New Yorker Writer Is Surprised by Byline in Chinese Newspaper: His Own

By: Jess Yu | Sinosphere

Readers of Peter Hessler, the author of “River Town” and other well-received books about China, may have been surprised to see his byline this week in China Daily, a state-run newspaper.

“I think I have a better understanding of how essentially stable the Chinese system is,” read the article under Mr. Hessler’s name, which appeared on Monday on China Daily’s website. The article, which had the headline “U.S. Observer: Comparing Egypt With China,” featured observations about the two countries’ political systems. Mr. Hessler, who lived in China for years, moved to Egypt in 2011 and now reports from there for The New Yorker.