Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 1d

I love it all. 😎⚽️

1

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 3d

Thank you!

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 5d

I'm actually quite proud of that analysis, and I stand by it. I'm not surprised that North Korea has survived as long as it has. And, I see little evidence now that KJU or NK is teetering on the brink...so our policies should reflect that...

1 7

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 5d

I'm preparing to do a lecture tomorrow on why NK has survived...I found an article I wrote 31 years ago (Good grief I'm old), that I think stands up pretty well. "Rolling with the punches" was pretty accurate, I must say! www.jstor.org/stable/23254...

1 1 7

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 7d

Happy Chuseok everyone!

5 16

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 9d

Charlie Brown is 75 years old today!!!!

1 7

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 12d

Noelle Troutman and I published a piece on US-DPRK relations in the latest issue of Asian Survey. TLDR: we are pessimistic!

All the articles are free for a limited time. Act fast! Supplies are limited! www.ucpress.edu/blog-posts/t...

Trump 2.0 and Asia: An Asian Survey Special Issue

This timely collection of articles brings together leading scholars to analyze the potential impact of Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency on Asian countries.

www.ucpress.edu

2

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 15d

Thanks for having us -- it was a great conversation about an important topic.

Jake Werner @jwdwerner.bsky.social · 16d

Great conversation today with @daveckang.bsky.social, @zenobiachan.bsky.social, and Jackie S H Wong on their article, “What Does China Want?”

Check out the recording if you missed it:
quincyinst.org/events/what-...

What Does China Want?

Join as we discuss China's true goals and motivations.

quincyinst.org

1 2

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 22d

We also did a podcast with
@kaiserkuo.bsky.social
where we go into depth about our methods, other views, and extensions of our argument. Give it a listen!

www.sinicapodcast.com/p/what-does-...

What Does China Want? The Authors of a New Paper Challenge the DC Consensus

This week on Sinica, I chat with Dave Kang (USC), Zenobia Chan (Georgetown), and Jackie Wong (American University in Sharjah, UAE) about their new paper in International Security titled "What Does Chi...

www.sinicapodcast.com

1

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 22d

This is a shorter piece that extends and builds off our deeply-researched, 16,000 word essay in International Security. We have much more to say than even we could fit in this longer piece, and we may have to write a book. (heh). Read this piece too!

direct.mit.edu/isec/article...

What Does China Want?

Abstract. The conventional wisdom is that China is a rising hegemon eager to replace the United States, dominate international institutions, and re-create the liberal international order in its own im...

direct.mit.edu

1 1

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 22d

We're doubling down!

@zenobiachan.bsky.social and Jackie S.H. Wong and I argue that China is more status quo than revisionist, and more inwardly focused than externally oriented. Read this and decide for yourselves!

www.foreignaffairs.com/china/what-c...

What China Doesn’t Want

Beijing’s core aims are clear—and limited.

www.foreignaffairs.com

1 3

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 23d

Zenobia Chan, Jackie Wong, and myself on "What does China want?" with the Quincy Institute. Looking forward to it!

quincyinst.org/events/what-...

What Does China Want?

Join as we discuss China's true goals and motivations.

quincyinst.org

2 1

Reposted by Dave Kang

Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 24d

Before he was a Senator, a candidate for President, and our greatest champion in the fight against oligarchy, Bernie Sanders was the four-term Mayor of Burlington, VT.

I sat down with Bernie in Astoria to talk about the lessons he learned—and the work ahead.

270 2.8K 13K

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · 29d

Good article.
theloop.ecpr.eu/lost-in-tran...

Lost in translation: why the West keeps misreading China

Western governments have armies of Mandarin speakers and AI translators, yet they keep misreading Beijing. What’s missing, as Stefan Messingschlager argues, is independent, context-rich expertise – pe...

theloop.ecpr.eu

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · Sep 6

Big if true.

www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

Pentagon plan prioritizes homeland over China threat

This marks a major departure from the first Trump administration, which emphasized deterring Beijing.

www.politico.com

1

Reposted by Dave Kang

Kerry Dolan @kerrydolan.bsky.social · Sep 5

How to drive away foreign investment in the U.S.:
www.forbes.com/sites/siladi...

South Korea Raises Concern After U.S. Immigration Raid At Hyundai EV Battery Plant In Georgia

U.S. immigration authorities detained around 450 people from a Hyundai EV battery plant in Georgia, including more than 300 South Korean nationals.

www.forbes.com

10 19

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · Sep 2

In case you are interested, here is a link to the original paper: We are so reasonable! direct.mit.edu/isec/article...

