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Happy Labor Day! Here is a newsletter than can help you pass the time while stuck in the holiday traffic.
We have been talking a lot about the DC Chinese Film Festival, but that is because it is so cool and because we are partners. The Program Book can be downloaded via Dropbox here. The shows start next week, so start buying tickets! AMS members get a 20% discount by using the discount code DCCFFPartner (case sensitive).
And, if you appreciate what we do, please make a donation. It is important that we have as many members as possible contribute! $10, $20, $100...whatever you can. |
Weekly Readings
By now, most of you probably have heard that a Chinese fighter dangerously intercepted a U.S. P-8 patrol aircraft, conducting maritime surveillance in the South China Sea. The intercept, according to the Pentagon, was the fourth dangerous intercept since Spring, spurring official protests. This week's reading include readouts from both sides on the incident as well as the more pertinent background reading on past Sino-U.S. crises and the 2001 EP-3 incident. This is one of those times that, rather than being caught up in the news, it behooves one to go back and read lengthier analyses.
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 Weibo Watch
The Ice Bucket Challenge has swept the U.S. this summer, and now it's trending in China. The challenge is to either pour a bucket of ice water over your head and donate to ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) research, then nominate a friend to do the same. The challenge has raised millions of RMB for the China Social Assistance Foundation. Celebrities like actress Zhang Ziyi, writer/race car driver Han Han, and eccentric businessman Chen Guangbiao have all participated.
"ALS Ice Bucket Challenge" (ALS冰桶挑战) has been the hottest topic on Weibo for the past week. But the movement isn't without its detractors. Protesters in Henan held empty buckets over their heads to call attention to the drought they are suffering this summer. Weibo user 浅浅_91234 asks, "When we pour buckets of ice water over our heads, how do people feel in those dry places where even baths are a luxury?" But other Weibo users call this complaint "moral kidnapping" (道德绑架) of a good cause.
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成语 in Xi Jinping's speeches
敬终如始
j�ng zhōng r� shǐ
Translation: to respect the end as you do the beginning
In a speech on August 27 at Zhongnanhai about mass line education, Xi used this chengyu to stress the need to follow through. There is always enthusiasm at the beginning of a program, but the important part is to follow through. There has been great enthusiasm for the mass line movement, but actual results have lagged behind.
原文： 做好党的群众路线教育实践活动这段时间工作很关键，一定要敬终如始、一鼓作气、善作善成，确保活动取得实效。教育实践活动有期限，加强作风建设无尽期。解决作风方面存在的问题，根本要靠坚持不懈抓常、抓细、抓长。
Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2014-08/27/c_1112253683.htm
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 Documentary of the Week
The Internet has changed life as we know it dramatically and, arguably, ushered in revolutionary change for commerce and society. This week's documentary series is a three-part look from the Chinese perspective on the Internet Age, its development, and its implications. Below those are three books on the Internet in China or with direct relevance to Chinese issues that we recommend.
Books:
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