While part of our editorial team was at the Asia Pacific Conference in New Delhi, Table editor Marcel Grzanna went to Sarajevo, where the World Congress of Uyghurs (WUC) met and elected a new president. The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) met there and elected a new president: Turgunjan Alawdun. He spoke with Grzanna about what his role means for himself and his family and where he feels the German government needs to take action. However, the accusations against former WUC President Dolkun Isa and how these are to be dealt with are also discussed.
Our analysis focuses on limitless and affordable energy: nuclear fusion. Jörn Petring reports on the Shanghai start-up Energy Singularity, which has attracted much attention recently. The start-up claims to have built the experimental reactor “Honghuang 70” in just two years – and wants to use it to give the catch-up race for nuclear fusion expertise with the USA more dynamism.
The motto in China is still: Mao forever. A new anthology of the country’s founder includes hundreds of anecdotes, many still unknown to the public, and a record-breaking 4,300 annotations by CCP historians. A treasure trove for China researchers of all stripes. Johnny Erling has flipped through the more than 5,000 pages.
Have a pleasant start to the new week!
Mr Alawdun, as President of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), you are exposed to slander and threats. Why did you stand for election anyway?
I am a founding member of the World Uyghur Congress and have been committed to the interests of the Uyghurs for even longer. I am used to transnational repression by China. Moreover, I am a German citizen, I live on the foundations of a liberal basic order. And I trust in the support of Uyghur allies around the world. However, the intensity of the repression has increased since my candidature.
Your family members in Xinjiang are feeling the consequences of your presidency.
My siblings are being used to put pressure on me. The police have already visited one brother and one sister in Xinjiang. Through my sister in Norway and my brother in Turkey, I have received lucrative offers to give up my election in exchange for a lot of money. Otherwise, I was threatened with consequences.
At the recent UN General Assembly, 15 democratic states – including Germany – called for the release of arbitrarily detained Tibetans and Uyghurs. Is this the support from your allies worldwide that you spoke of?
It is one important aspect. Laws or sanctions against China are other effective measures, especially at a time when China’s influence on Western countries has grown considerably. We appreciate that.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced his intention to abolish the German Supply Chain Act by Christmas. That does not look like support.
It sends out a terrible signal that goes in the completely wrong direction and is contrary to the German government’s critical China strategy. It increases Germany’s dependence on China. Beijing is mocking that it can pull Germany around the ring by the nose if it flexes its economic muscles a little. In this respect, the decision restricts Germany’s power to act. This is a devastating step for German interests.
Don’t you agree when a country does not unconditionally jeopardize its national interests for the well-being of a few million Uyghurs?
It is not surprising that countries are driven by their own interests. But this isn’t just about a bit of morality and ethics. Anyone who stands up to China in its treatment of the Uyghurs or other minorities is also defending their own interests. The world sees China’s true face. And it will always show this face when it stands to benefit from it, not just in its own country, but all over the world. Those who do not nip this in the bud are committing gross negligence. After all, China will also export its oppressive policies overseas.
Many Muslim states are not automatically supporters of the Uyghur cause.
We very much regret that. We have a lot of work ahead of us.
You once studied law and Islamic studies in Cairo and are authorized to preach as an imam to devout Muslims. This profile could prove helpful to you. In which Muslim countries do you see the potential to raise more support?
In Southeast Asia, we are thinking primarily of Malaysia and Indonesia, which are home to many Muslims. Some Gulf states are also not so dependent on China that they would have to categorically keep their mouths shut. There are also opportunities in some African countries, such as Gambia and Senegal.
The support of international academics is also helpful. The World Congress has alienated some sympathizers because it failed to adequately address the allegations of sexual harassment against ex-President Dolkun Isa.
In this case, we truly did not present a good picture. Our communication was poor, and we gave the impression that the WUC would simply tolerate sexual harassment.
And it doesn’t?
No, on the contrary, we are looking into it. We have launched an independent investigation, which is still ongoing. Until then, the presumption of innocence applies. We are also working on a code of conduct and clarifying the point where sexual harassment begins. As an organization, we are completely inexperienced in this matter. But we have realized that we must also be more professional in this respect.
The damage is done.
On the one hand, many of the WUC’s new appointments mean a rejuvenation of our organization, which has led to a greater awareness of the issue. On the other hand, the change also expresses our sincere will to improve. We take the blame, but we will not allow our work for the benefit of the Uyghurs to be discredited by people who use Chinese narratives.
Which narratives would that be?
