I don't understand—why has China come to this?

The most interesting conversations in China today are all held in private.

 

　　Liyi Yuan, a columnist for The New York Times, hopes to share these interesting conversations with people around the world in podcast form. In May 2022, during Shanghai's COVID-19 lockdown, Yuan launched the "Why Not Podcast" under her personal initiative.

 

　　She said that the name "Why Not" (不明白) was chosen because there are too many things in China that defy logic and are worth exploring. By producing the show with friends, she hopes to shed some light and warmth in this dark and chaotic era and alleviate political depression.

 

　　"Make yourself brave, instead of waiting for a brave person to appear."

 

　　The "Why Not Podcast" consistently interviews influential scholars, researchers, individuals involved in news events, entrepreneurs, and ordinary people from diverse backgrounds, focusing on topics such as China's economy, the authoritarian system, and individual freedoms. Since its launch, the "Why Not Podcast" has become an important source of information for the outside world to understand contemporary Chinese politics and society, and a bridge connecting with its audience.

　　

　　On its second anniversary, the "Why Not Podcast" decided to select chapters from nearly a hundred episodes and compile them into a book, "Why Not: How Did China Get Here?" This book will decode China's party-state system, its economic dilemmas, and showcase stories of ordinary people living in China today, as well as those who hope to change the status quo through action.

 

　　In-depth interviews, responding to the "whys" of our time

　　"Why Not," because in this surreal country, too many things defy logic and are worth exploring.

 

　　Over the past two years, as a rare space for discussion under China's high-pressure politics, the "Why Not Podcast" has continuously conducted in-depth interviews with experts and scholars skilled at analyzing political situations, workers struggling to survive in economic mire, and front-line protestors. "Let Chinese people hear each other's true voices, sincere thoughts, and sharp analyses."

 

　　This book selects 15 major interviews, conveying the true questions and voices of contemporary China.

 

　　The Party-State System

　　How personal will manipulates the entire party, and how an authoritarian system is forged

　　Detailed explanation of the CCP's political logic and the evolution of its state surveillance system

　　How China's ideological landscape has dramatically changed in the past decade

 

　　Economic Crisis

　　Why China's real estate industry is facing severe problems

　　Will China, under deflation, follow the old path of the Soviet Union?

　　Will persistent economic depression and unemployment lead to systemic collapse?

 

　　Voices in the Dark Night

　　Entrepreneurs who went from riches to rags, young people who can't find jobs, and migrant workers struggling in the depression. "Programmer Ghot," a legendary online figure sentenced to seven years, and his wife, Zhenying Bei; "White Paper Movement" protestors who took to the streets; "Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher," who challenged China's Great Firewall single-handedly...

 

　　Who are they? Why do they have the courage to resist?

　　Where is the end of the dark night?