Is the West Getting China Wrong? - Keyu Jin & Gideon Rachman | Intelligence Squared

China’s power has been growing for decades. A formidable and emerging power on the world stage, the China that most Westerners think they know is an intimidating, authoritarian nation which plans to take over the world. According to leading economist Keyu Jin, this prejudiced take on China is blinding the West from a true understanding of the country’s goals and intentions and could lead to unnecessary and destructive conflict.

In May 2023, Jin came to Intelligence Squared to discuss how stability and harmony are in fact the guiding principles of the Chinese economy. She shed light on how the one-child policy has shaped the ultra-competitive economic environment in China and why the Communist Party’s strong regulation of Big Tech puts it in a stronger position than the US to achieve global dominance in areas like technology and AI.

Jin was joined by Gideon Rachman as she gave us a unique insight into the mindset of the world’s rising superpower.

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[williamgarcia]

PROF. KEYU JIN, I ADMIRE N RESPECT U WISDOM. BRAVO TO U. FROM A HALF CHINESE FILIPINO. I RECEIVED CHINESE EDUCATION IN SCHINESE SCHOOLS IN MANILA. I ALSO STUDIED CHEMICAL ENGINEERING. N HAVE BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR HERE.

[patrickpingkuiling]

She is not only very intelligent, she presented her views n fact so clearly n straight forwardly that any viewers could understand. No beating around the bush, just staight honest truth.
Love her!! ❤

[johnc]

Keyu Jin is amazing! I truly wish she made her own YouTube channel. China needs native English speakers like her who can tell Chinas perspective well!

[NzePriddie]

@26:04 Trump seriously?. You’re telling me one man has the power to. change the sentiments of hundreds of millions of people. @26:22 then blames it on the west as a whole. I thought this was going to be a non-biased interview.

[andrewgeorge]

I hope in China there could be more people who can express themsevels in the language that could reach out to more audience.

[TheFantomRogue]

There's so much wisdom and clarity of thoughts when you listen to Prof Keyu Jin

[FairToComment]

“Since 1979, do you know how many times China has been at war with anybody?” Carter asked. “None. And we have stayed at war.”
He said the US has only enjoyed 16 years of peace in its 242-year history, making the country “the most warlike nation in the history of the world, ” Carter said. This is, he said, because of Washington’s tendency to force other nations to “adopt our American principles.”

[PravashLama-ig]

My ears are blessed to hear from kayu Jin. I always feel I am in a very big universal library reading different types of books when I hear from Keyu Jin. I wish the interview would never be finished with Keyu Jin. God blessing you Ma, m.

[dimiberberu]

Ai regulation 17:00 collective wisdom
Deploy most productive & educated force 18:00
Young Chinese loot at what's happening in the West & not impressed 24:40.

[DONTSASSMEBOI]

Jin was born in Beijing, China. Her father, Jin Liqun, is an economist and politician who previously served as the vice minister of finance of China and is the current president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

[kuri]

Any of the questions thrown at her could very easily lead down to common Western media talking points and it's amazing watching her defusing them one by one. I've also noticed the host slowing down mid-sentence several times changing his wording to avoid sounding judgemental, great display of respect and professionalism.

[btizviq]

One thing I don’t get is people always say US is so rich but if they are so rich then Why I see so many homeless people living on the street in US and why are people saying most Americans are living on pay check to pay check and why are most Americans have no savings and in deep credit card debt meanwhile most Chinese have savings and they don’t have credit card debt like the west thus please define rich again?

[hyn]

I watched this interview. As a native Chinese myself I don't think west hugely misunderstanding China(biased in some aspect maybe). In my opinion, what Miss.Jin trying to do here is just trying to rationalizing CCP's policy decisions, nothing new or different from those Wolf warrior diplomatists, only she is more gentle and sweet-soft.

[mikebacchus]

i am age 72 and was following US USSR AND China Politics since the Cuban missile crises also Vietnam US War. i appreciate her speaking about poverty pre 1980s yhat i followed because I was living in Canada since 1974 and Saw all the negatives but also facts on US Media. if US has 1.4 billions like China how would compare Their current per Capita growth to China now???😅😂

[mecarmel-by-the-sea]

The hardships that Ms. Jin described in the 1980s (even going back to 1949 after the CCP seized power) were all caused by the disastrous policies and measures of the CCP, nobody else to blame.

The West is not "getting China wrong". On the contrary, Western countries are now closer to recognizing the true colors of the CCP than at any time in their history. The so-called "misunderstandings" are becoming less and less, not more: this greatly benefit the West.

The only concern of the CCP, especially their tiny elite, is their political power, not anything else. The Western value system and political system are an existential threat to the CCP, so there is no so-called "mutually beneficial middle ground" between the CCP and the West, and only one side can exist in the future. No matter how Ms. Jin sugarcoats it, it can't cover up this cruel situation. In fact, the CCP's elite know it well.

[cspang]

When a person is arrogant, he thinks that he can easily take down the opponent without any logic thinking. And even worst when he realizes that he can't take the opponent down and becoming desperate complaining how wrong the opponent is with all the excuses to cover up himself.

[wingkei]

I hope the young Chinese Don't learn the young American. The drug's, Crime, guns shooting is out of control in America.

[rebym]

As a Westerner who lived in China, I found this very interesting and am most impressed with Jin Keyu, she has good insights into modern-day China. The interviewer however seemed to continuously focus on the negatives, so we didn't get to hear some of the positives of China that we can all learn from. Very typical of a Westerner, I'm afraid.

World Bank numbers show the percentage of China's GDP associated with manufacturing value-added at 27%, which is at odds with her statement that China is still primarily a manufacturing-based economy. I wish the interviewer knew enough to question her on this.

[williamy]

29:00 There is a misconception in the west that the CCP are so highly oppressive, that demonstration or social outburst is rare in China. In fact that is NOT the case in my experience.
While it is true the Chinese people are in general more receptive and the authority is much more condescending, in fact "social demonstration" is quite common when there is a "injustice" or social need by groups of people, eg factories not paying salary, villagers not happy with village head etc.
Like Keyu said, the social mechanism in China is for the authority to address the concerns raised when there is a social uprising. And the authorities are expected to act quick to resolve those uprising, or else they'll lose their job.
The quick removal of covid measure after the uprise has a positive note to the people, that it shows how quickly the authority can listen and act on social issues, although ideally they should have made it a much smoother process like in Singapore.

[svideotube]

West in not wrong about China. West has finally got it right about CCP's true global ambition.