That we are an organization that represents American interests and not the interests of the Uyghurs.
You are also accused that the WUC is not legitimized to speak for the Uyghurs.
We give all exiled Uyghurs a chance and invite them to become part of the WUC. We have also democratized our structures in recent years. There are now committees within the organization for various interest groups, such as youth and women, where the respective interests are generated and brought to the executive table. Take a look around the General Assembly. We have around 180 delegates from 27 countries. The numbers speak for themselves.
Turgunjan Alawdun is the newly elected President of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC). The WUC is an organization of exiled Uyghurs based in Germany. The association acts as an umbrella organization for numerous internationally active lobby and human rights groups with Uyghur interests.
In the global race to develop nuclear fusion, a small start-up from Shanghai is making considerable progress. Experts around the world are impressed by the experimental reactor “Honghuang 70” (HH70), which the company Energy Singularity claims to have built in just two years and put into operation in the summer. What makes it unique: It is the first fully superconducting high-temperature tokamak to have successfully generated plasma.
The USA, Europe and China have long been researching nuclear fusion to develop an unlimited energy source. In nuclear fusion, atomic nuclei of light elements (usually hydrogen isotopes) fuse at extremely high temperatures. This creates a new nucleus and releases immense energy – a process that also powers stars such as the sun.
The main problem with conventional fusion reactors, also known as tokamaks, is that they require powerful magnetic fields to control the plasma. These magnetic fields are generated by superconducting magnets, which must be cooled to very low temperatures. The high cooling costs are considered one of the biggest hurdles on the way to commercial use. Energy Singularity uses so-called high-temperature superconductors (HTS). These materials can operate at much higher temperatures, making the cooling systems less complex and expensive.
The Shanghai researchers are not the first to come up with this idea. Dozens of start-ups and government projects around the world are working on nuclear fusion. Energy Singularity openly told the Financial Times that its approach was “inspired” by the US company Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS).
CFS plans to achieve a net energy gain by 2025. Its SPARC project aims to be the first fusion reactor to generate more energy than it consumes. Only then will commercial use become conceivable. CFS also uses HTS magnets and advanced plasma technology. The goal is considered highly ambitious. By comparison, the French International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which is still under construction and aiming for this breakthrough, is not expected to run its first tests until the 2030s.
More and more experts are now convinced that the nuclear fusion race will be decided mainly between the US and China, with some already seeing China at the advantage. There is growing concern in the US industry that China is beating them at their own game, Andrew Holland, CEO of the Washington-based Fusion Industry Association, recently told CNN. According to Holland, some of the next-generation tokamaks China has built or plans are essentially “copies” of US designs using similar components.
While tokamaks are aging in the USA, China is continuing to expand them, said Holland. Another example is the state-financed Chinese BEST Tokamak, which, according to Holland, is also a copy of the CFS-designed Tokamak. Holland also points to the construction of a 570 million-dollar fusion research park in eastern China, which is expected to be completed next year. “We don’t have anything like that,” Holland stresses, adding that there is “a long history” of China copying American technologies. “They’re fast followers and then take the lead.”
Both superpowers have strong arguments on their side. According to Ye Yuming, CEO and co-founder of Energy Singularity, US companies benefit from a “much more favorable” financing environment. But in China, he says, Energy Singularity has the advantage of accessing robust raw material supply chains. Around 95 percent of the materials for its first reactor come from domestic sources, including rare earths, which China dominates.
According to the Financial Times, Energy Singularity currently has around 135 employees and plans to raise another 500 million dollars in future funding rounds. This capital will support the development of the next-generation fusion reactor, the HH170, which is scheduled to be completed by 2027. The HH170 project aims to achieve a net energy gain. This means the aim is to catch up with the American CFS project.
The number nine 九 was a symbolic number in imperial China. It matches the same phonetic character 久 with the meaning “eternal.” Nine also plays an important role for the People’s Republic and its founder Mao Zedong. His new biography, commissioned by the Communist Party, is a nine-kilo mammoth chronicle stretching nine volumes. “毛泽东年谱 1893-1976.” Volume 1 begins with Mao’s birth on December 23, 1893, and the astonishingly casual description of his father, who “knew how to do business” (善于经营) and made it from “poor, wealthy to rich farmer.” Volume 9 concludes succinctly: “September 9, 1976: Ten minutes past midnight. Mao passes away in Beijing at the age of 83.”
