Jeremiah and David welcome historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom to the show. Jeff is Chancellor's Professor of History at the UC Irvine, and is not only a prolific academic scholar, but also one of the most sought after China analysts appearing on mainstream news media outlets such as BBC and NPR.  His most recent book, Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink, documents the recent political unrest in Hong Kong, putting the movement into historical context. On today’s show, we delve into Jeff’s current project, which is a reevaluation of the Boxer War of 1899-1901. The conversation draws parallels between the xenophobia and anti-foreign sentiment in China during the Boxer incident and thenationalistic and racial divisions between China and the West engendered by the Coronavirus crisis.

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Jeffrey Wasserstrom and Maura Cunningham, China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know

Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn, Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn

Zi Zhongyun, "Viral Alarm" (translated by Geremie R. Barmé)