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VOL. 13 NO. 6 JUNE 2014 Minnesota Exports Were Valued at $20.7 Billion in 2013 ‘ in other industries such as marketing 6 percent), Colombia ($99 million, up Note: Reports based on 2013 data and sales, transportation, and logistics 19 percent). cover export based on the Harmonized fields – key sectors in delivering goods System, which covers manufactured to markets. Other Markets in Europe Swap your Mercedes, page 3 and non-manufactured exports, manu- The following sections provide more • Export value, 2013: $529 million. factured and non-manufactured ex- details on exports by industry, country • State trend, 2012-2013: up 17 percent. ports, such as agriculture and mining, markets and products. • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 2 percent. but not services. • Non-EU markets in Europe had the Regional Export Markets state’s second strongest regional export Minnesota’s exports – including • Minnesota’s three main regional mar- growth rate during this period. (Africa agricultural, mining and manufactured kets in 2013 were North America, Asia had the highest growth rate, at 30 per- products – were valued at $20.7 billion and the European Union. cent.) in 2013. • Minnesota exporters sell a greater • Major markets: Switzerland ($215 • The state’s exports fell by $106 million share of goods to Asia (31 percent vs. million), Finland ($120 million), Russia May Fourth Movement, page 5 (or 0.5 percent) between 2012 and 2013. 25 percent) and to the European Union ($110 million). • Minnesota ranked 20th largest among (21 percent vs. 17 percent) but a smaller • Largest value gains: Switzerland (up all states. share to Central and South America (5 $56 million). • The state’s manufactured exports percent vs. 12 percent) than do U.S. 1 grew 3.3 percent to $19.3 billion and exporters. Croatia joined the European Union accounted for 93 percent of exports of officially on July 1, 2013. Croatia is goods. The state’s manufactured exports North America: included in the European Union for were at a record high. U.S. manufac- • Export value, 2013: $7.2 billion. 2013 annual data, but was included in tured exports grew 2.4 percent. • Share of state exports: 35 percent. the region “Other European Countries” for 2013 quarterly export reports. • U.S. exports increased 2.1 percent. • State trend, 2012-2013: down 5 per- Transferring knowledge, page 6 While exports declined to about half the cent. states, they fell by more than 5 percent • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 4 percent. Top Country Markets to 14 states. • Largest markets: Canada ($5.8 billion, Exports increased to 14 of the state’s Seven of Minnesota’s top 10 indus- down 8 percent), Mexico ($1.5 billion, top 25 markets between 2012 and 2013. tries (with exports exceeding $320 mil- up 14 percent). There were some notable changes in lion) increased exports between 2012 rankings. and 2013. Asia: • Jumping into the Top 25: Indonesia (up • Leading exported products were ma- • Export value, 2013: $6.5 billion. to 21st from 32nd), Saudi Arabia (up to chinery ($4.0 billion, down 1 percent), • Share of state exports: 31 percent. 23rd from 28th). optics and medical instruments ($3.3 • State trend, 2012-2013: down 3 per- • Dropping out of the Top 25: Sweden billion, up 7 percent), electrical ma- cent. (down to 26th from 22nd), Russia (down Taishan Mountain, page 9 chinery ($2.5 billion, up 2 percent) and • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 4 percent. to 28th from 25th). vehicles ($2.0 billion, up 2 percent). • Major markets (among the state’s top • Minnesota has a relatively large share Exports increased to six of the state’s 10): China ($2.5 billion), Japan ($1 bil- of U.S. exports to the Philippines (6.6 10 largest country markets between lion), South Korea ($624 million), the percent), Ireland (5.3 percent), Finland 2012 and 2013. Philippines ($552 million). (5.1 percent), Luxembourg (4.7 percent) • Minnesota’s top five export markets • Largest value gains: the Philippines and Denmark (3.3 percent), compared were Canada ($5.8 billion, down 8 (up $56 million), Indonesia (up $51 mil- to the state’s share of U.S. exports over percent), China ($2.5 billion, down 1 lion), Vietnam (up $23 million). all markets (1.3 percent). percent), Mexico ($1.5 billion, up 14 percent), Japan ($1.1 billion, down 10 European Union (EU)1: Top Country Markets Chinese bashing, page 13 percent) and Germany ($760 million, • Export value, 2013: $4.3 billion. Exports increased to 14 of the state’s up 4 percent). • Share of state exports: 21 percent. top 25 markets between 2012 and 2013. More than 8,600 businesses throughout • State trend, 2012-2013: up 6 percent. There were some notable changes in Minnesota exported goods and services • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: down 1 per- rankings. In This Issue in 2012, according to the U.S. Depart- cent. • Jumping into the Top 25: Indonesia (up ment of Commerce – representing an • Major markets (among the state’s top to 21st from 32nd), Saudi Arabia (up to increase of about 900 exporters since 10): Germany ($760 million), Belgium 23rd from 28th). Commentary...... 