War, Identity, and Nationalism

In this episode, Edward Wong, diplomatic correspondent and former Beijing Bureau Chief for the New York Times, joins us to discuss his new book, Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China. Edward’s father, Yook Kearn Wong, lived through the Japanese occupation and the Communist Revolution in China. Captivated by Mao’s vision of a powerful China, he served in the People’s Liberation Army during the Korean War and later served in Xinjiang. By 1962, disillusioned with the Communist Party, he made a daring escape to Hong Kong.

Wong’s book is one part a family memoir and one part a reflection of Edward's experiences in China both as a student and as a journalist. We discuss the legacies of empire, China’s frontiers, what the Qing Dynasty means for China today, and how memories of the past continue to be used and misused in the PRC.