sum game will stall or fail completely, so he put in fixes to the system to help China avoid falling into turmoil again. In this way, like the speaker kind of hinted at with his Confucian thesis, Deng has turned a staunchly ideological Communist state back into a Confucian imperial state with the Communist party sitting on the throne. But this is also not a complete step backward since the Party has its modern political institutions to connect with the people in ways that old Imperial ruling class did not. People used to laugh at Deng's idea of "Socialism with Chinese characteristics", but today's China is a success story because of this mix of modern theory and ancient history.

[@yananneteoh9818]

Deng was more of an economist with the bold mix of communism and capitalism... his famous black or white cat as long as they catch mice.

[@dougspray7160]

The Speaker to me did not emphasize enough the enormous scale and horrors of the Opium Trade. It was grown by British owned Plantations in India and shipped ( more ships, some specially built for the trade, than in the Royal Navy at the time ) and sold on a scale which no modern Drug Baron could equal. Then the more humiliating Opium Wars with settlements when China lost to reimburse the British for the cost of the wars ,(2) and to concede land, Hong Kong to the victors. The British have never apologized for this evil Trade. China cannot be understood unless one understands its humiliation by European and Japanese Empires in the nineteenth century and early twentieth century.

[@yananneteoh9818]

He failed to mention about 400 students were shot dead at the May 4 Protest.

[@dougspray7160]

@@yananneteoh9818 how about Amritsar, peaceful Indians protesting colonial rule, huge casualties Indian figures far in excess of UK figures over 500 deaths plus over a 1000 casualties. Peterloo in England, men shot for trying to form a Trade Union to improve the exploitive harsh conditions of their work. Failing to reduce the price of corn to alleviate famine in Ireland. When they did get round to it millions had died and emigrated. Terrible famines in India and Pakistan when we did nothing to alleviate them. China had a terrible famine under Mao because of a well intentioned policy which was unsuccessful. I think China accepts Mao as being about 80% successful ,. Education, health, and creating an educated healthy population ready to exploit their form of Capitalism. The British Empire, similar of course to all European Empires would've surely be about 15% improvements and 85% failure for their ialways considered inferior subjects. Gross exploitation and breed was the motivating force of all Empires. Good for the conquered but not so good for the conquored

[@daning9764]

A nice talk about China, although his depth of understanding of China is a bit shallow at places, and the economy of the truth in others. Its like writing a book about the history of the world in 200 pages. For more in-depth understanding and hard talk, I would recommend the ex Singapore ambassador to the UN Kishore Mahbubani, who is an Indian by race.

[@weichatshow4981]

This is one of the best talks on China.

[@scottmead854]

Being an expert on China, Rana Mitter's Chinese intonations are definitely.... interesting. Like way-off interesting.

[@stephenyang2844]

Excellent abstraction of recent Chinese developments.

[@stephencyang6628]

Very concise and insightful presentation. It is rather curious, that same CCP these days have setup Confucious Institutes across the globe, at the same time helping third world countries build up their infrastructures.

[@alloomis1635]

better by far than creating empires by invasion, coups and assassination. chinese society has managed to make politics a rewarding profession for smart people, while 'representative democracy' commonly falls into the hands of the toxic rich.

[@user-ss9bs8fd8o]

its truly a brief intro without many deep thoughts.

[@cjoe6908]

Very interesting study of recent history of China. Nothing really new to me but I am glad at least that some scholar at Oxford held more or less the same view towards looking at this part of Chinese history.

[@truthseeker7759]

C Joe. Yes agree. It is the same old spin.

[@cooper1819]

While studying modern China, there is also need to take into account the Asian Tigers. Their different models for rise, fall (or stagnation) over the decades, impact during political changes and journey through the various economic crisis (oil crisis, Black Monday, Asian Financial crisis, US & EU Financial crisis and etc). They have helped model the modern China.

[@joylove8693]

This is a pretty objective talk, many thanks.

