The Hoover Institution Program on the US, China, and the World hosted The Milk Tea Alliance: Inside Asia's Struggle Against Autocracy and Beijing, a book talk with the author, Jeffrey Wasserstrom, on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, from 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM PT, in the Shultz Auditorium, George P. Shultz Building.
In recent years, young activists across Asia have forged creative alliances to confront authoritarianism and oppression. Despite the distinct political contexts of Burma, Thailand, and Hong Kong, these movements have found common ground in their shared resistance to autocracy and in many cases also to Beijing’s growing influence in the region and the world. The Milk Tea Alliance, a loosely defined and largely online constellation named for the iconic drinks of their respective cultures, symbolizes this transnational solidarity.
In this book talk on his new volume Milk Tea Alliance: Inside Asia's Struggle Against Autocracy and Beijing, author Jeffrey Wasserstrom explores this transnational phenomenon and examines the diverse tactics and strategies employed by young activists united in their fight against authoritarianism.
FEATURING
Jeffrey Wasserstrom is Distinguished Professor of History at UC Irvine. He has written, co-written, edited, or co-edited a dozen books and written for venues such as the New York Times and the Atlantic. His most recent books are Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink (2020) and The Milk Tea Alliance: Inside Asia’s Struggle Against Autocracy and Beijing (2025).
MODERATOR
Glenn Tiffert is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a historian of modern China. He co-chairs Hoover’s program on the US, China, and the World, and also leads Stanford’s participation in the National Science Foundation’s SECURE program, a $67 million effort authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 to enhance the security and integrity of the US research enterprise. He works extensively on the security and integrity of ecosystems of knowledge, particularly academic, corporate, and government research; science and technology policy; and malign foreign interference.
