Dedicated to the development of the future stewards of U.S.-China relations
新春快乐！
AMS has lots of exciting things in store for the Year of the Pig, so stay tuned to our website and newsletter. In the meantime, if you appreciate what we do, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to AMS. Hey, it's 红包 season, right?
Weekly Readings
In place of a reading this week we have included this 30-minute video from Phoenix TV,《今日看世界》中美加"引渡"戰：具有政治動機的迫害能否經得起法律的檢驗. It is a great language refresher on current issues in U.S.-China relations. How many of you can actually remember how to say "extradition"...?
俗语 in Xi Jinping's Speeches
五谷丰登、六畜兴旺
wǔgǔ fēngdēng, liùchù xīngwàng
Meaning: have a
bumper harvest and may your domestic animals thrive
This week's phrase from Xi Jinping's New Years speech harkens back to China's agricultural past to convey the good life. 五谷丰登 describes a plentiful harvest of five crops: millet, beans, hemp, wheat, and rice. 六畜兴旺 describes six essential farm animals: "the cow can plow the field, the horse can bear weight, the sheep can provide a sacrifice, the chicken can announce the morning, the dog can guard against the night, and the pig can serve as a feast." Added together, 5 crops + 6 animals = security and abundance for your family in the new year.
Bonus reading: this
人民网 article provides some further explanation of the meanings behind Xi's "拜年话".
Video of the Week
On January 23, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan delivered a speech at the 2019 WEF Annual Meeting in Davos. Borrowing the Swiss proverb"torches light up each other" or "火炬会互相点燃," his speech conveys the importance of cooperation and inclusivity.
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