Talking Points, April 27 - May 11, 2011

Talking Points
April 27 - May 11, 2011

Click here to skip to the calendar listings.

 

The Times Book Festival comes a week after "World Book and Copyright Day" - a annual celebration initiated by the United Nations Educational, Science, and Cultural Organization in 1995.China marked the day with a campaign to get people to read recommended works (in part via a "reading TV evening party," and by issuing the stamp at the left.

 

China’s General Administration of Press and Publishing (新闻出版总署) is in charge of such efforts. GAPP determines which publishing houses can legally operate and is responsible for providing publishers with "content guidance." In 2009, the most recent year for which GAPP has issued statistics, some 145,475 books were published for the first time and another 93,393 books were reprinted. Some 3.8 billion copies of these works were printed. According to Books in Print, in 2009 some 288,355 new titles or editions were published in the U.S.

One of the biggest selling books in China in 2009 and since is Liu Liu’s Dwelling Narrowness (六六，《蜗居》) It was originally published in 2007, but took off in 2009 when it was turned into a 35-episode television series. The novel and series tell the story of the two Guo sisters and what they do to get and hold onto a condominium. Skyrocketing housing prices make this an enormous challenge. Adultery and official corruption figure prominently in the story and producers were required to re-edit the series after it began its initial run, cutting enough to reduce the sanitized version to 33 episodes (Sohu TV streams this version).

Liu Liu’s real name is Zhang Xin 张辛. She graduated in 1999 from Anhui University with a degree in international trade and worked in real estate in Shanghai while starting her writing career online. She now lives in Singapore.

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, one of the government`s top think tanks issued a report last year, which included this observation from the head of the National Bureau of Statistics:

“House prices in Beijing are absolutely ridiculous. When a young couple purchases a house, parents and grandparents from both sides need to help out. The collective effort of four families is required to support a young family’s decision to buy a house. Three generations of savings are thus exhausted in buying a single house." (Peter Cai, ANU translation)

The nature of and hazards posed by the housing bubble was the subject of much discussion at our spring conference on the Chinese economy. Deng Yongheng noted that, assuming a 20% down payment and a 30-year mortgage on a 90 square meter (8xx square foot) apartment, the

Shang Haichun 商海春, Dec. 2010 (QQ blog)

payment to average two-earner household income ratio ranged from an affordable 31% in Chengdu to a staggering 112% in Shenzhen.

In another presentation, Xiaobo Zhang noted links between the marriage market and the housing market. Whereas a generation ago, an urban man needed “three things that go around” (a bike, a watch, and a sewing machine) in order to get married, both he and rural men are now expected to have a home. In areas where there were relatively fewer women of marriageable age, houses tended to be bigger and more expensive. Shang Haichun`s cartoon above was inspired last December by a poll showing that 71% of Chinese women prefer mates with homes

Bloomberg Businessweek, March 3, 2011

Rising prices in China were also addressed at the conference and have, in recent weeks, attracted attention from US publications:

"Inflation in China Poses Big Threat to Global Trade Inflation" and  "China Orders Banks to Raise Rates to Combat Inflation" – both from the New York Times, April 17-18, 2011

You can see all of these presentations at the USC U.S.-China Institute website or at our YouTube channel.

 

*****

Economic worries only exacerbated Beijing`s nervousness about lessons Chinese might take from the anti-authoritarian revolts in the Middle East. The authorities have rounded-up many critics, including writer Ran Yunfei, artist Ai Weiwei, housing rights activist Ni Yulan, and lawyer Teng Biao. Many organizations, including unregistered Christian congregations, are under increased scrutiny. The monitoring of web social networks has increased. Google`s Gmail and other services which offer encrypted connections (e.g., those whose web addresses begin with https) have been slowed dramatically. At the same time, coverage of hardships in "post-Jasmine" Tunisia and Egypt and of the suffering of ordinary people in Libya`s civil war has been ramped up.

The emphasis American leaders have placed on fostering internet freedom (even earmarking millions of dollars to develop firewall-piercing tools) has only confirmed for some Chinese leaders that the U.S. is actively encouraging social unrest and mobilization in China. Chinese leaders are happy that many American companies use Alibaba to find Chinese suppliers and that some Chinese entrepreneurs use eBay to sell directly to American consumers (Bloomberg Businessweek offers the example of Tang Fengyan who sold $700,000 of her dresses through the service last year). Those leaders worry, though, that social networks will allow disparate (and manageable) disgruntled elements to coalesce into an impossible to manage mass movement.

