Is Chinese-Style Surveillance the Future?

Less than a decade ago, amid the drama of the Arab Spring, it was fashionable to predict that technology would fatally weaken authoritarian governments around the world. These views now seem hopelessly outdated — and nowhere is this more the case than in China. There, the ruling Communist Party has subjected the Uighur Muslim population of Xinjiang to severe restrictions and an extraordinary degree of high-tech surveillance.

What exactly is Chinese-style surveillance? Will it spread to other dictatorships around the world? And, what responsibilities do tech companies have to ensure their services do not contribute to democracy’s erosion?

These are some of the questions BuzzFeed News correspondent Megha Rajagopalan tackles in her reporting. In the latest episode of the Asia In-Depth podcast, she speaks about these issues and more with Asia Society’s Matt Schiavenza. The two spoke on the sidelines of this year’s Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit in San Francisco, which Megha attended as a member of Asia 21’s Class of 2019.

More: Last month, Rajagopalan participated in a panel discussion about artificial intelligence and global governance at the 2019 Asia 21 Young Leaders summit. Watch the complete discussion here, and click here to watch additional videos as well as read a recap of the summit.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS

Journalist Martha Raddatz on the Unusual Challenge of Covering North Korea

Throughout her journalism career, ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz has reported on crises across Asia, in particular the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last week, Raddatz reflected on her career in a conversation with Asia Society Executive Vice President Tom Nagorski, her former ABC News colleague, at Asia Society New York. Raddatz described a recent visit to North Korea as being among the most challenging and unusual experiences she has had.

“I was honestly quite stunned by how much government presence there was every single second,” she said. “I’ve been to Iran, where you have a government minder and where you figure there are cameras in the rooms. But it was so oppressive in North Korea. It was so perfect everywhere. Perfect. It was really a Potemkin village.”

Watch the full conversation between Raddatz and Nagorski.

Photo: Elsa Ruiz/Asia Society

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ARTS

Chamber Opera Mila Explores Modern Hong Kong Life Through Lens of Filipina Domestic Worker

The chamber opera Mila is named after its protagonist, a domestic worker from the Philippines who works in the Hong Kong residence of an American man, his Cantonese wife, and their son. Sung in Tagalog, Cantonese, and English, the opera reveals the complex but enduring relationship between the housekeeper and her employers.

Following a sold-out run at Asia Society Hong Kong, Mila made its North American debut this weekend at the Angel Orensanz Center in New York City. Last week, Asia Society New York hosted a special preview and conversation with the opera’s cast and creative team.

Among the participants in the conversation was Xyza Cruz Bacani, a Filipina photographer and Asia 21 Young Leader who has served as a domestic worker in Hong Kong. “It’s happening in real life,” she said. “It’s not fiction.”

Watch the complete preview of Mila and the conversation following the performance.

More: Asia Society Northern California hosts a performance of Mila in San Francisco on Thursday, December 12. Details here.

Photo: Ellen Wallop/Asia Society

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Dec. 11: Asia Society India hosts a discussion of how environmental issues affect public health in India. Participants include Dr. Nerges Mistry, Dr. Rashneh Pardiwala, and photographer Ashima Narain.
Dec. 12: Warden of Rhodes House Elizabeth Kiss and Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan, the managing director of Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, discuss Malaysia’s political economy and perspectives on investing in China at Asia Society Hong Kong.
Dec. 17: New York Magazine food critic Adam Platt will discuss his new memoir The Book of Eating at Asia Society New York with his father, Asia Society President Emeritus Nicholas Platt.
Dec. 18: Asia Society New York’s annual program looking at the year to come will feature Asia Society President Josette Sheeran, Foreign Policy Managing Editor and Asia 21 Young Leader Ravi Agrawal, and Eurasia Group Director of Global Market Research Nicholas Consonery. The program will be moderated by Tom Nagorski.

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