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Weekly Readings
This week's reading is a pair of articles, one by GWU professor David Shambaugh and the other by Peking University's Wang Dong. Prof. Shambaugh's op-ed in the South China Morning Post is accompanied by some questions that deserve reflection. Shambaugh writes that competition is the new normal. For those of us raised with the idea of learning about China to bring the United States and China closer together, Shambaugh's judgment about squarely facing competition "rather than naively professing a harmonious relationship that is not achieva
ble" puts an uncomfortable question on the table. What is the role for a "China Hand" (or "America Hand") when both governments are moving into such dangerous territory? Is it loyal policy implementation? Is it speaking out and, if so, on what? How do we reconcile the people-to-people relationships with government policy?
Wang Dong's article takes a more optimistic approach, highlighting the "silent majority" that forms the foundation of the relationship on both sides of the Pacific.
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AMS Fellows
Congratulations to the 2015 Class of AMS Fellows, just back from their study trip to Beijing and Shanghai. The fellows, who attended in their personal capacities, are as follows:
- Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga, Editor of the China Brief, The Jamestown Foundation
- Jude Blanchette, Assistant Director, 21st Century China Program, School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California, San Diego
- John F. Fei, Program Officer, Asia Security Initiative, International Peace and Security Program, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- Andrew Green, Counsel to Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
- Leslie Griffin, Senior Vice President, International Public Policy, UPS
- Jen Pearce, Asia Pacific Regional Analyst
- Erik Quam, Foreign Affairs Officer, U.S. State Department
- Aly Rose, Faculty, New York University
- Piper L. Stover, Managing Director, United Technologies Management Company
The group was led by Nathaniel Ahrens, Director of China Affairs, University of Maryland and Executive Director, American Mandarin Society.
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?? in Xi Jinping's Speeches
????
g?ng j?n ti? g?
On June 12 Xi Jinping gave a speech to memorialize one of the eight CPC elders, Chen Yun. The speech traces the life of Chen Yun, highlighting his vast list of memorable accomplishments and holding him up as an example. This ??, "steel muscle and iron bones," is used to show his firm commitment to the Party and its cause. There are others in this sentence too, such as ????, meaning to never change or waver.
Original:
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Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-06/12/c_1115603689.htm
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Documentary of the Week
This week's suggested film is a VOA roundtable on Zhou Yongkang and his sentencing last week. Zhou is the first former Politburo Standing Committee member to be pursued as part of Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign. He probably will go down as a modern-day Kang Sheng for his purported politicization of the security apparatus, even though this is unrelated to the crimes for which he has been prosecuted. The cutthroat nature of Chinese politics makes it difficult enough for leaders to deal with and trust each other, so Zhou's rumored use of parts of the security apparatus backed by the petroleum industry's dollars threatened the integrity of thin threads binding the leadership. As always, ???? offers a good sampling of thoughts on Zhou.
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