季風人文講壇 JF SALON
季風人文講壇12月份活動通知
JF Salon Announcement of December
This December, JF SALON brings together voices that reach across communities, histories, and disciplines, from the fate and resistance of Hong Kong’s imprisoned pro-democracy figures to two decades of courage within China’s human rights movement; from the talent engines that shaped Asia’s major economies to the shifting tides of U.S.–China military competition—and finally, to the political logic that keeps China’s firms bound to the Party-state. Each conversation asks a shared question: amid structural pressures and the currents of our time, can we still understand our place, make choices, and speak clearly?
Across the month, we welcome speakers from history, politics, law, economics, and public life:
Irene Vinyard Bennett brings the artisans of ancient China back to life;
Mark Clifford and Frances Hui examine the price of freedom for Jimmy Lai and Hong Kong;
Thomas Kellogg, Shengchun Luo, and Rong Wei revisit Xu Zhiyong’s democratic vision;
Zack Cooper interprets the strategic tides shaping U.S.–China rivalry;
and Professor Ning Leng reveals how China’s firms are shaped into political instruments.
這個十二月，我們將以一種更貼近社群、更面向世界的方式，再次把不同的聲音匯聚在我們的季風人文講壇：從在街區圖書館與鄰里共讀，到穿越數千年歷史的戰國敘事；從香港自由之子的命運與抗爭，到中國人權運動二十年的孤勇與代價；從亞太四大經濟體如何以人才塑造國運，到美中軍事競逐下的力量轉折，再到中國企業如何被捲入國家政治邏輯中——每一場對談，都指向同一個問題：在結構的壓力與時代的洪流中，我們是否仍然能理解、選擇、並說出自己的位置？
12 月的每一晚，我們邀請來自歷史、政治、經濟、法律與公共生活的不同講者：
Irene Vinyard Bennett 帶我們回到戰國時期，聆聽青銅編鐘與手工匠人的命運；
Mark Clifford 與 Frances Hui 追索黎智英與香港政治幽暗時刻中的自由代價；
Thomas Kellogg、羅勝春與榮偉，從許志永的《美好中國》重新提出公民的可能性；
Zack Cooper 則從軍事史與政策現場解析美中力量的潮汐；
最後由Ning Leng教授揭示中國企業如何在威權體制下被塑造成政治工具。
在這個世界劇烈變動的時刻，知識不是答案，而是起點；對話不是奢侈，而是必需。
我們期待，你能與我們一起，在十二月的每個夜晚，見證思想在華府冬夜裡發光。
December 4th, Thursday, 6:00–7:30 PM｜In English
A Tale of Two Tales: Weaving Facts into Warring States Fiction
In Battle of the Artisans, Irene Vinyard Bennett offers a vivid reimagining of the mystery behind the Bronze-Age bells of Marquis Yi. Blending careful research with narrative depth, she reconstructs a Warring States–era community through the struggles of a young artisan confronting power, craft, and destiny. A conversation on where history ends and imagination begins.
About the Speaker
Irene Vinyard Bennett is a freelance writer, editor, and educator who has taught English and creative writing around the world. After a decade in Hong Kong, she now writes and teaches in the Washington, D.C. region.
December 5th, Friday, 6:00–8:00 PM｜In English & Chinese
The Price of Freedom: Jimmy Lai and the Fate of Hong Kong｜自由的代價：黎智英與香港的命運
This talk examines the new Chinese edition of The Troublemaker, tracing Jimmy Lai’s journey from entrepreneur to Hong Kong’s most recognized political prisoner. Detained for nearly five years under the National Security Law, Lai’s case illustrates the city’s shrinking freedoms. The speakers will discuss his trial, Hong Kong’s political climate, and the broader implications for the city’s future.
About the Speakers
Mark Clifford is president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation and former editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post.
Frances Hui is the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation and the first Hongkonger to be granted asylum in the United States.
December 11th, Thursday, 6:00–7:30 PM｜In Chinese & English
Xu Zhiyong and the Dream of a Democratic China｜许志永：一个“美好中国”的公共理想
For over twenty years, Xu Zhiyong has been a central figure in China’s human rights movement. Drawing on Xu’s essays in Beautiful China, this conversation explores his democratic vision, his advocacy for constitutionalism and citizenship, and the political repression that resulted in his fourteen-year prison sentence. A reflection on civic ideals in an age of authoritarian pressure.
About the Speakers
Thomas Kellogg is the executive director of the Georgetown Center for Asian Law and a leading scholar of legal reform and human rights in China.
Shengchun Luo is the founder of the Citizens’ Rights Alliance and an outspoken advocate for persecuted human rights defenders, including her husband Ding Jiaxi.
Moderator: Rong Wei is a New York–based publisher, editor, and cultural critic, and founder of Bodeng Bookhouse.
December 18th, Thursday, 6:00–7:30 PM｜In English
Tides of Fortune: Implications for U.S.–China Military Competition
Over the past two decades, China has reshaped the PLA into a global power-projection force, while the United States has pursued a more agile military posture. Drawing on extensive research and government experience, Zack Cooper explains how rising and declining powers adapt their militaries—and what these trends reveal about the future trajectory of U.S.–China competition.
About the Speaker
Zack Cooper is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who focuses on U.S. strategy in Asia. He teaches at Princeton University and previously held roles at CSIS, the Pentagon, and the White House.
December 19th, Friday, 6:30–7:30 PM｜In English
Politicizing Business: How Firms Are Made to Serve the Party-State in China
In her new book Politicizing Business, Professor Ning Leng details how firms in China remain deeply embedded in the Party-state’s political agenda. Despite decades of market reforms, businesses never gained full autonomy. Through original data and case studies, she examines what the state demands from firms, how political compliance is enforced, and why private companies often lose out to state-owned enterprises.
About the Speaker
Ning Leng is an assistant professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. Her research covers China’s political economy, state–business relations, censorship, and China’s global influence.
我們的網上購書平台 (https://jfbooks.org) 已全面上線並持續更新，歡迎您選購心儀的作品！在這個初秋季節，無論身在何處，閱讀都會是您心靈的歸屬，讓思想的種子在讀書中生根發芽。季風書園攜帶知識的力量與人文的關懷，始終陪伴您左右。期待我們在DC相見！
Additionally, our online book platform (https://jfbooks.org) is fully launched and continuously updated. Welcome to purchase your favorite works! In this autumn season full of vitality, no matter where you are, reading will be the spiritual home of your mind, allowing the seeds of thought to take root in books. JF Bookstore brings the power of knowledge and humanistic care, always accompanying you. Looking forward to seeing you in Washington D.C!
敬請留意我們隨後公佈的每場活動的報名通知！
Please stay tuned for upcoming registration announcements for each event!
我們的活動會通過電子郵件通訊的方式進行註冊和報名，你可以在“About Us”頁面登記成為我們的讀者會員，活動消息亦同步發佈在我們的Twitter/Instagram/X/Facebook 平台，請您留意每場活動的報名通知。季風書園期待您的參與！
Our events are registered and signed up through email communications. You can register as our reader member on the "About Us" page. Event news is also simultaneously posted on our Twitter, Instagram, X, and Facebook platforms. Please pay attention to the registration notices for each event. JF Books looks forward to your participation!