cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/56227116
At a conference dedicated to examining China’s growing global influence, one of the most memorable moments did not come from a policy debate or a keynote presentation. It came from an apology.
[...] Last week, Taiwan-based non-governmental think tank Doublethink Lab hosted its third annual China in the World Summit, bringing together more than 200 participants from Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. The gathering convened researchers, journalists, policymakers, civil society leaders and activists — including Tibetans, Hong Kongers, Uighurs and Chinese dissidents — to discuss the global reach of the Chinese Communist Party’s influence and the challenges it poses to democratic societies.
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One of the summit’s featured speakers was the prominent Chinese dissident known online as Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher (李老師不是你老師). His X account, followed by more than 2 million people, has become one of the most influential Chinese-language platforms documenting protests, censorship and dissent inside China. The summit also marked the first time Teacher Li stepped out from behind his online identity to speak publicly before an international audience.
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During the Q&A session, a Tibetan participant [thanked Teacher Li and] expressed her gratitude not only because of Teacher Li’s enormous audience, but also because many of his followers are Chinese living under one of the world’s most restrictive censorship systems. In an information environment where Tibet is largely portrayed through official state narratives, every independent account has the potential to broaden public understanding.
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Teacher Li apologized to the Tibetan participant and, by extension, to the Tibetan people. He admitted that while growing up in China, he knew almost nothing about Tibet or the Uighurs, because information about their histories, cultures and experiences of repression had been systematically suppressed. Now, with access to information beyond China’s censorship system, he said he believes remaining silent about Tibet would itself be an injustice.
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For Tibetans, whose voices have long struggled to reach Chinese audiences because of pervasive censorship, Teacher Li’s willingness to use his platform represents more than an act of solidarity. It demonstrates that independent Chinese voices can help bridge decades of misunderstanding created by state propaganda. In an era marked by repression and polarization, admitting past ignorance can become the first step toward mutual understanding.
Teacher Li’s apology did not resolve decades of mistrust or erase the effects of a dictatorial regime. For a brief moment, it showed what becomes possible when someone is willing to confront the limits of their own understanding. In that exchange between a Chinese dissident and a Tibetan participant, the summit offered something more enduring than a policy debate: a glimpse of solidarity built on truth rather than silence.
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