But in between, it is heavier reading. Communist Party researchers and archivists spent over ten years working on China’s most recent version of Mao’s life story. It incorporates Mao’s 1993 three-volume biography from 1893 to 1949 and the six subsequent volumes from 1949 to 1976, published in 2013. The occasion for the new edition was Mao’s 130th birthday last December. Party leader Xi Jinping said in his speech that there would be no departure from Mao under his leadership. Because Mao resurrected China, Deng Xiaoping made it rich, and he made it strong.
The People’s Republic motto is still Mao forever. In a review, the CP biographers cautiously suggest that their portrayal of Mao is a balancing act between Beijing’s ideological demands to “fight against historical nihilism and spread historical confidence” and their claim as historians to create a work that “can stand up to history.”
The purpose of the massive biography, which was published with a new edition of most of the manuscripts expanded to 20 volumes (seven million characters), is to immortalize Mao and either conceal, relativize or trivialize his campaigns of mass sacrifice and terrible atrocities. Beijing has moved further and further away from earlier attempts at critical reappraisal. Nevertheless, the chronicle, with its facts and 4,300 annotations, helps to solve many a mystery.
On April 30, 1976, when the physically frail, barely intelligible but clear-minded Mao still had 18 weeks to live, he suddenly wanted to meet with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Robert Muldoon, who was visiting Beijing. Muldoon, his Chinese host and Vice Premier Hua Guofeng, who had just been appointed as Mao’s new interim president after serious internal Chinese turmoil, hurried to the residence of the “Great Chairman.” They arrived at around 8 pm. Muldoon left after a symbolic brief visit. Hua, however, had to stay and brief Mao on the current situation.
The chronicle quotes: “Hua said: The domestic situation is improving. But problems are arising internationally. I lack experience, and I am discussing this with my comrades in the Politburo. What advice does the Chairman have for me? Mao said in response: Internationally, the direction is generally clear, the problems are not so big. But internally, you have to be careful.” He scribbled what he wanted to say on a piece of paper: “Don’t rush things. Be careful,” “act as you did before,” and “I’ll be reassured if you take care of the matter!” (你办事，我放心).
This would have been trivial chit-chat if Hua had not pocketed Mao’s scribbles. A few weeks after Mao’s death, he presented it as Mao’s political legacy to him during the power struggle for his succession. This was particularly important when he had Mao’s radical left-wing followers and his widow Jiang Qing arrested in a palace coup on October 6, 1976.
Hundreds of such anecdotes, often unknown to the public, fill the biography. To get straight to the point: The history of the dictator Mao, whose meter-high portrait still hangs on the Tiananmen Gate as the figurehead of the People’s Republic and whose face is printed on all banknotes, does not need to be rewritten. But they provide authoritative building blocks for the puzzle of how Mao’s totalitarian power system, his arbitrariness and personality cult functioned, a treasure trove for China researchers of all stripes.
This is important because access to China’s archives, which began to open up during Beijing’s reform years, was closed again under Xi. The six-volume predecessor edition of the Mao Chronicle (1949 to 1976), published in 2013, was able to report much that was new. For example, it revealed what Mao discussed with his more than 700 visitors from all over the world throughout his life. These included his grotesque meeting on January 16, 1975, in Changsha with Franz Josef Strauss, the leader of the German Christian Social Union (CSU), whom he held in particularly high esteem because of his anti-Soviet stance.
The earlier chronicle also documented for the first time when and how Mao had megalomaniacal wrong decisions revised and reversed within the Communist Party. However, he only did so – which the chronicle naturally does not mention – in retrospect and under duress, usually after the disasters he had caused had occurred. To this day, Mao has never been held accountable. The same applies to his idolization and his insane cult of personality, which Xi also fuels around himself today. According to the chronicle, Mao criticized the cult surrounding him 15 times in the first five years of his Cultural Revolution alone. Afterward, however, he continued to allow himself to be glorified.
Nevertheless, the informative 2013 chronicle became a bestseller, with 130,000 copies sold. That is why many Chinese Mao fans were hoping for even more revelations from the latest nine-volume edition. They were disappointed and felt cheated. Bloggers wrote: “I was shocked when I discovered that the new chronicle was just a simple copy and composition of the two earlier chronicles.”
However, many new details are not found in the actual text of the biography. Instead of reading between the lines, you have to read beneath them. The CP authors have added more than 4,300 notes totaling 300,000 words to their chronicle. Xiong Huayuan, one of the co-editors, explains why: “Many of our annotations refer to things that are not explained in the main text … This also allows us to address rumors, falsehoods and doubts.”