[@benwong4648]

Some misinterpretation of Confucian principles. Confucianism is not authoritarianism. It is humanistic realism in attempt to harmonize interactions between individuals so as to reduce conflicts. It is the opposite of western liberal narcissism (liberalism). It does not condone mistreatment of others. Reality is harsh in that people are not born or travel thru life as social equals. Confucianism teaches individuals how or what manners should be used in the encounter between classes so as not to create a conflict. Individuals rise or fall in social class as a result of their own actions. The scholar class is highly respected so it is possible for a peasant to rise to a scholar if he chose to study hard. Likewise a rich man can fall in class if he engages in bad behavior.

[@truthseeker7759]

Ben Wong. He has made very basic errors in his little book too. I am with you on Confucius. I am not a chinese nor a scholar but studied from Confucius to Kan You Wei. I wonder how he became a professor!!! A well paid job

[@wty0217]

Good observation, unbiased but segmentary understanding of modern China. China is so complex that few foreign can really predict and understand it, and nobody really care what Chinese themselves say about modern China. This is kinda contradictory.

[@truthseeker7759]

He is not white, but an Indian!!! Yes he is.

[@alloomis1635]

an outsider's view is often valuable. if you listen to insiders you get what they want you to believe, certainly, and frequently what they believe and are deeply mistaken about.

[@profdrsiva]

Par- excellent lecture

[@flektoprime]

No questions taped? One of the tenets of Talks at Google is audience questions...

[@banjinhe4163]

its really hard for westerner to understand china.

[@stephenlock7236]

Not only China. But also Africa, the Arab world, the South East Asia world or the Latin American world. The actual truth is that they have no wish to understand anyone of them.

[@alloomis1635]

'the great leap forward' was unsuccessful, and famine did result, but i forgive mao for this policy. it was inspired by the realization that china's enemies could not be deterred by the massive red army. the usa was publicly threatening nuclear bombing of chinese cities., a war of extermination, not occupation. the only effective counter-measure was getting a chinese bomb, and effective delivery system. so he threw what he had, peasant labor, into a modernization program. the situation was like modern times, with iran and north korea seeing their only defense from american aggression in getting nuclear capability.

[@chubascomohd2688]

Fortunately for China, the famine is only famine and it’s not devastating due communist rule. If it’s a colonised country, starvation will have happened due to hoarding by greedy capitalists businessmen

[@timbuckley6590]

This is a great historical outline but omits the death of Zhou Enlai in '76, his funeral and the ensuing Tiananmen Incident which forced open the split in the CCP rulers between Maoists and Reformists and set a course.

[@TomorrowWeLive]

This guys 'Short Introduction' was our text for a recent uni course I did, very readable. Particularly interesting is his bringing a more nuanced perspective on the much-demonised Chinese Republic (KMT). Also, so many 50centers in the comments...

[@cheeaunmin254]

Lol...u can comment as u like but when other comment n they r not to your liking, they r immediately label 50centers. Just wondering if u r any better than these 50centers least they dont resort to hitting below the belt n name calling 😏

[@look007456]

kongzi is china' number one teacher,good

[@TheMrzhangjason]

THe pics he carefully choose for the “present China” are all like 15 years ago.........wtf

[@KenHuyn]

Exactly

[@joe-zl8798]

Can’t stop laughing when I heard that Putin was the recipient of the Confucius Peace Prize 😆

[@psl7360]

why didn't your toe tickle when Obama received the Noble PEACE Prize like all opposition leader of country that openly opposed US policy.

[@xiaozhu7219]

Topic Modern China but mostly part in the talk are China 40 years ago

[@zsl2015]

If you know very little about China, you should listen to this talk and learn a few things about China. As a native Chinese, I have to say that the speaker's understanding of China is quite superficial. For example, his explanation of why the cultural revolution got started is laughable. The cultural revolution resulted from Mao's fear of losing control and power after the failure of the Great Leap Forward. Confucianism was just a tool or excuse used by interest groups. The speaker mentioned the May 4th Movement but did not talk much about the immense suffering and humiliation of Chinese brought by Western powers (including Japan) since 1840s started by the British (the Opium War) and for the next 100 years. The speaker did not talk about the failures of democratic ideas attempted by Sun Yat-Sun, etc.. These are all critical in understanding why current Chinese ruling party implements the current political system and why it does not embrace the western liberal democracy. Otherwise the country would fall apart and become chaotic as in the 1910s-1920s; Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang, etc. would all break away and Taiwan would declare independence.

