On the Hong Kong protests, "Chinese-ness" and the state, and more with Sebastian Veg

Part II of our interview with one of the world's foremost experts on the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement

Here’s the second part of our conversation with Sebastian Veg, an intellectual historian of China. Last week we focused on the recent arrests in Hong Kong; this week we discuss “Chineseness,” asking what, if anything, can be salvaged from the Chinese ethnocultural identity at a time when Gen-Zers in Hong Kong and Taiwan overwhelmingly don’t identify as Chinese. We also look at the chilling effect Beijing’s repression has had on academics outside of China, and whether the utopianism of the 2014 Sunflower and Umbrella Movements are still alive.

Some key takeaways:

First, Sebastian notes that China’s geopolitical ascendancy has given the PRC increased weight in defining what it means to be “culturally Chinese.” At the same time, he emphasizes that identity can be multiple—a point that resonated with both of us, since we identify as both Chinese and Taiwanese.

Second, he suggests that, due to Beijing’s repression and surveillance, historians of China will need to look for a broader range of …