Frank Dikötter says that the standard Western story of China’s post-Mao “rise” is an illusion.
— Melissa Chen (@MsMelChen) September 7, 2026
"So you're saying that Westerners who look at China's numbers and some of the things they see when they visit and are impressed are the Walter Durantys of our time?"
"Exactly."… pic.twitter.com/V0ltIAd4nE