John Delury
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johndelury.bsky.social
John Delury
@johndelury.bsky.social
410 followers 450 following 170 posts
Living in Seoul... writing on empire, China, and America... watching the two Koreas... reminiscing about Rome
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Reposted by John Delury
engelsbergideas.bsky.social
What China wants from Europe | @johndelury.bsky.social

engelsbergideas.com/notebook/wha...
What China wants from Europe
China's activities in Europe are driven more by opportunism than any grand plot to divide the continent. In geopolitical terms, Beijing treats European countries as extensions of American power.
engelsbergideas.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:03 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Delighted to reunite w/ Laura Bicker back on the Korean Peninsula!

As Donald Trump arrives here today and with him the global spotlight, #BBCNews chatted w/ opposing extremes of the Korean political spectrum, the anti-Trumpers vs. the anti-CCPers

www.bbc.com/news/article...
"No Trump! No China!": Caught in middle, South Korea hosts rival superpowers
South Korea's President Lee is in for a diplomatic dance as he hosts the leaders of US and China.
www.bbc.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:20 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Thoughts ahead of APEC
open.substack.com/pub/johndelu...
The World System Comes to Gyeongju
Things I'm watching for as APEC approaches
open.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:50 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
October Surprise at the DMZ?

Whether Kim and Trump meet now or later (or never), important question is why & what next? I offer 3 options, although in the end we might need to invent another one

johndelury.substack.com/p/trump-and-...
Trump and Kim Back to the DMZ?
We are rapidly approaching a little window of opportunity for diplomacy with North Korea, as Donald Trump prepares to make the first visit to Asia of his second term, with stops in Tokyo (to meet the ...
johndelury.substack.com
October 20, 2025 at 4:44 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Parade season in the Far East! Kim Jong Un is next, hosting 80th anniversary of founding of Korean Workers Party in 1945. Check out my deep dive into Cold War context:
newlinesmag.bsky.social New Lines Magazine @newlinesmag.bsky.social · Oct 8
Last month’s military parade in Beijing brought together the leaders of Russia, China and North Korea. But the history of its precursors reminds us of the hidden dynamics beneath the diplomatic veneer, writes @JohnDelury.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social
Beijing’s Military Parade May Not Be the Show of Unity That It Seems
Similarly high-profile diplomatic events involving Russia, China and North Korea in the 1950s failed to stop Cold War solidarity collapsing into acrimony
newlinesmag.com
October 9, 2025 at 4:19 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Had some thoughts reading Quantico speeches by Hegseth and Trump through the lens of China's Cultural Revolution.

Shout outs to @goldkorn.bsky.social @mariarepnikova.bsky.social Geremie Barme, Orville Schell, Didi Tang

substack.com/@johndelury/...
American Mao and his Lin Biao
I read the transcripts so you don't have to, but you probably should if you haven't
substack.com
October 9, 2025 at 4:01 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
'How close are China, Russia, and North Korea, really?' This debate is at the heart of geopolitics. It's been going for years and will continue for a long time. In a new essay for @newlinesmag.bsky.social I offer the backlight of Cold War history to help us assess

newlinesmag.com/essays/beiji...
Beijing’s Military Parade May Not Be the Show of Unity That It Seems
Similarly high-profile diplomatic events involving Russia, China and North Korea in the 1950s failed to stop Cold War solidarity collapsing into acrimony
newlinesmag.com
October 4, 2025 at 1:35 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Delighted to share my first piece for New Lines Magazine; trying to understand the 2025 parade sent me back to 1957 and 1959 looking for clues
October 3, 2025 at 1:01 PM
johndelury.bsky.social
Domestic civil resistance argument by Hardy Merriman for solidarity, a Team Democracy, have international relations implications that global leaders have not yet acted upon. Not YET. great discussion @eosnos.bsky.social @sbg1.bsky.social @janemayer.bsky.social

podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/j...
Jimmy Kimmel and the Power of Public Pressure
Podcast Episode · The Political Scene | The New Yorker · 27/09/2025 · 44m
podcasts.apple.com
September 28, 2025 at 5:20 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
I wrote a new Substack about Kim-Xi-Putin vibes in Beijing, and to my surprise it ended up being mostly about hands.

Shoutouts @vanjackson.bsky.social @sheenagreitens.bsky.social @victordcha.bsky.social @colinzwirko.bsky.social @josephtorigian.bsky.social

substack.com/home/post/p-...
I Watched This Kim Jong Un Documentary So You Don't Have To
what we can learn from North Korean propaganda on Kim's visit to Beijing & the contrast between Putin and Xi
substack.com
September 28, 2025 at 12:34 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Stephen Hanmer D'Elía JD, LCSW
yauguru.substack.com?r=fir&utm_ca...
Stephen Hanmer D'Elía JD, LCSW | Stephen Hanmer D'Elía,JD,LCSW | Substack
Exploring the intersections of healing, connection, and systemic change through therapy, policy, and practice. Click to read Stephen Hanmer D'Elía JD, LCSW, by Stephen Hanmer D'Elía,JD,LCSW, a Substac...
yauguru.substack.com
September 25, 2025 at 12:11 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
A mensch. I learned so much from him, and I feel honored too the three of us were able to have that conversation, and Jerry lives on in this as in countless projects, writings, students, cases.
dgtam86.bsky.social Gina Anne Tam @dgtam86.bsky.social · Sep 23
RIP to Jerome Cohen, a truly inspiration and fascinating longtime China scholar. I'm genuinely honored I got the opportunity to chat with him once alongside @johndelury.bsky.social about American Sinology in the Cold War.
www.ncuscr.org/event/agents...
Agents of Subversion: The Fate of John T. Downey and the CIA's Covert War in China
John Delury and Jerome Cohen discuss with Gina Tam John T. Downey and the CIA in China during the early years of the PRC.
www.ncuscr.org
September 24, 2025 at 2:08 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Some urban travelogue/ imperial history ruminations from me, my second post on Substack, check it out and let me know thoughts.

