A Return After Nearly a Decade to a Country That Never Stays Still - A personal journey returning to China after 8 years reveals dramatic transformations in technology, urban spaces, and social dynamics as the country charts its own development path.
A well-written piece that puts a lot of my own feelings into far more articulate words. This in particular resonated: “This created a strange paradox: I was physically present in China, but digitally semi-existent—capable of observing the ecosystem but not fully participating in it. A digital half-life.”
I spent some months in China too last year and I speak a fair bit of Chinese and heres my take: chinese people are pretty stressed, the us government peeps seem absolutely hellbent on snubbing the chinese dudes at every turn. I remember an event at Tsinghua university where the US ambassador was meant to speak where the chinese vice minister of education had an hour long speech about how good the US was, which was followed by a confusing half hour of people waiting around for the US ambassador to arrive before realizing that he’d decided to not show up and not even deign to inform the Chinese about it, which made even me as a dude in the audience feel second hand embarrassment. Xi jinping thought is pretty prevalent if you can read characters, but people by and large are still pretty friendly to foreigners. Honestly the thing that got me was more that everyone was super uncertain about what the future was looking like: XJP never does press conferences and doesn’t publish anything so people are unsure if he likes capitalism or not or what exactly his plan is, and Biden kept making combative statements about everything. I think you’re picking up on that uncertainty but not the origins of it
Thank you so much for reading and sharing. Would love to read about your views traveling there. If you haven’t written about them, please consider doing so!
>an event at Tsinghua university where the US ambassador was meant to speak where the chinese vice minister of education had an hour long speech about how good the US was, which was followed by a confusing half hour of people waiting around for the US ambassador to arrive before realizing that he’d decided to not show up and not even deign to inform the Chinese about it
As an American, I don't understand why America has to be like this to other countries
Americans in America by and large are super nice and humble and even abroad they’re usually really friendly(some of the friendliest people in the world!) but Official Americans are the least friendly officials - they re always super puffed up with an overinflated opinion of their own importance and intelligence. But thats probably why even Americans hate Official Americans. (trumps two elections being essentially referendas on Official Americans)
Right but it's all contradictory: Of the few things he's published, half of it is: "we must strengthen the state", the other half is "we must improve the economy", and a bunch of ecological stuff thrown in as well.
Like this is his 14 commitments:
- Ensuring Communist Party of China leadership over all forms of work in China.
- The Communist Party of China should take a people-centric approach for the public interest.
- The continuation of "comprehensive deepening of reforms".
- Adopting new science-based ideas for "innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development".
- Following "socialism with Chinese characteristics" with "people as the masters of the country".
- Governing China with the Rule of Law.
- "Practise socialist core values", including Marxism–Leninism and socialism with Chinese characteristics.
- "Improving people's livelihood and well-being is the primary goal of development".
- Coexist well with nature with "energy conservation and environmental protection" policies and "contribute to global ecological safety".
- Strengthen the national security of China.
- The Communist Party of China should have "absolute leadership over" China's People's Liberation Army.
- Promoting the one country, two systems system for Hong Kong and Macau with a future of "complete national reunification" and to follow the One-China principle and 1992 Consensus for Taiwan.
- Establish a common destiny between the Chinese people and other peoples around the world with a "peaceful international environment".
- Improve party discipline in the Communist Party of China.[26]
All good stuff, but arguably super self-contradictory: rule of law and rule of party, innovation and wellbeing but also green, be socialist and capitalist at the same time(continue reform and opening up and go back to socialism at the same time?) It makes it hard to figure out what he actually wants to do with China. Also he rarely does press conferences.
Soulful elegy, and having been living in China since 1983, I share the feelings. Somehow reminds me of "Beijing, City of lingering splendor" by John Blofeld and its nostalgia from another age.
Thank you for reading and for the kind comment. 1983–wow! I can’t imagine all the changes you’ve seen. I’ll have to read the Blofeld book. Thank you for the recommendation.
