Feb. 15,
2017

ISSUE
No. 88

AMS Weekly Newsletter
Dedicated to the development of the future stewards of U.S.-China relations
In this week's newsletter we focus on China's recent efforts to reinforce Marxist and socialist values in Chinese youth, the unity of the CCP, and an interesting documentary film festival opportunity for our readers. 

Weekly Readings

Values once again appear in the week's readings. In an ideological environment, values play an important role in determining the atmosphere and individual reactions to it. They determine who or what are threats and what can or cannot be countenanced. Perhaps no issue bedevils U.S.-China relations at the highest levels quite so much as this one; however, there are some signs of greater shared understanding among the youth. This speaks to the need for en gagement as individuals. To adapt one U.S. president's words, people become policy.


俗语 in Xi Jinping's Speeches

人心涣散
 
rén xīn huàn sàn
 
Meaning: to lack common spirit
 
Xi Jinping gave a speech on February 13 to high level provincial leaders on the topic of the 18th Party Congress 6th Plenum spirit. Unsurprisingly this focused on internal party discipline and the importance of the unified leadership of the Party. Reading between the lines, one gets the impression that this message not only needed to be reinforced, but will likely be continually raised between now and the 19th Party Congress.
 
This 成语 was used to describe what will happen if the Party does not unify and heal itself. Aside from a number of 成语's in the speech, Xi also used interesting medical metaphors, such as "增强自我净化能力、提高排毒杀菌政治免疫力的根本途径" that suggest a sickness. 
 
Original: 什么时候全党讲政治、党内政治生活正常健康,我们党就风清气正、团结统一,充满生机活力,党的事业就蓬勃发展;反之,就弊病丛生、人心涣散、丧失斗志,各种错误思想得不到及时纠正,给党的事业造成严重损失。
 


Upcoming Stanford Law Seminar at American University 
    
On Wednesday, February 22, 2017 from 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM Stanford Law will host a seminar titled "Growing Significance of Cases in China: Implications for Legal Education and Legal Practice" at American University. The seminar will feature as keynote speaker the Honorable Judge Sidney H. Stein (Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York). For the complete list of speakers and program, please visi t this link.

Registration for this seminar is free but required. To RSVP, please visit
this link.

Kindly note that seats are limited, so please RSVP soon. Light refreshments and hor d'oeuvres will be provided.


USCC Research Fellow Opening 

The United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission is looking to hire a Research Fellow for their Economics and Trade team. 
 
For a description of the position, click   here.
 

EVENT: Chia-Huan Chang, "A Legal Discussion of China's SCS Land Reclamation(中文) 
 
Join us Tuesday evening, February 21 from 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM at the Center for Strategic and International Studies for a lecture and discussion (in Chinese, of course!) on the legal status of China's South China Sea maritime reclamation activities.

RSVP Here

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About Chia-Huan Chang

Chang is a visiting fellow at the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). His research interests include the issues related to the international law of the sea, maritime policies and the South China Sea disputes. Prior to joining CSIS in September 2016, he served as instructor in Naval Command and Staff College, NDU, Taiwan.

Chia-Huan Chang received his LL.M. in the Law of the Sea at National Taiwan Ocean University, his B.S. from R.O.C. Naval Academy, and he also graduated from the U.S. Naval Staff College, NWC in 2011.


Video of the Week
 
Instead of posting a video of the week, we have chosen to showcase an event which might be of interest to our readership. Hong Kong non-profit Visible Record is holding The 10th Chinese Documentary Festival.

Entry requirements are as follows:

"1. Documentary films produced between 1 January, 2015 and 13 April, 2017
2. Such films should contain no less than 50 percent of dialogue in Chinese (including dialects) or issues on Chinese society
3. Feature film: 60 minutes or above; Short film: 59 minutes or below"

Submissions are due by April 13, 2017. 

More information here 
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