USC And China In The News, January and February 2017

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February 21, 2017: The China Post

A visit by USC President C.L. Nikias and a USC delegation to Taiwan was highlighted in this article, which drew upon an interview with Nikias. It noted that Taiwanese had long constituted a large share of USC’s international student population and alumni. Nikias said, “I see Taiwan as a strategic priority for our international outreach for the university, given the very strong ties that exist between USC and Taiwan in the past 60 to 65 years. ..  I feel that we don't want to lose that very strong connection." USC signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwan’s Ministry of Education to provide opportunities for Taiwan students to earn Ph.D’s at USC and to support short term visits by Taiwanese faculty to USC. The article also highlighted USC’s fundraising efforts, reaching a $6 billion target a year and a half ahead of schedule. The USC campaign will continue for five more years. Nikias said, "I do not want us to lose that momentum that we have."

February 10, 2017: Sing Tao Daily (星島日報)

USC psychologist Julie Albright was interviewed about her research into matchmaking companies and dating websites, noting differences in what male and female users look for and that men who don’t include photos are three times as likely to already be married than those who do post pictures. She detailed other ways people can use to find out about a dating prospect. She stressed looking for someone with similar interests who is honest. 

January 19, 2017: Vox

An article about the Trump administration and China quoted USC international relations specialist David Kang: “Every U.S. president since Nixon has come into office promising to be tough on China, and every single one of them has backed off.”

January 18, 2017: Reuters

USC education professor and former registrar Jerome Lucido was quoted in a story about the withdrawal of a Chinese firm from a project looking to improve verification of Chinese school transcripts. Lucido heads the Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice. Dipont Education Management Group withdrew from the project which included a number of other schools in addition to USC. They income MIT, Columbia, and UCLA. Dipont had contributed $525,000 to fund the project and had pledged a total of $750,000. The story was also published by Voice of America and Radio Free Asia. 

January 18, 2017: Hollywood Reporter

USC political scientist Stanley Rosen, was interviewed for a story about a speech Wanda Chairman Wang Jianlin gave at the World Economic Forum. Rosen noted that Chinese cinema owners want U.S. films to be allowed into China so that they can fill seats. He doesn’t expect China’s government to loosen controls over media ownership in China. 

January 17, 2017: Los Angeles Times

Stanley Rosen, USC political scientist, was interviewed for a story about Thomas Tull’s departure from Legendary Entertainment, not long after its acquisition by the Wanda Group. Rosen said that Wanda’s critics may now be able to argue that Wanda’s previous statements about intending that their American subsidiaries continue with business as usual were no longer valid. 

January 16, 2017: CNN

USC economist Matthew Kahn was quoted in a story about how Beijing’s air pollution is experienced by rich and poor. "Air pollution exacerbates inequality between the rich and poor in urban China…  The rich live in cleaner parts of the city and on more polluted days they can drive to work, work inside, access better doctors, have second homes in the countryside and have expensive and effective air filters."

January 13, 2017: KNX (CBS)

The USC U.S.-China Institute’s Clayton Dube was interviewed about the policies and practices toward China put forward in testimony before the Senate by Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson.

January 8, 2017: Singtao Daily 星岛

Clayton Dube of the USC U.S.-China Institute was interviewed about the deployment of the U.S. Navy’s Carl Vinson carrier group to the South China Sea. Dube noted that the Vinson has been deployed there previously, but that it is clear the U.S. is communicating to its friends in Asia as well as to China that it intends to maintain a robust presence in the region and to ensure that crews ordinarily based closer to the U.S. gain experience in this contested area. Dube anticipates that the U.S. and China will continue flexing their muscles in the South China Sea. 

January 7, 2017: Nikkei Asian Review

USC political scientist Stanley Rosen published an op-ed focusing on Wang Jianlin, China’s richest man and the head of the Wanda group of companies. He argued that Wang presented his company to Americans as employing tens of thousands of people in the company’s AMC Theatres and Legendary Studio and other businesses, but in China he presented the company as working to realize China’s soft power aims. 

January 6, 2017: China Daily

An op-ed noted that cooperation between the U.S. and China on many issues, including fighting air pollution is desirable. It noted that a 2016 USC study on air pollution in Los Angeles found that pollution had been reduced with a positive impact on the health of residents. The study referred to is the Children’s Health Study.

January 5, 2017: Deadline

Stanley Rosen, USC political scientist, was quoted in a story about China and Hollywood. Rosen said, “Basically, Hollywood is cashing in and Hollywood is in the business of selling out.”

January  4, 2017: China Daily

USC Marshall School of Business professor Baizhu Chen was cited in an article about President-Elect Donald Trump’s choice of Robert Lighthizer to head the U.S. Trade Representative office. Chen thought that Lighthizer and the office would likely file many complaints against China and keep the World Trade Organization busy. 

January 4, 2017: Chinese Central Television

USC was included in a list of universities enrolling Chinese students who are also top flight golfers. Jin Cheng, ranked 18th among world amateur golfers, is a USC student. [USC students also competed in golf for Hong Kong and Taiwan at the 2016 Brazil Olympics.]

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