What Does China Want?

Abstract. The conventional wisdom is that China is a rising hegemon eager to replace the United States, dominate international institutions, and re-create the liberal international order in its own im...

direct.mit.edu

1 2

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · Sep 2

New podcast from Sinica about "What Does China Want?" -- a great discussion that fleshes out our new paper challenging the DC consensus on a China threat. With @zenobiachan.bsky.social and Jackie Wong. @kaiserkuo.bsky.social Thanks for having us!

www.sinicapodcast.com/p/what-does-...

What Does China Want? The Authors of a New Paper Challenge the DC Consensus

This week on Sinica, I chat with Dave Kang (USC), Zenobia Chan (Georgetown), and Jackie Wong (American University in Sharjah, UAE) about their new paper in International Security titled "What Does Chi...

www.sinicapodcast.com

1 3 6

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · Aug 31

This is a link to the appendices from our recent IS article on "What Does China Want?" Some great data there for those interested!

dataverse.harvard.edu/dataset.xhtm...

1 1

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · Aug 24

Thank you! We are trying to help widen the discourse about China with careful empirics and clear theory.

Jacqueline L. Hazelton @drjlhazelton.bsky.social · Aug 23

Read this great new piece on China in International Security! direct.mit.edu/isec/article... @daveckang.bsky.social @belfercenter.bsky.social @mitpress.bsky.social @intsecurity.bsky.social

What Does China Want?

Abstract. The conventional wisdom is that China is a rising hegemon eager to replace the United States, dominate international institutions, and re-create the liberal international order in its own im...

direct.mit.edu

2

Reposted by Dave Kang

Kate Mackenzie @katemac.bsky.social · Aug 21

While procrastinating on the insurance piece, I made the mistake of checking up on a few headlines I've seen recently about China's green tech manufacturing & exports.
Big mistake, huge etc.

2 13 74

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · Aug 21

Great research!

Stanford APARC @aparc.stanford.edu · Aug 21

How do US political leaders and the media shape narratives concerning China, and how do citizens in young democracies perceive them? At a recent policy engagement conference, the Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab team presented research findings addressing these questions. stanford.io/4793N7A

Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab Probes Political Messaging and Public

At a recent conference, lab members presented data-driven, policy-relevant insights into rival-making in U.S.-China relations

aparc.fsi.stanford.edu

1

Reposted by Dave Kang

International Security @intsecurity.bsky.social · Aug 20

“What Does China Want?” by @daveckang.bsky.social, Jackie S. H. Wong, and @zenobiachan.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1162/ISEC...

This article is ungated thanks to @mitpress.bsky.social.

What Does China Want?

Abstract. The conventional wisdom is that China is a rising hegemon eager to replace the United States, dominate international institutions, and re-create the liberal international order in its own im...

doi.org

1 2 3

Dave Kang @daveckang.bsky.social · Aug 21

We wrote this piece to provide a rich empirical view of China's goals, and also as a sort of "primer" about how to contextualize and think about where China is today, where it came from, and where it is going. Central to that is outlining how to understand Chinese rhetoric...

Paul Heer @pauljcheer.bsky.social · Aug 20

"By misunderstanding what China wants, the United States risks creating problems where none exist and isolating itself from East Asia in ways that are deleterious to U.S. long-term national interests." From @daveckang.bsky.social, @zenobiachan.bsky.social, and Jackie S. H. Wong.

Paul Heer @pauljcheer.bsky.social · Aug 20

"[T]he conventional wisdom has converged on a view that China has expansive goals to dominate not just Asia but the world; ultimately, it seeks to supplant the United States as the global hegemon. . . . We challenge this conventional wisdom."
direct.mit.edu/isec/article...

2

Reposted by Dave Kang

andrés castro araújo @acastroaraujo.bsky.social · Aug 19

laTiN amEriCA iS uNdErdeveLoPed beCaUsE it DOesN't hAVe sTrONg DEmocRaTic iNStiTUTioNs

People For the American Way @peoplefor.bsky.social · Aug 18

Texas Republicans have locked Democratic Rep. Nicole Collier inside the state house chamber and refuse to allow her to leave.

They are requiring Democrats to sign “permission slips” and have a police escort in order to leave the chamber, and she refuses to sign it.

2 23 96