One example is the still unexplained events that led to Mao’s most serious crisis. On September 13, 1971, his designated successor and crown prince Lin Biao attempted to flee with his wife and son during the Cultural Revolution. While flying in his Trident plane towards the Soviet Union, they died in a crash landing in Mongolia.
Based on archive material, the chronicle describes the events leading up to the crisis in detail, revealing the moves made by an already distrustful Mao to isolate his successor. But Lin surprised Mao with an unexpected escape. Mao spent two days in the Great Hall of the People for his own safety, in turmoil and confusion, seemingly paralyzed and unable to make decisions. Until he and Premier Zhou Enlai, Mao’s main confidant at the time, were informed on September 14 that Lin Biao’s plane had crashed and all its occupants had died. Mao then retired to his residence from September 15 to 17, meeting only with Zhou Enlai. What they discussed during the two days is either not reported or cannot or must not be revealed by CP historians.
The Lin Biao affair remains unresolved to this day. In a long note, the authors at least attempt to dispel persistent rumors that Lin’s plane was shot down or crashed due to fire and explosion on board. They publish information from an early Beijing investigation report that reconstructs how the plane crash-landed, first shattered on the ground and then burned out.
Using detailed annotations, the authors repeatedly attempt to provide new information and answers to the many open questions in their ultimate biography. Almost half a century after the death of the “Great Chairman,” China’s leadership does not allow Mao to be understood as a historical figure and certainly not to critically examine his life and actions. The Communist Party needs Mao. The final sentences of a recent three-part Mao video documentary summarize why this is the case better than the nine-volume mammoth chronicle: “If you want to understand China, you have to understand Mao … He was far more complex than just a monster. But even if he was: The system is partly to blame. It created the monster and then couldn’t stop it, Mao’s shadow extends to the present day, his legacy shapes China and lives on in Xi.”
Are you hungry but too lazy to get behind the stove? Don’t feel like ordering takeaway (点外卖 diǎn wàimài) again? Tired of boring instant noodles (方便面 fāngbiànmiàn) and annoying dishwashing (不想洗碗 bù xiǎng xǐwǎn)?
There is good news for all slackers (懒鬼 lǎnguǐ) and couch potatoes (宅人 zháirén): In China, you can buy meals that practically cook themselves! All you need is plain, room-temperature mineral or tap water. 自热食品 zìrè shípǐn, or “self-heating meals,” is the name of this highlight on the supermarket shelf. It comes with rice or noodles, and even a sizzling hot pot.
How does it work? It’s simple: the meals come with a small heat pack (加热袋 jiārèdài or 发热包 fārèbāo) containing quicklime or calcium oxide. This white, crystalline substance has the property of releasing high heat over several minutes when it reacts with water – perfect for cooking TV dinners.
The shelves of Chinese supermarkets and mini-marts are full of classics such as “fish-scented pork strips”(鱼香肉丝 yúxiāng-ròusī), curry chicken cubes (咖喱鸡丁 gālí jīdīng) or “home-style tofu” (家常豆腐 jiācháng dòufu) as self-heating rice dishes. But fried rice (自热炒饭 zìrè chǎofàn) and rice noodles (自热米线 zìrè mǐxiàn) are also available in a self-heating version.
The self-heating hotpot (自热火锅 zìrè huǒguō) is without question a particularly attractive option for lazy foodies. In addition to a ready-made mixture for the characteristic seasoning broth (火锅底料 huǒguō dǐliào), it comes with packets like lotus root slices (藕片 ǒupiàn), pieces of potato (土豆片 tǔdòupiàn), seaweed (海带 hǎidài) and bamboo strips (笋片 sǔnpiàn). The whole thing is refined with ham sausages (火腿肠 huǒtuǐcháng), quail eggs (鹌鹑蛋 ānchúndàn) and glass noodles (粉条 fěntiáo). What more could a hotpot heart ask for?
Incidentally, this type of lazy man’s hotpot remains edible for six to ten months. So you can confidently make a stockpile at home for rainy days. And even when traveling, for example, for camping trips and long train journeys to the countryside or the inner Mongolian steppe, the self-heaters are a real alternative to brewing traditional instant noodles (泡面 pàomiàn).
But you shouldn’t overdo it with the instant frenzy. After all, all the ingredients of the meals are individually and neatly wrapped in plastic. So, in the end, you will be left with a full belly and a full garbage can. Nevertheless, for the odd winter or couch potato day, it’s definitely worth keeping this popular instant meal marvel in your pantry.
Verena Menzel runs the online language school New Chinese in Beijing.
