China's "fatalist" government is causing the country's architectural profession to stagnate, according to artist and political activist Ai Weiwei.
Despite China's huge building boom, Ai believes there is little room for intellectual thought about architecture under the country's Communist leadership.
The Chinese artist said that open discussion about architecture is seen as a "very dangerous" threat to the country's leadership.
"There's very little discussion or intellectual challenge about what architecture is in this kind of fast-developing society," said Ai during a panel discussion on Chinese architecture hosted by Asia Society Switzerland. "The whole structure is fatalistic."
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"The discussion would not benefit who is going to be profited so authorities don't like this kind of discussion ? any discussion related to aesthetics means it is about philosophy and about the legitimacy of the power ? then that is very dangerous."
Ai has worked on several architectural projects, including the ...