By most measures, life here in the imperial capital is settling into a new normal. The lockdown on the city of Wuhan was lifted early April, face masks are still a ubiquitous civic duty (don’t leave home without one!), and we continue to have to register for entry around the city — often by scanning QR codes linked to our cell phone providers that provide a green light based on whether or not you have left Beijing in the last several months. Thanks to the effectiveness of these and other relatively minor inconveniences, residents of China are now broadly enjoying the freedom to eat out, work from their offices, and take their families to parks and tourist sites — perhaps with too much unbridled enthusiasm, however, as made evident by the throngs of tourists at Yellow Mountain the weekend of April 11-12, 2020, (shown below). A good example of the “revenge-spending” we’re going to see in this market in the weeks and months to come.

While we in China have served our time in quarantine and are likely a couple of months down the road from Canada by way of recovery (provided there is no dreaded “second wave”), this week I’d like to share some recommendations to keep up with the Middle Kingdom for our readers that still find themselves practicing good social distancing and are seeking some productive diversions at home. Whether an “Old China Hand” or a neo-sinophile, I hope you’ll find something in the collection below that isn’t yet on your shelf and belongs on your reading list — if not, reach out to me directly and we’ll find you a fit. Don’t be a “Covidiot” — stay home and learn about China!

(Photos: SinaWeibo)

For the first edition of this (I anticipate another couple of rounds of expansions, as there are too many terrific pieces on China out there for only one go), I have split the recommendations out into different mediums, with books making up the bulk of the suggestions. For more digestible China-watching, I’ve also included some ideas for newsletters and podcasts for subscription. I have also tried to maintain a business focus (with some Canadian content), but keep in mind that invaluable commercial lessons on China can be drawn when the concentration is on history, politics or culture. Another important point to keep in mind – China moves and develops at a very different speed than the rest of the planet, so writing tends to be outdated often before even hitting the printing press. Be cognizant that a book from 2008 or even 2018 can be considered essentially ancient history by China standards, but don’t discount the learning or strategy as being obsolete. Note that these are personal favourites, and not without their flaws — but I’m also always looking for new recommendations myself, so please reach out with your own ideas.

BOOKS

1. Age of Ambition – Evan Osnos (Non-fiction)

As the longtime Beijing correspondent for The New Yorker, Evan Osnos shares his gift for bringing the city, country and everyday people to life in Age of Ambition by recounting their personal stories and intertwining them with broader themes within the dramatically-evolving Chinese cultural landscape. Widely lauded, prize-winning and a fascinating read, Osnos’ book is my probably most regularly recommended book on modern China.

2. One Billion Customers – James McGregor (Business, non-fiction)

A title that is aging in years but still remarkable in its scope and relevance, One Billion Customers is full of real-world case studies and timeless business insights. James McGregor, a corporate executive still based in Beijing, is also well worth following on LinkedIn, where he regularly posts valuable links and analysis to some of the best China-related news of the day.

3. Red China Blues – Jan Wong (Memoir)

One of the only foreign students to enter China during the Cultural Revolution, Chinese-Canadian Jan Wong, the former China Correspondent for The Globe and Mail, tells the incredible personal story of her “long march from Mao to now” in Red China Blues, starting with arriving in China in 1972 as a certifiable Maoist and retracing her steps decades later, with eye-opening investigations along the way. Wong also has two other very worthwhile memoirs on China – “Jan Wong’s China” and “Beijing Confidential.”

PODCASTS

1. Sinica – Hosted by Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn, Sinica is the standard-bearer for China podcasts, now in its tenth year of production. Also worth subscribing to is their offshoot with Caixin, the Caixin-Sinica Business Brief, as well as Ta for Ta and Tech Buzz China.

2. The China History Podcast – Difficult to overstate the breadth and magnitude of Laszlo Montgomery’s CHP – nearly 250 episodes of awe-inspiring, exhaustively researched history lessons on virtually everything China. Terrific for long-haul flights, once they start flying again.

3. China Business Cast – Drawing from the real-world experience of dozens of active executives, China Business Cast offers tools and strategies for entrepreneurs and companies operating in the PRC. It was formerly hosted by Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur Ji Jingping.

NEWSLETTERS

1. CCBC’s China Daily Business News and CCBC Blog – A daily mailing of three of the top China business stories and our internally produced content, respectively.

2. Sinocism – Bill Bishop’s widely-read newsletter is essential China-watching, and very affordable given the research involved with this quality of content.

3. China Brief – Canada’s West Foundation’s very well-executed weekly newsletter on China, with a distinctly Canadian angle.

Happy reading/listening! More updates to this list to come. Stay healthy and informed, and if you are looking for any further information at any time from China, our teams in Beijing and Shanghai are here to answer any questions you may have.