While part of our editorial team was at the Asia Pacific Conference in New Delhi, Table editor Marcel Grzanna went to Sarajevo, where the World Congress of Uyghurs (WUC) met and elected a new president. The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) met there and elected a new president: Turgunjan Alawdun. He spoke with Grzanna about what his role means for himself and his family and where he feels the German government needs to take action. However, the accusations against former WUC President Dolkun Isa and how these are to be dealt with are also discussed.
Our analysis focuses on limitless and affordable energy: nuclear fusion. Jörn Petring reports on the Shanghai start-up Energy Singularity, which has attracted much attention recently. The start-up claims to have built the experimental reactor “Honghuang 70” in just two years – and wants to use it to give the catch-up race for nuclear fusion expertise with the USA more dynamism.
The motto in China is still: Mao forever. A new anthology of the country’s founder includes hundreds of anecdotes, many still unknown to the public, and a record-breaking 4,300 annotations by CCP historians. A treasure trove for China researchers of all stripes. Johnny Erling has flipped through the more than 5,000 pages.
Have a pleasant start to the new week!
Mr Alawdun, as President of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), you are exposed to slander and threats. Why did you stand for election anyway?
I am a founding member of the World Uyghur Congress and have been committed to the interests of the Uyghurs for even longer. I am used to transnational repression by China. Moreover, I am a German citizen, I live on the foundations of a liberal basic order. And I trust in the support of Uyghur allies around the world. However, the intensity of the repression has increased since my candidature.
Your family members in Xinjiang are feeling the consequences of your presidency.
My siblings are being used to put pressure on me. The police have already visited one brother and one sister in Xinjiang. Through my sister in Norway and my brother in Turkey, I have received lucrative offers to give up my election in exchange for a lot of money. Otherwise, I was threatened with consequences.
At the recent UN General Assembly, 15 democratic states – including Germany – called for the release of arbitrarily detained Tibetans and Uyghurs. Is this the support from your allies worldwide that you spoke of?
It is one important aspect. Laws or sanctions against China are other effective measures, especially at a time when China’s influence on Western countries has grown considerably. We appreciate that.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced his intention to abolish the German Supply Chain Act by Christmas. That does not look like support.
It sends out a terrible signal that goes in the completely wrong direction and is contrary to the German government’s critical China strategy. It increases Germany’s dependence on China. Beijing is mocking that it can pull Germany around the ring by the nose if it flexes its economic muscles a little. In this respect, the decision restricts Germany’s power to act. This is a devastating step for German interests.
Don’t you agree when a country does not unconditionally jeopardize its national interests for the well-being of a few million Uyghurs?
It is not surprising that countries are driven by their own interests. But this isn’t just about a bit of morality and ethics. Anyone who stands up to China in its treatment of the Uyghurs or other minorities is also defending their own interests. The world sees China’s true face. And it will always show this face when it stands to benefit from it, not just in its own country, but all over the world. Those who do not nip this in the bud are committing gross negligence. After all, China will also export its oppressive policies overseas.
Many Muslim states are not automatically supporters of the Uyghur cause.
We very much regret that. We have a lot of work ahead of us.
You once studied law and Islamic studies in Cairo and are authorized to preach as an imam to devout Muslims. This profile could prove helpful to you. In which Muslim countries do you see the potential to raise more support?
In Southeast Asia, we are thinking primarily of Malaysia and Indonesia, which are home to many Muslims. Some Gulf states are also not so dependent on China that they would have to categorically keep their mouths shut. There are also opportunities in some African countries, such as Gambia and Senegal.
The support of international academics is also helpful. The World Congress has alienated some sympathizers because it failed to adequately address the allegations of sexual harassment against ex-President Dolkun Isa.
In this case, we truly did not present a good picture. Our communication was poor, and we gave the impression that the WUC would simply tolerate sexual harassment.
And it doesn’t?
No, on the contrary, we are looking into it. We have launched an independent investigation, which is still ongoing. Until then, the presumption of innocence applies. We are also working on a code of conduct and clarifying the point where sexual harassment begins. As an organization, we are completely inexperienced in this matter. But we have realized that we must also be more professional in this respect.
The damage is done.
On the one hand, many of the WUC’s new appointments mean a rejuvenation of our organization, which has led to a greater awareness of the issue. On the other hand, the change also expresses our sincere will to improve. We take the blame, but we will not allow our work for the benefit of the Uyghurs to be discredited by people who use Chinese narratives.
Which narratives would that be?