Not bad, reasonably astute, but the thrust of the piece is about Beijing and Shanghai. Wuhan, where I live, offers all the stuff missed, if you know where to go.
What one should do nowadays, is ditch Beijing for sure. Head to the countryside...West Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan...go to Jingdezhen!... or Mogoshan where there seems to be more coffee parlors than people.
Nothing doesn't change. Wondering what happened to the place one knew 10 years ago is missing what China is.
Thanks for reading and sharing! Unfortunately I only got to spend 48 hours in Wuhan and still don’t feel like I have too many thoughtful things to say about it. I will just say that it is too big and too vast to generalize. Maybe one day I’ll get to explore it more.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound harsh. Wuhan is a weird city, because it's actually 3 cities each with its own scene, and you're right...it's sprawled out all over the place and it takes months to figure out what's happening and where. It's a city of villages. Basically, Hubei is poor and the the entire province kinda moved into Wuhan and brought with it a lot of the countryside. It can go from being village to remarkably urbane and cosmo, and back again in wild swings. It's kind of an ugly city in some ways due to its completely breakneck development, where I think the government is trying to make it a 1st tier city. 15 years ago, there was still just the one bridge from the Mao era. Now, there's 13 and the 3 boroughs are starting to feel more like one city. It's not the most interesting city, but it's got its charms. It's kinda like the Chicago of China, right in middle and hard core.
Thanks for sharing! That sounds fascinating. I am interested in learning more. And I hope more people learn about Wuhan beyond COVID. There’s clearly a lot to the place.
What a beautiful article, written with insights, humour and respect! I had the chance to live in China for several years, we had to leave because of Covid and returned for family reasons earlier this year. My observations were similar: What a change in many respects mainly visible in the big cities; without a Chinese ID and Alipay I had to follow my wife like a toddler. While walking the streets one barista took pity and accepted my cash and, after using his personal smartphone and app to order my coffee at the end of the transaction proceeded to go wash his hands ( probably part of the hygiene procedure ?🥴). I also observed the vanishing of the foreigner community and the diminished English proficiency, even in 5 star hotels. But by and large people were friendly and helpful even though they probably thought I was American, which I am not. One unique experience I had thanks to my stepson: A ride in a robo-taxi in Shenzhen which was remarkable.
I am an Australian who moved to Thailand in 2004. I lived there for 12 years. I watched it change just like what you are describing in your article. As the middle class grew they needed foreigners less. Only those that were useful were allowed to stay.
From 2016 to 2020 I lived in Cambodia and it felt like a primitive Thailand. I returned to Australia during covid and found myself homeless for 2 and a half years. I returned to Cambodia in April 2024. I returned to the town I live before covid to find it had been taken over by the western gangs but that is another story.
One year later, the present, has seen large scale attempts to get these Europeans out of this little town. I am OK as I have local friends who are well respected in society.
Cambodia is changing in the same way that Thailand and China are changing.
The west is no longer needed.
It is disappointing but understandable considering how the European influence has treated Asian culture over the past 200 years.
Cambodia is doing away with paper money. We scan most stuff these days. Ferry systems are now available between Asean countries. Train lines are starting to be improved although Cambodia will develop its river systems over rail. They are doing this with the help of China. The Mekong river is becoming a major transport route from China through LAOS, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
I can see you love China, and this piece comes from this place of love and nostalgia.
If a city I loved changed so much over a short period to the point where I didn’t recognize it, I’d be heartbroken.
I also think you’re trying to be fair when describing these changes and whether they’re positive or not.
I have a question: do you have any material on China’s political system and how it functions to recommend? Trustworthy and objective ones?
Most of what I read about China from a Western perspective reinforces the idea of it as a totalitarian regime when compared to liberal Western countries. But every once in a while, an author points out how protesting is very common in China (not only contemporarily but throughout history), how people’s participation in local politics is noteworthy, and how their material influence on public policy exceeds what one would expect. I don’t remember the names to give credit (I should have saved the pieces).
