May 4,
2015

ISSUE
No. 46

AMS Weekly Newsletter
Supporting the development of the future stewards of U.S.-China relations
Our podcast is finally here! 好事多磨, right?
Using this auspicious date for the launch of a new cultural endeavor, we present our podcast, finally up and running. Rather than let perfection be the enemy of the good, we are launching this despite some rough edges here and there. We will hopefully improve episode by episode.

Find us on iTunes and  subscribe so episodes will download automatically when we post them. And please rate us [highly] and give us [glowing] reviews...this makes  a big difference for us, especially in these early launch days. And of course, tell your friends!

In iTunes either search for "American Mandarin Society" or just click on this link:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/american-mandarin-societys/id990494482

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If you are using another music player you should be able to subscribe via this link: http://mandarinsociety.libsyn.com/rss 

On a sad and frustrating note, Carnegie's recording system failed last Monday night, so we won't have He Fan's lecture available. Perhaps we can convince him to do it again, maybe next time in NY.

Weekly Readings

Next year, the United States will not be the only country to have a presidential election that will impact U.S.-China relations. Taiwan will vote for president next year, and the Kuomintang (KMT), after its stunning losses in last November's 9-in-1 elections, appears ill-prepared to face the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The KMT's chairman Eric Chu (朱立伦) met with Xi Jinping this week to signal stability in cross-Strait stability, and p erhaps to signal the consequences should the DPP's candidate, likely party chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, win the presidency. Three years ago, Washington signaled its opposition to a DPP presidency, but U.S.-China relations and the DPP's international presentation have evolved dramatically. Taiwan will be a critical issue in the weeks and months to come.
Social Media Watch

Last week's 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Nepal has claimed over 7,000 lives. The China International Search & Rescue Team sent a 62-person crew to help in the relief effort. Now weibers can donate to Mercy Fund (part of the China Population Welfare Foundation) with the click of a button. Mercy Fund's banner image ( http://gongyi.weibo.com/r/219518 ) shows a Tibetan Buddhist monk in prayer and a little girl, and includes the mantra "om mani padme hum"-an appeal perhaps to the common perception of Nepalese religion and culture, as 80% of the country is Hindu. The campaign has raised 327,349 yuan ($52,798) from over 7,500 backers so far.
俗语 in Xi Jinping's  Speeches

 

中国特色社会主大厦是靠一一瓦砌成的 

 

While reading through Xi's speeches for this week's 成语 we came upon this phrase in his 五一 speech. We thought it was too good not to highlight. Not sure if this has been used before, but considering the role that real estate has played in China's economy over the last decade (plus) it struck us as a remarkably fitting way in which to couch China's current historic endeavor.

 

Original: 

中国特色社会主义事业大厦是靠一砖一瓦砌成的,人民的幸福是靠一点一滴创造得来的。劳动模范和先进工作者是坚持中国道路、弘扬中国精神、凝聚中国力量的楷模,他们以高度的主人翁责任感、卓越的劳动创造、忘我的拼搏奉献,为全国各族人民树立了学习的榜样。

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-04/28/c_1115120734.htm


Video of the Week

Television host Bi Fujian was outed at a private dinner for criticizing Mao Zedong, and CCTV suspended all of his programs. Voice of America's "焦点对话" program discusses the issue of "informant culture," because someone filmed Bi's dinner comments. Such politicized exposures, however, are not unique to China. Although the program discusses the Bi's exposure in the context of China's recent history without comparison, the program raises the issues related to public and private surveillance in modern society and the consequences for individuals that concern all U.S. and Chinese citizens.


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