USC and China in the News, November and December 2007

Click here for other "USC and China in the News" pages. 

Nov. 8, 2007: Ventura County Star

Eugene Cooper of the USC College was quoted about China¹s homeless. Called the "floating population," the homeless are mainly able-bodied residents of China¹s rural areas who move to the cities, Cooper said. "These are people who have no home in the city, and they go to the city looking for work, looking for jobs in construction or ... child care," he said. The surge of rural residents in cities represents a change from the Mao years, when police strictly enforced a system of population registration, Cooper explained. "There is now a much greater mobility across the nation."

Nov. 15, 2007: China Daily

China Daily reported on the rise in foreign language study across the United States. Dan Bayer, executive director of the USC language center, noted that students today want more specialized language instruction than was available in the past. Business Chinese was among the examples cited.

Nov. 21, 2007: Associated Press

Dan Lynch of the USC College was quoted in an article about China, the ASEAN nations, and diplomacy with Myanmar.  The article reported that China¹s clout, and perhaps desire, to push for change in Myanmar was limited. "We shouldn't underestimate the nationalism and prickliness of Burma's dictators," said Lynch.  "China could, I suppose, threaten to cut off military support," he added. "But it's unclear the junta would respond as expected to such pressure, particularly if it meant handing power over to the opposition."  The article was published in the International Herald Tribune, the Straits Times, and other papers.

Dec. 2, 2007: Los Angeles Times

USCI Steering Committee member Baizhu Chen (USC Marshall School) was quoted about rising Chinese tourism in the United States. "The Chinese middle class has been accumulating tremendous wealth....They're buying houses and cars, and now they want to travel. The Chinese have been closed for so long, they're eager to see the outside world."

But Chen and others expect the Chinese to spend their money on higher-end shopping rather than on expensive restaurants and hotels. "The first batch of Chinese tourists won't be that sophisticated," Chen said. "They will come in tour groups, not as individuals, and will need to stay in places where people speak their language."

Dec. 12, 2007: Los Angeles Times

Stanley Rosen of the USC College was quoted about the Chinese government reportedly blocking the screening of some U.S. films. China routinely restricts foreign films during holidays and school vacation periods, such as the winter break, when students flock to theaters, Rosen said. "The Chinese government wants a market to boost Chinese films, not just the Hollywood product," he explained. Rosen directs USC's East Asian Studies Center, the story noted.

Dec. 13, 2007: China Daily

A story reported that Yan Xiao of the USC Viterbi School was chief architect of the world¹s first truck-safe bamboo bridge, recently completed in China¹s Hunan province. The bridge is the latest in a range of modern bamboo structures developed by Xiao and his team, the article noted. "The superstructure was all made of modern bamboo, processed with grayish silver-colored waterproof materials that combat the effects of the sun and rain," Xiao said. "With the majority of the structural elements prefabricated, the actual bridge was erected within a week, mostly by eight workers without any heavy construction equipment," he explained. Bamboo bridges cost just half as much as equivalent steel ones, Xiao noted. "They have a much shorter construction cycle than concrete bridges, and also cause less pollution," he added. Bamboo is an environmentally friendly and sustainable material in Hunan, he noted.

Dec. 13, 2007: Asian News International

A story reported that Yan Xiao of the USC Viterbi School was chief architect of the world¹s first truck-safe bamboo bridge, recently completed in China¹s Hunan province. Xiao expects his modern bamboo technology to be extensively used in pedestrian crossings and rural bridges, as an environmentally friendly and sustainable construction material, the article noted.

Dec. 20, 2007: New Scientist

A story featured a novel truck-safe bamboo bridge, created in China¹s Hunan province from beams developed by Yan Xiao of the USC Viterbi School. Xiao¹s technique, in which bamboo stalks are cut into strips, arranged in multiple layers, and bonded with glue, has never been used to build such large beams before, he said. Bamboo beams could work for bridges up to 30 meters long, making them suitable for carrying pedestrians in cities or cars on highway overpasses, Xiao added. The beams are cheaper and more environmentally friendly to make than steel or concrete, yet offer comparable structural strength, the article reported.

Dec 30, 2007: Los Angeles Times

Quinyun Ma, dean of the USC School of Architecture, was called an emerging talent in the publication¹s list of "Faces To Watch" in architecture in the new year.

Click here to view other "USC and China in the News" pages.