Coming from a country where I can vote every four years, but politicians are not accountable for their campaign promises, and where overall economic policy isn’t influenced by the people—while simultaneously having all my data hoarded by private foreign companies that act exclusively in their own self-interest with no accountability to the public—makes me jaded about Western freedom.
I don’t doubt China has its own flavor of undemocratic control, but I’d like to understand it better before forming an opinion. I don’t discount the possibility that it isn’t better than European countries, for instance, but I don’t assume it’s worse than the US either. I’d truly like to understand it.
Thanks so much for this thoughtful question—and I’ll be honest upfront: my answer may feel unsatisfying. Not because I don’t take the question seriously, but because I don’t believe there’s a single, clear, trustworthy source that can fully explain how China’s political system works in all its complexity. The truth is, we’re operating in an information environment shaped by deep asymmetries, limited access, and significant censorship—both inside and outside China.
Add to that the sheer scale and complexity of China itself, and you end up with a situation where multiple truths can coexist. Depending on what lens you’re using—human rights, climate policy, tech innovation, rural development, or urban planning—you’ll come away with very different, sometimes contradictory, perspectives. And all of them may contain some degree of truth.
Because of this, I’d hesitate to point to any one author or source as “the” definitive guide. What I’d recommend instead is reading widely and across ideological, national, and disciplinary lines. Ask yourself: Who is this writer? What institution are they affiliated with? What are the incentives or constraints of that institution? What country are they writing from, and how does that shape their view of China?
It’s also worth exploring writers from outside the U.S.-Europe axis—voices from Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Global South who often have very different relationships with China and different political frames. These perspectives can offer important nuance that’s missing from the dominant U.S.-China or China-EU binary.
As you read, notice your own reactions. If something immediately resonates with you, sit with it. Try to figure out why it feels right. If something rubs you the wrong way, don’t discard it right away—ask what kind of evidence would be needed to either accept or reject that position. In both cases, identify the gaps: What are you missing? What would help you better understand?
I also recommend talking to people. Scholars, yes—but also travelers, diaspora communities, people who’ve lived and worked in China, people from different walks of life. They’ll have very different impressions and anecdotes that help you piece things together.
And finally, be aware that China isn’t monolithic. My reflections are based on time spent in a few major cities. Someone living in a rural province or working in a township-level government would have a completely different vantage point.
I wish I could give you a clean answer—“Read this, and you’ll understand.” But that would be misleading. What I can say is: approach it like a puzzle. Read as widely as you can. Sit with contradiction. Understand each argument in its own context. Notice what’s said—and what isn’t. Pay attention to structure, incentives, blind spots.
This kind of work is slow and imperfect. But in a fragmented information environment, it’s also necessary. And worthwhile.
Thank you for such a nice and genuine piece. A lot of detailed observations in merely two weeks, and very thoughtfully articulated.
No one living in China in 2008s would dare imagine how it is today, but we may say the same for US and many other places. As millennial what surprised me is the world trajectory changes so much faster and fiercer than our own life.
I appreciate the fact China didn’t end up becoming a Chinese speaking America or Japan, although I know many of my Chinese friends would prefer rather that than what China is today. I do have concern the sense of China feels developed and stagnating as you said, I hope it can find its way to keep evolving, which will make the world interesting and better in the long run.
Thank you for reading and for your thoughtful comment. I’m a millennial as well and if I went back ten years in time to tell myself what happens in the world I would’ve not believed it. The world indeed has changed significantly and quickly.
Many years ago, I lived in Shanghai as an expat on a job rotation for 3 months. Your writing is vivid and insightful and reminded me of the constant building and change I saw during just the short time I was there. Nice article, Natalia!
China has recently changed laws to make travel easier for foreigners. WeChat pay and Alipay now link seamlessly to foreign credit cards. If you happen to land in Shanghai, there is a one-stop shop for foreigners that will help you set everything up. Any hotel 3 star and above is now required to accept foreigners. Most banks have a sign saying they can help foreigners with any problems. Visa free visits are available for many countries.