2,3,13 • Dropping out of the Top 25: Sweden 2009. Exporters’ success on a global ($721 million), United Kingdom ($528 Trade...... 1,4,10 scale can impact the local economy million), the Netherlands ($521 mil- (down to 26th from 22nd), Russia (down by creating new jobs in the state. Ac- lion). to 28th from 25th). History...... 5 • Minnesota has a relatively large share cording to the International Trade Ad- • Largest value gains: Belgium (up $80 Education...6,7,11,14 ministration at the U.S. Department of million), Netherlands (up $77 million), of U.S. exports to the Philippines (6.6 Commerce: France (up $34 million). percent), Ireland Culture...... 11 (5.3 percent), Finland (5.1 percent), • In 2013, U.S. exports of goods and • Largest value declines: Sweden (down Food...... 8 services supported 11.3 million jobs, a $28 million), Austria (down $19 mil- Luxembourg (4.7 percent) and Denmark Travel...... 9 record high. lion). (3.3 percent), compared to the state’s • Every $1 billion in U.S. exports of share of U.S. exports over all markets Books...... 12 (1.3 percent). goods and services supported 5,590 Central and South America: Events...... 15 jobs. • Export value, 2013: $1 billion. Canada (Rank: 1): • Minnesota ranked 17th among all • Share of state exports: 5 percent. • Export value, 2013: $5.8 billion. states by number of jobs (136,900 jobs) • State trend, 2012-2013: up 6 percent. • State trend, 2012-2013: down 8 per- generated by manufactured exports in • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 1 percent. cent. 2011. About 65,100 of these jobs are in • Major markets: Brazil ($384 million, manufacturing, while 71,800 jobs are up 13 percent), Chile ($111 million, up Continues on page 4 PAGE 2 > JUNE 2014 commentary www.chinainsight.info Will China’s economy really surpass the U.S. ChinaInsight this year? By Brian Lund, Daily Finance Publisher/Editor: Gregory J. Hugh Legendary hedge fund manager Or is it? ICP report, “expressed reservations” [email protected] Jim Rogers sold his beloved Manhat- Though there is no denying that about the study’s methodology and “did tan townhouse, packed up his wife China experienced tremendous growth not agree to publish the headline results and 4-year-old daughter, and moved in the six years between the two ICP for China.” The report added “the NBS Manager of Operations/ to China. reports, the acceleration in the numbers of China does not endorse these results Circulation: “This is China’s century,” Rogers may be more a consequence of the ICP’s as official statistics.” Richard He said. “If you were smart in 1807 you change in methodology than in actual There is also a question about recent [email protected] moved to London, if you were smart growth. rates of economic growth . 2011 was a in 1907 you moved to New York City, After revising the way it determined year in which the U.S. was still reeling and if you are smart in 2007 you move purchasing power parity -– essentially from the 2008 financial crisis -- a black Marketing: to China.” the cost of day-to-day living –- the swan event in American history -– flat- Yin Simpson And according to the data in a new ICP concluded that larger developing tening GDP, which has only started to [email protected] report by the World Bank’s International countries, like China and India, have get back on track. Growth of China’s Comparison Program, Rogers’ predic- economies that are expanding faster GDP, on the other hand, has slowed tion of Chinese economic dominance than previously thought. significantly since 2011, coming in at Staff Writers: may come true this year -- which, as the 7.7 percent for 2013, the lowest level Greg Hugh Financial Times points out, is 5 years Many Questions and Asterisks in 14 years. [email protected] ahead of what was previously forecast. But even assuming that the new methodology is sound, there still are Disagreements Abound Elaine Dunn The King Since 1872 reasons to suspect that China may have Given these facts, it’s hard to find [email protected] Economists and statisticians have a long way to go before it can