Talking Points, June 25 - July 9, 2008

Talking Points
June 25 - July 9, 2008

Both the United States and China have suffered especially severe flooding over the past month. Southern China is currently being battered by typhoon Fengshen. The typhoon is expected to drop eight inches of water on the city of Shenzhen by tomorrow. June floods have thus far killed 176 people in China and 52 are missing. Some 1.6 million people have been evacuated and the government puts the economic cost at US $2 billion. Here in the U.S., economic losses already exceed US $8 billion. Nearly 40,000 are homeless and 24 have been killed. Click on the thumbnails below to see current flood conditions in the U.S. and China. Food prices have already risen by 18% in China over 2007. Heavy flood damage to fields seems likely to propel food prices upward in both the U.S. and China.

Did you know that China is providing more six times as many United Nations peacekeepers than the U.S.? That the U.S. is home to nine major Chinese gardens, including the just opened Liu Fang Yuan in Southern California? These are just two of the phenomena discussed in the latest issue of US-China Today. In addition to Elaine Wu’s look at the increasing role China is playing in U.N. peacekeeping and Chelsea Mason’s look at the Chinese garden building boom, the issue offers articles on Chinese adopting English names, the importance of women and young people in the recent Taiwan presidential election, the growing popularity of skateboarding in China, efforts by a elite group of Chinese Americans to improve U.S.-China relations, and a review of Ha Jin’s latest novel. USCI board of scholars member Ed Friedman contributes an opinion piece and two other commentaries address challenges to doing business in China. The issue is rich in multimedia features including interactive maps and images and streaming video of skateboarder Danny Way jumping over the Great Wall. All this, plus news summaries and our collection of US-China voices are available at http://uschina.usc.edu.

Our National Consortium for Teaching about Asia study tour leaves for Beijing on Saturday. A select group of graduates of NCTA seminars will be spend three weeks visiting historical sites, schools, factories, nursing homes and other institutions and learning about life in contemporary China and Japan. Secondary school teachers can become eligible for our heavily subsidized 2010 tour by completing one of our upcoming seminars. Please go to the K-12 currriculum section of our website to sign up for our Teaching about Asia newsletter and request information about our upcoming seminars.

Please take advantage of the current exhibition of Qin dynasty terracotta warriors and other exhibitions. We hope you will share Talking Points with others and let us know what you think of US-China Today. Write to us at uschina@usc.edu.

Best wishes,
The USC U.S.-China Institute
http://china.usc.edu

USC Events

06/28/2008 - 07/18/2008: 2008 California NCTA: Summer Study Tour to China and Japan
Led by Clayton Dube of the USC U.S.-China Institute, participants of the 21-day tour will visit several of China and Japan’s most interesting destinations.

07/28/2008 - 08/07/2008: 2008 Summer Residential Seminar at USC
USC, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Currently accepting applications
For more information please contact Miranda Ko at  mirandak@usc.edu.
An intensive nine-day equivalent of our "East Asia and New Media in My Classroom" professional development seminar for K-12 teachers employed outside of the greater Los Angeles area.

California Events

06/25/2008: The Boxer From Shantung (Ma Yongzhen)
Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum
Time: 9:30pm
Cost: $12
A part of the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival

06/25/2008: For the Unseen
Wednesday, June 25th 9:45pm
Majestic Crest Theatre 
Sunday, June 29th 4:30pm
Majestic Crest Theatre
Cost: $12
A part of the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival

06/27/2008: Hong Kong Nocturne
Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum
Cost: $12
Time: 4:00pm
A part of the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival 

06/28/2008: The Singing Thief (Da Dao Ge Wang)
Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum
Cost: $12
Time: 1:00pm
A part of the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival 

North America Events:  

06/26/2008: The Winds of Change in Taiwan: An Early Assessment of the Ma Government's Policy Directions
Place: Lindner Family Commons, The Elliott School of International Affairs, 6th Floor, 1957 E Street, NW
RSVP: Please RSVP with your name, organization/GW affiliation, and email to gsigur@gwu.edu by Tuesday, June 24, 2008.
12:00-12:30 pm: Light Lunch
12:30-2:00 pm: Roundtable Discussion
The Sigur Center for Asian Studies presents a roundtable discussion on Taiwan.

06/27/2008: 14th Annual NATSA (North American Taiwan Studies Association) Conference
University of Washington, Seattle, USA
The 14th Annual North American Taiwan Studies Conference at the University of Washington. 

07/08/2008: China's Natural Products Regulations Webinar
Time: 11:00 am-12:15 pm EST / 8:00 am-9:15 am PST
Location: Your computer
Cost: $75
Participate in a webinar on china's natural products market and regulatory environment. 

Exhibitions: 

03/06/2008 - 07/27/2008: Chinaman's Chance: Views of the Chinese American Experience
Pacific Asia Museum
46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena , CA 91101
Cost: $7 for adults, $5 for students/seniors
While the experience of being of Chinese heritage and living in America is unique to each individual, this exhibition will investigate the similarities and dissimilarities of these experiences. 

01/29/2008 - 09/07/2008: The Shape of Things: Chinese and Japanese Art from the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection
Asia Society and Museum
725 Park Avenue , New York, New York
Cost: Free
Phone: 212-517-ASIA
This exhibition of ceramics, metalworks, sculpture, and painting demonstrates that a depth of information can be revealed through the careful observation and study of the form of an object. 

06/27/2008 - 09/21/2008: Power and Glory: Court Arts of the Ming Dynasty
Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street (between Fulton and McAllister Streets), San Francisco, CA 94102
Cost: Cost varies (see website for details)
This exhibition will explore the glories of the Ming dynasty imperial court.

05/18/2008 - 10/12/2008: Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of the First Emperor
Bowers Museum
Address: 2002 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92706
Phone: 714-567-3600
This summer exhibit at Bowers Museum showcases the famous terra cotta warriors buried with the First Emperor of China.

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