Yaqiu Wang 王亚秋
@yaqiu.bsky.social
Human rights and democracy researcher | Fellow at the Penn Project on the Future of U.S.-China Relations at @Upenn.edu | https://www.wangyaqiu.com/ | 勇气是最珍贵的品质
In the past 19 months, Washington has lost ground to Beijing on every major front: economic, military, technology, soft power and alliances. The gap is narrowing not because China got smarter, but the US got so much dumber. My piece with @bequelin.bsky.social 👇 foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/17/c...
China, Not Iran, Is Trump’s Real Foreign-Policy Debacle
In 19 months, Washington has lost ground to Beijing on every conceivable front.
foreignpolicy.com
September 18, 2026 at 1:18 PM
In the past 19 months, Washington has lost ground to Beijing on every major front: economic, military, technology, soft power and alliances. The gap is narrowing not because China got smarter, but the US got so much dumber. My piece with @bequelin.bsky.social 👇 foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/17/c...
Let me clarify: The US currently has a credibility problem when criticizing CCP's human rights abuses. But that is not to suggest the US should stop criticizing the CCP. What it should do is to improve its owe human rights record so its criticism of the CCP carries weight.
In my testimony, I argued that the U.S. govt needs to change course: 1) resume its global promotion of human rights and democracy, and 2) end egregious human rights violations at home so it can regain credibility when criticizing the CCP. democrats-selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/sites/evo-su...
September 17, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Let me clarify: The US currently has a credibility problem when criticizing CCP's human rights abuses. But that is not to suggest the US should stop criticizing the CCP. What it should do is to improve its owe human rights record so its criticism of the CCP carries weight.
Reposted by Yaqiu Wang 王亚秋
⚠️China, Not Iran, Is Trump’s Real Foreign-Policy Debacle.
In @foreignpolicy.com I argue with my co-author @yaqiu.bsky.social that, under the Trump administration's first 19 months, China has gained ground across almost every dimension of its rivalry with the U.S.
foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/17/c...
In @foreignpolicy.com I argue with my co-author @yaqiu.bsky.social that, under the Trump administration's first 19 months, China has gained ground across almost every dimension of its rivalry with the U.S.
foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/17/c...
China, Not Iran, Is Trump’s Real Foreign-Policy Debacle
In 19 months, Washington has lost ground to Beijing on every conceivable front.
foreignpolicy.com
September 17, 2026 at 5:10 PM
⚠️China, Not Iran, Is Trump’s Real Foreign-Policy Debacle.
In @foreignpolicy.com I argue with my co-author @yaqiu.bsky.social that, under the Trump administration's first 19 months, China has gained ground across almost every dimension of its rivalry with the U.S.
foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/17/c...
In @foreignpolicy.com I argue with my co-author @yaqiu.bsky.social that, under the Trump administration's first 19 months, China has gained ground across almost every dimension of its rivalry with the U.S.
foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/17/c...
In my testimony, I argued that the U.S. govt needs to change course: 1) resume its global promotion of human rights and democracy, and 2) end egregious human rights violations at home so it can regain credibility when criticizing the CCP. democrats-selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/sites/evo-su...
September 17, 2026 at 2:56 PM
In my testimony, I argued that the U.S. govt needs to change course: 1) resume its global promotion of human rights and democracy, and 2) end egregious human rights violations at home so it can regain credibility when criticizing the CCP. democrats-selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/sites/evo-su...
Reposted by Yaqiu Wang 王亚秋
Many thanks to JF Books for hosting us in Washington, DC next week for a conversation featuring four of our current Project Fellows (Cory Combs, Aaron Glasserman, @bochenhan.bsky.social, @yaqiu.bsky.social) in anticipation of the Trump-Xi summit. Full details below:
September 15, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Many thanks to JF Books for hosting us in Washington, DC next week for a conversation featuring four of our current Project Fellows (Cory Combs, Aaron Glasserman, @bochenhan.bsky.social, @yaqiu.bsky.social) in anticipation of the Trump-Xi summit. Full details below:
Today at 3 p.m., join us as we tell members of Congress about the devastating consequences of the Trump administration’s retreat from human rights and democracy promotion—and what the United States can do to reverse course. democrats-selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/media/press-...