*****

As it happens, U.S. and Chinese officials are in the midst of a formal human rights meeting in Beijing. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner heads an interagency delegation currently in Beijing. China returned to the annual meeting after boycotting it in 2009. Most observers doubt much progress will be made in this round of discussion, given Chinese leaders` preoccupation with squelching dissent they believe will threaten their control. On May 9-10, a large delegation of Chinese leaders will join their American hosts in Washington for the third meeting of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Next week, Talking Points will review the outcomes of previous rounds and preview this year`s discussion.<\font>

*****

Recent USCI talks now available in video at our site include:

Andrew Scobell, Is there a civil-military gap in China`s peaceful rise?
Kevin Gallagher and Enrique Dussel Peters, China and Latin America
John Garnaut, Is China becoming a mafia state?
Tim Johnson, Tragedy in Crimson
Tom Bernstein, Varieties of Authoritarianism

Upcoming talks include this week`s presentation by James Tang of Singapore Management University and a forum on the regional implications of China`s rise featuring Princeton`s John Ikenberry, Tang, and two members of the USCI executive committee, David Kang and Daniel Lynch. Next week, Robert Kapp, former president of the U.S.-China Business Council will speak. Details about these talks and more are below.

Thank you for reading Talking Points and for sharing it with colleagues and friends. IWe are always happy to receive your comments and suggestions. Please send them to us at uschina@usc.edu.

We also greatly appreciate those who have contributed to support the institute. You can help as well. It`s quick and simple. Just head to the secure USC giving website and choose to support the US-China Institute. Of course, you are also welcome to send your gift to us at the address at the end of this newsletter.

Best wishes,
The USC US-China Institute
See past issues of Talking Points at http://china.usc.edu/resources60.aspx
Subscribe at http://china.usc.edu/subscribe.aspx
Donate at https://giveto.usc.edu/pledge.asp

 

Events
USC | California | North America | Exhibitions

USC
 

04/28/2011: The Rise of China and the East Asian Regional Order
Tyler Environmental Prize Pavilion (1st floor VKC building)
3518 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Cost: Free
Time: 4:00PM - 6:00PM
USC will hold a roundtable discussion on the rise of China and its implications for US-China relations. 

05/05/2011: Is There a Chinese Word for `Rashomon`? Reflections on the Many Faces of US-China Relations Past and Present
USC Davidson Conference Center, Figueroa Room
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Cost: Free
Time: 4:00PM - 5:30PM
Robert Kapp will examine U.S. - China relations. 

05/09/2011: China: The Pessoptimist Nation
USC Davidson Conference Center, Board Room, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Cost: Free
Time: 4:00PM - 5:30PM
William A. Callahan will speak on how the rise of China presents various long-term challenges to the world. 

05/11/2011: US-China Relations in the 21st Century: Theoretical Context and Empirical Foundations.
USC Davidson Conference Center, Club Room
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Cost: Free
Time: 4:00PM - 5:30PM
Yi Feng will examine U.S. - China relations. 

CALIFORNIA

04/29/2011: Film Screening: Not in God`s Name
UCLA
The James Bridges Theater 1409 Melnitz Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Cost: Free
Time: 7:00PM - 8:45PM
"Not In God`s Name" will be screened at UCLA. 

05/02/2011: “What is True Wisdom?”: Public Talk by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
UCLA
Royce Hall Auditorium , Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $165, $100, $65 and, for UCLA students with current Bruincard ID, $20. Limit 2 per person; 1 per student.
Time: 10:00AM - 11:30AM
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will give a public talk at UCLA on true wisdom on May 2, 2011. 

05/02/2011: "Buddhism and Neuroscience: a Discussion on Attention, Mental Flexibility and Compassion"
UCLA Royce Hall Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $100, $65 and, for UCLA students, faculty and staff with current ID, $20. Limit 4 per person and 1 per UCLA ID holder.
Time: 1:30PM - 3:30PM
A Public Symposium with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will be held on May 2, 2011 at UCLA. 

