Author Archive

Chinese Perspective on US-Cuba Rapprochement

By | December 30, 2014

Despite the (nominal) socialist ties, Chinese media reveals that there is little interest in US-Cuban rapprochement, yet the coverage that exists provides some insight into how China views US domestic and foreign relations, with Cuba and other countries non grata, namely North Korea.

Defectors, Nukes, Unification, and the Jang Song-taek Effect: Zhang Liangui Interview

By | April 24, 2014

One of China’s top DPRK experts opens up about his personal experiences with repatriating North Korean defectors, thoughts about nuclear war, Korean reunification, and the impact of Chinese public opinion on the CCP’s North Korea policy. Emile Dirks translates.

Through Frosted Glass: Zhang Liangui on China’s DPRK Intel and the Purge of Jang Song-taek

By | March 29, 2014

In the second part of an extensive interview, Zhang Liangui discusses the DPRK leadership, the North Korean domestic political landscape, and the genealogical roots of the Kim dynasty. Emile Dirks translates.

The Cultural Revolution in Pyongyang and Yanbian: Interview with Zhang Liangui

By | March 19, 2014

In an interview with Consensus Online, a leading Chinese voice on North Korea, Zhang Liangui, describes his youthful experiences in Pyongyang in the 1960s, the Cultural Revolution, and why he cannot go back. Emile Dirks translates.