Talking Points: September 23 - October 7, 2009

Talking Points
September 23 - October 7, 2009

United Nations speeches, G-20 discussions and side-meetings, new trade tussles, the former president of Taiwan rejects a court’s sentence arguing he is an American subject, Sarah Palin visited Hong Kong, and Chinese automaker Geely offered $2.5 billion to buy Volvo from Ford. It hasn’t been your average week in US-China relations.

At the UN, President Obama chaired a Security Council session which produced a resolution calling for nuclear weapons non-proliferation, curbs on weapons testing, and a commitment to eventually eliminate nuclear weapons. The resolution did not mention Iran or North Korea and was adopted unanimously. Iran and North Korea have ignored previous Security Council directives regarding their nuclear programs. China depends on Iran for 12% of its oil imports and hopes to get additional supplies to meet growing demand. Still, the US hopes China will conclude weapons proliferation is destabilizing and, thus, a threat to its own development. The West needs Chinese and Russian help to pressure Iran to halt nuclear weapons development. In his speech to the UN General Assembly, President Hu discussed the global economic crisis, environmental hazards, food security, and other issues, arguing “The only way for us to meet these challenges and ensure harmony and peace is to engage in closer international cooperation.”

At the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, leaders pledged to restructure the global economy. The US,

Presidents Obama and Hu speak in Pittsburgh, US State Dept. photo.

for instance, will need to reduce its addiction to easy credit and heavy international borrowing while China will need to increase domestic consumption and become less dependent on exporting. Obama said, “We can't grow complacent. We can't wait for a crisis to cooperate. That's why our new framework will allow each of us to assess the others' policies, to build consensus on reform, and to ensure that global demand supports growth for all.” The group also promised to increase the voting power of China and other Asian nations in the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan’s president 2000-2008, and his wife were convicted of corruption and given life sentences. Chen’s argument that the Taiwan court lacked jurisdiction is based on the contention that control of Taiwan passed from Japan to the US in 1945. It’s a rather bizarre argument from the former head of the Taiwan government who energetically sought diplomatic recognition from nations. American courts have previously heard and rejected such claims, saying that the no U.S. court has jurisdiction to hear Taiwan cases.

Last week, we noted that the Obama administration imposed a 35% tariff on Chinese-made tires. The Chinese have announced they will challenge the tariff at the World Trade Organization. And the Chinese government announced it will appeal the WTO ruling that it must open its video and print markets up to more foreign products. Meanwhile, in a move aimed at ratcheting down trade tensions, US legislators and administration officials moved to lift the ban imposed in March on Chinese poultry products.

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin speaking in Hong Kong. CLSA photo.

In a paid speech to a Hong Kong business group, former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said, “We engage with a hope that Beijing becomes a responsible stakeholder, but we must take steps in the event that it goes in a different direction. See, we all hope to see a China that is stable and peaceful and prosperous. Optimism that yes, it will be.” She expressed worries about the missiles China has targeting Taiwan, about China’s overall military build-up, about product safety, and about Chinese protectionism.

China’s automobile market will soon be the world’s largest. Hangzhou-based Geely is among China’s largest passenger car producers and, earlier this week, Goldman Sachs purchased 15% of the company for $334 million. Ford bought Volvo for $6.4 billion in 1999. The Sweden-based brand has been losing money recently, but is a leader in several safety technologies. Geely’s $2.5 billion bid is believed larger than any other.

One way to stay abreast of these issues is to visit the daily updates section of US-China Today. There you find news summaries and links to important reports.

The PRC turns 60 on October 1. Please click here for our review of past national day celebrations.

The next several weeks will be busy ones at USC. Particularly worthy of note is the 2009 US-China Legal Exchange supported by the US Department of Commerce and the PRC Ministry of Commerce. Space is limited at the Oct. 12 symposium, so sign-up now. On Oct. 8, MIT’s Wang Jing will discuss how Chinese NGOs are using social media and other technologies to mobilize citizens and to act. On Oct. 15, Dan Rosen will discuss China’s outbound investments (such as the Geely bid noted above). On Oct. 13, USC students will screen short documentaries they produced with Beijing students this summer. More information about these events and China-related programs across North America is below and in the calendar section of our website. Also at our website is information about the new seminars we’re starting for K-12 educators.

