Stability amid revolution
Part of a series about Harvard’s deep ties to Asia. JINAN, China — As a German diplomat in Africa, Daniel Koss saw his share of unstable governments. But given the continent’s poverty, factionalism, and history of colonialism, the situation was understandable. What he didn’t understand was China. The Asian giant, growing ever larger on the world stage while Koss was in Africa from 2004 to 2006, was once beset by many of the same problems. It was colonized by European powers and by Japan. It suffered waves of violence during the 1937 Japanese invasion, the civil war between nationalists and Communists, and the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976. “I’m interested in political order and how you create political order,” Koss said. “Coming from Africa, I wondered, ‘How is this country stable?’ It’s a Communist country that’s not really Communist anymore, so what makes it stick together?” Koss believes the answer may lie with the...