MEDIA ADVISORY: Select Committee and Congressional Executive Commission on China Ranking Members to Hold Joint Shadow Hearing on Human Rights in China Ahead of Xi’s Visit to Washington
WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Ro Khanna of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Ranking Member Jim McGovern of the ...
democrats-selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov
September 15, 2026 at 2:25 PM
Today at 3 p.m., join us as we tell members of Congress about the devastating consequences of the Trump administration’s retreat from human rights and democracy promotion—and what the United States can do to reverse course. democrats-selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/media/press-...
Of course, the CCP is far more concerned about AI threatening its grip on power in China than about AI wiping out humanity. Humanity has never been much of a concern for the CCP, after all.
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/14/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/14/w...
China’s Top Spy Chief Warns A.I. Is a Threat to Party Rule
Even as Beijing urges the United States not to hype the dangers of A.I., its own spy chief is framing the technology as a threat to the Communist Party’s security.
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2026 at 1:54 AM
Of course, the CCP is far more concerned about AI threatening its grip on power in China than about AI wiping out humanity. Humanity has never been much of a concern for the CCP, after all.
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/14/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/14/w...
Reposted by Yaqiu Wang 王亚秋
@yaqiu.bsky.social explains how information controls after the #Tibet floods can isolate families’ grief, limiting their ability to connect with one another, seek answers & turn shared loss into collective calls for truth & accountability. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/w...
Online Posts Show Families’ Grief for Flood Victims on Tibet’s Side of China-Nepal Border
The authorities have not released an official list of those missing in the Tibet flood, creating an information void that people have tried to fill.
www.nytimes.com
September 8, 2026 at 5:42 AM
@yaqiu.bsky.social explains how information controls after the #Tibet floods can isolate families’ grief, limiting their ability to connect with one another, seek answers & turn shared loss into collective calls for truth & accountability. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/w...
My piece with Nicholas Bequelin argues that the US can prevail in the AI race against China by leaning into the strengths of an open society -- democratic oversight, the rule of law, robust competition, and open public debate -- NOT by racing to the bottom. www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
America’s Un-American AI Companies
Yaqiu Wang & Nicholas Bequelin question the wisdom of the industry’s desperate efforts to avoid meaningful democratic oversight.
www.project-syndicate.org
September 4, 2026 at 5:40 PM
My piece with Nicholas Bequelin argues that the US can prevail in the AI race against China by leaning into the strengths of an open society -- democratic oversight, the rule of law, robust competition, and open public debate -- NOT by racing to the bottom. www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
Reading the obituaries and stories about Steinem right now, I’m struck by how America-centric many of them are. I actually first learned about Steinem on the Chinese internet. She was a global icon who inspired women around the world. Anyone writing about her legacy should remember that.
September 3, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Reading the obituaries and stories about Steinem right now, I’m struck by how America-centric many of them are. I actually first learned about Steinem on the Chinese internet. She was a global icon who inspired women around the world. Anyone writing about her legacy should remember that.
Xi Jinping must be so happy with Trump's destruction of the American scientific research system -- and his relentless pursuit of making life harder for foreigners living in the United States. scceichinabriefs.substack.com/p/chinas-sci...
September 1, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Xi Jinping must be so happy with Trump's destruction of the American scientific research system -- and his relentless pursuit of making life harder for foreigners living in the United States. scceichinabriefs.substack.com/p/chinas-sci...
About 550 people are reported missing in China after the Himalayan floods. Yet Tibet is closed to foreign journalists, and discussion is tightly controlled. You can expect the Chinese government’s disaster response to begin with information control. www.wsj.com/world/india/...
How Devastating Floods Created High in the Himalayas Swept Through Nepal and China
More than 1,450 people, including pilgrims and children, have vanished in a wave of destruction likely sparked by a broken glacier. At least 380 people are dead.
www.wsj.com
August 28, 2026 at 8:16 AM
About 550 people are reported missing in China after the Himalayan floods. Yet Tibet is closed to foreign journalists, and discussion is tightly controlled. You can expect the Chinese government’s disaster response to begin with information control. www.wsj.com/world/india/...
