Launched in early 2008, The China Beat provides context and criticism on contemporary China from China scholars and journalists. Based around a group of active contributors at the University of California, Irvine, including co-founders Kenneth Pomeranz and Jeffrey Wasserstrom, the blog draws on a global group of China watchers in the United States, China, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Canada, Taiwan, and many other locations.

The China Beat has received praise and notice in many locations, including the New York Times‘ “Paper Cuts” blog, Far Eastern Economic Review, Shanghai City Weekend, and The Beijinger. Writers who follow China issues, like James Fallows and Andrew Leonard, have recommended China Beat to their readers.

In July 2012, The China Beat registered its 1,000th and final post. It is archived here by request of the creators, Maura Cunningham, Kate Merkel-Hess, Ken Pomeranz, and Jeff Wasserstrom.

China Beat continues on X at https://twitter.com/chinabeat

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2009

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Presidential Reading Recommendations: II, Kate Merkel-Hess

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Regarding the Guantanamo Uyghurs, James Millward

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The Urumchi Unrest Revisited, James Millward

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May Fourth Movement: Top Five Readings, Rana Mitter

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China’s Bottom Line, David Moser

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Remembering John DeFrancis, David Moser

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The Chinese Typewriter, Thomas S. Mullaney

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China’s Migrant Workers in the Wake of the Economic Crisis: Unemployed, Undeterred, Robert D. O'Brien

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When the Past Catches Up, Lauri Paltemaa

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The Great Wall Parade, Alex Pasternack

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Will China Put the "Eco" Back in "Economy"?, Alex Pasternack

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China’s Water Woes: Past, Present, and Future, Ken Pomeranz

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Self-Promotion Saturday, Ken Pomeranz

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In Case You Missed It: Death by a Thousand Cuts, David Porter

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Better City, Better Life, Gina Anne Russo

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Better City, Better Life, Part II, Gina Anne Russo

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China’s Way Forward?, Mark Selden

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In Case You Missed It: Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics, Eric Setzekorn

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From Mumbai to Beijing: China for Indian Readers, Angilee Shah

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Though the Candles Flicker Red, Jonathan Tel

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Year of the Gorilla, Jonathan Tel

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The Ethnicization of Discontent in Xinjiang, Rian Thum

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The Tiananmen Protestors, Then and Now, Jonathan Unger

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Chinese Intellectuals and the Problem of Xinjiang, Sebastian Veg

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Chinese Intellectuals and the Problem of Xinjiang, Part 2, Sebastian Veg

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The Frankfurt Book Mess, Nicolai Volland

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China’s Lincolnophilia, Alan Wachman

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Interview with Bo Caldwell—Author of "The Distant Land of My Father," a Shanghai Novel, Jeff Wasserstrom

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A Cultural Symbol Passes from the Scene: Ji Xianlin, Not Michael Jackson, Timothy B. Weston

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A Han Chinese Student on the Urumqi Violence of Summer 2009, Timothy B. Weston

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Rolling the Dice in Macau, Dustin Wright

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Yes, You Too Can “Win in China”: An Interview with Filmmaker Ole Schell, Dustin Wright

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Understanding China’s “Angry Youth”, Teresa Wright

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The Curious Case of Jia Junpeng, or The Power of Symbolic Appropriation in Chinese Cyberspace, Guobing Yang

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In Case You Missed It: Big White Lie, Peter Zarrow

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In Case You Missed It: Cape No. 7, Peter Zarrow

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Islamic Fundamentalism: An Ignored Specter in the Xinjiang Riot, Liang Zheng

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Can China Go High-Tech When Exports Slump?, Yu Zhou

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Huiyuan(汇源): my “nationalistic” juice, Yu Zhou

2008

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2008 Awards

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5 Good Short Reads on China Beat Topics–All by People Who Aren’t China Specialists

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A Coming Distraction–Rana Mitter’s Modern China: A Very Short Introduction

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A Few Olympic Readings

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After the Avalanche

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A Little Post-Games Analysis

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All the Cheese in China

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A Look Back at the Tangshan Earthquake and the Montreal Olympics

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A Mid-Week Reader

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Anniversaries: The Rise and Fall of Wang Mang

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A Reader: Protests and Public Relations

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A Soulful Memoir of 1980s China

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A Visual Top Five

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A Writer Takes the Stage: Jonathan Spence’s Lectures, Part 1

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Beijing Olympic FAQ #1: Politics and the Olympics

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Beijing Olympic FAQ#3: Which Olympic Games is most useful for understanding the Beijing Olympic Games?

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Benjamin Read on homeowners’ protests in Shanghai

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Blogging China

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Blogging from the China Book Festivals

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Blog to Book: The China Beat Moves into the Print World

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Boycott Tidbits and Queries: Some News and Views that Didn’t Fit

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Branding Through the Romantic Rural

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Catch that Pepsi Spirit

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Catch that Pepsi Spirit: Photo Update

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Charter 08: Five Links

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China Annals: Elizabeth Perry

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China Annals: Factory Girls

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China Annals: Interview with Antonia Finnane

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China Annals: Interview with Catherine Sampson

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China Annals: Interview with Ian Johnson

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China Annals: Interview with Lijia Zhang

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China Beat Contributors around the Web

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China Beatniks in Beijing

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China Beatniks in Beijing: II

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China Hax!1!

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China Images from the Library of Congress

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China in 2008: A Year of Great Significance

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China in 2008: Cover Art

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China in 2008: Pre-Orders Now Available

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China in 2008: What’s Inside

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China in SoCal

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China on My Mind: Ian Hacking on the 1989 Demonstrations

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China on My Mind: Last Days of Old Beijing

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China Overload

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Coal Miner’s Daughter

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Coming Distraction: Factory Girls

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Coming Distractions: Speaking to History

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Coming Distractions: Youth and Wealth in China

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Critical Han Studies Conference Report

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Daily Reads—The Second Sequel: Five Global Sites with Good China Content

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Daily Reads—The Sequel: Five Valuable More-Than-Just-China Asia Sites

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Democracy or Bust: Why our Knowledge about What the Chinese Lack is Really No Knowledge at All

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Disaster Relief: Material and Spiritual

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Earthquake Coverage, Possible Action

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Fakeball

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FAQ#3: Could China stop Taiwan from coming to the Olympic Games?

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FAQ#4: How Is Beijing Planning to Handle Political Protests during the Olympic Games?

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FAQ#5: Why Can’t the Chinese Authorities Allow a Little Space for Protests during the Olympics?

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FAQ #6: Are the Beijing Olympic Games being used as a Propaganda Campaign to Prop up the Communist Party?

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Five Good Short Books on China: A Guide for Readers with Limited Attention Spans

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Five Sites for Lesson Plans and Teaching Materials on China