Black dog, review – Zhang Lijia

 

Zhang Lijia

Journalist Zhang Lijia, author of “Socialism Is Great!”: A Worker’s Memoir of the New China,  is thoroughly impressed by the movie Black Dog, which won an award at Cannes. In her review, she writes, “This Cannes Un Certain Regard winner stands as a richly deserved accolade—a poignant narrative beautifully told. ”

Zhang Lijia:

“Black Dog”– A Canine-Themed, Cannes-Winning Chinese Film

What a film! The synopsis might not grab you at first glance, but “Black Dog”, a western-meets-noir, exceeded my expectations. Starring Eddie Peng as Lang, an ex-convict, the story follows his return to his semi-deserted hometown on the outskirts of the Gobi Desert after serving time for a local man’s death. As Lang navigates a barren landscape haunted by packs of stray dogs, he joins a dog-hunting team and encounters a scrappy black stray. The bond they form transforms Lang’s life. Like the dog, Lang is an outsider, and their connection reflects his own struggle for redemption.

This Cannes Un Certain Regard winner stands as a richly deserved accolade—a poignant narrative beautifully told. The film’s themes of friendship, redemption, and the profound relationship between humans and animals thread seamlessly through the story, touching on the universal human experience of seeking belonging in an indifferent world.

Watching “Black Dog” felt like a breath of fresh air—original and enigmatic. From the first frame, I was drawn into Lang’s world, captivated by the tension of what might come next.

The cinematography is stunning. The Gobi landscape feels vast and unforgiving, providing a fitting backdrop for Lang’s quiet internal journey. Both leads, the black dog and the brooding and handsome 帅哥 Lang, captivate in their own way. Even the film’s deadpan humor cuts through the solemnity, adding layers of charm.

The film is undeniably Chinese, rooted in the gritty realism of its setting: dilapidated residential buildings, the character “拆” (demolish) on crumbling walls, a grandmother sitting stoically as life passes by. Yet its story transcends borders—at its heart is a tale of a lonely man and a stray dog, something people from anywhere in the world can relate to.

One minor complain is that there are too many accidents – buses and motorbikes crash too many times – that it feels a bit contrived there. Overall, however, “Black Dog” is a triumph of subtle storytelling, its landscape and characters lingering long after the credits roll.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more experts on cultural change at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

 

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Why China’s women abandon marriage – Zhang Lijia

 

Zhang Lijia

China’s government is trying to encourage giving birth to children and marriage to offset a fast-aging population. But author Zhang Lijia discovered on a tour in the country China’s women abandon the idea of getting married, she writes in the South China Morning Post. “I believe this trend is driven by educated urban women. It is in line with the trajectories of more developed countries. Once women have a good education and good jobs, they become less keen on marriage,” she writes.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

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Zhang Lijia:

Fewer people are getting married. For nine years after the 2013 peak, China’s marriage rate declined every year, from 2014 to 2022. It rose last year but the general trend, I am afraid, remains downward.

I believe this trend is driven by educated urban women. It is in line with the trajectories of more developed countries. Once women have a good education and good jobs, they become less keen on marriage.

I understand the practical reasons behind the hesitation to get married in China – financial insecurity, high living costs and expectations such as of the prospective husband providing the marital home – but what matters more is the changing attitude. Plenty of assertive young women no longer see marriage as a necessary rite of passage or ingredient of happiness. Unlike my grandma, young women today have a lot more agency.

And they care more about the quality of marriage. Unlike my mother, such women do not hesitate to leave unhappy marriages. Indeed, more divorces are filed by women.

In most cities, divorce has become more socially accepted, although some among the older generation still think it’s shameful. More than 18 years ago, when I broke the news to my mother that I was getting a divorce, she was heartbroken. Once again, she started to nag me about looking for a man. “A woman is nothing without a man,” she asserted.

I was a divorcee, but I was also a published author with books around the world, had lectured at top universities such as Harvard and been interviewed by the BBC. Was I still a nobody simply because I didn’t have a husband? I swallowed these words, knowing there was no point arguing with her. Until her passing five years ago, my mother kept my single status a “secret”.

What is helping more women reject marriage is the more liberal attitude towards sex. In cities these days, sex before marriage has become common practice.

Also in Shanghai, I interviewed a successful businesswoman, a single mother. Some eight years ago, when she found herself pregnant from a fling, she decided to keep the child because she figured her child would be more likely to love her than a husband. She has never regretted this decision.

Since my youth, China has come a long way, not just in its economic development but also in its enlightened social attitudes. After all, women have the right to make choices that reflect their desires.

Do I still want to get married? Not particularly – unless I meet someone I am madly in love with.

More in the South China Morning Post.

