"Please don't post shallow dismissals, especially of other people's work. A good critical comment teaches us something."

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Pointing out the lack of Democracy in China is hardly a “shallow” dismissal.

Let's not confuse the importance of an issue with the depth of internet comments about it.

You want the long form? Fine… Writing something like: “Shanghai is highly livable.” means you consider adult citizenship without proper voting rights to be acceptable. This is an endorsement of tyranny. How “livable” is Shanghai to its residents when they ask for an end to one-party rule?

Sorry, but that is more nationalistic and political flamebait—just the sort of thing we don't want on HN because of the low-quality, repetitive, and nasty threads it leads to. No more of this, please.

I don't think the author's American-ness disqualifies them from writing about China. On the contrary, it is their very experience as a Chinese American that helps me (an outsider) see things from a new and interesting perspective.

> some seriously confused Chinese American

I don't recall where I read this (I think it may have been Rachel Cusk), but it is a writer's job to ask questions. And what better source of questions than confusion?

That said, I'd genuinely be interested to seek your recommendations on China from Chinese sources.

> I don't think the author's American-ness disqualifies them from writing about China.

It does. Americans, and Chinese Americans themselves sometimes don't realise that Chinatown America is absolutely not characteristic of China, nor modern, nor at any point in history. Instead, it's a strange universe on its own, with its own history, and customs.

To me, when I talk to Chinese Americans, Chinese Americans feel as Chinese, as American football is football.

> as American football is football.

the second 'football' here being American 'soccer' right?

Thank you for all of your insights into China over the last couple of years. They tend to be blunt and unvarnished but verify as accurate relative to what I know about the country (which, arguably isn't much, I've never visited but am in fairly close contact with some people living there).

I enjoyed the read but I'd like more perspectives that go deeper. Can you share some recommendations?

Unfortunately, pretty much all even moderately accurate coverage of China is completely evading the Anglophone media.

Matters.news is blogging community of few authors not afraid speaking their mind. It's still just a drop in the ocean, and any kind of good reporting on current affairs in China has been extinguished for good.

The few people remaining brave enough to open their mouth are either from religious cults on one side, or former regime insiders themselves on another.