That we are an organization that represents American interests and not the interests of the Uyghurs.
You are also accused that the WUC is not legitimized to speak for the Uyghurs.
We give all exiled Uyghurs a chance and invite them to become part of the WUC. We have also democratized our structures in recent years. There are now committees within the organization for various interest groups, such as youth and women, where the respective interests are generated and brought to the executive table. Take a look around the General Assembly. We have around 180 delegates from 27 countries. The numbers speak for themselves.
Turgunjan Alawdun is the newly elected President of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC). The WUC is an organization of exiled Uyghurs based in Germany. The association acts as an umbrella organization for numerous internationally active lobby and human rights groups with Uyghur interests.
In the global race to develop nuclear fusion, a small start-up from Shanghai is making considerable progress. Experts around the world are impressed by the experimental reactor “Honghuang 70” (HH70), which the company Energy Singularity claims to have built in just two years and put into operation in the summer. What makes it unique: It is the first fully superconducting high-temperature tokamak to have successfully generated plasma.
The USA, Europe and China have long been researching nuclear fusion to develop an unlimited energy source. In nuclear fusion, atomic nuclei of light elements (usually hydrogen isotopes) fuse at extremely high temperatures. This creates a new nucleus and releases immense energy – a process that also powers stars such as the sun.
The main problem with conventional fusion reactors, also known as tokamaks, is that they require powerful magnetic fields to control the plasma. These magnetic fields are generated by superconducting magnets, which must be cooled to very low temperatures. The high cooling costs are considered one of the biggest hurdles on the way to commercial use. Energy Singularity uses so-called high-temperature superconductors (HTS). These materials can operate at much higher temperatures, making the cooling systems less complex and expensive.
The Shanghai researchers are not the first to come up with this idea. Dozens of start-ups and government projects around the world are working on nuclear fusion. Energy Singularity openly told the Financial Times that its approach was “inspired” by the US company Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS).
CFS plans to achieve a net energy gain by 2025. Its SPARC project aims to be the first fusion reactor to generate more energy than it consumes. Only then will commercial use become conceivable. CFS also uses HTS magnets and advanced plasma technology. The goal is considered highly ambitious. By comparison, the French International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which is still under construction and aiming for this breakthrough, is not expected to run its first tests until the 2030s.
More and more experts are now convinced that the nuclear fusion race will be decided mainly between the US and China, with some already seeing China at the advantage. There is growing concern in the US industry that China is beating them at their own game, Andrew Holland, CEO of the Washington-based Fusion Industry Association, recently told CNN. According to Holland, some of the next-generation tokamaks China has built or plans are essentially “copies” of US designs using similar components.
While tokamaks are aging in the USA, China is continuing to expand them, said Holland. Another example is the state-financed Chinese BEST Tokamak, which, according to Holland, is also a copy of the CFS-designed Tokamak. Holland also points to the construction of a 570 million-dollar fusion research park in eastern China, which is expected to be completed next year. “We don’t have anything like that,” Holland stresses, adding that there is “a long history” of China copying American technologies. “They’re fast followers and then take the lead.”
Both superpowers have strong arguments on their side. According to Ye Yuming, CEO and co-founder of Energy Singularity, US companies benefit from a “much more favorable” financing environment. But in China, he says, Energy Singularity has the advantage of accessing robust raw material supply chains. Around 95 percent of the materials for its first reactor come from domestic sources, including rare earths, which China dominates.
According to the Financial Times, Energy Singularity currently has around 135 employees and plans to raise another 500 million dollars in future funding rounds. This capital will support the development of the next-generation fusion reactor, the HH170, which is scheduled to be completed by 2027. The HH170 project aims to achieve a net energy gain. This means the aim is to catch up with the American CFS project.
The number nine 九 was a symbolic number in imperial China. It matches the same phonetic character 久 with the meaning “eternal.” Nine also plays an important role for the People’s Republic and its founder Mao Zedong. His new biography, commissioned by the Communist Party, is a nine-kilo mammoth chronicle stretching nine volumes. “毛泽东年谱 1893-1976.” Volume 1 begins with Mao’s birth on December 23, 1893, and the astonishingly casual description of his father, who “knew how to do business” (善于经营) and made it from “poor, wealthy to rich farmer.” Volume 9 concludes succinctly: “September 9, 1976: Ten minutes past midnight. Mao passes away in Beijing at the age of 83.”