Beijing is very different than the rest of China. The city government has taken a lot of steps to restrict “non-capital”functions. Many of the little hutong restaurants and farmers markets have been shut down. The farmland north of the city, where I used to ride my bike frequently, has now been developed into elegant office blocks, especially Future Science City. I lived for a long time in Washington, which is not a very vibrant city either and has been progressively stultifying since 911.
But, the rest of China has, in my view, changed only for the better. I am a retired American now living in a small town in Yunnan province. There is a very vibrant, pedestrian-only downtown. There are large parks, very well used by the public. A high speed rail and good highways pass by on the outskirts of town. The hsr now can scan foreign passports. I’ve gotten to know local and provincial government officials, who are all friendly and open—mostly interested in business development.
Thanks for the insight, and not surprised. China changes quickly and I can see certain parts of government and society seek to open up more again for various reasons. As I shared in the article, this trip was last September, so two years in China time math :) I will be curious to see whether that leads to more foreigners going and staying to live there. Maybe we will know by the end of the year!
Some of the most important commentary I’ve read on China in years. In the 2000s I rented a Beijing flat and lived there trying to learn the language. I remember funky Beijing with tremendous affection. But, as you say, this was just a chapter, and not importantly in my life, but in the life of the Chinese people.
Time-depth. Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I visited a calligraphy museum on the Nanjing Lu, Shanghai. I was particularly impressed in my barbaric way with one of the pieces, and contacted the calligrapher. He invited us to lunch, which was over on the other side - a piece of farmland which is now. . . . Pudong. So my Shanghai memories go back to before Pudong was anything other than fields. PS. My wife went to Fudan Uni back in the early 1980s! Not quite grenade throwing classes for her, but not far off. Geming bushi quing ke che fan!
"...they were living in a country that no longer expected anything exceptional from them beyond compliance." This is the result of the frightening combination of totalitarianism and high technology that is China today. China is just like the old Soviet Union but with modern technology that can monitor every transaction, conversation and movement. I am so happy I live in free countries.
China being fully integrated digitally was my first impression too. I went to my hometown Chengdu for just over 3 weeks this April and the full-stack experience, with all the glitz and the glam from everything being brand new, made my head spin. I didn't have the experience of glitching in and out of WeChat or Alipay the way you did despite also not owning Chinese bank accounts, but perhaps it's because I am a former Chinese national. I'm just American now.
"China-time" is also astute. 9 years ago was the last time I went; meant to return in Summer 2020 but COVID-19 took care of that. 9 years was more than enough for Chengdu to fully build out the metro rail. 4 more lines are opening this summer, maybe they've already opened. I can't fathom a project like that happening in the U.S., no matter the timescale.
Perhaps because of the actual and political distance Chengdu has from Beijing, I felt the city quite lively despite being sanitized and new. Great energy abound. I don't know how internationals fare in Chengdu though, so can't confirm whether that flame burned out or not.
Great piece, thank you for writing it. I find the nostalgic, somber tone at times befitting. I feel that way thinking about China as well, sometimes.
A lovely long read. I visited Shanghai last fall for the first time. (I didn’t see you there.) My experience echos yours. Two things I’d add to your description: the subways have English signs and announcements; and people asked me if there is going to be a war. Twice! They are anxious as well as nervous about work.
A well-written piece that puts a lot of my own feelings into far more articulate words. This in particular resonated: “This created a strange paradox: I was physically present in China, but digitally semi-existent—capable of observing the ecosystem but not fully participating in it. A digital half-life.”
