Dec. 6,
2017
ISSUE
No. 120
AMS Weekly Newsletter
Dedicated to the development of the future stewards of U.S.-China relations
In this week's newsletter we focus on Xi Jinping's agenda following the 19th Party Congress, a phrase delivered by Xi Jinping at the World Political Parties Dialogue in Beijing, an interesting development on WeChat, and a video on the topic of cybersecurity in China.

Note: there are nine days left to apply to the AMS Next-Generation Scholars Program. See the bottom of this newsletter for details.
Weekly Readings

This week's readings are three excellent essays that offer substantial overlap or elaboration on the themes developed in the others. The ambitious agenda that Xi Jinping set at the 19th Party Congress addresses the problems created by uneven development and the need for a better life. The political, social, and economic aspects of Chinese government policy are going to be substantial and probably conflict with one another. Will a stronger, more discipl ined party deliver more adaptive governance? Will businesspeople provide the same support for the party when they are distanced or exiled from the party center? Can party leaders maintain stability when isolated from the power to call in the People's Armed Police?




俗语 in Xi Jinping's Speeches

顾名思义
gù míng sī yì

Meaning: just as the name implies

On December 1, Xi Jinping hosted and made a speech at the World Political Parties Dialogue in Beijing. This was an important event that received a tremendous amount of press coverage and propaganda amplification in China, but surprisingly little abroad. 
It was an important speech that made a pitch for how Xi hopes others will see China's role in the world, with OBOR and the Community of Common Destiny as the key framing devices. This chengyu is a useful one, and Xi used it in a way that is easy to understand (see original below). And if you are looking for a concise description of the Community of Common Destiny, it is hard to do better than Xi's words below. There are a couple bonus chengyu in there as well: 风雨同舟 and 荣辱与共.

Original: 人类命运共同体，顾名思义，就是每个民族、 每个国家的前途命运都紧紧联系在一起，应该风雨同舟，荣辱与共， 努力把我们生于斯、长于斯的这个星球建成一个和睦的大家庭， 把世界各国人民对美好生活的向往变成现实。

Social Media Watch

Quartz reports that  The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has released a series of stickers on WeChat
with slogans drawn from Xi Jinping's anti-corruption regulations. Read more about the utilization of this new propaganda tool here.
Video of the Week

With the U.S. indictment of Chinese hackers working for Boyusec, cybersecurity has once again returned to the forefront of U.S.-China relations. This week's video is the first part of a series on cyberspace and related security issues. In a sense, it can be seen as an explanation of the underlying logic leading Beijing down the path of the Cybersecurity Law and other related legislation. The dangers and vulnerabilities intrinsic to moving so many things on line mean threats in cyberspace have a much broader social character than once was the case.

网络安全大型专题片《第五空间》第一集：《透明的时代》

Reminder: Next-Generation Scholars Program

Are you a young scholar trying to develop a career writing about China? We are now accepting applications for our  Next-Generation Scholars Program. This is a unique opportunity to hone your writing craft and build a track record of publication while under the guidance of an expert in the field. 

This new AMS initiative will support four young professionals pursuing advanced research that benefits the study of U.S.-China relations through tailored writing mentorships with renowned experts in their field. Each scholar will commit to writing four analytical pieces (each ~1000-3000 words) over the course of a year. They will receive feedback from AMS-assigned mentors with the goal of publishing these pieces in respected policy publications or websites.

The application deadline is  December 15, 2017. Read more about the program and the application process here.

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