The Hong Kong Crackdown — Five Years On

featuring
Mark L. Clifford 
President
Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation

Speaker’s summary:
Five years ago, Beijing imposed a sweeping National Security Law on Hong Kong — overnight transforming peaceful protest into “crime.” Since then, nearly 2,000 political prisoners have been jailed; more than 700 remain behind bars today.

Hong Kong has become a case study in authoritarian control — and how the Chinese Communist Party silences dissent. Once-guaranteed freedoms of speech, press, and religion have been dismantled. Lawyers, educators, and elected politicians have been imprisoned, independent newspapers shuttered, and journalists jailed. Our speaker, who had been editor in chief of both of Hong Kong’s English language newspapers, will provide an insider’s account of the city’s dramatic transformation. 

Speaker’s Bio:
Mark L. Clifford is president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, an NGO dedicated to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law for the people of Hong Kong. Previously, he was executive director of the Hong Kong–based Asia Business Council, and a board director at Next Digital, the Hong Kong media giant founded and majority-owned by Jimmy Lai. During his twenty-eight years in Hong Kong, he served as editor-in-chief of both English-language newspapers, the South China Morning Post and The Standard, of which he was also publisher. He holds a PhD in Hong Kong history from the University of Hong Kong. Clifford has won numerous journalism, academic, and book awards, and is the author of Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow the World: What China’s Crackdown Reveals About Its Plans to End Freedom Everywhere.

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The views expressed are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect East-West Center policies or positions.

The China Seminar was founded by Dr. Daniel W.Y. Kwok in 1977. Under his guidance, it became a signature program of the Friends of the East-West Center (FEWC) in 2009. The program provides an informal venue for China experts, such as scholars, diplomats, and journalists, to present talks on aspects of China that interest the community and members of the Friends. Topics include politics, economics, social issues, history, culture, food, arts, and many other subjects.

The Shifting Landscapes of AI in China and the US

featuring
Dr. Jingyan Elaine Yuan 
Professor & Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Communication
University of Illinois at Chicago

Speaker’s summary:
AI is set to drive the next technological revolution—reshaping economies, societies, and the global balance of power. In this talk, Dr. Yuan explores how China and the United States are pursuing AI along divergent paths. The US bets on breakthrough innovation, powered by private capital and tech giants racing to build ever-larger models and cloud infrastructures. China, by contrast, emphasizes rapid diffusion—leveraging open-source platforms to lower barriers, accelerate adoption, and align AI with national priorities and coordinated infrastructure developments. One strategy prizes frontier discovery, the other scale and integration. Together, they are defining a new technological rivalry that will shape the future.

Speaker’s Bio:
Dr. Jingyan Elaine Yuan is a Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research sits at the intersection of critical media studies, the political economy of technological development, and the cultural process of social change in global and comparative contexts. She is the author of the book The Web of Meaning: The Internet in a Changing Chinese Society (Toronto University Press, 2021), winner of the National Communication Association’s Outstanding Book Award.

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The views expressed are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect East-West Center policies or positions.

The China Seminar was founded by Dr. Daniel W.Y. Kwok in 1977. Under his guidance, it became a signature program of the Friends of the East-West Center (FEWC) in 2009. The program provides an informal venue for China experts, such as scholars, diplomats, and journalists, to present talks on aspects of China that interest the community and members of the Friends. Topics include politics, economics, social issues, history, culture, food, arts, and many other subjects.

We regret to inform you that the China Seminar scheduled for Thursday, September 11, has been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

Chinese Migration and America’s Souther Border

featuring
Mengyu Dong
East-West Center 2025 Melvin Goo Fellowship Recipient

Speaker’s summary:
In recent years, a growing number of Chinese migrants have been undertaking the overland route known as zouxian (“the walk route”) to the United States. Drawing on fieldwork in Latin America and along the U.S.-Mexico border, this talk explores how Chinese migrants navigate the long and dangerous journey. It traces the influence of social media on contemporary migration, as well as the informal infrastructures that emerge when official pathways narrow. The talk also examines how U.S. policy reverberates southward, reshaping choices, risks and alliances far from the border. Finally, it considers how recent policies have shaped migration and border dynamics.

Speaker’s Bio:
Mengyu Dong is a California-based journalist and researcher who writes about borders and migration. She is a recipient of East-West Center’s 2025 Melvin MS Goo Writing Fellowship and has reported from Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and U.S. border regions, documenting the journeys of migrants from China, Venezuela, Russia, Afghanistan, and beyond. Her work has appeared in various news outlets including the BBC, Initium Media, and others. She is currently working on a nonfiction book about the experiences of immigrants who arrived in the United States after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mengyu is a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University.

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The views expressed are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect East-West Center policies or positions.

The China Seminar was founded by Dr. Daniel W.Y. Kwok in 1977. Under his guidance, it became a signature program of the Friends of the East-West Center (FEWC) in 2009. The program provides an informal venue for China experts, such as scholars, diplomats, and journalists, to present talks on aspects of China that interest the community and members of the Friends. Topics include politics, economics, social issues, history, culture, food, arts, and many other subjects.