💕
I spent some months in China too last year and I speak a fair bit of Chinese and heres my take: chinese people are pretty stressed, the us government peeps seem absolutely hellbent on snubbing the chinese dudes at every turn. I remember an event at Tsinghua university where the US ambassador was meant to speak where the chinese vice minister of education had an hour long speech about how good the US was, which was followed by a confusing half hour of people waiting around for the US ambassador to arrive before realizing that he’d decided to not show up and not even deign to inform the Chinese about it, which made even me as a dude in the audience feel second hand embarrassment. Xi jinping thought is pretty prevalent if you can read characters, but people by and large are still pretty friendly to foreigners. Honestly the thing that got me was more that everyone was super uncertain about what the future was looking like: XJP never does press conferences and doesn’t publish anything so people are unsure if he likes capitalism or not or what exactly his plan is, and Biden kept making combative statements about everything. I think you’re picking up on that uncertainty but not the origins of it
Thank you so much for reading and sharing. Would love to read about your views traveling there. If you haven’t written about them, please consider doing so!
>an event at Tsinghua university where the US ambassador was meant to speak where the chinese vice minister of education had an hour long speech about how good the US was, which was followed by a confusing half hour of people waiting around for the US ambassador to arrive before realizing that he’d decided to not show up and not even deign to inform the Chinese about it
As an American, I don't understand why America has to be like this to other countries
Americans in America by and large are super nice and humble and even abroad they’re usually really friendly(some of the friendliest people in the world!) but Official Americans are the least friendly officials - they re always super puffed up with an overinflated opinion of their own importance and intelligence. But thats probably why even Americans hate Official Americans. (trumps two elections being essentially referendas on Official Americans)
Consult Xi Jinping: The Governance of China.
Right but it's all contradictory: Of the few things he's published, half of it is: "we must strengthen the state", the other half is "we must improve the economy", and a bunch of ecological stuff thrown in as well.
Like this is his 14 commitments:
- Ensuring Communist Party of China leadership over all forms of work in China.
- The Communist Party of China should take a people-centric approach for the public interest.
- The continuation of "comprehensive deepening of reforms".
- Adopting new science-based ideas for "innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development".
- Following "socialism with Chinese characteristics" with "people as the masters of the country".
- Governing China with the Rule of Law.
- "Practise socialist core values", including Marxism–Leninism and socialism with Chinese characteristics.
- "Improving people's livelihood and well-being is the primary goal of development".
- Coexist well with nature with "energy conservation and environmental protection" policies and "contribute to global ecological safety".
- Strengthen the national security of China.
- The Communist Party of China should have "absolute leadership over" China's People's Liberation Army.
- Promoting the one country, two systems system for Hong Kong and Macau with a future of "complete national reunification" and to follow the One-China principle and 1992 Consensus for Taiwan.
- Establish a common destiny between the Chinese people and other peoples around the world with a "peaceful international environment".
- Improve party discipline in the Communist Party of China.[26]
All good stuff, but arguably super self-contradictory: rule of law and rule of party, innovation and wellbeing but also green, be socialist and capitalist at the same time(continue reform and opening up and go back to socialism at the same time?) It makes it hard to figure out what he actually wants to do with China. Also he rarely does press conferences.
I'm hopeful tho that it'll end well in the end.
Wonderful piece Natalia. “optimized at the cost of its soul” Thank you for sharing your observations from your trip, very valuable in this time.
Thanks for reading!
Soulful elegy, and having been living in China since 1983, I share the feelings. Somehow reminds me of "Beijing, City of lingering splendor" by John Blofeld and its nostalgia from another age.
Thank you for reading and for the kind comment. 1983–wow! I can’t imagine all the changes you’ve seen. I’ll have to read the Blofeld book. Thank you for the recommendation.
Also "The Years that were Fat" by George Kate's. He ended up as a pretty fair Chinese scholar at the end of his years in Beijing
Kates.
Not bad, reasonably astute, but the thrust of the piece is about Beijing and Shanghai. Wuhan, where I live, offers all the stuff missed, if you know where to go.
What one should do nowadays, is ditch Beijing for sure. Head to the countryside...West Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan...go to Jingdezhen!... or Mogoshan where there seems to be more coffee parlors than people.
Nothing doesn't change. Wondering what happened to the place one knew 10 years ago is missing what China is.