Demographic pressure will give China’s women more freedom – Zhang Lijia

 

Zhang Lijia

Officially China does not allow single women to freeze their eggs and forces them to go abroad or even register children of single mothers to register. But demographic pressure is already changing those restrictions on a provincial level, says author Zhang Lijia in the Guardian who expects more changes to come.

The Guardian:

A study published last year by the economists Ren Zeping and Liang Jianzhang found that more than 65% of 30- to 34-year-olds hoped to preserve their fertility via egg freezing.

But the Chinese government has so far not welcomed this trend. In 2020, the national health commission said that allowing single women to freeze their eggs could give women “false hope” and encourage them to delay motherhood, “which is not conducive to protecting the health of women and offspring”. The topic of relaxing the rules around egg freezing is routinely discussed at China’s political meetings but so far the national policy has remained fixed.

Lijia Zhang, a writer who is working on a book about Chinese women’s changing attitudes towards marriage and motherhood, expects demographic pressures will force China’s policymakers to loosen restrictions. “It is just a matter of time before the authorities will relax the law,” Zhang said. “Without making a song and dance about it, most provinces have allowed single women to register their children and some places even give them maternity benefits.”

More in the Guardian.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers  Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more experts on cultural change at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

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Can China fix its inequality? – Zhang Lijia

 

Zhang Lijia

Inequality has been one of China’s central problems, writes author and journalist Zhang Lijia in the South China Morning Post. There is no shortage of efforts to fix it, she argues, and while China has dealt with poverty successfully, getting to common prosperity, as it is called, seems much harder to achieve.

Zhang Lijia:

Last month, Panzhihua, a city in western China’s Sichuan province, announced this would be its “breakthrough” year in establishing itself as a common prosperity pilot zone. It is following the example of Zhejiang province in the east, another such pilot zone which was set up in 2021. The idea is to push for a high-quality development that focuses on closing the economic gap between regions, between urban and rural areas, and in income.

This is encouraging news, but will such efforts work? Will there be more pilot zones like these? Will China really achieve common prosperity, or is it mainly a political slogan? The truth is still emerging.

The concept of common prosperity is not new. It first appeared in 1953 during the Mao era as he pushed China towards socialist collectivisation.

Around 1979, shortly after paramount leader Deng Xiaoping had introduced economic reforms and opening up, he declared that China’s path to common prosperity would be to let some people and regions get rich first to help the rest. The term gained new significance in 2021 when President Xi Jinping vigorously promoted it as a way to guard against economic and political polarisation.

Since 1978, some people and regions have indeed become rich. China has transformed from one of the world’s poorest countries to its second-largest economy, and from a relatively equal society to one of the most unequal in the world.

The structural flaws inherent in China’s political system – from state-controlled capitalism to corruption – have all contributed to the problem. The top 10 per cent income share rose from 27 per cent in 1978 to 41 per cent in 2015, approaching levels seen in the United States, according to research by economist Thomas Piketty and his colleagues.

Xi clearly realises the risk of such income and wealth disparities, which could stifle growth and erode confidence in the leadership. Defining common prosperity is complicated as it has many implications and associated aspirations. In one sense, China’s pursuit of common prosperity seeks to build up the middle class so it can become more of an engine of consumption.

More in her opinion piece at the South China Morning Post.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more political experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

A plea for solid labor relations – Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

Former rocket factory worker and author Zhang Lijia discusses labor relations in China in an opinion piece at the South China Morning Post after a video about a dismissal of a worker caused an online uproar. “The government’s commitment to protect its workers is on the line here,” she argues.

Zhang Lijia:

This month, a short video attracted a huge amount of attention on China’s social media. In the clip, a female executive was seen sacking a male employee. When he protested that she had violated the country’s labour law, she spoke rudely to him, admitting: “I’ve violated the law – so what?” He could go ahead and sue her, she said, but he would never get anywhere because she “knew people” in labour arbitration.

The video has caused a public outcry and widespread condemnation. There is heated debate over how she could blatantly disregard the law, whether China’s labour laws were working well enough and how China can better protect worker rights.

Having once been a factory worker for 10 years, I maintain a keen interest in labour relations; I also feel for my fellow workers.

China enacted comprehensive labour legislation only in 2008, with the Labour Contract Law, the Labour Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Law, and the Employment Promotion Law – all important legal milestones aimed at addressing workers’ grievances and protecting their rights. In particular, the Labour Contract Law states that companies must provide each employee with a written contract and stipulates guidelines on termination: there should be a 30-day notice or an extra month’s salary in lieu.

After outraged netizens started digging around for the identity of the woman and the company, the Beijing-based chip design company issued a statement on January 8, apologising for causing the furore. It said its executive had been reprimanded and suspended from work. It also said the sacked worker was let go about five months into his six-month probation because of a lack of competence, and that the termination was lawful.

