March 21
2013

ISSUE
No. 2

AMS Weekly Newsletter
Supporting the development of the future stewards of U.S.-China relations
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大家好! Help us spread the word about our weekly newsletter. As we said last week, each Friday we will be sending out our key posts for a week-in-review newsletter. We have five regular posts, one per day Monday through Friday--follow us on Facebook for real-time updates. For the teachers and professors out there, we hope this will be a useful resource for your students!
Weekly Readings Monday 
The distinction between "Rule of Law" and "Rule by Law" is one of those important measures for thinking about reform inside China. Coming out of the most recent National People's Congress, movement toward "Rule of L
aw" appears possible with interest in reducing Party interference in judicial proceedings. Zhou Qiang, President of the Supreme People's Court and former Hunan party secretary, is one of the rising stars of Chinese politics and is widely believed to have reformist inclinations. This week's readings offer a quick glimpse at the practical aspects of law in China, outcomes of the NPC, an overview of the legal system, and Zhou Qiang's views on where China should be headed.
"坚持司法为民公正司法 努力维护社会公平正义," Qiushi, March 1, 2014
Language Learning Resources 
Cbox is a free mobile app that gives you access to live streams of over 40 Chinese television channels. You can watch all CCTV channels and satellite channels (卫视) right on your Android or Apple mobile device. This is a great way to keep yourself immersed in Chinese throughout the week while practicing your listening skills.

You can download the app on the CNTV website here.

Once you have downloaded the app, select "直播" to browse through channels. After selecting a channel, you can either watch the live stream, or browse through the weekly schedule to watch previously recorded programs from that week. Enjoy!

Weibo Wednesday  
The announcement that the Crimean Peninsula has been annexed by Russia has overshadowed any other topic on weibo. There is no consensus among netizens for or against Russia's actions, though there are two overarching trends.

The first can be termed the "pro-annexation" trend. These netizens are either pro-annexation or at least are not openly opposed to it. Those for the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula are generally basing their arguments on Russia's long historical and cultural ties with the Crimean Peninsula. The argument that seems to have found the most resonance with netizens is that Russia is reclaiming lost territory. It's an argument that many netizens sympathize with since China's current territorial disputes are based on the same principle.

Those that are not openly opposed to annexation are more concerned about why China isn't being as bullish in its foreign policy as Russia. They argue that China is a great nation and therefore needs to stand up for its rights and take back places like the Diaoyu Islands. Other netizens are taking the argument one step further saying with the right amount of pressure there could be a similar vote in Taiwan, with a similar result.

The second trend is a general opposition to the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. This group is slightly more unified in its arguments. They are upset that China's ally in criticizing the West for meddling in other nations' internal affairs appears to have done just that. It is important to note that they are focusing their criticism on President Putin himself. Many netizens are worried by Putin's statement that Russia has the right to intervene when ethnic Russians are threatened. They note that there are many Russians in provinces like Heilongjiang and openly wonder if the same reasoning could be used to interfere in China. Many in this group are calling the Crimean vote a farce put on by President Putin to legitimize his takeover of the region. Others worry that this will only force the West to meddle even more in the affairs of Central and East Asia.

See the conversation here.
俗语 in Xi Jinping's speeches

世界潮流,浩浩荡荡,顺之则昌,逆之则亡。
sh�ji� ch�oli�, h�oh�od�ngd�ng, sh�n zhī z� chāng, n� zhī z� w�ng .

Translation: The tide of world events is mighty. Those who follow it prosper, those who resist it perish.

讲话情景:习近平3月23日2013年在莫斯科国际关系学院发表题为《顺应时代前进潮流 促进世界和平发展》的重要演讲

Explanation: Xi Jinping gave a speech a year ago at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (an elite university affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia) where he quoted Sun Zhongshan. It is striking to reread today in the context of Ukraine and see how, while there are many shared issues and feelings between the two countries, China may have a very different worldview than Russia.

Original quotation: 世界潮流,浩浩荡荡,顺之则昌,逆之则亡。要跟上时代前进步伐,就不能身体已进入21世纪,而脑袋还停留在过去,停留在殖民扩张的旧时代里,停留在冷战思维、零和博弈老框框内。
 
Documentary Friday

This week's documentary, "The China Model" (中国模式), is the last part of "China's Path" (中国之路), an eight-part series on China's rise, system, and future. Although it is a bit propagandistic, the series does an excellent job of explaining the Chinese system in Chinese terms. "The China Model" seems an appropriate reminder for what reform means (and does not mean) in the current political context.

《中国之路》 第8集: 中国模式
 

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