Xifan Yang: On navigating culture, media, and politics between Germany and China

Xifan Yang is an award-winning German-Chinese journalist and foreign affairs correspondent for Die Zeit, one of Germany’s leading news outlets. Born in China and raised in Germany, Xifan has built a career reporting across borders. She is also the author of Als die Karpfen fliegen lernten (when the carps learnt to fly), where she tells the story of China’s recent history through the lens of her family.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Navigating cultural identity between China and Germany

• Writing about her family and unpacking hidden generational trauma

• Reporting under authoritarian constraints and the challenges of press freedom in China

• How the German media portrays China, and why nuance matters
  

You can find out more about Xifan’s work on her website and follow her on Twitter.