Aug. 9,
2018

ISSUE
No. 138

AMS Weekly Newsletter
Dedicated to the development of the future stewards of U.S.-China relations
This week we focus on China's interference in foreign politics, a suyu delivered by Xi Jinping on July 26 to the BRICS leaders, and a documentary about a Chinese Van Gogh reproduction painter.
Weekly Readings

China's interference in foreign politics has become one of the most discussed issues within the China-watching community, as a number of Western governments adopt more competitive approaches with China. The Australian example shows that addressing interference will be part of the re-calibration taking place in the United States and elsewhere. Over the coming year, these issues are going to become even more visible and contentious.  
 
 

 
 
 
俗语 in Xi Jinping's Speeches

奔腾不息
bēn téng bù xī 
Meaning: surge forward without ceasing

In his speech to BRICS leaders in Johannesburg on July 26, Xi Jinping used this suyu to stress the message he was sending in his speech to the BRICS Business Forum: the trends of the times are surging forward and you are either with them (i.e., with China) or against them (i.e., with those unnamed countries pursuing unilateralism and protectionism). While it is easy to point to China's record and say that they aren't walking the walk, it is also important to hear how this message resonates outside the United States.

Original: 时代大潮奔腾不息,不以任何人的意志为转移。 金砖国家要把握历史大势,深化战略伙伴关系,巩固"三轮驱动" 合作架构,让第二个"金色十年"的美好愿景变为现实, 携手迈向人类命运共同体。


Video of the Week
 
This week we feature Made in China, a short documentary film produced by Australian public broadcast service SBS Dateline, which follows a Chinese Van Gogh reproductions painter as he travels to Amsterdam to see Van Gogh's works in person for the first time.

This video contains mostly Chinese language footage with intermittent English language narrative. 

Watch Made in China here.
 
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