The spread of the coronavirus pandemic has upended daily life across the globe, with major outbreaks occurring in countries like China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, and now the United States.

But Hong Kong, an island close to mainland China, has managed to limit the spread of the disease, even as it experiences one of the largest and most sustained mass protest movements in history.

In this episode, China expert and social historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom, author of the new book Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink, joins us for a discussion about what we can learn from the protests. And our spring intern Emily King, herself a Hong Kong native, gives us a feel for the city and explains what the protests mean for young people today.

For further reading

• Nicole Ann Lobo, Revolution of Our Times
• Nicholas Haggerty, What I Saw During the Protests
• The Editors, Desperate Times