JKR: Encounters with China

by The Dui Hua Foundation

John Kamm Remembers: Encounters with China is a collection of stories by Dui Hua's Founder John Kamm about his encounters with China since its reopening in 1972. The stories recount his journey navigating US-China relations to promote human rights through dialogue. As Dui Hua enters its 25th year, we've launched a podcast series to explore Dui Hua’s unique form of advocacy as well as issues ... 

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Podcast episodes

  • Season 1

  • Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past (2024)

    Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past (2024)

    The Year of the Wood Dragon sees Trump’s return to the presidency and the easing of US-China tensions following the release of several U.S. citizens from prisons in China. In this final episode of Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past, John Kamm and Dui Hua board member and seasoned diplomat Bill McCahill discuss the events that shaped US-China ties in 2024 and their impact on Dui Hua’s work. Related: Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past - 1976, 1988, 2000, & 2012 Dui Hua Welcomes the Release of Pastor David Lin (Press Statement) Dui Hua Welcomes the Releases of Mark Swidan and Kai Li (Press Statement) Lists & Dialogue: The Prisoner Information Project (JKR: Encounter with China Podcast | Episode 01) Of Dialogues and Prisoner List (Dui Hua Human Rights Journal) Prisoner Lists, Past and Present (John Kamm Remembers)

  • Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past (2012)

    Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past (2012)

    2012, the Year of the Water Dragon, sees Xi Jinping’s historic ascension as China’s paramount leader. It’s also the year Dui Hua holds its third juvenile justice exchange with China’s Supreme Peoples’ Court. In this episode of Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past 2012, John Kamm, Judge Len Edwards and Dui Hua Director Maggie Yum take you behind the scenes of the exchange and discuss its impact within China. Related Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past – 1976, 1988, & 2000 Sealing Juvenile Records: The Importance of a Clean Slate (JKR: Encounters with China Podcast | Episode 05) Dui Hua Hosts Third Juvenile Justice Expert Exchange with China (Dialogue, Issue 49) Dui Hua Hails Juvenile Justice Reforms in China’s Amended Criminal Procedure Law (Press Statement) Juvenile Justice Exchanges

  • Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past (2000)

    Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past (2000)

    It’s the Year of the Metal Dragon, a new millennium, and Dui Hua’s debut as an official NGO. John Kamm and China trade pioneer-turned-Dui Hua board member Bill Simon find themselves trying to explain the Supreme Court’s Bush v. Gore decision to a confused Chinese audience. This episode of Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past journeys to 2000 for a discussion of how China has changed and how it has stayed the same. Kamm and Simon discuss their time in the Middle Kingdom during Dui Hua’s first year. Their discussion traverses the 1990s, dips back into 1988, and explores how the events of Tiananmen and the MFN trade policy have shaped this century so far. The duo reflects on their work with Dui Hua and what US officials got wrong about increased trade with China while finding reasons to be optimistic for the future of US-China relations. Related Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past - 1976 & 1988 Bai Li (John Kamm Remembers) 1999: Dui Hua Begins its Work (John Kamm Remembers) Dui Hua’s First Trip to Beijing, May 2000 (John Kamm Remembers) John Kamm Remembers Timeline: 1972-1989

  • Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past (1988)

    Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past (1988)

    The latest episode of Dui Hua’s limited podcast series, Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past flashes back to 1988, the Year of the Earth Dragon. China is reckoning with floods, increased foreign trade, and calls for reform. In Episode 2, John Kamm speaks with Richard Glover, a pioneer and veteran of US-China trade. The two former colleagues discuss how their paths crossed, the politics of doing business in China in the lead-up to Tiananmen, and what lessons 1988 has for today’s China watchers. Kamm and Glover’s recollections on their work selling chemicals in China in the late 1980s range from the humorous to the poignant. From the golf course to Tiananmen Square in the days before the nation hurtles toward a great tragedy, the two men witness a run on the banks and come face-to-face with the increasingly tense student movement. Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past (1976) All Business is Local: The Macau Subcommittee (John Kamm Remembers) Nothing Starts Without a Sale: Learning to Sell in Cultural Revolution China (John Kamm Remembers) Guangzhou in the Waning Days of the Cultural Revolution (John Kamm Remembers) John Kamm Remembers Timeline: 1972-1989

  • Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past (1976)

    Dragon Years: Remembrance of Times Past (1976)

    To mark the Year of the Dragon and Dui Hua's 25th anniversary, we are excited to bring you a limited podcast series, Dragon Year: Remembrance of Times Past. This five-parter explores key developments in John Kamm's life and Dui Hua's history, spanning the Dragon Years between 1976 and 2024. And through conversations, we gain insights from friends and colleagues who have been integral to Dui Hua’s mission. In this inaugural podcast, Kamm discusses the decisions that led to his first trip to China as a trade representative in 1976 and subsequent experiences on the Chinese Mainland during the waning days of the Cultural Revolution. He recalls the death of Premier Zhou Enlai, being caught in the Tangshan Earthquake, acupuncture anesthesia, and interactions with a senior liaison officer in Guangzhou. Related for this episode: Nothing Starts Without a Sale: Learning to Sell in Cultural Revolution China (John Kamm Remembers) Guangzhou in the Waning Days of the Cultural Revolution (John Kamm Remembers) John Kamm Remembers Timeline: 1972-1989 Video: Guide to the Canton Trade Fair