On 30th June 2024, the Wang Jingwei Irrevocable Trust held a seminar at the Kishuan Literary Forest featuring independent writer Yu Jie, together with current affairs commentators Akio Yaita and Sang Pu. The venue was filled to capacity. In the opening session, Yu Jie delivered a keynote lecture titled “Zheng Xiaoxu and Wang Jingwei — Poets, Prophets, Martyrs,” in which he revisited the lives and legacies of the two historical figures through the lens of poetry, foresight, and sacrifice.

Yu pointed out that although Zheng and Wang came from seemingly opposing political camps—Zheng a Qing loyalist who resisted revolutionary change, and Wang a republican revolutionary who helped overthrow the monarchy—they ultimately chose paths that defied conventional understanding and were both later condemned by official party historiographies. Under the dominant narratives of the Chinese Nationalist and Communist parties, they have been simplistically labelled as “traitors” or “collaborators.” However, Yu argues that such judgments fail to consider the ideological, historical, and practical complexities that shaped their decisions.

In particular, Yu Jie highlighted Wang Jingwei’s foresight in recognizing that war could not be resolved through military victory alone. Instead, he envisioned a national reconstruction grounded in peace—a vision that, though widely misunderstood and ultimately thwarted, reflected a rare prophetic insight.

The second part of the seminar, featuring speeches by Akio Yaita and Sang Pu and a dialogue with the audience, will be released shortly. Subscribe to the Trust’s newsletter for updates. To explore past seminars and other exclusive content from leading voices, visit our official YouTube channel now.