Grüezi Amerika Episode 45 – The American Dream "made in China"?

When the historian and author James T. Adams coined the term "the American Dream" in 1931, it was, in material terms, dead for the majority of Americans: the country was in the throes of the Great Depression, and rather than hoping for social advancement, people were primarily hoping to survive. That is precisely why Adams emphasised that the American Dream was about more than just a fancy car or other possessions. And indeed, even today, Americans still highlight different aspects when defining the American Dream. Whether it is about stability or social advancement, a narrow majority still believes their dream can be realised – but the voices declaring it dead are growing ever louder. Meanwhile, a great dream has awakened elsewhere: on 1 January 2012, Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, spoke for the first time of the Chinese dream and its fulfilment in the Great Rejuvenation. How American is this Chinese dream? And can it develop the same pull as the American dream has done?

Professor Ralph Weber of the University of Basel has the answers: he once studied political science at the University of St.Gallen and completed his PhD with us on the political philosophy of Tu Weiming. After serving as a senior lecturer at the University of Zurich, his path led him to the European Institute in Basel, where he now teaches and conducts research as an associate professor. In his work, Ralph also examines, among other things, Swiss-Chinese relations, as can be read, for example, in the report on "The situation of the Tibetan and Uyghur communities in Switzerland: actual and perceived pressure" and in "Unified message, rhizomatic delivery: A preliminary analysis of PRC/CCP influence and the united front in Switzerland". Together with PD Dr Ariane Knüsel, he has written a history of Swiss-Chinese relations, Switzerland and China: From the Opium Wars to the New Silk Road (2024).

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