Issue No. 222 | Jun. 23, 2021
Strengthening American capacity for effective engagement
俗语 from Xi Jinping's Speeches
内忧外患
nèi yōu wài huàn

Meaning: domestic trouble and foreign aggression; in a mess both domestically and abroad

Original: "1921年,五四运动之后,在中华民族内忧外患、社会危机空前深重的背景下,在马克思列宁主义同中国工人运动相结合的进程中,中国共产党诞生了。"

Translation: "In 1921, following the May Fourth Movement, at a time of unprecedented social crisis when our people were beset by domestic turmoil and foreign aggression, the Communist Party of China was born from the meeting of Marxism-Leninism and the Chinese workers’ movement."

Source: 在庆祝中国共产党成立95周年大会上的讲话 July 1, 2016, re-printed on April 16, 2021.
Reading
On Tuesday June 21, Ambassador Cui Tiankai announced that he is leaving his post in a farewell letter directed at 美国侨胞. Cui Tiankai is China's longest-serving ambassador to the US.

We recommend reading the short farewell letter for yourself: "崔天凯大使致全美侨胞的辞别信." It acknowledges that the US and China are at a “critical crossroads/ 正处在关键十字路口," and that the US faces a “choice between cooperation and confrontation/ 面临在对话合作和对抗冲突之间作出选择” as the US begins a “new round of restructuring in its government policy towards China/ 美国对华政策正经历新一轮重构".

CGTN also released a short 25-second video of Ambassador Cui Tiankai issuing a farewell statement, which you can watch here.


Watch 《这就是中国》
《这就是中国》is a TV program that adopts a speech + reality show format. Episode 101 is themed around a line from Mao Zedong's 1925 poem 《沁园春·长沙》, "问苍茫大地谁主沉浮," translated as, "I ask, on this boundless land, who rules over man's destiny?"

The show describes this quote as a question of youth and a question of China, and uses it to discuss how the young generation should write the next chapter of Chinese history.

The 50-minute program starts with a speech by Fudan University professor Zhang Weiwei (张维为), a short follow-up speech by professor Wu Xinwen (吴新文), and then a moderated Q&A with host He Jie (何婕) which opens up to questions from Fudan students in the audience.
Job Opportunity
Strategy Risks is seeking a highly motivated Research Director.

Candidates who have a degree in international relations, political science, public policy, business, finance, or a related field will be highly considered. The ideal candidate is an experienced researcher and commands a strong understanding of China and the private sector. Reading and speaking proficiency in Chinese is preferred, but not required.

Interested candidates should submit a resume and a cover letter to jobs@strategyrisks.com.

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