Sinica is coming out a bit earlier than usual this week: we were lucky enough to catch Jeffrey Wasserstrom this Monday during a well-timed visit to Beijing, and so dragged him into the studio to get his views on the recent elections at Wukan, what is happening in Beijing right now with the CPPCC, and also his more general thoughts on the way people tend to look into China's past when seeking a mirror for its present: what comparisons are actually useful or valid for this current period?

For those unfamiliar with our guest this week, Jeffrey Wasserstrom is a professor of Chinese history at the University of California, Irvine, and the organizing force behind the excellent China blog The China Beat. Jeffrey is also the author of a number of popular books on China, including China’s Brave New World, Global Shanghai: 1850-2010 and China in the 21st Century. We enjoyed our chance to chat with him and hope you enjoy the show too.

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