In 1971 Jaime “Jimi” FlorCruz, a student leader from the Philippines, arrived in Beijing, eager to explore Mao’s China. But when President Ferdinand Marcos announced a crackdown on leftists, Mr FlorCruz found himself stranded. What began as a three-week visit turned into five decades of witnessing China’s transformation.
During his time in China, Mr FlorCruz became a well-known journalist, working as the Beijing bureau chief for Time magazine and CNN. In 2022, he was appointed the Philippines’ ambassador to China by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of the man whose regime had made it impossible for him to return in the 1970s.
David Rennie, The Economist’s geopolitics editor, sits down with Jaime FlorCruz and asks: how close can any foreigner get to understanding China? And how have the transformations in Chinese politics changed his relationship with the country?
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