From late 2018, China has marked a series of major anniversaries and commemorations. A century of political, cultural and social upheaval has been brought into sharp focus by tumultuous contemporary events. Today, the past is living into the present in ways that are significant not only for the Chinese commonwealth but also for China in the World. This talk will focus on two cities — Beijing and Hong Kong — and on Geremie Barmé’s work concerning the case of Xu Zhangrun at Tsinghua University and the uprising in Hong Kong.

Geremie R. Barmé is the editor of China Heritage, a journal devoted to history, literature, translation and thought that is produced under the aegis of The Wairarapa Academy for New Sinology, which he co-founded with John Minford in 2016. Previously, in 2010, he founded The Australian Centre on China in the World at The Australian National University. Barmé has worked as a journalist, academic historian, editor, translator and film-maker.