Face-Off: The U.S. vs China

From Mao to Xi Jinping: A Conversation with Orville Schell

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Apr 24, 2025
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ANECDOTE

Anecdote: Life Under Mao's Watch

  • Orville Schell worked in Chinese factories in 1975 under Mao's influence as part of a youth labor brigade.
  • He experienced strict control, with limited genuine interaction allowed between foreigners and workers.
ANECDOTE

Anecdote: Deng's Texas Rodeo

  • Deng Xiaoping's 1979 visit to Texas symbolized a new era of Sino-American friendship and openness.
  • The Texas rodeo with hats and country music was masterful theater signaling thawing relations and mutual respect.
INSIGHT

Insight: China's Reform Then Collapse

  • The 1980s in China were a time of unprecedented openness and reform under Deng Xiaoping and Hu Yaobang.
  • The democracy movements ended abruptly with the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, ending reform hopes and engagement efforts.
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