[@truthseeker7759]

sz Yes I agree. Mitter revolves around the popular history, available in the media and western universities. Your statement can be found in this wonderful scholarly book "Mao's China and After" Maurice Meisner. I used for my uni studies. I have a copy and still refer whenever, not Mitter's rubbish.

[@huyueqi]

Political conspiracy theory explains everything

[@Eradicus]

Dear SZ, I would like to discuss these issues with you further. You can message me via KZbin here: youtu.be/addme/pdEcmeYJ0JSfTTh07DSTRu5HAqxO7w I am highly interested in understanding all aspects of Chinese culture and history

[@yulifts1873]

Read his book before you comment. All the things you criticized are deeply covered in his book “A Bitter Revolution”

[@nancyx8324]

@@truthseeker7759 Meisner's work is widely used as reading materials in many classes in my university, but I don't think he would agree with sz's conspiracist theory on why the cultural revolution was initiated.

[@Time4Taiwan]

Great talk, thank you for sharing 🙏

[@chibula]

Xijing PingPong like your name

[@Time4Taiwan]

Franklin Fang I will see you in a dark detention center soon if you come to mainland and catch you😄

[@rmnair90]

1919 a significant year for Asia. 04May 1919 in China. 13Apr 1919 in India (Jallianwala Bagh massacre).

[@incogb6696]

WHAT ABOUT MODERN WOMEN IN CHINA!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELLO! ~SUSAN FROM THE U.K

[@KenHuyn]

huh what??

[@honantong]

women are quite powerful in.China, even more than man. China has the most female billionares

[@davidjimenezarrivacanadasd4086]

nadamás conozco a la rana René 😁😁😁😂Mr rana y yo no les entiendo tampoco😁😁😁mejor no me manden notificaciones 😁😁😁😂

[@raimundoo4655]

I am always skeptical about experts on China who barely speaks Mandarin let alone understands classical Chinese writings. Judging by his awkward Mandarin in the beginning of the talk (with intention to impress the audience no doubt) actually confirmed my skepticism.

[@truthseeker7759]

Raimundo... Hahahaha very good point. Skills in Mandarin and classical Chinese writings, yes and they are called experts. I also had couple of experts, they were introduced as "experts" at the university of Sydney when I was doing Chinese studies. Young Chinese students laughed at them when they write simplified Chinese on the board and try to say things in Mandarin. I could not pick as I am not of Chinese heritage. One has left and holding a professorship in the US.

[@gregpringle1299]

His pronunciation of Chinese certainly leaves something to be desired. On the other hand, his talk did a good job of summing up of Chinese history in the last century. Not having good pronunciation is no disqualifier for having deep insights into history and being able to discern the essence from the details.

[@nancyx8324]

you can read Maurice Meisner's work if you think other China experts aren't as qualified. His book "Mao's China and After" is quite objective.

[@rap3208]

The problem with "experts" on China is that they insist on looking at China through the western prism. China made a security pact with Solomon Islands and "China experts" deemed that as China starting its colonialism, they thought and really believed that because that's what they have done, is doing at present and would do in the future. China would lend money to an african nation and they fully believe it's a debt trap because that's what IMF has done through the decades. These chinese expert believe China has plans of exporting their political system to other countries because that's what the US have done ever since it first flexed its muscle as a superpower in the late 1800s. They always consider any move or activity of China as being done with nefarious reasons because it's what the US have done in their dealings with other nations.

[@thecrimsondragon9744]

By that logic, people with 'awkward' English pronunciation can't become experts on Britain or the English-speaking world.

[@leekenghoon]

In Greece the "citizens" exclude a majority of the "PEOPLE". Democracy as a form of government was definitely NOT in action. Greece was a full scale AUTOCRACY! Democracy can happen only in organizations of Small numbers. Large number of people spread out over large areas of land cannot practice democracy.

[@roberth7921]

he read through a junior high school Chinese history textbook, and became a professor in Chinese history?

