iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Uwe Kräuter lives in Beijing to this day. He first visited Germany in 1980, bringing the theater play "Tea House" to Mannheim just a few months after his prison sentence expired. You can read more about that in our substack update: livinghistorychina.substack.com/p/uwe-kraute...

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Multiple marriage applications were refused. Hopes were raised the couple would at least leave China. They stuck it out and persevered.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Shen Danping’s danwei opposed the marriage, as did many in China. During this time, a Chinese woman being interested in a foreign man was still seen as a loss of face. A famous Chinese woman all the more so, foreign expert or not. For two years, she barely received film roles.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

He soon entered Beijing’s cultural elite, becoming friends with playwright Cao Yu, painter Huang Yongyu and filmmaker Ling Zifeng. Ling introduced him to the famous actress Shen Danping. Their marriage in the early 1980s was almost unheard of, and it came at a price.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

In our first episode of a new season of Living History interviews we hear about how extraordinary being a foreign expert in China was in the 1970s. Kräuter quickly gained access to exalted foreign circles including Ruth Weiss, Sidney Rittenberg and Richard Frey.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

We are two days away from a new Season of Living History episodes launching and if you recognize the lady in the picture then you probably know who our first interview will be with. With sixteen new episodes in the can I have a busy few months of editing ahead of me.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

A pin showing the MBB Panavia Tornado, given to German flight crews.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Flight training in Arizona. We struggled to recognize him.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

He amassed 3500 military flight hours before joining Lufthansa.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Ejecting from the Tornado wasn't the only hairy moment he collected: he had previously also survived flying the German version of the F-104 Starfighter, nicknamed "widowmaker." This was his actual ship number.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

The attached letter inducted him to the Martin-Baker tie club. He lost the garment and, claiming he never wore ties, neglected to purchase a replacement. Side note: Germans call an ejection a “Retturnsausstieg,” which roughly translates to “rescue egress.”

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Here's something you don't see every day: a pin Martin-Baker sends to fighter jet pilots after a successful ejection. A friend in Germany earned this by surviving an ejection from a Panavia Tornado in 1988.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Well, that does not look good for my connecting train in Copenhagen. Currently about an hour delayed.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Another day, another flight. I'm on the surprisingly-packed MU707 PVG-CPH sitting in the very last lane right next to the cop (or security officer?) whose job it is to walk through the cabin and film everyone once or twice. He's friendly and I have questions.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

We're going to Germany to film new Living History episodes and looking at the Sixt website has me depressed. No interesting cars? We need something a little larger for all our camera gear and a little faster for what looks like 2,500km roundtrip wouldn't hurt. I suppose A6 it is? Any thoughts?

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

We had a lot of rain passing through Shanghai this year. I would not mind for this to be the last of it for a while.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

29in / 76cm seat pitch. That's before the person in front reclines. I hate these Shanghai Airlines 737's.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Interesting to see flightradar24 stating we'll depart at 19:50. Airline staff meanwhile does not seem to know much. I don't mind, there is plenty to watch from the lounge.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Same day, another flight. my second trip is supposed to take me to Wudangshan but my ride is delayed during to air traffic congestion. It's been a while since I heard that but this East->West flight seems to suffer such delays almost daily. They don't know how long it will be.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Another day, another flight. I'm leaving Beijing just as the rain arrives for a quick stop back home in Shanghai before getting on another flight tonight. The 10am PEK-SHA A330 seems around 80% full. Maybe a better flight to take than the reliably-packed 9am flight.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Filming new Living History episodes with @AngenieuxLenses EZ 1 and 2 on C300 MkIII and C500 MkII with the extension pack for extra audio. My arms are sore but the images are lovely.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Another day, another flight. I've been on this exact CES A330 many times. Once again the 9am flight from SHA to PEK is packed. I'll be filming new Living History episodes for a few days.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

A lovely summer morning in Shanghai now that the plum rains have subsided.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Chinese airlines will reduce fuel surcharges again on domestic tickets issued from July 5, the second consecutive monthly cut. Passengers flying <800km pay a fuel surcharge of RMB50, down from RMB80. >800 km surcharges fall from RMB150 to RMB100.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Coming soon to Living History: a fascinating conversation with Michael Crook 柯马凯, who was born in Beijing in 1951. First time I got to see a Friendship Medal 友谊勋章 in person.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

How exciting to arrive back home and find two new arrivals: Enduring Frameworks by Marco Beba and the Hopkins-Nanjing Book of Memories by He Chengzhou and Cornelius C. Kubler.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Another day, another flight. I'm taking a JAL B767 back from HND to PVG after attending the #musicawardsjapan and Tokyo International Music Market. A productive trip. The flight is packed but on JAL I'm still fairly comfortable even at the back of the bus.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Of course you can always settle for a $34 melon or $53 grapes.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

I love you Tokyo but $125 for a box of cherries is WILD.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Why does this fill me with joy in Tokyo and dread at IKEA? And what if I were to go to IKEA in Tokyo?

