China through the eyes of its most famous dissident | Ian Johnson

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ian Johnson discusses thelife of Liu Xiaobo, China’s sole laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize. Though Liu is hardly a household name in America, he is a pivotal figure for understanding modern China, Johnson argues. Johnson's recent ⁠review⁠ of I Have No Enemies, by Perry Link and Wu Dazhi (Columbia University Press), won the Washington Monthly’s ⁠2025 Kukula Award for Excellencein Nonfiction Book Reviewing⁠ for large publications.Host: Anne KimGuest: Journalist Ian JohnsonChapters:00:00 Introduction to Liu Xiaobo and His Significance03:47 The Life and Legacy of Liu Xiaobo06:44 Understanding Chinese History Through Liu Xiaobo09:42 Grassroots Activism and the Role of the Internet12:55 The Decline of Civil Society in China15:21 Future of Chinese Dissidents and Liu Xiaobo's Impact18:28 Engagement vs. Containment: American Perspectives on China21:20 China's Approach to Global Challenges and Future TechnologiesSubscribe to the Washington Monthly's podcast:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLonp7h9esu5hYFpElBTi8uC8HT5bSqpFQ&si=VMM10M3WJpqDN3RqRead the Washington Monthly:www.washingtonmonthly.comSubscribe to the Washington Monthly's PolicyFix playlist:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLonp7h9esu5j_rTTHx-0Vv_T_AyQqoRaO&si=AANgMFJ6G2_cOUM4Subscribe to the Washington Monthly's Democracy 101 playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLonp7h9esu5hW58ZQq-q8JVvn5eHWL5PL