H. Christoph Steinhardt

In this new study with Xue Gong and Jan Delhey, published in @csr_sociology and funded by @ERC_Research, we re-evaluate the notion that China experienced a "trust crisis" – the rationale behind the “social credit system” – during its rapid modernization. doi.org/10.1080/216205…

Prominent voices such as Renmin University's Shi Yinhong called it straight: the operation proves Washington's military strength remains superior, its warfare methods have evolved further, and the popular Chinese view of US decline is flatly contradicted. Zheng Yongnian, a key government adviser, hammered the point home: America still holds unparalleled global military power; its war-making rests solely on political will - and that will, under Trump 2.0, turns out to be fiercer than many assumed. Nanjing University's Zhu Feng added that the US demonstrated the swiftest application of advanced military technology anywhere, posing a direct "cognitive challenge" to China.

This Open Access study was written with @hcsteinhardt and my steadfast research assistant, Lisa Bhowmick.

Why the difference? We argue it reflects how democratization in the 90s reshaped national identity. Despite structural similarities, Taiwan's democratization opened a pluralistic (national) identity regime. In South Korea, it consolidated norms around its rigid identity norms.

But the pressure is not evenly distributed. It is strongest among those with weaker prior national identification and among subgroups whose identities are socially contested. In South Korea, this includes North Korean migrants. In Taiwan, dual Taiwanese-Chinese identifiers.

Using list experiments to reduce social desirability bias, we compare direct vs indirect measures of national pride in Taiwan and South Korea. Respondents in both countries exhibit pride inflation, but conformity pressures are stronger and more pervasive in South Korea.

People are generally "proud" to be a national of their country. Or so they say. Why might some citizens overstate their level of pride? In a new article, my co-authors and I examine how social pressure shapes expressions of national identity. #d1e1527" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…

@PZN9K or other players. I also tend to think it is not true, but according to the market rules one could indeed argue that the conditions for "yes" had been met.

@PZN9K Mexican partners to bring Ryan James Wedding back to face justice" That could easily be read as a confirmation. Yes, Mexico disputed it and James himself said he was surrendering. Nonetheless, the rules only said "confirmed by the U.S. Government" and said nothing about Mexico

@SinoVienna will host a guest lecture by James Lee of @AcadSinica on the Taiwan issue in European and Austrian foreign relations in the 1970s - putting states on a trajectory with ongoing consequences. Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 17:45 – 19:15. sinologie.univie.ac.at/veranstaltunge…

Poland can be glad to have such a clear-eyed political analyst and profound thinker in a position of authority. I can think of no one in the German political elite who can match that. foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/polan…

Not my business, but I cannot help it... I wonder if all the media which characterized UK labor's 2024 election as a "land slide" - fully ignoring that it's % vote share of 34% was historically low and the % seats the result of splintered opponents - reflect on its reporting?

The woke were warned their tools could be turned against them but couldn't imagine history's arc bending rightward. (I struggled to imagine it myself.) Now populists facing the same warning keep implying no future censorious left could exceed what we've had already. (We'll see.)

Our concluding output at #circ2023: we made a Zine (...I think @carwyn will approve). 6 best-practices for covering #China and the Chinese internet.

A European statesman facing an aggressive dictatorship. files.ethz.ch/isn/125391/101…

"You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime." Churchill, 13 May 1940

And an observational study showing strong and independent effects of populist voters switching because of welfare AND immigration concerns. (The authors, for whatever reason, misrepresent their massively underpowered interaction effects model.) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.11…

At least some political science literature tells us that the Danish strategy could indeed have worked. See here: cambridge.org/core/journals/…

Bluesky is certain that UK labor's right turn on immigration is doomed. A right turn on immigration by Danish social democrats (yes, with a left turn on welfare) pulverized the populist right. I do not know if it will work in the UK, but the determinism in opinions is strange.

Planning your studies: sss-sinologie.univie.ac.at/studium/master… #ChinaStudies #Sinophone #China #Taiwan #HongKong