Zheng Yongnian

Zheng Yongnian (Chinese: 郑永年) is a Chinese political scientist and political commentator who has studied and written on many aspects of contemporary China and especially on Chinese politics. Zheng joined the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen in September 2020 and was appointed Director of the Advanced Institute of Global and Contemporary China Studies. He was a professor and director of the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore since 2008 until his resignation in 2020 amid alleged incidents of sexual misconduct.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zheng.
Zheng Yongnian
郑永年
Born
People's Republic of China
NationalityPeople's Republic of China
Known forCommentary on the Politics of the People's Republic of China
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese鄭永年
Simplified Chinese郑永年

Education and career

Zheng was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang, China in 1962. After completing his secondary education in Yuyao, he moved to Peking University for his undergraduate and master's studies in political science. After his graduation from Peking University in 1988, he worked for two years as assistant professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Peking University. Later, he studied at Princeton University, in the United States between 1990 and 1995 and obtained PhD in political science in 1995.

After a two-year term at Harvard as SSRC-MacArthur Fellow in International Peace and Security, Zheng moved to the newly founded East Asian Institute in Singapore as a research fellow (1997-2002) and later a senior research fellow (2002-2005). In 2005, he was appointed full professor and founding Research Director of the China Policy Institute at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. In July 2008, he succeeded Prof. Dali Yang and has since served as director of the East Asian Institute,[1] a Singaporean think tank under a statute of the National University of Singapore. Zheng also serves as advisor to independent think tank Longus Research Institute, giving talks and contributing essays to their Longus Review.

Zheng is a co-editor of China: An International Journal, East Asian Policy and Series on Contemporary China published by World Scientific in Singapore and editor of the China Policy Series published by Routledge.

Academic work

Zheng's academic works are mainly on politics of the People's Republic of China.[2] His earlier works in the United States, including the PhD thesis in Princeton and post-doctoral research at Harvard, dealt with China's central-local relations[3] and state-society interactions in Chinese nationalism.[4] Since late 90s, his research topics have included the impact of globalization[5] and information technology [6] on Chinese politics and government.

In his most recent work, The Chinese Communist Party as Organizational Emperor, Zheng argues that the Chinese Communist Party is not a political party in the usual sense of the word but rather an organizational form of traditional institution of the Emperor, similar to an organizational form of the Machiavellian prince à la Gramsci.[7] According to an interview with Chinese journal Nanfengchuang, his current works in progress include a study on the structure of China's political economy and the nature of the modern Chinese polity as non-nation state.[8]

Political commentary

Since the 2000s, Zheng has been a columnist, writing weekly commentaries on China for Hong Kong Economic Journal (until 2004) and the Lianhe Zaobao (since 2002). His weekly commentaries featured a broad range of critical issues in contemporary China's political, economic, social and cultural development. In these commentaries he consistently argues for gradual reforms in China's social, economic and political lives.[9] In the recent China Model debate, he takes the stand that while China definitely has a model of its own consistent and continuous with its historical patterns of development, the model needs constant reforms to avoid systemic crisis.[10][11] As an internationally recognized authority on Chinese politics, he was frequently consulted and quoted by the New York Times on recent developments in China's domestic politics in 2012, an eventful year of the Chinese Communist Party's power transition.[12][13][14][15] Besides being a columnist, he also appeared on TV programs. In the 2006 CCTV documentary The Rise of Great Nations, he was quoted to have expressed the view that the strength of a Great Power lies within its domestic institutions, its external powers merely reflecting an extension of its domestic institutions.[16]

Alleged sexual misconduct

In August 2020, a staff member at the East Asian Institute (EAI) of the National University of Singapore (NUS) accused Zheng of sexual harassment early as May 2018. The accuser, who identified herself as “Charlotte” on Twitter, reported Zheng to the police in May 2019 “after a year’s struggle.” According to the accuser, a warning for “offence for Outrage of Modesty” was given to Zheng in May 2020. She also claimed that the EAI was well aware of Zheng’s alleged behavior, but “[pretended] not to know” and used “bullying and retaliation” against her.[17][18]

In early September 2020, the NUS confirmed that Zheng had already resigned from the EAI amid the allegation of sexual misconduct and was granted leave until the expiry of his contract later in the month.[19] Zheng later denied the accusation, along with another alleged incident of sexual misconduct, via his attorney.[20]

In November 2020, the NUS determined that Zheng had behaved indecently with a subordinate by touching her without her consent during a work meeting. In a statement issued on November 17, the NUS noted that Zheng’s behavior was “inappropriate in a professional setting” and had breached the university’s code of conduct for staff. The university said that they “became aware” of the allegations in May 2019 and suspended Zheng on May 20 that year. Zheng would have been given a written warning accordingly, but since he had already resigned, the NUS recorded the outcome of its internal review in its staff records.[21]