Labour disputes in China are a relatively new phenomenon and it is not uncommon for companies to fire workers just before the end of their probation. As economic and social inequalities increased with China’s opening up, so have labour tensions…

Given the circumstances, the authorities must try harder to protect workers’ rights to fulfil their duty of care. They should thoroughly investigate the latest allegation of unfair dismissal and severely punish those who violate labour laws.

They should also introduce more legal aid, work to simplify the arbitration procedure, and ensure all verdicts are obeyed and wronged employees are properly compensated.

The government’s commitment to protect its workers is on the line here. China is a socialist country, built as a state for and of the workers. A failure to protect workers undercuts the Communist Party’s credibility, especially if the poor enforcement of labour laws is allowed to continue and cases start to mount.

More at the South China Morning Post.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more political experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

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Why China and Japan need closer ties – Zhang Lijia

 

Zhang Lijia

Relations between China and Japan have been tense since the end of World War II, and the annual remembrance of the rape of Nanking,  this year 86 years ago, marks those tensions. Author Zhang Lijia argues that nowadays both countries need better relations, she argues in the South China Morning Post. “An amicable Sino-Japanese relationship is vital for regional stability and prosperity. If the two remain hostile, it will play into the US’ hands,” she writes.

The South China Morning Post:

Back in the 1990s, plenty of Japanese politicians would have liked to befriend China as they saw that their future was in Asia. Beijing’s hostility, however, pushed them to embrace America wholeheartedly.

It’s time for Beijing to walk out of the past and forge closer ties with Tokyo. Beyond the fact that China is Japan’s largest trading partner, it has many reasons to be on good terms with this neighbour. As an Asian country with a long history with China, Japan can potentially play a role in softening crises, such as over Taiwan.

Reduced tensions would lessen the overall threat perception and allow a relaxation of all actors’ security positions in the region. An amicable Sino-Japanese relationship is vital for regional stability and prosperity. If the two remain hostile, it will play into the US’ hands…

I am not suggesting that Chinese people should forget the pain we suffered at the hands of the imperial Japanese. I, for one, shall not forget. As a Nanjing native, I still remember the harrowing stories my grandma told me. Back in 1937, as she tried to flee the city, her infant daughter in her arms, a bomb fell nearby. A neighbour only metres away disappeared, blown to pieces by the blast.

Tokyo should apologise unequivocally and unreservedly for the atrocities committed in China and apologise specifically for the Rape of Nanking.

While it is understandable that so many Chinese feel resentful towards Japan, it is unwise to let this anti-Japan sentiment spiral out of control. National interests should come before personal feelings, and it is in China’s best interests to improve its relationship with Japan.

More in the South China Morning Post.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more political experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

China should improve position of single mothers – Zhang Lijia

 

Zhang Lijia

While fixing the dropping birth rate in China might be challenging, improving the current position of single mothers should be a no-brainer, says author Zhang Lijia in the South China Morning Post. Some provinces have started to deal with the Sishengzi, or “secretly born child”, as a growing number of women do not want to marry, but still want to have a child, she writes.

Zhang Lijia:

Sishengzi, or “secretly born child”, is a derogatory term to describe children born out of wedlock. For a woman to raise such a child in China used to be as difficult as climbing up the sky. To start with, without a marriage certificate, this child would not be able to get registered, which meant they could not go to a state school, take a flight or get vaccinated.

However, there are signs that suggest the Chinese government has begun to loosen control to a certain degree. In recent years, provinces such as Sichuan, Guangdong, Anhui and Shaanxi have issued new regulations that allow unmarried mothers to register their children. More governments are likely to follow suit.

In July, the authorities in Xian announced that single mothers could now apply for child subsidies and insurance. These developments are encouraging, but in my view, the central government needs to go much further.

The new regulations were developed amid increasing concerns of a plummeting birth rate. China allowed couples to have two children in 2016, with the limit going up to three children five years later, but not enough couples have taken up the offer. China’s fertility rate dropped to a record low of 1.09 last year. The enormous cost of raising a child and changing values have also contributed to this alarming trend.

More in the South China Morning Post.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more experts on cultural change at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

On banning clothes that offend national feelings – Zhang Lijia

 

Zhang Lijia

The draft law banning clothes deemed offensive to national feelings in China has triggered much debate. Author and journalist Zhang Lijia dives and looks back at the campaigns from her youth at the Nanjing rocket factory, and more recent incidents, for the South China Morning Post.

Zhang Lijia:

Last summer, a young woman doing a photo shoot in Suzhou was detained by the police simply because she was wearing a kimono. Last month, people wearing shirts with rainbows, seen as a pro-LGBTQ symbol, were not allowed to enter a concert in Beijing.