Free to all but if you wanna join as paid subscriber that is totally fine with me!

johndelury.substack.com/p/a-visit-to...
A Visit to Yongsan Family Park
Thinking about Imperium in the Children's Garden
johndelury.substack.com
September 18, 2025 at 2:45 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Great stuff as always from @myhlee.bsky.social @washingtonpost.com on significance of Kim Jong Un's bring your daughter to the parade. It's a fascinating and important phenomenon in terms of gauging North Korea's future. Appreciate being able to add my 2 cents

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Kim Jong Un takes his daughter to China — and fuels succession chatter
Kim Ju Ae, who is about 12, has accompanied her father on a high-profile visit to Beijing, making it more likely that she is North Korea’s heir apparent.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 4, 2025 at 12:02 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Appreciate you @joshjonsmith.bsky.social getting 'big boys' in the headline. All eyes on Beijing tomorrow for the Big Parade. Shared some thoughts w/ @reutersworld.feeds.directory

www.reuters.com/world/china/...
North Korea's Kim Jong Un to line up with the 'big boys' at China military parade
Kim Jong Un's trip to Beijing this week offers the reclusive young North Korean leader an unprecedented opportunity to stand beside partners from China and Russia, gain implicit support for his banned nuclear weapons, and expand his diplomatic circle.
www.reuters.com
September 2, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Reposted by John Delury
myhlee.bsky.social
Train presumed to be transporting Kim Jong Un has pulled into Beijing, live footage shows. Kim, who rarely travels internationally, left Pyongyang yesterday in his transportation of choice — in a heavily armored, slow-moving train for 16-20 hours — for China's Victory Day military parade Wednesday.
September 2, 2025 at 8:21 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Enjoyed talking w/ @npr.org Anthony Kuhn for his insightful preview of next week's Victory Parade in Beijing & surprise announcement that Kim Jong Un will attend. I'm thinking a lot about historical echoes & hope to write something along those lines...

www.npr.org/2025/08/29/g...
In a first, Kim Jong Un will attend a gathering of leaders with both Putin and Xi
When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits China next week for a military parade, it will be his debut at a gathering of foreign leaders for a rare meeting of China, Russia and North Korea.
www.npr.org
August 31, 2025 at 12:31 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Kim Jong Un will be standing on the Tiananmen Rostrum next week alongside Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping for the military parade commemorating end of WWII
english.news.cn/20250828/38b...
Kim Jong Un to attend China's V-Day commemorations on Sept. 3
english.news.cn
August 28, 2025 at 2:51 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Lots of thoughts as dust settles on SK prez Lee Jae-myung's visit to DC. He got high marks here in Seoul for avoiding White House humiliation/ disaster. Disciplined performance with cameras rolling. Good steward of ROK-US relationship.
August 28, 2025 at 12:37 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Kudos to @alexludoboyd.bsky.social for taking one for the team!
chinabooksreview.com China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · Aug 20
THREAD 🧵

The best selling books on China are often right-wing conspiracy theories. @alexludoboyd.bsky.social read them all so you don't have to.

READ HERE: chinabooksreview.com/2025/08/19/n...
August 21, 2025 at 5:47 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Congrats 恭喜恭喜 to the brand new cohort of fellows in the National Committee on US-China Relations public intellectuals program. Great group, and urgently needed @ncuscr.bsky.social #PIPFellow

www.ncuscr.org/twenty-leadi...
Twenty Leading China Specialists Selected for Ninth Round of Public Intellectuals Program
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is pleased to announce the ninth round of fellows in its  Public Intellectuals Program (PIP), generously funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York. The ...
www.ncuscr.org
August 14, 2025 at 12:29 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
@roseluqiu.bsky.social is the OG. fond memories of chatting with her in Hong Kong, accompanied by the great @joshchin.bsky.social for the China Boom Project, and walking away deeply impressed
yangyangcheng.bsky.social Yangyang Cheng @yangyangcheng.bsky.social · Jul 31
Cannot overstate how honored I was to have 閭丘露薇 @roseluqiu.bsky.social and 方可成 @fangkc.bsky.social on Ep.2 of 开门见山|Gateway to Global China, a podcast
@madeinchinajournal.com, to discuss the state of journalism in China. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did!
madeinchinajournal.com/2025/07/25/e...
August 1, 2025 at 1:44 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Podcast double feature to celebrate my return to Seoul (after two blessed years based in Rome).

You can hear me on @koreapro.bsky.social talking South Korea's relationship with China... now that US trade deal done, expect shift in focus to Beijing

koreapro.org/category/sou...
Podcast - Korea Pro
koreapro.org
August 1, 2025 at 12:37 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Thoughts on China-Korea relations-- Beijing's overarching strategy on the Peninsula; patterns in Xi Jinping's dealings with ROK presidents (Lee Jaemyung is Xi's 5th); whether Lee should go to Beijing for September Victory Parade; etc etc. Big thanks to Jeongmin Kim & KoreaPro Team
July 30, 2025 at 10:04 AM
johndelury.bsky.social
Spotted on street corner in Seoul
July 28, 2025 at 12:55 PM