Interviewing Chinese local government officials: reflection on research transparency and coercion

I had always known that accessing government officials in China could be challenging. In my fieldwork, however, there emerged more unexpected challenges when I was interviewing them. This time, I have realised that letting them not know about my research instead of keeping it transparent may be safer for them and a more ethical course of action. And maintaining their anonymity needs to include keeping our conversations secret from their superiors, writes Ran Wei.