Asia Media Writes: The South China Morning Post, one of Asia’s premier daily newspapers, is offering readers a new regularly appearing column on China. But, surprisingly, the fortnightly ‘Insight’ essay comes from the mind and pen not of a Mainland or even Asia-based commentator but from Professor Tom Plate, founder and editor in chief of Asia Media International. The selection by the newspaper’s editors of a U.S.-based commentator to follow with attention and perspective the evolution of China and its relations with neighbors as well as with the U.S. was highly unusual and perhaps even unprecedented. Historically, the SCMP, based in Hong Kong, a formal part of China since 1997, has been viewed as offering preeminent commentary on Mainland developments. For many ‘China-watchers’ over the decades it has been almost a continuing secular bible about China. Professor Plate, as a columnist and author, has traveled to Asia many times over the past two decades but has always been based in Los Angeles. Here at LMU he is the university’s Distinguished Scholar of Asian and Pacific Studies.
His most recent column focuses on the ‘missing light touch’ of former PRC Premier Zhu Rongji. See: http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1822206/zhu-rongjis-light-touch-sorely-missing-todays-china