Why was a US Yale graduate hounded out of his job promoting Chinese culture?
In just two months, Yale graduate Edward Kuperman went from being praised by Chinese state media to being bombarded with accusations that he was a spy. It began with a June 18 article from state news agency Xinhua, in which he was described as an eager 24-year-old sinophile who made the unconventional choice of spurning China’s eastern metropolises and choosing to live in Dunhuang, in the…
Edward Kuperman, a Yale graduate, experienced a sudden downfall from being praised by Chinese state media to facing accusations of being a spy. This change occurred within two months. Kuperman's journey began with a Chinese language class in junior high school, followed by an exchange student program in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.
He later became an intern live-streamer at the Dunhuang Culture International Communication Centre (DCICC) in April. The DCICC's Instagram featured his videos, showcasing his typical rosy portrayal of the city, a historical stop along the Silk Road. However, his troubles began in July when he joined the Dunhuang Convergence Media Centre, an arm of the local government.
The hiring notice revealed he was the sole foreigner among three new hires. Online, Kuperman faced skepticism about his qualifications and a claim of an excessively high salary, which was later clarified to be 330,000 yuan, within the normal range for Western graduates working in China. Despite this, the controversy escalated due to Kuperman's Taiwanese education and internship at a conservative American think tank.
His decision to withdraw from the job followed the furious online backlash, which included accusations of spying. The city of Dunhuang, with its 28 global social media accounts and 65 million cumulative views, aims to tell its story to global audiences, but the political climate in China has made foreigners increasingly sensitive to controversies.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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