cry “We’re agreement with the ICP’s conclu- recognized for years the inevitability of No. 1!” -- most importantly having to do sions about China’s eminent economic Whitney Clark the Chinese economy eventually eclips- with the accuracy of Chinese economic dominance. Even Rogers has recently [email protected] ing that of the U.S. -– the world leader data. expressed concerns about the high lev- since it overtook the United Kingdom in China’s numbers have long been els of debt in companies and regional Contributors: 1872 –- but the speed at which that shift questionable among economists, as provinces in China being a drag on appears to have accelerated is a surprise. China’s National Bureau of Statistics growth, though he sees those issues as Anthony James In 2005, the ICP numbers showed has been accused –- either due to gross minor in the grand scheme of things. [email protected] that China’s economy was only about 43 incompetence or outright deceit -- of As he put it in a recent interview with Jodi Yim James percent of the size of the U.S. economy; double-counting various economic Business Insider: [email protected] by 2011 (the data’s year the report is activities, such as factory production. “As the U.S. was rising to its power based on), China’s GDP had reached The Chinese admit this among and glory during the 19th century, we Raymond Lum 86.9 percent of U.S. GDP. themselves, as evidenced by a 2007 dip- had a horrible civil war, 15 depressions [email protected] By extrapolating those numbers lomatic cable published by WikiLeaks, [Yes, with a D], few human rights , little and using the International Monetary in which Li Keqiang, China’s current rule of law, periodic massacres in the Patrick Welsh Fund’s growth estimates from 2011 premier and at the time a regional party streets, etc., etc. yet we still became the [email protected] to now –- 7.6 percent for the U.S. and head, stated that the figures used to de- most successful country in the 20th cen- 24 percent for China –- it would seem termine China’s GDP are “manmade” tury. “China will have plenty of setbacks Webmaster: that China is in fact about to end the and “for reference only.” along the way as does every country, United States’ 142-year reign as global Further muddying the economic company, family, and individual that Will Ahern [email protected] economic potentate. waters, the bureau itself, according the rises.” u

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Editor, ChinaInsight 6520 South Bay Drive ChinaInsight Insight Minnetrista, MN 55331 Tel: 952-472-4757 SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM Guaranteed Fax: 952 472-6665 10 issues - $24 for a domestic subscription and $40 [email protected] for international. Please make check payable to YES you could run to the Letters to the editor become the property store and pick up a copy, of ChinaInsight and may be edited for ChinaInsight, 6520 South Bay Drive, Minnetrista, length and published. Articles will not be but did you know you can MN 55331 published without the express consent of have ChinaInsight delivered the author. Name______directly to your mailbox? Address______NOTICE TO READERS: The views A subscription costs a expressed in articles are the author’s and City/State/Zip______not neccesarily those of ChinaInsight. mere $24 and brings a full Phone______Authors may have a business relationship year (10 issues) of new with the companies or businesses they Email______understanding about today’s discuss. Company______China, from language to business opportunities. Copyright 2014 ChinaInsight, Inc. Title______All Rights Reserved. www.chinainsight.info commentary JUNE 2014 > PAGE 3 India’s rise to world’s third China Briefs largest economy puts more Selected newsworthy items recently published in the pressure on China to perform Chinese press. By Chris Devonshire-Ellis, China Briefing, May 4, 2014 Swap your Mercedes for a Hongqi The People’s Liberation Army With the recent news that India global CEOs see future production ca- would like Chinese to start buying has just overtaken Japan to become pacity moving. According to the 2013 Chinese-made Hongqi autos instead of the world’s third largest economy in Global Manufacturing Competitive foreign brands. Hongqis start at ap- PPP terms, China now faces increas- Index issued by Deloitte, India currently prox. $48,000 and had been the wheels ing pressure to both hold onto its FDI ranks fourth globally. This report in- of choice during the Mao era. performance, GDP growth, its manu- cludes over 550 survey responses from Terracotta Warrior Mausoleum facturing competitiveness and maintain CEOs