Dedicated to the development of the future stewards of U.S.-China relations
This week we focus on recent developments in U.S.-China trade, a chengyu delivered by Xi Jinping at a recent meeting in Beijing, a USCC job opportunity, and a film by Chinese director Jia Zhangke.
Weekly Readings
The trade war is off. So says Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Chinese media heralds win-win cooperation on resolving tough issues in U.S.-China trade relations. American commentators complain the recent agreement undermines U.S. interests and did not get anything meaningful at the table. What happens next is anyone's guess as the vagaries of the current U.S. administration suggest this could be just the first round (think about how pressure ratcheted up on North Korea last year) or a mediocre deal in light of presidential demands.
Meaning: grit one's teeth, endure with dogged will
A major meeting on ecological and environmental protection was held in Beijing on May 18-19. Xi Jinping made a speech praising the progress already made, but also emphasizing the work still to be done. He used this chengyu to stress the effort required to make the shift from high-speed growth to high-quality growth.
T
he U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) is looking to hire an Economics and Trade intern this summer. This is a great opportunity for a U.S. citizen to work for the U.S. Congress on a wide range of economics and trade issues between the U.S. and China.
Interested readers can view details regarding this internship and the application (due June 8!) here.
Video of the Week
Director Jia Zhangke's 2006 drama 三峡好人 (Still Life) focuses on the construction of the Three Gorges Dam and the displaced inhabitants of the demolished town of Fengjie that once stood in its place. Readers can view the film here.
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