The significant changes that have taken place in China over the past 100 days raise important questions about its political future and foreign relations. Since the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in October 2022 we have witnessed the consolidation of Xi Jinping’s central authority, the breakdown of collective political leadership, protests on the streets, and a total reversal of zero-Covid restrictions that few predicted, either inside or outside of China. Informed by on the ground experience in Beijing, this talk will reflect on these recent developments.

In June 1992 Chris Patten went to Hong Kong as the last British governor, to try to prepare it not (as other British colonies over the decades) for independence, but for handing back in 1997 to the Chinese, from whom most of its territory had been leased 99 years previously. Over the next five years he kept this diary. The book gives unprecedented insights into negotiating with the Chinese, about how the institutions of democracy in Hong Kong were (belatedly) strengthened and how Patten sought to ensure that a strong degree of self-government would continue after 1997.

Organized by: Research Centre for East Asian Cultures, St Anne’s College

The late Han scholar Zheng Xuan 鄭玄 (127–200) produced some of the best-known and most influential
commentaries to the Ru “Confucian” canonical texts (or “classics”, jing 經). It is well known that later
commentarial scholars from Wang Su 王肅 (195–256) onward disagreed with many of Zheng’s
interpretations of ritual and other points. This talk will present examples of Zheng’s commentaries on texts

Please join us for an insightful panel discussion, featuring three esteemed experts in British politics, who will provide a comprehensive analysis of the upcoming local British elections. Our panellists Stephen Fisher, Jane Green and Katy Balls will address key issues and trends that are shaping the current political landscape, and share their insights and predictions regarding the future of British politics.

What did the 1948 Arab-Israeli war look like to those observing it from outside of the Middle East? Did the war have the same impact in the international community as simultaneous conflicts throughout Asia and Europe? And why did countries with no immediate interests in the Middle East adopt policies for or against the creation of a Jewish state? This talk aims to answer these questions, and in so doing, demonstrates how the geo-political environment of the immediate postwar era globalized the Palestine Question, with consequences that reach up to the present day.

Does civil resistance work? Research emphasizes the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance over violent resistance in achieving campaign goals, with the seminal study Why Civil Resistance Works (WCRW) by Chenoweth and Stephan being the main point of reference to date. I revisit this pivotal finding in three steps. First, I reproduce WCRW’s results on nonviolent effectiveness. Second, I discuss how cases may have been overlooked due to a streetlight effect. Third, I quantify the results’ sensitivity using simulations.

Join us for a conversation with two of the most incisive minds in economics – Nobel laureate Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz and climate economist Lord Nicholas Stern, as they overturn conventional wisdom to demonstrate how taking strong action on climate change can enhance economic growth and lead to a happier and healthier society.