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Welcome to our week in review! As always, we depend on your support, so please make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking the link at the bottom. Pretty please?
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  Weekly Readings
With defense leaders in Singapore for the Annual Shangri-La Conference hosted by the Institute for International Strategic Studies, leaders on both sides of the Pacific stated concerns explicitly about strategic trends in East Asia. Lieutenant General Wang Guanzhong, departing from his prepared remarks, said the parallel statements about China in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's remarks "supported and encouraged each other in provoking and challenging China," but thanked for Hagel at least stating his concerns about China directly. Again, rather than relying on second-hand interpretations, we recommend going straight to the remarks. What makes sense? Do the speeches accord with events and policy as we know them?
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 Weibo Watch
A case of road rage is redefining how Chinese netizens define poverty. According to the hash-tag #穷人新标准, a Jaguar and a Mercedes-Benz had a near head-on collision in Kunming last week. The two drivers then got into a physical altercation, in which the Mercedes-Benz driver shouted "(you) have money to toss around but your parents never taught you that the poor are people too!"
Netizens appear to find the idea of categorizing anyone who owns a Benz as being "poor" funny, yet insulting too. A string of "I don't even have X, so what am I?" jokes make up a near majority of comments to the story. Netizens are currently trying to outdo each other with witty responses. Not all the responses are light-hearted though. One answer to the question "I don't even have food, so what does that make me?" got the response "living in 1959". Both the question and the reply were quickly deleted by censors.
Another aspect still unfolding is the accusation that the story is a rebroadcast from 12 years ago. At least one netizen has posted pictures and links to a story from 2006 that bears striking similarities to this one. The details from the two stories match, as do the pictures. How netizens will react to this new revelation remains to be seen.
See the story here.
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 俗语 in Xi Jinping's speeches
春风化雨
chun1feng1hua4yu3
Translation: the positive influence of a good teacher (or good education)
讲话情景： 5月30日，在北京市海淀区民族小学主持召开座谈会时的讲话
说明: Xi Jinping gave a speech on May 30 in honor of International Children's Day (June 1). He discussed the importance of education, in particular that of teaching good morals, holding up appropriate heroes, and introducing socialist values. He used 春风化雨 to remind people of the value of teachers and education in cultivating these socialist seeds. 春风化雨 also happens to be the Chinese title of Dead Poets Society.
原文: 学校要把德育放在更加重要的位置，全面加强校风、师德建设，坚持教书育人，根据少年儿童特点和成长规律，循循善诱，春风化雨，努力做到每一堂课不仅传播 知识、而且传授美德，每一次活动不仅健康身心、而且陶冶性情，让同学们都得到倾心关爱和真诚帮助，让社会主义核心价值观的种子在学生们心中生根发芽。
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 Video of the Week
Although the U.S.-China Security and Economic Review Commission has a hawkish reputation, it consistently organizes interesting panels. Thursday's panel on developments in China's relations with Taiwan and North Korea was no exception. The first two panels discussed cross-Strait relations in all their political, economic, and military dimensions, while the third panel covered China's relationship with North Korea. This last panel included two former senior CIA officials with extensive experience on North Korean issues. The link includes both the video of the hearing and links to the testimony offered by each participant.
Recent Developments in China's Relations with Taiwan and North Korea, June 5, 2014
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