Totally Glocally | On the Pulse of a Vibrant and Complex China - Interview with David Ownby

In this interview with Franz Böhm, David Ownby talks about Sino-American relations, the state of public intellectual debate in China, censorship, soft power, the impact of the Xi Jinping era on these issues and the challenges and opportunities he sees for the future. This interview took place as part of the ifa-programme TotallyGlocally www.ifa.de/en/...
David Ownby is a translator and author of the blog “Reading the China Dream”. He is honorary professor of Chinese History at the Center of East Asian Studies and the history department at the University of Montreal.
How much do people in Western societies know about the current public intellectual debates in China? While many Chinese speak English, consume Western cultural goods and are aware of public discourses in North America, Europe and Australia, the reverse isn't true. In 2018, David Ownby began translating writings by Chinese intellectuals into English, making the diversity and vibrancy of Chinese public debates accessible to non-Chinese speakers through his blog, despite the authoritarian context. He has now translated more than 7,000 pages on social, economic, political, environmental and philosophical issues.
This interview has been recorded at ifa in Stuttgart on April 25, 2024.
Video production - Wave Pictures Film production
Direction - Thomas Bünger
Camera - Bianca Naumann
Moderation - Franz Böhm
Editorial content - ifa