China policy matters too much to be left to the China hands. Those impacted by this policy will demand a say in its execution and aims.
This has happened already--and will keep happening.
Conversation
The challenge the field faces is not blocking out these nonexpert voices, but finding a healthy way to integrate them into existing debates.
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And that is what CST tries to do. To address the first challenge--the one in methods--we focus on the translation of open source documents.
A tremendous amount can be learned by reading what the Communist Party says to its own members.
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We are not the only institution or group to think this way: we are glad to join the ranks of CSIS, Reading the China Dream, CASI, and other groups with a similar vision.
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But translation is not enough! To address the second challenge-the challenge of integrating and informing new voices-we have built an interpretive apparatus to make translated material accessible to those with no special background in Communist politics or Chinese language.
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You can see this apparatus a translation like this one: strategictranslation.org/articles/china
Each translation is prefaced with an introduction that provides context about the author and their ideas. The links in the essay route to a glossary of key terms used in the translations.
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At the moment the glossary is small--it includes only the terms and slogans referenced in our first batch of translations--but it will grow with each new publication. We hope it will become a go-to resource for both experienced researchers and laymen alike.
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Come read our first batch of translations! Six speeches given by eminent Chinese academics on the topic of "great changes unseen in a century." The slogan has dominated CPC assessments of world affairs since 2017. But what does it mean?
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In 2019, two state think tanks asked these academics to explain, in plain language, what the "great changes" really meant. Their discussion of this slogan ranges from Trumpism and social justice politics to the future of AI.
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Read our introduction to this roundtable and translations of the six pieces here:
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Follow or our newsletter (strategictranslation.substack.com) to stay updated on our most recent translations!
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