around the world and provides workers’ tombs found the domestic political mantra that the their perspectives on the key drivers Chinese archaeologists at the country is superior to that of its largest of manufacturing competitiveness for Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archae- neighbour. a country, a ranking of each nation’s ology have discovered what may be In terms of FDI, China’s rose last current and future competitiveness, 45 tombs of the workers who built the year by 5.3 percent, to a whopping and a review of the public policies terracotta warriors and horses buried creating competitive advantages and with the first Chinese emperor Qin Shi US$117.6 billion, albeit at slower rates # disadvantages for key countries and # 1 Huang. The tombs are approximately of increase than previously attained. # 5 km from the Xian mausoleum. Ap- But even that figure was eclipsed by regions around the world. The study 8 6 proximately 300 pottery items also were the 5 largest economies in ASEAN, also reveals that India will move up 3 found in the tombs. who achieved FDI inflows of US$128.4 from fourth to second position over the # billion. India’s, while smaller at some next four years. By# the numbers One Chinese bitcoin exchange 4 US$28 billion, still rose by 17 percent Meanwhile, even the Chinese Cen- 10 # # 2 closed tral Government’s desire to propel the 7 FXBTC, founded on Nov. 26, 2013, over the previous year – an increase over with a registered capital of 1 million three times higher than that of China’s, majority of its citizens towards middle yuan (US$160,000) closed May 10. It and achieved during what was not an class consumer status at a rapid pace is announced its closing on May 2, days entirely satisfactory fiscal or political beginning to face resistance. Dongguan, 210 ahead of China’s Global Bitcoin Sum- 12 months for the country. While it is the so-called “factory of the world” has Billions in USD, the amount mit, which took place in Beijing on true that the Indian performance comes shelved, for the time being at least, any involved in China-Africa May 10 & 11. FXBTC had an average further minimum wage hikes as it strives from a lower economic base, there is trade. 20,000 BTC daily trading volume, but to keep increasingly frustrated business with recent pressure from the central some thought that the investment trends bank, could not sustain long-term losses. are now moving away from China and owners competitive – and profitable. If Bitcoin was trading at US$438 as of 3 into other areas of emerging Asia – with not, they will – and many are – relocate p.m. on May 13, down 60 percent from to Vietnam. 2,500 ASEAN and India amongst them. Number of Chinese com- its peak in December 2013. If so, there are some fundamental The main attraction for many for- panies operating in Africa. reasons for this. China has become eign investors now in China is the 24,000 sign up for matchmaking There are a total of 20,000 considerably more expensive in terms of development of that same middle class event consumer base. Currently standing at Chinese companies operat- Shanghai’s Fifth Matchmaking Expo labour costs. It is now five times more about 250 million, it is projected to took place the weekend of May 24-25. expensive to hire a worker in Guang- ing outside of China. reach 600 million by 2020, a stagger- It drew registrants from the under-30 set dong than it is in Mumbai. Coupled ing increase. Yet that projection also (65 percent) to approximate 600 parents with that, China’s demographics point assumes that China will be able to hold with unmarried adult children to 500 to it losing labour force over the coming returning overseas Chinese. Women in onto its manufacturing base and service 100,000 years, while a much younger India is Number of jobs created by their late-20s who are still unmarried are the domestic market domestically. That adding to its pool of available workers. Chinese companies in African regarded as being “old maids” while the strategy is now starting to look less Not only are China’s workers becom- communities. same applies to men in their mid-30s. likely. Vietnam, expected to come into Their parents will go all out to help them ing more expensive, there are also less full China-ASEAN Free Trade Compli- find a partner. It’s free admission for of them. It is that demographic that is ance by the end of next year, will be able those under 40 and US$8 for parents. now beginning to impact initially upon to enjoy duty free exports to China on 15 labour-intensive industries in China, but Number of African nations American expat delivers burritos some 90 percent