Summary: In June 2022, American environmental protection woman scholar Anna Lake Zhu published her new book "Redwood: The Protection of Endangered Species and the Rise of Global China", which has aroused great repercussions in the international community once it came out. In the book, the author uses "rosewood" as an observation point of view, tells the history of rosewood trade and conservation with his own personal experience, and analyzes the differences between China and the West in environmental protection and the deep cultural roots behind these differences. Observer.com had the honor of interviewing Ms. Anna Zhu and asked her to share her research results and her relationship with China with Chinese readers.
【Text/Anna Lake Zhu Interview/Observer Network by Guanqun】
Observer.com: Readers may find it strange when they first see your name "Anna Zhu", because the surname Zhu does not seem to be a common surname in foreign countries. Can you tell us a story about your surname? I heard that your husband is a Chinese, can you tell us your Chinese story?
Anna Lake Zhu: My surname is Zhu because I changed my husband's surname. My husband is Chinese and was born in Shanghai, but moved to the United States when he was 6 years old. I am American - tall, blonde and blue-eyed, of Norse descent. My maiden name is Peterson. My husband and I met when we were in college, when I knew very little about China. We started dating as soon as we met.
In 2005, he and I went to China for the first time. At that time, everywhere I went, people would stare at me and ask to take pictures with me — some Chinese said they had never seen a white person before. They were very curious that I was with a Chinese man and would often ask if we were really dating or just regular friends. The people we met then, especially in the countryside, weren't used to seeing a white woman with a Chinese man who was curious about our relationship.
But that was what it was like in 2005. Now the situation is different. Now when we go to Shanghai, few people are staring at us as much as before. When I told them that my husband was Chinese, they were still surprised, but I didn't feel as fuss as I used to be.
Anna Zhu's new book, Redwood: Protecting Endangered Species and the Rise of Global China
Observer.com: What motivated you to write a book about "Redwood"? Why did you write this book?
Anna Lake SC: After my first visit to China, in 2010-11, I served as a member of the U.S. Peace Corps, an independent volunteer organization run by the U.S. government to carry out international community and economic assistance activities. The volunteers lived in Madagascar for a year. This is an American program that sends young college graduates to developing countries to experience life in remote villages.
I live somewhere in Madagascar, where the redwood logging industry is in full swing. All the felled wood is sent to China to make furniture. I have witnessed firsthand the impact of the rosewood trade on the region. Thousands of loggers travel to national parks to cut down trees, then haul the timber to the sea and ship it to China. Exporters are getting richer, making millions, maybe even billions, because these logs are worth a lot in the Chinese lumber market. Western environmental groups try to stop logging, but military and police intervention often does more harm than good.
I see what is happening in this remote part of Madagascar as a microcosm of global interconnection and conflict, where the different needs of all parties for mahogany (whether to preserve it or make it into furniture) are presented here. All in all, I would like to borrow the perspective of Redwood Resources to better understand global tensions. My ultimate goal is to figure out how the international community can better address international issues like redwood logging so that we can better protect the environment.
Malagasy people process mahogany material
Observer.com: As you say in your book, Western countries advocate trade bans and nature conservation, while China advocates afforestation and sustainable use. Can you comment on the pros and cons of these two methods? What steps do you think humans should take to balance nature conservation and economic development?
Anna Lake Zhu: When it comes to redwood, as well as many other endangered species, Western countries and China usually take different approaches to conservation. Western methods tend to be strictly protective. That's how they protect Madagascar's mahogany. There, Western-funded international environmental groups stop redwood felling, often using military and police tactics. They pay little attention to planting trees for future use.
China's approach to redwood conservation focuses more on afforestation and sustainable use. In southern China, for example, both public and private rosewood plantations do just that. And China does the same when it protects endangered animals such as pandas, tigers, frogs and salamanders. You can see the difference between Chinese and Western environmental protection methods. China focuses on captivity, while the West pays more attention to protecting the habitat of animals.
Compared with Western environmental protection methods, China's environmental protection pays more attention to afforestation and sustainable use
I describe both approaches in my book, not to say that one is better than the other, but to emphasize that the difference between these approaches to endangered species is due to broader cultural differences between China and the West. Both are effective protection methods and have their own set of behavioral logic. If we are to protect endangered species globally, we need to take a common approach to these conservations. The ability to adopt this attitude is the biggest challenge for environmentalism in the 21st century.
Observer.com: Now that the outside world is questioning China's practice of "environmental authoritarianism", how do you think China should better communicate with the outside world?
Anna Lake SC: The West often views China's environmental efforts with suspicion. China's efforts to control pollution, meet climate goals and make other environmental moves are all seen in the West as an excuse for the Chinese government to tighten its political control. This is the implication of the concept of "environmental authoritarianism." The West pursues a more liberal program of environmental reform, and "environmental authoritarianism" is seen as a threat to this project.
My book tries to deviate slightly from a Western perspective and show other approaches to environmental protection. Anyone who is serious about environmental issues knows that we must cooperate internationally. While it's unlikely that the West will dispel its misgivings about China, there are people like me in the West who can put aside their political differences and aspire to work with China to achieve environmental goals. So I think the Chinese leadership should focus on these people who are interested in working together, where the two sides can identify common goals and build mutual trust, and work effectively without worrying too much about ideological differences.
In terms of environmental protection, China has made great achievements
Observer.com: Do you have any other environmental advice for China?
Anna Lake SC: I'm glad to see China so active in protecting its domestic environment. I also hope to see China make greater contributions to international environmental protection and help other countries achieve environmental protection goals. China is already doing this, but I think China can do more. For example, China could assist Madagascar in planting rosewood.
China has the potential to offer developing countries a more environmentally friendly approach than the West. This is because, in terms of international exchanges, China generally adopts non-interventionism and does not have any paternalistic style, and China does not have the historical baggage of colonialism like Western countries. The challenge for China is how to maintain this non-paternalistic and non-interventionist policy while actually helping developing countries achieve better environmental outcomes. I hope to see China contribute more in the future.
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