Terrific piece by @goldkorn.bsky.social, capturing the duality of China today: incredibly efficient and convenient, yet strangely lifeless and soulless.
www.chinafile.com/reporting-op...
www.chinafile.com/reporting-op...
App Life in China
“It’s really tough doing anything in China right now,” my friend told me. He’s a serial entrepreneur in Shanghai with a locked-in grin. We were waiting for our food in a Taiwanese restaurant in a lovi...
www.chinafile.com
August 27, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Terrific piece by @goldkorn.bsky.social, capturing the duality of China today: incredibly efficient and convenient, yet strangely lifeless and soulless.
www.chinafile.com/reporting-op...
www.chinafile.com/reporting-op...
Artist Gao Zhen was sentenced to three years in prison for satirizing the worst mass murderer in human history. For those Westerners who praise how well-governed China is, consider this your periodic reminder of the true nature of the CCP. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/w...
Chinese Artist Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Mao Sculptures
Gao Zhen, part of a brotherly duo famous for satirical artworks, was convicted of slandering one of China’s heroes after a secret one-day trial.
www.nytimes.com
August 25, 2026 at 8:29 AM
Artist Gao Zhen was sentenced to three years in prison for satirizing the worst mass murderer in human history. For those Westerners who praise how well-governed China is, consider this your periodic reminder of the true nature of the CCP. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/w...
The divide within the American intelligentsia right now is less about ideology than courage. Some conservatives are speaking out forcefully against Trump’s overreach, while, ironically, some left-leaning organizations remain silent for fear of losing funding or facing lawsuits.
Trump has threatened to sue the left-leaning @americanprogress.bsky.social (CAP) and its donors over a study it published questioning the benefits of his National Guard deployment. I'm proud that Cato's president is speaking out against this act of intimidation. "We stand with CAP." /1
August 24, 2026 at 7:22 AM
The divide within the American intelligentsia right now is less about ideology than courage. Some conservatives are speaking out forcefully against Trump’s overreach, while, ironically, some left-leaning organizations remain silent for fear of losing funding or facing lawsuits.
There is a deep sense of resignation among people in China about a future in which AI replaces humans. This has a lot to do with the CCP’s relentless crackdown on dissent over the years, which has left people feeling that they cannot change anything. apnews.com/article/chin...
Workers in China worry over being replaced as they adapt to the growing impact of AI on jobs
Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape China's job market, supported by state policies that some economists believe might undermine the overall strength of its economy.
apnews.com
August 24, 2026 at 7:07 AM
There is a deep sense of resignation among people in China about a future in which AI replaces humans. This has a lot to do with the CCP’s relentless crackdown on dissent over the years, which has left people feeling that they cannot change anything. apnews.com/article/chin...
Reposted by Yaqiu Wang 王亚秋
“She’s not afraid of anything or anyone,” said Kevin Yam, a Hong Kong lawyer who now lives in exile. “For a lot of us who are outside Hong Kong now and sometimes feel a bit dispirited by things, her example and her inspiration is a big factor in us not losing hope and keeping our spirits up.”
‘She’s not afraid of anyone’: the prison writings of one of Hong Kong’s last outspoken democracy activists
Chow Hang-tung has been detained since 2021, and written about everything from clothes to Tiananmen Square and the meaning of freedom
www.theguardian.com
August 22, 2026 at 8:46 AM
“She’s not afraid of anything or anyone,” said Kevin Yam, a Hong Kong lawyer who now lives in exile. “For a lot of us who are outside Hong Kong now and sometimes feel a bit dispirited by things, her example and her inspiration is a big factor in us not losing hope and keeping our spirits up.”
The precarious fate of China’s uber-rich and powerful:
Left: Hui Ka Yan attending a session of the CCP’s rubber-stamp legislature in 2012.
Right: Hui in a Chinese courtroom today, being sentenced to life in prison.
Left: Hui Ka Yan attending a session of the CCP’s rubber-stamp legislature in 2012.
Right: Hui in a Chinese courtroom today, being sentenced to life in prison.
August 20, 2026 at 11:39 AM
The precarious fate of China’s uber-rich and powerful:
Left: Hui Ka Yan attending a session of the CCP’s rubber-stamp legislature in 2012.
