Asia as method: Where does China fit?

This article explores the production of academic knowledge about China and the relationships between scholars in China and those overseas. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing commonalities across Asia and being attentive to power dynamics. The article also discusses the challenges faced by Chinese scholars who study abroad and then return to China, where they may have to conform to a more structured academic system. It highlights the increasing presence of Chinese authors in global academic journals and the importance of publishing in English for success in academia. The text examines different perspectives on how China is perceived, including as an "Other" that is fundamentally different from the West, as a country that is changing to become more like the West, and as a subject of "whataboutism" where critical developments in China are countered by arguments about the West. It also explores the concept of cultural identity and its relation to cosmopolitanism, as well as the role of technology and the challenges faced by journalists and academics in the digital age. The overall message of the text is the need for dialogue and understanding between different cultures and the importance of recognizing and respecting diverse perspectives. [Extracted from the article]