I see people talking about China experts wrt their Chinese proficiency again.  As an ordinary longtime observer of China experts and a consumer of their information, I’d like to share my perspective.  Is proficiency in Chinese required for a good understanding of China? No. Is it very useful in this regard? Yes, absolutely in theory, but depends in reality. It can be very helpful or can make one delusional. Let me explain it. First, I need to give myself some credentials as a reasonably informed ordinary observer. I grew up in China and speak Chinese. I saw first-hand how the CCP functions, often at dinner tables with my parents and their colleagues inside the government. I still have folks in the PRC sharing information with me, some of which I cannot fully disclose for their safety. Now, let’s look at the usefulness or the limits of Chinese proficiency. We are 22 years into the 21st century now. For important documents such as the Xinjiang Papers, there are English ver...