Journalist Dai Qing and Deng Xiaoping in 1989: A Conversation between Ms. Dai Qing and Professor Rana Mitter

Join Dai Qing, Visiting Fellow at the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia at Harvard Kennedy School, and Rana Mitter, the ST Lee Chair in U.S.-Asia Relations at Harvard Kennedy School, for a conversation about the role of civil society in China and whether it can survive. Drawing on her experiences during China’s reform era, Dai Qing will reflect on becoming a prominent writer, activist and advocate for civil society amid the 1989 democracy movement and the broader period of Deng Xiaoping’s political dominance. She and Mitter will discuss the significance of that era nearly four decades later and how China has changed since.

A catered lunch will be available starting at 11:45am.

This event is co-sponsored by the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies.

Please note: This conversation will be in Chinese, with live computer-generated English translation displayed on a screen.

About the speakers:

Dai Qing is a Chinese investigative journalist, writer, and environmental activist, widely known for her opposition to the Three Gorges Dam project and her work on Chinese political history, press freedom, and civil society. She is a Visiting Fellow at the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia at Harvard Kennedy School.

Rana Mitter is the S.T. Lee Chair in U.S.-Asia Relations at Harvard Kennedy School.

Event Details 

This event is open to Harvard ID holders only and registration is required. This conversation will be in Chinese, with live computer-generated English translation displayed on a screen.

The Ash Center encourages individuals with disabilities to participate in its events. To inquire about an accommodation, please contact our events team at info@ash.harvard.edu prior to the event.

Additional questions? Email the Ash Center events team at info@ash.harvard.edu.