05/02/2011: Documenting the Western Desert: Liu Xiangchen`s Films of Xinjiang
UC Berkeley
Institute of East Asian Studies, 2223 Fulton, 6th Floor), Berkeley, CA
Cost: Free
Time: 3:00PM - 6:00PM
Filmaker, scholar, and writer Liu Xiangchen will speak at University of California, Berkeley on May 2 and May 9 respectively. 

05/02/2011: Writing Across Fences: A talk by Lung Ying-Tai
UCLA Faculty Center Sequoia Room, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1487
Cost: Free
Time: 4:30PM - 6:00PM
Renowned Taiwanese Author, Lung Ying-Tai will give a talk at UCLA on ideological understanding and misunderstanding between China and Taiwan 

05/03/2011: Application of Financial Products in Rural China
608-7 Evans Hall
UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3841
Time: 12:30PM - 1:30PM
University of California, Berkeley Professor Song Changcheng will speak on financial products in rural China. 

05/03/2011: A Talk by Ge Jianxiong
UCLA 2nd Floor Lounge, Ackerman Union, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Free
Time: 2:00PM - 3:30PM
Professor Ge Jianxiong, Professor of Chinese Historical Geography of Fudan University (Shanghai) and the Director of the Fudan University Library will speak at UCLA. 

05/03/2011: What are the Major Challenges to High Growth in China?
Social Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Patio 1517
University Drive, Irvine, CA 92697
Time: 5:00PM - 7:30PM
Wing Thye Woo will speak on challenges to China`s growing economy at UC Irvine.  

05/04/2011: The Popular Influence of Confucianism on Asian Americans
Stanford University
Old Union Room 201, Stanford, CA
Cost: Free
Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Professor Gordon Chang will speak at Stanford University. 

05/04/2011: Constraints on China’s Foreign Policy: Inside and Out
Stanford University
Bechtel Conference Center, Encina Hall, 1st floor, Stanford, CA
Cost: Free
Time: 1:00PM - 5:00PM
A conference on China`s Foreign Policy will be held at Stanford University. 

05/05/2011: The Performance and Driving Force of Government Health Expenditure in China: Evidence from Provincial Panel Data, 1991-2007
Stanford University
Philippines Conference Room, Encina Hall, 3rd Floor, Stanford, CA
Cost: Free
Time: 12:00PM - 1:30PM
Qiulin Chen, Shorenstein-Spolgi Fellow of Stanford University will speak on the topic of China`s Government Health Expenditure at Stanford University. 

05/05/2011: Who Accommodates Chinese Interests? Exploring Variation in National Responses to a Rising China.
Stanford University
Philippines Conference Room, Encina Hall, 3rd Floor, Stanford, CA
Cost: Free
Time: 4:15PM - 5:30PM
Scott Kastner, Associate Professor of International Relations at University of Maryland collaborates with the Stanford China Program to examine China as a major political and economic actor on the world stage. 

05/05/2011: Chinese Buddhism in the Tangut State
UC Berkeley
IEAS Conference Room, 2223 Fulton Street, 6th floor, Berkeley, CA
Cost: Free
Time: 5:00PM - 6:30PM
Kirill Solonin of St. Petersburg State University will speak at UC Berkeley on the subject Chinese Buddhism in the Tangut State. 

05/05/2011: Beijing Opera
Pacific Asia Museum
46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
Cost: $15 for museum members, $25 for non-members
Time: 6:30PM - 8:30PM
John McDonald will use his upcoming documentary, Children of the Pear Garden, as a starting point for a discussion on the history of Beijing Opera at the Pacific Asia Museum. 

05/06/2011: The Impact of Gender Bias on Social Stability and Violence in China and India
Levinthal Hall
Stanford Humanities Center, Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: 650-723-3362/3363
Time: 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Stanford University will hold a talk on gender bias on violence and social stability in China and India. 

05/06/2011: Tianxia Workshop: Culture, International Relations, and World History: Rethinking Chinese Perceptions of World Order
Stanford University
Hartley Conference Center, Stanford, CA 94305-2000
Cost: Free
Time: 9:00AM - 5:00PM
A 5 day workshop will be held at Stanford University on China`s perspective of Culture, International Relations, and World History. 

05/06/2011: The Inaugural Stanford China Law & Policy Conference: Law and the Chinese Transformation
Stanford University
Stanford Law School - Room 290, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA
Cost: Free
Time: 1:15PM - 6:00PM
Focusing on the theme of Law and the Chinese Transformation, the conference will hold discussions on the legal implications of the emergence of China. 