Right: Hui in a Chinese courtroom today, being sentenced to life in prison.
Left: Hui Ka Yan attending a session of the CCP’s rubber-stamp legislature in 2012.
Right: Hui in a Chinese courtroom today, being sentenced to life in prison.
China wants to do two things: 1) get the world to build AI models on Chinese propaganda, and 2) flood the global information ecosystem with manipulated data so that even Western models automatically churn out CCP propaganda. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/w...
China Wants Its Data to Power the World’s A.I. (Gift Article)
China is exporting more than A.I. models. It wants its data to influence the world’s chatbots, raising fears that Beijing’s narratives will spread with the technology.
www.nytimes.com
August 17, 2026 at 4:51 PM
China wants to do two things: 1) get the world to build AI models on Chinese propaganda, and 2) flood the global information ecosystem with manipulated data so that even Western models automatically churn out CCP propaganda. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/w...
Reposted by Yaqiu Wang 王亚秋
By nearly eliminating civil society, the CCP has helped create an increasingly atomized social world, writes Yaqiu Wang.
foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/07/c...
foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/07/c...
Why China’s Elites Still Want to Leave
Social callousness pushes even the prosperous to seek new lives overseas.
foreignpolicy.com
August 8, 2026 at 5:30 PM
By nearly eliminating civil society, the CCP has helped create an increasingly atomized social world, writes Yaqiu Wang.
foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/07/c...
foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/07/c...
Zhu Rongji has died. Undoubtedly, his death will bring another wave of public mourning—one that speaks less to how satisfied people were with the Jiang-Zhu era than to how deeply dissatisfied they are with China’s current leadership.
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
Zhu Rongji, Engineer of China’s Economic Overhaul, Dies at 97
The former premier steered China toward Western market principles and championed its entry into the World Trade Organization.
www.wsj.com
August 12, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Zhu Rongji has died. Undoubtedly, his death will bring another wave of public mourning—one that speaks less to how satisfied people were with the Jiang-Zhu era than to how deeply dissatisfied they are with China’s current leadership.
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
It is incredibly disappointing that the China Select Committee, which began with bipartisan consensus and produced good work, has descended into this. Seriously, what? Giving preference to applicants from China over American students?
August 11, 2026 at 4:49 PM
It is incredibly disappointing that the China Select Committee, which began with bipartisan consensus and produced good work, has descended into this. Seriously, what? Giving preference to applicants from China over American students?
14-year sentence. Please don’t let China's AI, EVs, and robots blind you to how cruel the CCP can be to people who simply want to do some good for other people against the Party’s wishes.
🔔 #ZhaoHaitong has 1 year left in the 14-year sentence a #XUAR court handed him for pro-democracy activism and helping Uyghurs defend their rights.
In Feb 2025, five #UN experts urged 🇨🇳 govt to disclose his health, treatment, and access to family & lawyers.
🔗 spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBas...
In Feb 2025, five #UN experts urged 🇨🇳 govt to disclose his health, treatment, and access to family & lawyers.
🔗 spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBas...
August 10, 2026 at 3:28 PM
14-year sentence. Please don’t let China's AI, EVs, and robots blind you to how cruel the CCP can be to people who simply want to do some good for other people against the Party’s wishes.
In @foreignpolicy.com, I argue that Chinese authoritarianism can deliver order and convenience, but it cannot deliver human warmth or social trust. And for that reason, many Chinese elites still to want to leave. foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/07/c...
August 9, 2026 at 1:34 PM
In @foreignpolicy.com, I argue that Chinese authoritarianism can deliver order and convenience, but it cannot deliver human warmth or social trust. And for that reason, many Chinese elites still to want to leave. foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/07/c...
My new piece👇
By nearly eliminating civil society, the CCP has helped create an increasingly atomized social world, writes Yaqiu Wang.
foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/07/c...
foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/07/c...
Why China’s Elites Still Want to Leave
Social callousness pushes even the prosperous to seek new lives overseas.
foreignpolicy.com
August 8, 2026 at 9:58 PM
My new piece👇