Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Over the past year, China-related products, aesthetics, and digital content have gained traction in the United States, from Chinese New Year marketing campaigns and consumer brands to memes, shopping apps, tourism videos, and C-dramas. This growing visibility marks a notable shift from the intense Sinophobia that peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic and amid heightened geopolitical tensions.
On August 5, 2026, Rebecca Fannin and Shaoyu Yuan discussed with Michael Berry whether these cultural influences can significantly reshape how Americans understand and relate to China.
Speakers
Rebecca A. Fannin
Rebecca A. Fannin is a journalist, author, and media entrepreneur. She is the author of three books on China’s entrepreneurial boom – Silicon Dragon, Startup Asia, and Tech Titans of China, which have been published in multiple languages. Her latest book is Silicon Heartland. A contributor for CNBC and writer for Forbes and Harvard Business Review, Ms. Fannin’s research and writing have established her as a leading commentator on technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation. She is a frequent guest on BBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, and NPR, and a quoted expert in the New York Times. In 2010, she launched Silicon Dragon Ventures, a media and events platform focused on startup investment.
Ms. Fannin has spoken at the Brookings Institution, Asia Society, and universities including Harvard, Yale, and Oxford. She divides her time between San Francisco and New York City.
Shaoyu Yuan
Shaoyu Yuan is a visiting assistant professor at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs. His work has appeared in academic journals such as International Affairs, East Asia, The Pacific Review, and Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia. His work has been featured in prominent media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, The Hill, the Economist, Al Jazeera, and The Diplomat. Dr. Yuan is the author of Reframing China: TikTok, Soft Power, and the Battle for Global Narratives.
He holds a B.A. from Centre College, an M.S. from Northeastern University, and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University.
Moderator
Michael Berry
Michael Berry is a professor of contemporary Chinese cultural studies and director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. His areas of research include modern and contemporary Chinese literature, Chinese cinema, popular culture in modern China, and translation studies.
A Guggenheim fellow, Dr. Berry has written and edited fourteen books on Chinese literature and cinema including Speaking in Images (2006), A History of Pain (2008), Jia Zhangke on Jia Zhangke (2022), and Translation, Disinformation, and Wuhan Diary (2022). He has served as a film consultant and a juror for numerous film festivals, including the Golden Horse (Taiwan) and the Fresh Wave (Hong Kong). He is also the translator of numerous books, including To Live (2004), Remains of Life (2017), Wuhan Diary (2020), and The Running Flame (2025), which was awarded the Baifang Schell Book Prize for Literature. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University.