05/06/2011: Urbanization, Hukou Reform and China`s 12th Five-Year Plan
IEAS Conference Room, 6th Floor
2223 Fulton Street, Berkeley, CA 94720
Time: 4:00PM - 6:00PM
The University of California, Berkeley hosts a talk on China`s 12th Five-Year Plan.  

NORTH AMERICA

04/13/2011: Coerced Confessions and Wrongful Convictions in the PRC: Ira Belkin
New York University School of Law, 40 Washington Square S, New York, NY 10012
Time: 5:30PM - 7:00PM
Ira Belkin, program officer for law and rights at the Ford Foundation in Beijing will discuss recent developments in China’s criminal justice system at the NYU School of Law.

04/30/2011: Just Images: Ethics and Chinese Documentary
Fairbank Center at Harvard University
Address: CGIS South Building 1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Time: 9:00AM - 5:00PM
The Fairbank Center at Harvard University will hold a conference on ethics and Chinese documentary. 

04/30/2011: Reconstructing the Past, Digitally
Freer Gallery of Art
Smithsonian Institution 1050 Independence Ave SW
P.O. Box 37012, MRC 707, Washington, DC 20013
Time: 1:00PM
Join Lec Maj, technical advisor to the Xiangtangshan Project, and Adam Metallo and Vince Rossi, 3D imaging coordinators for the Smithsonian, for an exploration of 3D scanning technology and its potential applications for art, museums, and archaeology. 

04/30/2011: Oxhide II
Museum of the Moving Image
36-01 35 Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106
Cost: $10 for adults, $7.50 senior citizens and college students with valid ID, and $5 children ages three to eighteen. Admission is free for Museum members and children under three.
Time: 2:00PM
Oxhide II will be screened at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY. 

04/30/2011: Disorder
Museum of the Moving Image
36-01 35 Avenue , Astoria, NY 11106
Cost: $10 for adults, $7.50 senior citizens and college students with valid ID, and $5 children ages three to eighteen. Admission is free for Museum members and children under three.
Time: 5:00PM
Disorder will be screened at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY. 

05/01/2011: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Biloxi, MS
The Mississippi Gulf Coast celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with community festivals, government-sponsored activities, and educational activities for students 

05/02/2011: Who Owns My Land? Chinese Farmers’ Land Rights at the Crossroads
Asia Society
725 Park Avenue, New York City, NY
Cost: Free admission but advance registration requested
Time: 8:30AM - 10:00AM
A discussion on China`s rural land issues will be held at Asia Society in New York City. 

05/02/2011: Music Taipei vs. Music Shanghai: A Historic Overview on the Dissemination of Popular Songs from Shanghai to Taipei in the 20th Century
206 Ingraham Hall
610 Langdon Street Madison, Madison, WI 53706
Time: 4:00PM - 5:30PM
Shen Tung will speak on popular music at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. 

05/02/2011: Quotations Songs: Portable Media and Pop Song Form in the Chinese 1960s
1126 E. 59th St, Chicago, IL 60637
Time: 4:00PM - 6:00PM
Professor Andrew Jones will speak on 1960s Chinese pop music at the University of Chicago. 

05/02/2011: The Politics of Imagining Asia: Wang Hui
Asia Society
725 Park Avenue, New York City, NY
Cost: $10 members; $12 students and seniors; $15 non-members
Time: 6:30PM - 8:30PM
Columbia University`s Lydia H. Liu will discuss Wang Hui`s "The Politics of Imagining Asia" in New York City. 

05/03/2011: The Oil Reserves of Western China: The Junggar adn Tarim Basins
Mansfield Center Conference Room, Mansfield Library 4th Floor
32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812
Cost: Free and open to the public
Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Dr. Marc Hendrix will discuss oil and gas reserves in China at the University of Montana. 

05/03/2011: From Collective Amnesia to National Festival: The Celebration of Birthdays in Medieval China
Princeton University
202 Jones Hall , Princeton, NJ 08544
Cost: Free
Time: 4:30PM - 6:00PM
Xudong Hou of Tsinghua University will give a talk on the celebration of birthdays in Medieval China at Princeton University. 
05/03/2011: Invest for Advancement: Political Incentives and Investment Growth in Post-Reform China
University of Chicago
Pick Lounge 5828 S University Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
Time: 4:30PM - 5:50PM
Xin Sun, a doctoral candidate in Political Science at the University of Chicago will speak about investments in China. 

