Contemporary China Review 2021 Summer Issue

Since its inaugural issue November 2020, through diligent effort and teamwork by our editors, our New York-based Contemporary China Review has published four issues in Chinese, and now the second issue in English. Contemporary China Review has established itself with a growing reputation, attracted attention from scholars and libraries (including Library of Congress) among the academia, drew recognition from experts in think tanks specialized in U.S.-China relations, and received praises among the community of Chinese-language publication worldwide. Contemporary China Review has been fulfilling its mission to provide independent Chinese intellectuals and scholars around the world with an open and free platform to discuss their research findings and express their opinions, especially now that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) totalitarian regime has almost completely suppressed the freedom of speech and freedom of press in the most parts of Chinese-speaking world. We are very excited to include in this issue many in-depth commentaries by various scholars and experts on current affairs in China and America.

This is the second issue of Contemporary China Review (Quarterly Journal) published by Bouden House in New York. We are very excited to include in this issue many in-depth commentaries by various scholars and experts on current affairs in China and America.

This summer is an unusual one. The Russian-Ukrainian war shifted from a stalemate to a strategic counter-offensive in Ukraine. Against the backdrop of this huge geopolitical conflict, Taiwan Strait relations also became tense again with the visit of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. The clamor for military unification with Taiwan by force in mainland China has been overwhelming. Xi Jinping's call with Biden conveyed that this is not the time for a full-blown crisis to break out. When war breaks out in the Taiwan Strait will depend on the CCP's mindset. However, once the CCP regime falls into the hands of an emperor for life, the outbreak of war will be unpredictable. In this issue, several articles analyze Xi Jinping's mentality, psychology, and personality, which provide a glimpse of the "dictatorial factor" behind the Taiwan Strait crisis. Another article analyzing the 50-year history of U.S.-China relations can also help readers understand the direction of U.S.-China relations and the background of the Taiwan Strait crisis. With the globalized economy at a crossroads, the CCP has taken a big step backward from a semi-market economy to a state-planned economy and is facing a huge economic crisis in the financial, manufactory to real estate sectors. To divert an economic, social, and political crisis, CCP will avoid internal crises with war. This issue presents a scholar monography that gives us a glimpse into the social psychology of the general public in mainland China today, especially the underestimated dynamics of the little pinko groups that are driving China toward the mistakes of war. Meanwhile, the misunderstanding and misperception of the "Chinese revolution" not only camouflage the legitimacy of the CCP regime but also feed into a false "institutional confidence" for Xi Jinping， who boasts to point out the direction of global development.

This is the Inaugural Issue of an English version of Contemporary China Review. Contemporary China Review was published by Bouden House in New York. A group of Chinese intellectuals have courageously stepped forward to overcome all difficulties and publish an independent periodical that seeks to discuss important issues relating to China openly and honestly.

The summer of 2022 is an unusual one. The Russian-Ukrainian war shifted from a stalemate to a strategic counter-offensive in Ukraine. Against the backdrop of this huge geopolitical conflict, Taiwan Strait also became tense again with the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. The clamor for military unification with Taiwan by force in mainland China has been overwhelming. Xi Jinping's call with Biden conveyed that this is not the time for a full-blown crisis to break out. When war breaks out in the Taiwan Strait will depend on the CCP's mindset. However, once the CCP regime falls into the hands of an emperor for life, the outbreak of war will be unpredictable. Several articles analyze Xi Jinping's mentality, psychology, and personality in this issue, which provide a glimpse of the "dictatorial factor" behind the Taiwan Strait crisis. Another article analyzing the 50-year history of US-China relations can also help readers understand the direction of US-China relations and the background of the Taiwan Strait crisis. With the globalized economy at a crossroads, the CCP has taken a big step backward from a semi-market economy to a state-planned economy and is facing a huge economic crisis in the financial, manufacturing to real estate sectors. To divert an economic, social, and political crisis, CCP will solve domestic crises with war. This issue presents a scholarly monography that gives us a glimpse into the social psychology of the general public in mainland China today, especially the underestimated dynamics of the little pinko groups that are driving China toward the mistaken path. Meanwhile, the misunderstanding and misperception of the "Chinese revolution" not only camouflage the legitimacy of the CCP regime but also feed into a false "institutional confidence" for Xi Jinping， who boasts to point out the direction of global development.

At the time of the publication of the English issue of "Contemporary China Review", domestic floods are rampant, causing thousands of people to suffer and die. Throughout thousands of years of Chinese civilization, emperors would issue a "self-critique proclamation during times of great disasters." Today's so-called "prosperous monarchs" are akin to France's Louis XV of the past, who famously said, "After I die, the deluge can come." For thousands of years, the Chinese have steadfastly believed in a cosmic principle: "Those who do injustice will meet their demise." People are the actors, and heaven is the observer. Recently, the author Guang Mu stated, in the afterword of the novel "The Gate to Rebirth", "The Chinese nationality is now at a turning point in a new era, at a historical moment to eliminate imperial authoritarianism. Every Chinese citizen is responsible for saving the Chinese nationality from being expelled from human civilization. They are obliged to promote truth and the natural order, ignite the beacon of righteousness in the world, and guide the Chinese nationality through the gate of rebirth into freedom and democracy."

Cultural China is a unique annual publication for up-to-date, informed and accessible commentary about Chinese and Sinophone languages, cultural practices, politics and production, and their critical analysis. It builds on the University of Westminster's Contemporary China Centre Blog, providing additional reflective introductory pieces to contextualise each of the seven chapters. The articles in this Review speak to the challenging and eventful year that was 2021 as it unfolded across cultural China. Thematically, they range from health and medicine, environment, food, children and parenting, via film, red culture and calls for action. Many of the articles in this book focus on the People's Republic of China, but they also draw attention to the multiple Chinese and Sinophone cultural practices that exist within, across, and beyond national borders. The Review is distinctive in its cultural studies-based approach and contributes a much-needed critical perspective from the Humanities to the study of cultural China. It aims to promote interdisciplinary dialogue and debate about the social, cultural, political, and historical dynamics that inform life in cultural China today, offering academics, activists, practitioners, and politicians a key reference with which to situate current events in and relating to cultural China in a wider context.

"Cultural China is a unique annual publication for up-to-date, informed and accessible commentary about Chinese and Sinophone languages, cultural practices, politics and production, and their critical analysis. It builds on the University of Westminster's Contemporary China Centre Blog, providing additional reflective introductory pieces to contextualise each of the seven chapters. The articles in this Review speak to the challenging and eventful year that was 2021 as it unfolded across cultural China. Thematically, they range from health and medicine, environment, food, children and parenting, via film, red culture and calls for action. Many of the articles in this book focus on the People's Republic of China, but they also draw attention to the multiple Chinese and Sinophone cultural practices that exist within, across, and beyond national borders. The Review is distinctive in its cultural studies-based approach and contributes a much-needed critical perspective from the Humanities to the study of cultural China. It aims to promote interdisciplinary dialogue and debate about the social, cultural, political, and historical dynamics that inform life in cultural China today, offering academics, activists, practitioners, and politicians a key reference with which to situate current events in and relating to cultural China in a wider context"--