The Chinese authorities have always liked to behave like a parent, offering citizens all sorts of advice on matters minor and major. In 2019, they issued “morality guidelines” which directed people to be polite, travel with a lower carbon footprint and have “faith” in the Communist Party.

But the latest proposed law goes a bit too far. Some have speculated that kimono wearers are likely to be the target. Anti-Japan sentiment has long run high in China because of imperial Japan’s war atrocities, such as the massacre at Nanjing. After police detained the kimono-clad woman in Suzhou last year, netizens debated whether donning a kimono was unpatriotic.The debate has flared up again. If wearing a kimono went against the proposed law, one netizen wondered, what about Western-style clothing? Another responded by noting that Western-style clothing is a symbol of Western culture and can be seen as a symbol of Western invaders, so why wouldn’t wearing Western-style clothing constitute hurting national feelings?

The problem is that the draft law is vague. The proposed change does not specify the kinds of clothing that would constitute a violation…

An incident in Wuhan has only reinforced people’s concerns. About a week ago, video footage emerged of a group of young people in hanfu at Panlongcheng National Archaeological Site Park, a public park, who were repeatedly told to leave by security guards who thought they were in kimono – even though they explained they were in Tang dynasty costume.

I am delighted to see the outpouring of criticism over the contentious draft amendment. Hopefully, if opposing voices are loud enough, the authorities will listen and rethink going ahead with it. Personal freedom should be respected.

More at the South China Morning Post.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more political experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

TV drama on rape victim blaming, triggers a much needed debate – Zhang Lijia

 

Zhang Lijia

A star-studded Chinese TV drama delving into workplace sexual harassment titled Imperfect Victim recently ended but the debate it triggered rages on. Journalist and social commentator Zhang Lijia dives into the debate for the South China Morning Post.

Zhang Lijia:

A star-studded Chinese TV drama delving into workplace sexual harassment titled Imperfect Victim recently ended but the debate it triggered rages on. The show, which ran to 29 45-minute episodes, centres on a rape case: beautiful, young personal assistant Zhao Xun accuses her powerful and handsome boss, Cheng Gong, the company president, of raping her. But the case is complex, and so are the characters involved.

Within three months, Cheng, a married man, promotes Zhao from a trainee to the position of senior assistant, multiplies her salary and showers her with gifts worth 880,000 yuan (US$122,170). She makes little attempt to stop him. Then one rainy night, the police turn up at the company’s apartment suite, having received an anonymous tip-off about rape. Zhao, traumatised and confused, denies she has been violated. Five days later, she files a lawsuit against him.

The popular and high-quality drama led to a heated discussion among the audience about the nature of sexual harassment, gender inequality, the unbalanced power play in the office and, interestingly, who is really the victim…

Zhou Xiaoxuan, a prominent face in China’s #MeToo movement, was also sued for defamation after she accused Zhu Jun, a high-profile TV presenter, of sexual assault. She countersued, demanding an apology and compensation, and failed. Last year, her appeal was dismissed after a court in Beijing ruled that she lacked sufficient evidence. This was hardly a surprising result. High legal barriers and social stigma have silenced many victims.

I am delighted to see a TV drama like Imperfect Victim dealing with such serious social issues head on. For centuries, Confucianist ideas that women are inferior dominated Chinese society. It is partly due to the deeply rooted patriarchal culture that sexual harassment is prevalent in the workplace, so much so that on International Women’s Day this year, the government issued a guidance specifically to combat the problem.

But I do find the title Imperfect Victim problematic in that it might further encourage a victim-blaming culture. Let’s not focus on the weaknesses of the victim but examine the perpetrator with a critical eye. A victim is a victim, whether she is perfect or not.

More at the South China Morning Post.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more media experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

A low in US and China’s public opinion about each other – Zhang Lijia

 

Zhang Lijia

Public opinion in both China and the US about the other country is at a low, and political analyst Zhang Lijia fears those opinions might push both adversaries into a new cold war, she argues in the South China Morning Post.

Zhang Lijia:

Does public opinion matter in an authoritarian country such as China, where there is no democratic voting system? The answer is yes, even though the correlation between public opinion and government decision-making is perhaps less strong compared to that of the US. There have been suggestions that Xi sharpened his rhetoric because he didn’t want to be seen as weak by the people of China.

The Chinese government does respond to public opinion as it cares about its political legitimacy, as shown in its sudden abandonment of its zero-Covid policy. The increasingly negative public views of the US could encourage its leaders to take a harder line against the US. This vicious circle is dangerous as the dramatic deterioration of the relationship will not be good for either country.

Disturbing as it is to see views of China in the US resembling those of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, I am not surprised as American politicians often lump Russia and China together. The difference between China and the Soviet Union is as wide as that between heaven and earth, though.

More in the South China Morning Post.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more political analysts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.