Thanks for reading and sharing! Unfortunately I only got to spend 48 hours in Wuhan and still don’t feel like I have too many thoughtful things to say about it. I will just say that it is too big and too vast to generalize. Maybe one day I’ll get to explore it more.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound harsh. Wuhan is a weird city, because it's actually 3 cities each with its own scene, and you're right...it's sprawled out all over the place and it takes months to figure out what's happening and where. It's a city of villages. Basically, Hubei is poor and the the entire province kinda moved into Wuhan and brought with it a lot of the countryside. It can go from being village to remarkably urbane and cosmo, and back again in wild swings. It's kind of an ugly city in some ways due to its completely breakneck development, where I think the government is trying to make it a 1st tier city. 15 years ago, there was still just the one bridge from the Mao era. Now, there's 13 and the 3 boroughs are starting to feel more like one city. It's not the most interesting city, but it's got its charms. It's kinda like the Chicago of China, right in middle and hard core.
Thanks for sharing! That sounds fascinating. I am interested in learning more. And I hope more people learn about Wuhan beyond COVID. There’s clearly a lot to the place.
What a beautiful article, written with insights, humour and respect! I had the chance to live in China for several years, we had to leave because of Covid and returned for family reasons earlier this year. My observations were similar: What a change in many respects mainly visible in the big cities; without a Chinese ID and Alipay I had to follow my wife like a toddler. While walking the streets one barista took pity and accepted my cash and, after using his personal smartphone and app to order my coffee at the end of the transaction proceeded to go wash his hands ( probably part of the hygiene procedure ?🥴). I also observed the vanishing of the foreigner community and the diminished English proficiency, even in 5 star hotels. But by and large people were friendly and helpful even though they probably thought I was American, which I am not. One unique experience I had thanks to my stepson: A ride in a robo-taxi in Shenzhen which was remarkable.
Again thanks for your eloquent report. Jak
Yeah, the robo taxis are awesome. Spooky at first, but they work fine.
Thank you for your kind words! Glad this resonated with you. The robotaxi experience sounds crazy!
I am an Australian who moved to Thailand in 2004. I lived there for 12 years. I watched it change just like what you are describing in your article. As the middle class grew they needed foreigners less. Only those that were useful were allowed to stay.
From 2016 to 2020 I lived in Cambodia and it felt like a primitive Thailand. I returned to Australia during covid and found myself homeless for 2 and a half years. I returned to Cambodia in April 2024. I returned to the town I live before covid to find it had been taken over by the western gangs but that is another story.
One year later, the present, has seen large scale attempts to get these Europeans out of this little town. I am OK as I have local friends who are well respected in society.
Cambodia is changing in the same way that Thailand and China are changing.
The west is no longer needed.
It is disappointing but understandable considering how the European influence has treated Asian culture over the past 200 years.
Cambodia is doing away with paper money. We scan most stuff these days. Ferry systems are now available between Asean countries. Train lines are starting to be improved although Cambodia will develop its river systems over rail. They are doing this with the help of China. The Mekong river is becoming a major transport route from China through LAOS, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Fascinating, thanks for sharing.
I can see you love China, and this piece comes from this place of love and nostalgia.
If a city I loved changed so much over a short period to the point where I didn’t recognize it, I’d be heartbroken.
I also think you’re trying to be fair when describing these changes and whether they’re positive or not.
I have a question: do you have any material on China’s political system and how it functions to recommend? Trustworthy and objective ones?
Most of what I read about China from a Western perspective reinforces the idea of it as a totalitarian regime when compared to liberal Western countries. But every once in a while, an author points out how protesting is very common in China (not only contemporarily but throughout history), how people’s participation in local politics is noteworthy, and how their material influence on public policy exceeds what one would expect. I don’t remember the names to give credit (I should have saved the pieces).