of all traded products. will rapidly filter down into smaller and in Fuzhou With Vietnamese wages far lower than from which China purchases medium size businesses with less cash An American expat makes ap- China’s, and a lower corporate tax rate iron ore. flow to protect them against increasing proximately US$169/day delivering in the offing, China will struggle to com- California-style burritos to high school production costs. students and businessmen in Fuzhou. pete with Vietnam within 18 months. Foxconn, maker of numerous Apple Yet it needs to maintain manufacturing He gets around on a used electric bike products, are shifting production to 1.4 and posts his route online via WeChat stability and foreign investment inflows Million, the number of visits Indonesia. Ford have bet their Asian ve- and Weibo, food truck style. at the same time. It’s a balancing act that by Chinese visitors to Africa hicle strategy upon auto-manufacturing is beginning to look a little out of kilter. in 2013. Chinese gaining in wealth plants in Gujarat. Nearby Thailand, and China stands to produce another It is expected that China’s middle- not China, has been chosen by Volkswa- 350 million middle class consumers, and higher-income market will be gen as their manufacturing base for auto all wanting modern products, that will “larger than the entire population of the sales into Asia. These decisions have increasingly be sourced externally from 20 United States.” The report by the Econ- been made despite regular comments Percent of African develop- omist Intelligence Unit predicts that the China. Yet at the same time, fiscal tax ment as a result of China- about China’s infrastructure superiority revenues on customs duties will drop. number of households in China with an Africa cooperation income of US$150,000-plus will rise protecting it from such leakage. Clearly That doesn’t really balance the books from a current 384,000 to 10.3 million the cost benefits of locating factories as far as I can see China sustaining its by 2030. Furthermore, Chinese private elsewhere, even with lower standards projected middle class growth. As its consumption and disposable income of infrastructure, are greater than invest- population ages, it will become more are expected to reach an average of ing that additional capacity in China. dependent upon raising taxes to cover US$16,000 and $18,000, respectively. China has not been able to become the Read the paper online at In 2012, only Beijing and Shanghai health care costs. Yet in multinational had more than 100,000 residents with manufacturing hub of choice for Asia, trade, exactly the reverse is happening. www.chinainsight.info an income higher than US$24,500 p.a., let alone the world. 61 cities will gain this status by 2020. u This is having an impact on where Continues on page 12 PAGE 4 > JUNE 2014 trade www.chinainsight.info

• Top three products: electrical ma- million), optic, medical instruments MN Exports chinery ($105 million), optic, medical ($93 million), electrical machinery ($46 products ($99 million), machinery ($89 million). Continued from page 1 million). o Largest value gains: optics, medical • Largest value gains: optic, medical (up $24 million, or 35 percent), cereals • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 3 percent. • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: down 3 per- products (up $16 million, or 20 percent), (up $20 million, from $87,000 in 2012), • Top three products: vehicles ($1.1 bil- cent. vehicles (up $11 million, or 62 percent, electrical machinery (up $14 million, or lion), machinery ($835 million), electri- • Top three products: optic, medical to $30 million). 43 percent). cal machinery ($407 million). ($209 million), machinery ($183 mil- • Largest value decline: machinery o Brazil ranks seventh among U.S. • Largest value gains: beverages (up lion), electrical machinery ($120 mil- (down $39 million, or 31 percent). markets. $148 million to $347 million), vehicles lion). • Nigeria (52): The state’s exports (up $49 million), optics/ medical (up • Largest value gains: railway equip- Netherlands (10): increased 81 percent, or $11 million, $44 million to $279 million). ment (up $47 million from $162,000), • Export value, 2013: $521 million. to $25 million. In particular, increased • Largest value declines: mineral oil, stone, plaster (up $10 million to $17 • State trend, 2012-2013: up 17 percent. exports of vehicles ($12 million, up fuel (down $503 million to $219 mil- million). • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 5 percent. 