BCCN Talk: Fieldwork in China and the Digitalisation of the Chinese Petitioning System

Abstract: The Petitioning (i.e., Xinfang) System, a traditional channel of political participation in Chinese politics, is undergoing a notable digital transformation. What institutional changes and continuities emerge from this trend? In this talk, Askan Weidemann will share insights from his recent six-month fieldwork as a doctoral research fellow at Tsinghua University in Beijing. He will discuss the feasibility of conducting research in post-pandemic China on a politically sensitive topic of digital governance, outline the challenges he encountered during his fieldwork, and suggest strategies to navigate these obstacles.

Askan Weidemann is a Doctoral Researcher at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) in Hamburg, where he conducts research on Chinese politics and the digitalization of the Chinese Petitioning System.