[@c.a.4901]

"and there are seven kings five have fallen one is,and the other has not yet arrived but when he does arrive he must remain a short while

[@demlinnalo2030]

🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@sososo5688]

I reckon it is a pretty good short talk on 'Modern China', It is unfortunate that there are always people who belittle western scholars without any basis other then their personal opinion, blaming a 'western mindset', 'superficial ' without telling as what his 'deeper' opinion is etc., It is a very sad attitude and I am not sure if it is a predominant thinking amongst Chinese and in China. It seems any criticism of China must be wrong and has ulterior motives--or it just reflect the official opinion?

[@KenHuyn]

It is when it's inaccurate.

[@gujason1929]

So reading textbooks could make a lecture in the West?

[@MrDesmondPang]

This is quite a true and fair view about the recent development. I am sure a lot more stuff could have been addressed if there was more time for the talk. Thank you!

[@peterummur6799]

Pure br

[@peterummur6799]

Purely brilliant

[@ys29229]

Everything went well until the last part where the joke on award to Putin is really distaseful and unpleasant.

[@seaskyguy]

So Occidental

[@crazyme1361]

Great talk!

[@Spitsworth]

Tough crowd haha

[@zzero9438]

so basically what he's saying is: modernity=democracy, and china is not modern yet because it doesn't have democracy.

[@zier3360]

z h bro, you don't know anything. Only smart people and Chinese know whether we have democracy or not. You should go to China.

[@zzero9438]

calm down, i was only summering up his point so Others dont have to watch the Whole thing.

[@pureffecto]

democracy only makes a country's political system look legit and nice in appearance, according to western standards, (like the idea of universal suffrage sounds attractive). but democracy does not and cannot solve all the problems in a country. westerners tend to think of democracy as the solution to all problems. western media always too easily dismiss countries that solve problems without using democratic methods as un-modern. how narrow-minded they are.

[@mustafagenius2110]

Lifu Zhang well said

[@zzero9438]

democracy is only a tool certain countries use to control citizens of others, works just like religion.

[@johnpremberg1614]

Most amazingly, China ( not Mongols-early Manchus) has not warred against its civilised Neighbours (save against attacking northern Barbarians) for all its recorded history, unlike the europic-americ anticks.

[@davidjimenezarrivacanadasd4086]

el rana 😁😁😁😂porque ese nombre 😁😁😁😂 ranacuajo 😁😁😁cuando era niño 😂😂😁😁😂😂

[@josephinejwang8248]

1911 is more accurate for SungYat Song to establish The Thee People’s Principle! Kuo Min Tang under General Chiangmai Kai Chek appeared simultaneously with Mao! 1949 was when Mao took over China !

[@Guiesspe]

this man from India, talks about China, strange

[@wanghui562]

Indians are desperately striving to misinterpret Chinese history. Perhaps Buddhism was an important influence from Nepal, contemporary Indian culture has exactly zero influence on modern Chinese culture. Guo was condemned and so were his poems.

[@johnpremberg1614]

Just as Roman Catholicism evolved from ultra-montanism to ecumenicalism so to Chinese communism has evolved from Marxist-Maoism to Sinocommunitarianism.

[@MichaelZhuang]

Very good talk.

[@deadlykitten6546]

what a freaking waste of time, thought and expected higher quality from talks aimed at google employees, for a topic named "Modern China" this guy literelly just repeated the history, youd save much more time and get much more just read through the cina history wiki page

[@truthseeker7759]

Kon W... Yes I agree with you. I have commented more above

[@alloomis1635]

google employees are commonly computer freaks with little knowledge out side their field. adding a bit of world view to their employees is a good investment by gg.

[@TheMrzhangjason]

The. Last sentence still has the “be western or wither” mindset in it. So to sum it up , it’s a shitty talk. Time wasted.

[@truthseeker7759]

I did not listen as I know this guy by his little book. If you are correct then, imagine the students he is teaching at Oxford. He is a professor, what a wonderful world we live in

[@yuanchengzhang5728]

三七开的老毛

[@gaoleclan8101]

very dramatic acting and body gestures. lol

[@seaskyguy]

盲人摸象

[@manaskumarhaldar2725]

He can join Kishore Mahbubani of Singapore

[@ismeyo5146]

This snake oil trash.lol

[@VaxtorT]

Propaganda bullshit

[@chunglee7531]

It would be more appropriate to name : 現代獨裁,Morten dictatorship