But in between, it is heavier reading. Communist Party researchers and archivists spent over ten years working on China’s most recent version of Mao’s life story. It incorporates Mao’s 1993 three-volume biography from 1893 to 1949 and the six subsequent volumes from 1949 to 1976, published in 2013. The occasion for the new edition was Mao’s 130th birthday last December. Party leader Xi Jinping said in his speech that there would be no departure from Mao under his leadership. Because Mao resurrected China, Deng Xiaoping made it rich, and he made it strong.
The People’s Republic motto is still Mao forever. In a review, the CP biographers cautiously suggest that their portrayal of Mao is a balancing act between Beijing’s ideological demands to “fight against historical nihilism and spread historical confidence” and their claim as historians to create a work that “can stand up to history.”
The purpose of the massive biography, which was published with a new edition of most of the manuscripts expanded to 20 volumes (seven million characters), is to immortalize Mao and either conceal, relativize or trivialize his campaigns of mass sacrifice and terrible atrocities. Beijing has moved further and further away from earlier attempts at critical reappraisal. Nevertheless, the chronicle, with its facts and 4,300 annotations, helps to solve many a mystery.
On April 30, 1976, when the physically frail, barely intelligible but clear-minded Mao still had 18 weeks to live, he suddenly wanted to meet with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Robert Muldoon, who was visiting Beijing. Muldoon, his Chinese host and Vice Premier Hua Guofeng, who had just been appointed as Mao’s new interim president after serious internal Chinese turmoil, hurried to the residence of the “Great Chairman.” They arrived at around 8 pm. Muldoon left after a symbolic brief visit. Hua, however, had to stay and brief Mao on the current situation.
The chronicle quotes: “Hua said: The domestic situation is improving. But problems are arising internationally. I lack experience, and I am discussing this with my comrades in the Politburo. What advice does the Chairman have for me? Mao said in response: Internationally, the direction is generally clear, the problems are not so big. But internally, you have to be careful.” He scribbled what he wanted to say on a piece of paper: “Don’t rush things. Be careful,” “act as you did before,” and “I’ll be reassured if you take care of the matter!” (你办事，我放心).
This would have been trivial chit-chat if Hua had not pocketed Mao’s scribbles. A few weeks after Mao’s death, he presented it as Mao’s political legacy to him during the power struggle for his succession. This was particularly important when he had Mao’s radical left-wing followers and his widow Jiang Qing arrested in a palace coup on October 6, 1976.
Hundreds of such anecdotes, often unknown to the public, fill the biography. To get straight to the point: The history of the dictator Mao, whose meter-high portrait still hangs on the Tiananmen Gate as the figurehead of the People’s Republic and whose face is printed on all banknotes, does not need to be rewritten. But they provide authoritative building blocks for the puzzle of how Mao’s totalitarian power system, his arbitrariness and personality cult functioned, a treasure trove for China researchers of all stripes.
This is important because access to China’s archives, which began to open up during Beijing’s reform years, was closed again under Xi. The six-volume predecessor edition of the Mao Chronicle (1949 to 1976), published in 2013, was able to report much that was new. For example, it revealed what Mao discussed with his more than 700 visitors from all over the world throughout his life. These included his grotesque meeting on January 16, 1975, in Changsha with Franz Josef Strauss, the leader of the German Christian Social Union (CSU), whom he held in particularly high esteem because of his anti-Soviet stance.
The earlier chronicle also documented for the first time when and how Mao had megalomaniacal wrong decisions revised and reversed within the Communist Party. However, he only did so – which the chronicle naturally does not mention – in retrospect and under duress, usually after the disasters he had caused had occurred. To this day, Mao has never been held accountable. The same applies to his idolization and his insane cult of personality, which Xi also fuels around himself today. According to the chronicle, Mao criticized the cult surrounding him 15 times in the first five years of his Cultural Revolution alone. Afterward, however, he continued to allow himself to be glorified.
Nevertheless, the informative 2013 chronicle became a bestseller, with 130,000 copies sold. That is why many Chinese Mao fans were hoping for even more revelations from the latest nine-volume edition. They were disappointed and felt cheated. Bloggers wrote: “I was shocked when I discovered that the new chronicle was just a simple copy and composition of the two earlier chronicles.”
However, many new details are not found in the actual text of the biography. Instead of reading between the lines, you have to read beneath them. The CP authors have added more than 4,300 notes totaling 300,000 words to their chronicle. Xiong Huayuan, one of the co-editors, explains why: “Many of our annotations refer to things that are not explained in the main text … This also allows us to address rumors, falsehoods and doubts.”
