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As mentioned previously, "depersonalisation" is a path of no return, and "de-Chinatown-isation" is also a path of no return. Based on these two objectives, our team today has a new project with a "soft launch" — a concept we have been developing for over a year — an English-language international relations think tank targeting international readers: Sinic Analytica.
To trace its origins, we can go directly back to pre-National Security Law Hong Kong. At that time, we published International Relations Research Monthly, which surprisingly sustained twelve issues, and although the articles were inevitably academic, it was already a rare regular publication in Hong Kong focusing purely on international relations topics. We were quite satisfied with several issues, such as "What If Bin Laden Dies," where both the cover and content were rather worth collecting.
Times have changed, and the current international situation is more exciting and complex than a decade ago, which should require even more international relations commentary and analysis — analysis beyond clickbait headlines and traffic algorithms. Therefore, Jacky very much hopes an English online version of International Relations Research Monthly can emerge, and hopes that if there comes a day of financial self-sufficiency, it can return to being a physical publication, fulfilling one of our aspirations.
Frankly speaking, I am concerned about this plan because it is impossible to break even in the short term, meaning it will add another regular expense — there are already too many such expenses. To avoid any appearance of impropriety, we have established a rule to refuse any state funding, leaving only content as our means of survival. We do not have many non-Chinese readers, nor do we want existing readers to abandon the current membership platform. Building a readership in the English-speaking world requires time and reputation. The foundation of that reputation relies on our belief that the group of authors we have found can bring the unique perspectives of the "Asian Four Tigers" and Southeast Asia to international issues, without falling into the clichés of existing English-language analytical articles.
This is precisely what we hold dear: remembering our identity while stepping out of Chinatown.
Everything must have a first step — if we do not start now, we will never start. Over these years, we have made friends around the world to varying degrees. If we do not pursue such projects, that international social capital would be wasted: since neither Hong Kong within the walls nor overseas Hong Kong can use it, why not give back to our academic interests?
If you have friends in the English-speaking world interested in international relations, please introduce them to us. No sensationalism, no politics, purely research and analysis — this is our original intention.
Website: https://www.sinicanalytica.com/