Coming from a country where I can vote every four years, but politicians are not accountable for their campaign promises, and where overall economic policy isn’t influenced by the people—while simultaneously having all my data hoarded by private foreign companies that act exclusively in their own self-interest with no accountability to the public—makes me jaded about Western freedom.
I don’t doubt China has its own flavor of undemocratic control, but I’d like to understand it better before forming an opinion. I don’t discount the possibility that it isn’t better than European countries, for instance, but I don’t assume it’s worse than the US either. I’d truly like to understand it.
Thanks so much for this thoughtful question—and I’ll be honest upfront: my answer may feel unsatisfying. Not because I don’t take the question seriously, but because I don’t believe there’s a single, clear, trustworthy source that can fully explain how China’s political system works in all its complexity. The truth is, we’re operating in an information environment shaped by deep asymmetries, limited access, and significant censorship—both inside and outside China.
Add to that the sheer scale and complexity of China itself, and you end up with a situation where multiple truths can coexist. Depending on what lens you’re using—human rights, climate policy, tech innovation, rural development, or urban planning—you’ll come away with very different, sometimes contradictory, perspectives. And all of them may contain some degree of truth.
Because of this, I’d hesitate to point to any one author or source as “the” definitive guide. What I’d recommend instead is reading widely and across ideological, national, and disciplinary lines. Ask yourself: Who is this writer? What institution are they affiliated with? What are the incentives or constraints of that institution? What country are they writing from, and how does that shape their view of China?
It’s also worth exploring writers from outside the U.S.-Europe axis—voices from Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Global South who often have very different relationships with China and different political frames. These perspectives can offer important nuance that’s missing from the dominant U.S.-China or China-EU binary.
As you read, notice your own reactions. If something immediately resonates with you, sit with it. Try to figure out why it feels right. If something rubs you the wrong way, don’t discard it right away—ask what kind of evidence would be needed to either accept or reject that position. In both cases, identify the gaps: What are you missing? What would help you better understand?
I also recommend talking to people. Scholars, yes—but also travelers, diaspora communities, people who’ve lived and worked in China, people from different walks of life. They’ll have very different impressions and anecdotes that help you piece things together.
And finally, be aware that China isn’t monolithic. My reflections are based on time spent in a few major cities. Someone living in a rural province or working in a township-level government would have a completely different vantage point.
I wish I could give you a clean answer—“Read this, and you’ll understand.” But that would be misleading. What I can say is: approach it like a puzzle. Read as widely as you can. Sit with contradiction. Understand each argument in its own context. Notice what’s said—and what isn’t. Pay attention to structure, incentives, blind spots.
This kind of work is slow and imperfect. But in a fragmented information environment, it’s also necessary. And worthwhile.
Thank you for your answer!
Thank you for such a nice and genuine piece. A lot of detailed observations in merely two weeks, and very thoughtfully articulated.
No one living in China in 2008s would dare imagine how it is today, but we may say the same for US and many other places. As millennial what surprised me is the world trajectory changes so much faster and fiercer than our own life.
I appreciate the fact China didn’t end up becoming a Chinese speaking America or Japan, although I know many of my Chinese friends would prefer rather that than what China is today. I do have concern the sense of China feels developed and stagnating as you said, I hope it can find its way to keep evolving, which will make the world interesting and better in the long run.
Thank you for reading and for your thoughtful comment. I’m a millennial as well and if I went back ten years in time to tell myself what happens in the world I would’ve not believed it. The world indeed has changed significantly and quickly.
Many years ago, I lived in Shanghai as an expat on a job rotation for 3 months. Your writing is vivid and insightful and reminded me of the constant building and change I saw during just the short time I was there. Nice article, Natalia!
Thank you, Karen! Appreciate it
China has recently changed laws to make travel easier for foreigners. WeChat pay and Alipay now link seamlessly to foreign credit cards. If you happen to land in Shanghai, there is a one-stop shop for foreigners that will help you set everything up. Any hotel 3 star and above is now required to accept foreigners. Most banks have a sign saying they can help foreigners with any problems. Visa free visits are available for many countries.