English-language publications
  • Singapore-China Relations: 50 Years. (ed. with Liang Fook Lye) (World Scientific Series on Singapore's 50 Years of Nation-Building) NJ: World Scientific, 2016
  • Contemporary China: A History Since 1978 (Blackwell History of the Contemporary World) . Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013
  • Hong Kong Under Chinese Rule: Economic Integration and Political Gridlock. (ed. with Chiew Ping Yew) NJ: World Scientific, 2013
  • China: Development and Governance. (ed. with Gungwu Wang) NJ: World Scientific, 2012
  • East Asia: Developments and Challenges. (ed. with Liang Fook Lye) (Series on Contemporary China) NJ: World Scientific, 2012
  • Goh Keng Swee on China: Selected Essays. (ed. with John Wong) NJ: World Scientific, 2012
  • Wang Gungwu: Educator and Scholar. (ed. with Kok Khoo Phua) NJ: World Scientific, 2012
  • China and the Global Economic Crisis. (ed. with Sarah Y Tong) (Series on Contemporary China) NJ: World Scientific, 2010
  • The Chinese Communist Party as Organizational Emperor: Culture, Reproduction and Transformation. London and New York: Routledge, 2010
  • China and International Relations: The Chinese View and the Contribution of Wang Gungwu. (edited). London: Routledge, 2010
  • China's Opening Society: The Non-State Sector and Governance. (ed. with Joseph Fewsmith) London: Routledge, 2009.
  • China's Information and Communications Technology Revolution: Social Changes and State Responses London: Routledge, 2009
  • Politics of Modern China (in 4 volumes) (ed. with Lu Yiyi and Lynn White), London and New York: Routledge, 2009
  • China in the New International Order (ed. with Wang Gungwu), London: Routledge, 2008
  • Technological Empowerment: The Internet, the State and Society in China. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2008
  • De Facto Federalism in China: Reforms and Dynamics of Central-Local Relations (Series on Contemporary China). NJ: World Scientific, 2007
  • The Communist Party in Reform (ed. with Kjeld Erik Brodsgaad), New York and London: Routledge, 2006
  • Globalization and State Transformation in China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004 (cloth and paper editions). (This book is also in Chinese language.)
  • Will China Become Democratic? Elite, Class, and Regime Transition. Singapore, London and New York: Eastern Universities Press, 2004
  • Discovering Chinese Nationalism in China: Modernization, Identity, and International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999 (cloth and paper editions) (This book is now also in Korean language.)

References
  1. "Professor Zheng Yongnian takes over this month" (PDF). Newshub.nus.edu.sg. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  2. Robert, Ash al ed (2007). China Watching: Perspectives from Europe, Japan And the United States. London: Routledge. p. 120. ISBN 9780415413961.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  3. Göbel, Christian (2009). "Yongnian Zheng, De Facto Federalism in China: Reforms and Dynamics of Central-Local Relations". China Perspectives. 2009 (2): 113–115. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  4. Whiting, AS (1999). "Reviews on Discovering Chinese Nationalism in China Modernization, Identity, and International Relations". The China Quarterly. 48: 1062–1063.
  5. Dennis, Woodward (2005). "Globalization and State Transformation in China [Book Review]". The China Quarterly (53): 179–180.
  6. Damm, Jens. "Review on Technological Empowerment The Internet, State, and Society in China". Journal of Asian Studies. 67 (3): 1080–1081. doi:10.1017/s0021911808001435.
  7. Yan, Jian (2012). ""Wenhua chuancheng yu lishi chengji" (Cultural Tradition and Historical Legay: Review on Zheng Yongnian's Work on CCP)". Zhongguo Zhili Pinglun (China Governance Review). 1 (1): 56.
  8. Zeng, Ziyue (2011). "Zheng Yongnian: Jieshi zhongguo (Zheng Yongnian: Explaining China)". Nanfengchuang. 26 (14): 27.
  9. Zheng, Yongnian (2012). Zhongguo Gaige Sanbuzou (China's Reform in Three Stages). Shanghai: Eastern Press.
  10. Zheng, Yongnian (2012). "Weishenme Yaoti Zhongguomoshi" (Why We Must Talk About China Model). Hangzhou: Zhejiang People's Publication House. pp. 14–16.
  11. "The paradigm and its future". Chinadaily.com.cn. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  12. McDonald, Mark (9 February 2012). "What Now for the Rock Star of Chinese Politics?". Rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  13. Wines, Michael; Ansfield, Jonathan (19 March 2012). "Bo Xilai Accused of Interfering With Corruption Case". Nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  14. Tatlow, Didi Kirsten (21 March 2012). "The Twists and Turns of Chinese Political Reform". Nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  15. Wines, Michael; LaFraniere, Sharon (11 April 2012). "China Seeks to Contain Fallout From Scandal". Nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  16. ""Huayi Xuezhe Tan Daguojueqi" (Overseas Chinese Scholars on the Rise of Great Nations)". Financial Times Chinese. 2007-01-15. Archived from the original on 2011-12-13. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
  17. "NUS' East Asian Institute looking into allegations by staff member that she was bullied for reporting case of sexual harassment". 2 September 2020. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  18. "习近平"经济国师"郑永年陷性骚扰指控" (in Chinese). 2020-09-03. Archived from the original on 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  19. "NUS China scholar accused of sexual misconduct resigns". Sep 3, 2020. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  20. "郑永年发声明否认所有性骚扰指控：辞职与指控无关" (in Chinese). 2020-09-05.
  21. "Former director of NUS East Asian Institute had behaved inappropriately with subordinate: NUS". Nov 17, 2020. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
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