S8 Ep383: Anne Stevenson-Yang characterizes China’s history as a cyclical pattern of rising and crashing expectations, where eras of opening to the West—such as the 1890s and 1979—are inevitably followed by severe closures. She suggests that the current era represe

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

Society & Culture, Arts, News, Books

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🗓️ 28 January 2026

⏱️ 1 minutes

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Summary

Anne Stevenson-Yang characterizes China’s history as a cyclical pattern of rising and crashing expectations, where eras of opening to the West—such as the 1890s and 1979—are inevitably followed by severe closures. She suggests that the current era represents another downturn in this cycle, where the excitement and prospects previously celebrated by the international community are now being "smashed back down" as the country closes itself off again.
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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is John Batchel, a conversation with colleague Ann Stevenson Yang about the Chinese people
0:05.7	and their anticipation, their expectation, their celebration, and then the cycle of China
0:13.8	rising up and getting smashed back down again. Here, Anne explains, and we might be in the
0:19.7	smash back down again corridor. More of this tonight. Here, Anne explains, and we might be in the smashback down again corridor.
0:22.4	More of this tonight.
0:24.5	Well, I think you have to understand that the Chinese history, for as long as anyone can
0:30.4	remember, has been raised and dashed expectations. So, you know, you start to think, like in
0:36.8	the 1890s, China opens up to international
0:39.6	trade and everybody gets really excited about all the prospects and then, and then bam, it slams down.
0:46.1	And then, you know, around the communist revolution as well. And again, 1979, China opens up to the West.
0:53.9	Everybody's really excited. And everybody all of these prospects that they didn't have before.
1:01.1	And now that's really closing down.

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