Dori Jones Yang gave three talks about contemporary China aboard two Seabourn cruises off China’s coast in March and April 2024.

In her talks, Dori’s goal is to improve the chances of peace through better understanding of China. Here are the topics:

1. “China: The Next Superpower?” – China’s worldview, values, and ambitions, based in its unique history, differ from those of the West, where its economic modernization and military build-up have ignited worries. In this talk, Dori clarifies these differences and explains why it’s vital that we try to better understand China’s perspective on world issues.                                                                                                                
2. How and Why China Grew Strong” – Dori experienced China’s transformation firsthand, reporting from inside China during the years when Deng Xiaoping opened China to world trade, investments, and ideas. In 40 years, China grew from one of the world’s poorest countries to the second largest economy, without fighting a war. Dori examines how and why China defied expectations and grew far faster than expected – embracing capitalism but not democracy.                                                                                                                                                
3. “Beijing’s Relations with Hong Kong and Taiwan” – Dori shares her insights gained from covering the Sino-British negotiations over Hong Kong’s future and her perspective on how promises made then have played out before and after 1997, including the street protests of 2019. She also examines how the “Taiwan issue” looks from Beijing and Taipei, offering nuance and a fresh perspective.