Episode Details

China has a long history of inviting barbarians in when useful, trying to civilize them, and then kicking them out when those barbarians prove difficult to domesticate.

As US-China relations sink to a new low and both powers seem obsessed with scoring propaganda points in the middle of global pandemic, Jeremiah and David discuss their lives in Beijing and what the future might hold for those folks living, writing, and working in China.

First, David looks back at the 1980s and 1990s, the rise of the foreign celebrity and how access has changed for researchers in the PRC. Jeremiah and David then reflect on their time as teachers here working with international university students studying in Beijing and discuss the closing of the remaining pockets of relative academic freedom that once existed. Finally, as the Chinese government expels foreign journalists and some stores and bars in China literally have closed their doors to foreigners, Jeremiah and David ask: Are we still welcome here?

Ps. We're still getting the hang of taping from two different locations. At about 20 minutes or so, Jeremiah's mic levels jump a few decibels. You may want to turn down the volume at that point. We'll get this right eventually.