05/03/2011: Collateral Knowledge: Legal Reasoning in the Global Financial Markets
Brown University
Pembroke Hall, Room 305 172 Meeting Street, Providence, RI
Cost: Free
Time: 5:00PM - 6:30PM
Cornell University`s Annelise Riles will speak at Brown University. 

05/03/2011: Music of a Disordered Age: Chuci in the Music of the Qin
China Institute
125 65th Street, New York, NY 10065
Cost: $10 member / $15 non-member
Time: 6:30PM - 8:00PM
Mingmei Yip will speak on the ancient literary canon, Songs of the South (Chuci) at the China Institute in New York City. 

05/03/2011: The Black Cannon Incident
University of Chicago
Harper 140 1116 E. 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
Cost: Free
Time: 7:00PM - 8:30PM
The Chinese Film "The Black Cannon Incident" will be screened at University of Chicago.  
 

EXHIBITIONS  

ends  04/29/2011: Chinatown Live
Asian Arts Initiative
1219 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Philadelphia`s Asian Arts Initiative will host an exhibition of Chinatown photographs by Rodney Atienza. 

ends  04/30/2011: China: Exploring the Interior, 1903-1904
The Hillman Center for Performing Arts
Shady Side Academy 423 Fox Chapel Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
The Hillman Center for Performing Arts in Pittsburgh will host the traveling exhibition of photographs from the Carnegie expedition to China in 1903-1904. 

ends 04/30/2011: Both Here and There: Yale-China and a Century of Transformative Encounters
New Haven Museum
Address: 114 Whitney Avenue , New Haven, CT
Cost: Adults $4, Seniors $3, Students (12+) $2, Free for Children
The New Haven Museum is honored to host Both Here and There: Yale-China and a Century of Transformative Encounters from February 1 to April 30.  
 
ends  05/01/2011: Brush & Shutter: Early Photography in China
J. Paul Getty Museum
1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049
Cost: Free
An exhibition on early photography in China is held at the J. Paul Getty Museum. 

ends 05/01/2011: Extravagant Display: Chinese Art in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, New York, NY 10028
New York`s Metropolitan Museum of Art will display Chinese art from the Qing Dynasty. 

ends 05/01/2011: The Emperor`s Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028
The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents some ninety paintings, decorative works, architectural elements, and religious works created for an elaborate two-acre private retreat built deep within the Forbidden City in 1771 as the retirement residence of the Qianlong Emperor. 

ends 05/09/2011: Visions of the Orient: Western Women Artists in Asia 1900-1940
Changing Exhibition Galleries
Pacific Asia Museum 46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
Pasadena`s Pacific Asia Museum presents Visions of the Orient, an exhibition that explores the fascination of female western artists with Asian cultures between 1900 and 1940. 

ends 05/14/2011: Paintings by Sheng Qi
Fabien Fryns Fine Art
Address: 314 N. Crescent Heights Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048
Fabien Fryns Fine Art is honored to announce a solo exhibition by Sheng Qi. The exhibition, titled Square, features eight recent paintings. 

ends 06/01/2011: Ancient Chinese Jades and Bronzes
Freer Gallery of Art (Galleries 18 and 19)
1050 Independence Avenue Southwest, Washington, DC 20439
The Smithsonian Institute presents an exhibition of Chinese jades and bronzes

____________________________________________________________________

Please invite others to subscribe to USCI’s free email newsletter for regular updates on events and programs. We will not share names or email addresses with any other entity. Click here to sign up.

We provide information about China-related events as a community service. If you would like your event considered for inclusion in the USCI calendar, please click here to submit event details.

You can support USCI by making a donation at http://www.usc.edu/giving/.

USC U.S. – China Institute
3535 S. Figueroa St.
FIG 202
Los Angeles, CA 90089-1262
Tel: 213-821-4382
Fax: 213-821-2382
Email: uschina@usc.edu
Website: http://china.usc.edu 

You have received this e-mail because you have subscribed to receive updates from USCI. If you feel this message has reached you in error or you no longer wish to receive our updates, please click, unsubscribe, and enter "Remove" in the subject line.