This week on Sinica, I chat with Hazza Harding, a young Australian who began learning Chinese and made his way to China where he became a pop singer with hits on Chinese pop charts and a state media newscaster — and also lost his husband tragically, suffered through the COVID lockdowns while grieving for his loss. Yet he remains committed to furthering understanding and engagement, and has shown admirable resilience. Read his remarkable essay on his experiences here.

6:51 – How Hazza started in China, and how his career changed throughout his time there 

19:27 – Hazza’s experiences feeling alienated in China 

27:00 – Hazza’s experience working in Chinese state media 

34:04 – How China shaped Hazza and Wayne’s love story, and how grief has shaped Hazza’s perspective on life

56:08 – The loveliness of everyday interactions 

58:43 – Hazza’s advice on giving oneself time and leniency 

1:02:38 – How Hazza may find his way back to China in the future 

Paying It Forward: James Laurenceson at UTS Sydney 

Recommendations:

Hazza: China Blonde: How a newsreader’s search for adventure led to friendship, acceptance… and peroxide pandemonium in China by Nicole Webb 

Kaiser: The TV series Xi Bei Sui Yue (Into the Great Northwest) (2024 - )

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