China | Chaguan

The nationalism of ideas

Xi Jinping wants Chinese systems of knowledge, free of Western values

 illustration of an open book against a red background. The left page features a portrait of Xi Jinping, and the right page contains columns of Chinese text with a red ribbon bookmark draped across it.
Illustration: Chloe Cushman

In beijing a quarter-century ago, Chaguan witnessed a rare event: a criminal court finding a defendant not guilty. Back then, over 90% of Chinese criminal trials ended in convictions. This time the accused—an alleged armed robber—walked free. A lack of hard evidence and his refusal to answer police questions proved decisive. So did his defence lawyer’s plea that it is better to acquit a guilty man than to risk the “horror” of jailing an innocent.

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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “The nationalism of ideas”

Can she win?

From the July 27th 2024 edition

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