Happy Lunar New Year from the USC US-China Institute!
A Disappearance Foretold
Olivier Meys and Zhang Yaxuan's A Disappearance Foretold will be screened at UCLA Film & Television Archive.
In the run-up to the 2008 Olympics, Beijing became an epicenter of the mass destruction and forced relocation of working-class dwellings that have swept urban China in recent years. Many ancient neighborhoods of the capital city were destroyed and “renovated.” Belgian documentarist Olivier Meys and Chinese producer/critic Zhang Yaxuan teamed with a group of independent filmmakers to follow the transformation of Qianmen, a 600-year-old neighborhood just south of Tiananmen Square, into a field of rubble. The film portrays the dramatic fight between the real estate developers and the 80,000 inhabitants of Qianmen—from couples leaving their family house in tears and disenfranchised demolition workers to spirited grannies defiantly resisting eviction.
Featured Articles
We note the passing of many prominent individuals who played some role in U.S.-China affairs, whether in politics, economics or in helping people in one place understand the other.
Events
Ying Zhu looks at new developments for Chinese and global streaming services.
David Zweig examines China's talent recruitment efforts, particularly towards those scientists and engineers who left China for further study. U.S. universities, labs and companies have long brought in talent from China. Are such people still welcome?