One example is the still unexplained events that led to Mao’s most serious crisis. On September 13, 1971, his designated successor and crown prince Lin Biao attempted to flee with his wife and son during the Cultural Revolution. While flying in his Trident plane towards the Soviet Union, they died in a crash landing in Mongolia.
Based on archive material, the chronicle describes the events leading up to the crisis in detail, revealing the moves made by an already distrustful Mao to isolate his successor. But Lin surprised Mao with an unexpected escape. Mao spent two days in the Great Hall of the People for his own safety, in turmoil and confusion, seemingly paralyzed and unable to make decisions. Until he and Premier Zhou Enlai, Mao’s main confidant at the time, were informed on September 14 that Lin Biao’s plane had crashed and all its occupants had died. Mao then retired to his residence from September 15 to 17, meeting only with Zhou Enlai. What they discussed during the two days is either not reported or cannot or must not be revealed by CP historians.
The Lin Biao affair remains unresolved to this day. In a long note, the authors at least attempt to dispel persistent rumors that Lin’s plane was shot down or crashed due to fire and explosion on board. They publish information from an early Beijing investigation report that reconstructs how the plane crash-landed, first shattered on the ground and then burned out.
Using detailed annotations, the authors repeatedly attempt to provide new information and answers to the many open questions in their ultimate biography. Almost half a century after the death of the “Great Chairman,” China’s leadership does not allow Mao to be understood as a historical figure and certainly not to critically examine his life and actions. The Communist Party needs Mao. The final sentences of a recent three-part Mao video documentary summarize why this is the case better than the nine-volume mammoth chronicle: “If you want to understand China, you have to understand Mao … He was far more complex than just a monster. But even if he was: The system is partly to blame. It created the monster and then couldn’t stop it, Mao’s shadow extends to the present day, his legacy shapes China and lives on in Xi.”
Are you hungry but too lazy to get behind the stove? Don’t feel like ordering takeaway (点外卖 diǎn wàimài) again? Tired of boring instant noodles (方便面 fāngbiànmiàn) and annoying dishwashing (不想洗碗 bù xiǎng xǐwǎn)?
There is good news for all slackers (懒鬼 lǎnguǐ) and couch potatoes (宅人 zháirén): In China, you can buy meals that practically cook themselves! All you need is plain, room-temperature mineral or tap water. 自热食品 zìrè shípǐn, or “self-heating meals,” is the name of this highlight on the supermarket shelf. It comes with rice or noodles, and even a sizzling hot pot.
How does it work? It’s simple: the meals come with a small heat pack (加热袋 jiārèdài or 发热包 fārèbāo) containing quicklime or calcium oxide. This white, crystalline substance has the property of releasing high heat over several minutes when it reacts with water – perfect for cooking TV dinners.
The shelves of Chinese supermarkets and mini-marts are full of classics such as “fish-scented pork strips”(鱼香肉丝 yúxiāng-ròusī), curry chicken cubes (咖喱鸡丁 gālí jīdīng) or “home-style tofu” (家常豆腐 jiācháng dòufu) as self-heating rice dishes. But fried rice (自热炒饭 zìrè chǎofàn) and rice noodles (自热米线 zìrè mǐxiàn) are also available in a self-heating version.
The self-heating hotpot (自热火锅 zìrè huǒguō) is without question a particularly attractive option for lazy foodies. In addition to a ready-made mixture for the characteristic seasoning broth (火锅底料 huǒguō dǐliào), it comes with packets like lotus root slices (藕片 ǒupiàn), pieces of potato (土豆片 tǔdòupiàn), seaweed (海带 hǎidài) and bamboo strips (笋片 sǔnpiàn). The whole thing is refined with ham sausages (火腿肠 huǒtuǐcháng), quail eggs (鹌鹑蛋 ānchúndàn) and glass noodles (粉条 fěntiáo). What more could a hotpot heart ask for?
Incidentally, this type of lazy man’s hotpot remains edible for six to ten months. So you can confidently make a stockpile at home for rainy days. And even when traveling, for example, for camping trips and long train journeys to the countryside or the inner Mongolian steppe, the self-heaters are a real alternative to brewing traditional instant noodles (泡面 pàomiàn).
But you shouldn’t overdo it with the instant frenzy. After all, all the ingredients of the meals are individually and neatly wrapped in plastic. So, in the end, you will be left with a full belly and a full garbage can. Nevertheless, for the odd winter or couch potato day, it’s definitely worth keeping this popular instant meal marvel in your pantry.
Verena Menzel runs the online language school New Chinese in Beijing.