Finally, A Special Note: Next week’s Talking Points will include an announcement regarding a special opportunity for US students to participate in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Please share Talking Points with others and encourage them to subscribe. As always, we welcome your comments. Send them to us at uschina@usc.edu.

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

10/08/2009: NGO 2.0 China: An Experiment with Social Media
University Club, Pub Room
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Cost: Free
Time: 4:00PM - 5:30PM
MIT's Jing Wang will speak at USC on Chinese NGOs in the Web 2.0 Environment.

10/12/2009: 2009 US-China Legal Exchange
USC Davidson Conference Center, Vineyard Room
3415 South Figueroa Street Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Cost: $50
Time: 8:30AM - 5:30PM
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and the USC U.S. - China Institute will host a senior delegation from China on October 12, 2009 to discuss China's amendments to the Patent Law and draft Telecommunications Law. 

California 

09/24/2009: The Problem with Anthologies: The Case of the Poems of Ying Qu (190-252)
UC Berkeley
IEAS Conference Room, 2223 Fulton Street, 6th Floor, Berkeley, CA
Cost: Free
Time: 4:00PM - 5:30PM
UC Berkeley's Center for Chinese Studies presents a talk by David Knechgtes on the fragments of Ying Qu’s poem.  
 
09/25/2009: Shanghai Jiaotong University Symphony Orchestra
UCLA Schoenberg Hall , Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Free & Open Seating
Time: 8:00PM
UCLA & InterCulture Association present two time International Competition gold medal winner, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Symphony Orchestra & China’s Acclaimed Conductor, Mr. Cao Peng.

09/26/2009: Two Classics of Asian Cinema A City of Sadness (Bei qing cheng shi)
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Cross streets: Fairfax Avenue & Wilshire Boulevard , Los Angeles, CA 90036
Cost: $7.00 for members, seniors 62+, and students with ID; $10.00 for nonmembers.
Hou Hsiao-hsien’s landmark epic uses the story of a single family to reflect the most chaotic period in Taiwan’s history. 
 
09/29/2009: Bonnie Tsui, 'American Chinatown'
Mechanics’ Institute Library
57 Post St., San Francisco
Cost: Free for Asia Society/co-sponsor members; $12 general public.
Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Join acclaimed travel writer Bonnie Tsui as she discusses her experience exploring the lives, stories, and struggles of those in the country’s five most famous Chinatowns.

10/06/2009: The Body, Solar Terms,and Lyrics: The Relationship Between Han and Wei Dynasty Literature, The Songs of Chu and Yue-ling
UCLA
11377 Bunche Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1487
Cost: Free
Time: 4:00PM - 5:30PM
UCLA Center for Chinese Studies presents a talk on the poems and literature of the Han and Wei dynasties. 

10/06/2009: Honorable Survivor: Mao’s China, McCarthy’s America, and the Persecution of John S. Service
UC Berkeley
IEAS Conference Room, 2223 Fulton Street, 6th Floor, Berkeley, CA
Cost: Free
Time: 4:00PM - 5:30PM
UC Berkeley presents a talk by Lynne Joiner on John Service's experience in revolutionary China.

North America

09/24/2009: Negotiating With the Enemy: U.S.-China Talks During the Cold War, 1949-1972
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade
Time:4:00PM - 5:30PM
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars presents a talk on how the relationship between the U.S. and China evolved between 1949 and 1972. 
 
09/25/2009: Upgrading China's Farm Equipment: How Does U.S. Ag Machinery Fit in?
Information & Registration
1-800-USA-TRADE
A webinar on the modernization of China's Farm Equipment.  
 
09/25/2009: 2009 Taiwan Conference: Thirty Years After the Taiwan Relations Act
The Inn at USC
AUniversity of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
Time: All Day
University of South Carolina presents the annual 2009 Taiwan Conference: Thirty Years After the Taiwan Relations Act. 
 
09/26/2009: Contact and Exchange: China and the West
The Folger Institute
Folger Shakespeare Library 201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003
The Folger Institute presents a one-day conference for scholars of western European cultures to engage in conversation with experts studying the history of China.
 
09/26/2009: The Asiatic Fathers of America
China Institute
125 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10065
Cost: Free for Renwen members and $5 for non-members.
Time: 2:00PM - 3:30PM
The China Institute presents a talk by Charlotte Harris Rees on the academic studies and medical research revealing evidences of very early arrival of Chinese to America. 

