About China Debate and the Editor, Malcolm Riddell

At China Debate, we believe in ‘groupthink’—as long as the group is made up of fiercely independent individuals; holding vastly different positions on China issues; who want to persuade others, but are willing to be persuaded (at least a little).

We provide a neutral platform. We don’t side with or promote any point of view, and we include and welcome all serious points of view. The one exception: Our demand to see Premier Hu Jintao’s ‘Long-Form Chinese Communist Party Certificate.’

(BTW, our neutrality extends to ourselves. Although China Debate is published by the China-focused boutique, RiddellTseng, it is not an advertisement for the firm. No sly plugs and no references about how RiddellTseng can close your tough deal in China or make you business an instant success there. That said, we don’t object either to the reflected visibility.)

We also provide several forums for you to debate China issues: the ‘comments’ sections, Facebook page, LinkedIn Group, and Twitter.

Each has a different mode of delivery, a different extended audience, and a different feel. China Debaters can conduct their discussions and arguments on whatever platform or platforms work for them. For our part, we will do our best to cross-pollinate the debates over all these platforms, so that your discussions reach the largest audience and have the greatest influence.

There are only two rules: Be civil to each other and don’t cuss too much.

Next, we provide some of the best research, analysis, and opinion about China.

To do this, we rifle through a vast universe: China blogs, China journals, China conferences; China in the press and on television; companies, think tanks, and universities, and law firms, accounting firms, consulting firms, investment banks, all writing about China; China on Quora, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn; Old China Hands and pundits opining everywhere.

From these, we curate what we consider to be the most useful, most interesting and sometimes most funny selections—and add our own comments.

Finally, we provide China thought leaders from China, the rest of Asia, and the West a platform to express their views as Contributors. Many of them don’t have blogs, don’t Tweet, don’t participate in open discussion groups. They communicate intermittently through their books, articles, and the occasional op-ed or speech. On China Debate, you will hear their opinions up-to-the-minute, and be able to comment and discuss them.

In sum, China Debate integrates content, opinion, and debate to create a community that will bring clarity to some China issues and draw sharper distinctions for discussion of other, more controversial, ones.

As China Debate spills over from the digital world into the physical world, we will in these ways, each of us and all of us, exert influence on the conduct of business, politics, and international relations with China.

At all times, we work to make China Debate more relevant and effective by listening to you. China Debate is a vehicle for you, guided by you.

Welcome!