Some context

This post was inspired by a good friend of mine, James Barnard. A cognoscenti of history and the son of a Yale literature professor (his mother) and a cardiologist (his father), James is one of those people who is well informed on most topics. Needless to say, when he proffers advice, it is well considered and insightful.

I’d thought about creating a space to share my musings for some time, but when James raised the idea to me last Monday, it helped me realise that this project was one worth pursuing.

So why was I initially hesitant? It mostly has to do with vexation over what I see as a trend in our society to be hyper vociferous. That is, that we increasingly share opinions on topics we have little knowledge about just to get our two-cents in. In the face of such brazen opining, real experts can be drowned out and we devalue informed analysis.

But what makes a subject matter expert anyway? And how do we know when we adequate knowledge on a topic to share our opinion and for that to really constitute a valuable contribution? Does one require an undergraduate degree in the field, or a Masters degree, or a PHD? Should they have won recognition and awards? Do they require professional or lived experience, and if so, how many years?

The truth is what constitutes an expert is somewhat subjective; there is no black and white but instead shades of grey. In light of this ‘dilemma of expertise’, we should make a conscious effort to stay on the side of caution and withhold comment when we lack understanding. There is an opportunity cost if judged incorrectly.

Although we all like to appear intelligent at various times (I will be the first to admit I regularly fall into that trap) by being more open and honest when we don’t understand, we open the fastest door to learning. Not only do we benefit ourselves, but we also broadly improve the quality of social discourse. By simply withholding ill-informed ideas, we open space for real experts to expound, elucidate and share – and we are all winners when that happens.

Let me reiterate: sometimes not saying anything is a contribution!

Thus, it was with hesitation and contemplating the dilemma of expertise that I pondered the idea of a blog. I was won over however by James, who convinced me that I have something worth sharing. What is that exactly? Thoughts on Chinese politics, public policy and Chinese-English translations.

Why should I have a right to talk about this? Well, firstly I have lived experience. I was based in China for six years 2013 – 2019. During that time I was mostly based in Beijing, though travelled in 23 Chinese provinces and 47 cities. I received half of my tertiary education in China; a two year Masters degree at Peking University School of Government (right next door to the economics faculty where Chinese Premier Li Keqiang completed his PHD). I have professional experience; working for two years as a Manager of Government Affairs at HNA Group (a large Chinese state-affiliated business conglomerate) and a handful more employed as a due diligence analyst on Mainland China related transactions. My Chinese language skills are proficient (I have read eight Chinese novels in the past six months, most recently 20th century classics like Lao She, Mao Dun and Ba Jin), and I also work as a professional Chinese-English translator, completing work for BMW China, General Motors in Shanghai, and other companies.

I am by no means the most erudite foreign Sinologist around (one should look at individuals like Bill Bishop from Sinocism, James McGregor from APCO, Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn from Sinica, Michael Pettis from Carnegie-Tsinghua Center to understand the upper ranks of Sinology), but I am quite familiar with most topics in contemporary Chinese studies. Analysis in this domain is both my hobby and profession.

And so what follows will be a series of essays on contemporary Chinese issues. I will draw as much from Chinese-language source material as possible, trying to provide information and perspective that may not be accessible for those outside the field. The aim is to provide balanced, informative and laconic essays on China related topics.

I hope you enjoy them.

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