China on Tuesday launched a new initiative to advance global research on the legacy of U.S. journalist Edgar Snow, whose reporting helped introduce modern China to international audiences.
The Global Edgar Snow Research Initiative was unveiled at an international symposium at Peking University on Tuesday. The event brought together Chinese and American scholars, along with members of Snow's family.
Best known for his firsthand reporting from China in the 1930s, Snow traveled to Yan'an, the then headquarters of the Communist Party of China (CPC), where he conducted extensive interviews with senior CPC leaders, including late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
His reporting brought a little-known chapter of modern China to readers around the world and helped lay the foundation for greater mutual understanding between China and the U.S.
"Edgar Snow's example reminds us that careful reporting, thoughtful scholarship, and genuine human connection remain essential. His greatest legacy is not simply stories he told, but the bridges he helped build between peoples and cultures. Together, we can continue to deepen mutual understanding during this symposium and into the future. We can share the story of today's China with the world and ensure that Edgar Snow's legacy continues to inspire future generations," said Sidne Gail Ward, president of the U.S. Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation.
The initiative coincides with the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March by the Red Army under the leadership of the CPC, and also the 90th anniversary of Snow's first visit to the CPC's Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia revolutionary base, which inspired his renowned work "Red Star Over China."
China launches international research initiative on US journalist Edgar Snow