Beijing is very different than the rest of China. The city government has taken a lot of steps to restrict “non-capital”functions. Many of the little hutong restaurants and farmers markets have been shut down. The farmland north of the city, where I used to ride my bike frequently, has now been developed into elegant office blocks, especially Future Science City. I lived for a long time in Washington, which is not a very vibrant city either and has been progressively stultifying since 911.
But, the rest of China has, in my view, changed only for the better. I am a retired American now living in a small town in Yunnan province. There is a very vibrant, pedestrian-only downtown. There are large parks, very well used by the public. A high speed rail and good highways pass by on the outskirts of town. The hsr now can scan foreign passports. I’ve gotten to know local and provincial government officials, who are all friendly and open—mostly interested in business development.
Thanks for the insight, and not surprised. China changes quickly and I can see certain parts of government and society seek to open up more again for various reasons. As I shared in the article, this trip was last September, so two years in China time math :) I will be curious to see whether that leads to more foreigners going and staying to live there. Maybe we will know by the end of the year!
Some of the most important commentary I’ve read on China in years. In the 2000s I rented a Beijing flat and lived there trying to learn the language. I remember funky Beijing with tremendous affection. But, as you say, this was just a chapter, and not importantly in my life, but in the life of the Chinese people.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Time-depth. Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I visited a calligraphy museum on the Nanjing Lu, Shanghai. I was particularly impressed in my barbaric way with one of the pieces, and contacted the calligrapher. He invited us to lunch, which was over on the other side - a piece of farmland which is now. . . . Pudong. So my Shanghai memories go back to before Pudong was anything other than fields. PS. My wife went to Fudan Uni back in the early 1980s! Not quite grenade throwing classes for her, but not far off. Geming bushi quing ke che fan!
Wow! Thanks for sharing this anecdote.
"...they were living in a country that no longer expected anything exceptional from them beyond compliance." This is the result of the frightening combination of totalitarianism and high technology that is China today. China is just like the old Soviet Union but with modern technology that can monitor every transaction, conversation and movement. I am so happy I live in free countries.
Agree, although I think techno-authoritarianism is coming for a lot of the world. In some ways it felt like peeking into the future. Disconcerting.
Natalia you are brilliant. Just brilliant. I'm proud to have known you during one of your China chapters.
That’s so sweet 💕 thanks for reading. Glad to have overlapped in our China chapter :)
China being fully integrated digitally was my first impression too. I went to my hometown Chengdu for just over 3 weeks this April and the full-stack experience, with all the glitz and the glam from everything being brand new, made my head spin. I didn't have the experience of glitching in and out of WeChat or Alipay the way you did despite also not owning Chinese bank accounts, but perhaps it's because I am a former Chinese national. I'm just American now.
"China-time" is also astute. 9 years ago was the last time I went; meant to return in Summer 2020 but COVID-19 took care of that. 9 years was more than enough for Chengdu to fully build out the metro rail. 4 more lines are opening this summer, maybe they've already opened. I can't fathom a project like that happening in the U.S., no matter the timescale.
Perhaps because of the actual and political distance Chengdu has from Beijing, I felt the city quite lively despite being sanitized and new. Great energy abound. I don't know how internationals fare in Chengdu though, so can't confirm whether that flame burned out or not.
Great piece, thank you for writing it. I find the nostalgic, somber tone at times befitting. I feel that way thinking about China as well, sometimes.
thanks for reading and sharing your experience with Chengdu. Would love to spend more time there at some point.
I puctured you drinking some water for healthy while writing this. Great work.
Thanks! Ah, I need to drink more hot water. Right now my water intake is not “good for healthy” 🤣
A lovely long read. I visited Shanghai last fall for the first time. (I didn’t see you there.) My experience echos yours. Two things I’d add to your description: the subways have English signs and announcements; and people asked me if there is going to be a war. Twice! They are anxious as well as nervous about work.
Thanks for reading and sharing your experience!