Planting State Messages in the Chunwan

By Dr. Zhengxu Wang, Contemporary Chinese Studies, University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Chunwan, or the Spring Festival Gala, refers to the annual show staged by CCTV (Chinese Central Television) at Chinese New Year’s Eve. It has run since the early 1980s. Through the years its content, style, and much else have, of course, changed greatly, …

Does ‘Socialism with Chinese Characteristics’ suffice for Communism in contemporary China?

By Alfie Cranmer, Student of UNNC Summer School 2015. As you take a look around the busy streets of Shanghai, observing the mass crowds squeezing their way into H&M and Zara whilst you sip on your tall Frappuccino in Starbucks, it’s easy to forget that the ruling Communist Party (CPC) claim the People’s Republic of …

One store with different tales

By Dr. Xiaoling Zhang, Head of the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China. With China’s rise to a global power, we are seeing an increasing amount of literature predicting China’s future(s). It is safe to say that the next five years will witness more of this kind being churned out. …

Watching “Under the Dome” from a Chinese Communication Perspective

By Angela Wang Dan, PhD Student from Hong Kong Baptist University. On the last day of February, 2015, former CCTV investigative report anchor, Chai Jing, released a documentary on Chinese air pollution issue which stirred up hot debates. 48 hours after “Under the Dome”, the documentary, delivered online for free, it has received over 30 …

More ‘Tigers’ in President’s Sights.

By David O’Brien, Assistant Professor, School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, University of Nottingham Ningbo. The Communist Party of China faces threats from dangerous internal cliques who are ‘parasites’ harming both the country and the people, official state media reported this week. Such strong condemnation is certainly striking and would seem to indicate that President Xi …

Soft Power Success

By Tony Hong, First Year PhD Student in Contemporary Chinese Studies. The University of Nottingham Ningbo China. It used to be said among the students of Contemporary Chinese Studies that once you have read one book or article on the “Rise of China”, you have read them all. In fact we would all do our …