Sept. 21,
2015

ISSUE
No. 57

AMS Weekly Newsletter
Supporting the development of the future stewards of U.S.-China relations
The Visit  
Xi Jinping's visit to the United States is about to commence. U.S.-China relations are in one of the rockier periods in recent memory, and it will be interesting to see how much can be done in one whirlwind 3-city state visit to alleviate some of the tensions. Next week we will provide you a selection of read-outs of the visit. This week, some pre-reading... 
 
Weekly Readings

Ahead of every major meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials, the media is filled with scene-setter articles. And everyone will seek out their favorite papers and analysts for their take on this week's Xi and Obama meeting. Instead of flooding your reading list with English-language writing that you already read, we just suggest three Chinese-language pieces from reputable sources. The first essay is from Ambassador Cui Tiankai in the People's Daily , the second from the director of the foreign policy department at Beijing University's School of International Studies, and the final from the Central Party School.

崔天凯, "走好中美构建新型大国关系之路," People's Daily, September 21, 2015

张清敏, "中美安全领域合作的亮点," Guangming Daily, September 20, 2015

"中美合作对全球经济发展至关重要," Study Times, September 21, 2015
Social Media Watch

The rise of WeChat, the ongoing campaign against online rumors, and the reining in of Weibo "Big V" power users two years ago, have all contributed to the decline of Weibo. From 2011 to 2013, Weibo was the best place to go on the Chinese Internet to find trending topics, from social and political debates to user-generated memes. But since the summer of 2013, much of the discussion has shifted to WeChat, the mobile-only messaging platform that is more closed-more like Facebook, where posts are shared among friends, instead of a digital soapbox like Weibo.
The changes in China's social media ecosystem make it increasingly difficult to follow trends. For this reason, Social Media Watch will be taking a break as we explore new sources to share with AMS members.

俗语 in Xi Jinping's  Speeches
 
有朋自远方来, 不亦乐乎
yǒu péng zì yuǎn fāng lái , bù yì lè hu

Xi has been quiet in his speeches this week, so we were unable to find a good 俗语 for this issue. Instead, we give you the phrase that will likely start off almost every introduction that is made while Xi is in the United States. This phrase from The Analects roughly means "isn't it a pleasure to have guests visit from afar?" Despite being cliche, it is still often appreciated by visiting Chinese guests.

BTW, 乎 is 1st tone, but our web editor is rejecting the tone marking. After 15 minutes of frustration I think it is time to admit defeat and just get this newsletter done...

Documentary of the Week
The U.S. Government recently dropped charges against Xi Xiaoxing, chairman of Temple University's physics department, for illegally passing controlled technology to China. The reality of illegal Chinese acquisition for foreign science and technology is impossible to ignore; however, we also should remember the costs of not proceeding with caution. Mistakes damage reputations and livelihoods, even if those accused are technically innocent until proven guilty. One of the more famous examples of those persecuted, Qian Xuesen, left the United States, but became a leading scientist and administrator in China's strategic industries and instrumental in shaping China's program to acquire open source scientific materials. What contributions did the United States miss because of its failure to convict or clear Qian Xuesen? Qian's story is the subject of this week's documentary.
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