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Another day, another flight. JL82 is taking me to Tokyo once again. The JAL plastic princess is the most comfortable option even in economy, comfortably beating China Eastern's A330, which also would have been costlier today.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Just a few hours until Toshiki Soejima will take to the stage in #Paris for the first time. Looks like the show will be packed. There are just three or four tickets left at the door.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

China Eastern knows about the bin size problems, too. They often have staff at the gate and check-in remind people to check more luggage as "this is a small airplane." Which it isn't. It's a design flaw.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Another day, another flight. B-919E, the world's first C919, is an old friend. I was on its inaugural commercial flight from Chengdu to Shanghai and this is the 4th or 5th time I've flown it since then. It's still spotless and comfortable but for a filmmaker the overhead bins are too small.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Another day, another flight. The 11am to Beijing is merely half-full today, a rarity for me. As I am boarding Chinese Airlines are announcing that fuel charges on all domestic flights will be reduced. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/FmJb3LcHWW...

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

To me, Luce is another indication that the days of Maranello being ahead are over. Luce isn’t an F40, it’s no LaFerrari, it isn’t an Enzo or a Testarossa. It is derivative, not singular, created by people who love money more than electric mobility. Their contempt shows.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

This is not to say that Europeans and Americans can’t design amazing electric cars. Chinese OEMs have design studios in Munich, Gothenburg, SoCal and beyond. The same designers who used to work on the 992 GT3 RS, BMW M4 GT3 or at Mercedes-AMG are now working on the next Xiaomi.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

“I don’t understand why people hate on the Ferrari Luce” is a take I have seen a few times today. But not understanding is precisely the problem. Luce is the new album from an old band that wants another hit and is jumping on a trend without sharing the passion for that style.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

"you should see what the fruit guy did to the interior."

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

I am proud that we are bringing Toshiki Soejima to perform his first-ever concert in Paris. It's on June 7 at New Morning. Let me know if you are in town, Twitter friends.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

A bunch of these cute, little firetrucks are visiting my local fire station in Shanghai today. These smaller vehicles are popular in Japan and South Korea and more are being deployed in Shanghai as well.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

I was fortunate to be filming the Beijing Auto Show once again with the one and only @gaytonausa.bsky.social of InsideEVs and I thought I'd share a few thoughts on what I've seen. A thread.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

I'm not going to shock anyone by pointing out that Shanghai's streets are extraordinarily safe from petty crime but that delivery riders leave their keys in the ignition while parked still amazes me. I see this every day.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Another day, another flight. After a great day zipping around Beijing in a refreshed SU7 Max (Thank you, @Xiaomi) this A320 is taking me to Hangzhou. Our ride today is B-6767, a 15 year-old A320.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Every seat is filled on the bus, as is usually the case with this 8pm flight. I was supposed to touch down in Australia right about now, where my pal Toshiki Soejima is playing for the first time. I am proud his concerts sold out completely and wished I could be there. We worked hard for this.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Another day, another flight. SHA-PEK for Beijing Auto Show. My Didi driver is watching Social Media videos at every red light. Let's hope the pilots aren't behaving similarly.

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

(Obligatory meat suit "My New York" picture. In the age of AI I feel compelled to add that yes, this really happened.)

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

New York meanwhile had its own perils: Zhang Huan had broken through with work like “My New York,” where he wore essentially a meat suit. He lost the money he made in one of Donald Trump’s Casinos. “Suddenly I had everything, then I had nothing. I had to start all over again.”

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Christian Petersen-Clausen @memostothefuture.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Creating provocative art in 90s Beijing, he recalled, felt like committing crimes: “Everything was done in secret. You’d finish and run away.” But the artists were hungry: “They left their hometowns with the same dreams: to change themselves, to make their mark. Nothing else mattered.”

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