09/28/2009: Emerging Powers in Asia: Are These Post-Colonial Informal Empires?
The George Washington University
The Elliott School of International Affairs Lindner Family Commons, 6th Floor, 1957 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052
Cost: Free
Time: 12:30PM - 1:45PM
The Sigur Center for Asian Studies presents a new lecture series on Power and Identity in Asia. 

10/01/2009: Chinese Tidings Lecture: “The Outward Direct Investment by Chinese Firms”
Indiana University
Ballantine Hall 005
Cost: Free
Time: 5:00PM - 6:00PM
The Center for Chinese Lanuage Pedagogy presents a Chinese Tidings Lecture Series. 

10/02/2009: A Harmony of Friends: Music of Italy and China
Folger Elizabethan Theatre
201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003
Cost: $35
The Folger Consort and guest artists perform Italian and Chinese music circa 1610. 
 

10/02/2009: Engaging China in New Energy Cooperation
Woodrow Wilson Center
6th Floor Auditorium, Washington, DC 20004-3027
Phone: (202) 691-4000
Time: 9:00AM - 11:00AM
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars presents a talk on some new energy policy innovation and projects in China.  
 
10/02/2009: The Shanghai Jiao Tong University Symphony Orchestra performs with The Penn Symphony Orchestra
University of Pennsylvania
Irvine Auditorium, 3401 Spruce St.
Cost: Free
Time: 7:30PM
The Shanghai Jiao Tong University Symphony Orchestra and the Penn Symphony Orchestra perform in a joint concert. 
 
10/05/2009: The Uncertain Future: Sino-Russian Relations in the 21st Century
Woodrow Wilson Center
6th Floor Auditorium, Washington, DC 20004-3027
Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars presents a talk by Herman Pirchner on Sino-Russian relations.
 
10/06/2009: Red-Color News Soldier Lecture
Ernie Pyle 220, School of Journalism
Indiana University , Bloomington, Indiana 47405-7005
Time: 7:30 PM
Photojournalist LiZhensheng will speak on his Red-Color News Soldier exhibit. 

Exhibitions 

09/17/2009 - 10/22/2009: China's Great Wall: The Forgotten Story
3A Gallery
Address: 101 South Park, San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: 415.543.3347
The Forgotten Story is a series of historically-based photographs of the Great Wall of China. It is a collaboration between Jonathan Ball, a California based photographer, and David Spindler, one of the world's foremost experts on Great Wall history.

08/16/2009 - 11/29/2009: Steeped in History: The Art of Tea
Fowler Museum
Cost: Free
The Fowler Museum at UCLA presents an exhibition on the history of tea in Asia, Europe, and America through art. 

09/18/2009 - 01/09/2010: Imagining China: The View from Europe, 1550-1700
Folger Great Hall
201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003
Cost: Free
Phone: (202) 544-7077
Celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition at Folger Shakespeare Library.

 
09/17/2009 - 01/17/2010: Calligraffiti: Writing in Contemporary Chinese and Latino Art
Pacific Asia Museum
46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, California 91101
Phone: (626) 449-2742
Calligraffiti: Writing in Contemporary Chinese and Latino Art addresses issues of power, culture, and universality. 

11/03/2008 - 11/03/2009: Ancient Arts of China: A 5000 Year Legacy
Bowers Museum
2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California 92706
Bowers Museum presents a collection that portrays the evolution of Chinese technology, art and culture. 

11/14/2008 - 11/14/2009: Chinese Art: A Seattle Perspective
Seatle Asian Art Museum
1400 East Prospect Street , Volunteer Park , Seattle, WA 98112–3303
The Seattle Asian Art Museum presents an opportunity to see a collection with representative works from each dynastic period. 

11/15/2008 - 11/15/2009: Masters of Adornment: The Miao People of China
Bowers Museum
2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California 92706
The Bowers Museum presents a collection of exquisite textiles and silver jewelry that highlights the beauty and wealth of the Miao peoples of southwest China. 

02/12/2009 - 02/12/2010: Art of Adornment: Tribal Beauty
Bowers Museum
2002 N. Main, Santa Ana, CA
Cost: $5
An exhibit featuring body adornments from indigenous peoples around the world 

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