38 percent) and centrifuges/filters ($7 lion), ores, slag, ash (down $220 million • Largest value decline: machinery • Top three products: optic, medical million, up 394 percent) drove export to $155 million). (down $26 million). instruments ($177 million), aircraft, growth. • Minnesota’s exports of ores, slag, ash • Sales of railway equipment were pri- spacecraft ($142 million), machinery are primarily iron ores and concen- marily railway maintenance and service ($64 million), Top Product Markets trates, and are primarily sold to Canada. vehicles. Minnesota was the top seller • Largest value gains: aircraft, spacecraft Growth was mixed among Min- Minnesota is the second-largest state of these products to Germany. (up $136 million, or 2,200 percent), al- nesota’s top 20 major products (2-digit exporter of iron ores and concentrates bumins, glues, starches (up $17 million, Harmonized Series), which accounted (HS 2601) to Canada. Belgium (6): or 3,274 percent to $18 million). for 84 percent of the state’s exports of • Export value, 2013: $721 million. • Largest value decline: pharmaceuticals goods in 2013. China (including Hong Kong) (2): • State trend, 2012-2013: up 12 percent. (down $60 million, or 90 percent, to $7 • Export value, 2013: $2.5 billion. • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 8 percent. million). Minnesota ranked among the top 15 • State trend, 2012-2013: down 1 per- • Top three products: optics, medical exporting states in some of its major cent. products ($384 million), machinery Fastest-Growing Markets products: • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 11 percent. ($196 million), vehicles ($75 million). • Indonesia (21) moved up 11 spots, • Ores, Slag and Ash (fifth) • Top three products: machinery ($600 • Largest value gains: optic, medical based on increased wood pulp exports, • Food By-products (fifth) million), optic, medical products ($438 products (up $69 million), machinery up $48 million, from none in 2012. • Beverages (fifth) million), electrical machinery ($256 (up $25 million). • Spain (30) moved up nine spots, based • Optic, Medical Products (seventh) million). • Minnesota was the fourth-largest state on the state’s exports of ores, slag, ash • Dairy, Eggs and Honey (seventh) • Largest value gains: machinery (up exporting optics, medical products to exports, which increased to $24 million, • Cereals (incl. wheat) (12th)* $63 million), food by-products (up Belgium. Medical/surgical instruments from none in 2012. From exports valued • Miscellaneous grains (incl. soybeans) $44 million to $66 million), electrical ($305 million, up 41 percent) was the at $102 million in 2011, exports to Spain (14th)* machinery (up $23 million). strongest growing sub-segment. are rebounding after dropping to a low • Meat (15th) • Largest value decline: ores, slag, ash of $62 million in 2012. • Iron and Steel Products (15th) (down $165 million to $128 million). South Korea (7): • Peru (44): Exports of machinery ($23 • Electrical Machinery (15th) • Minnesota was the fifth-largest state • Export value, 2013: $624 million. million, up 73 percent), optics, medical • Wood Pulp (15th) exporter of optic and medical products • State trend, 2012-2013: down 12 products ($5 million, up 64 percent) (HS 90) to China. percent. and vehicles ($6 million, up 87 percent) *For bulky agricultural commodities • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: down 2 per- contributed the most to export growth. in particular, this data source may at- Mexico (3): cent. • Vietnam (35): Exports of food by- tribute exports to the U.S. port of exit • Export value, 2013: $1.5 billion. • Top three products: optic, medical products ($19 million, up 41 percent), which often may be in a different state • State trend, 2012-2013: up 14 percent. products ($155 million), machinery dairy/eggs ($12 million; up 205 per- than the state of production. For these • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 5 percent. ($128 million), plastic ($75 million). cent), machinery ($11 million, up 18 two products, Louisiana is ranked first. • Top three products: machinery ($290 • Largest value gains: plastic (up $5 percent) and electrical machinery ($8 Using different methodology, the U.S. million), electrical machinery ($210 million, or 7 percent), food by-products million, up 120 percent) accounted Department of Agriculture (USDA) million), vehicles ($184 million). (up $4 million, or 62 percent, to $10 for 61 percent of the state’s exports to ranked Minnesota as the third-largest • Largest value gains: machinery (up million). Vietnam. exporter of soybeans and related prod- $78 million), electrical machinery (up • Largest value decline: meat (down $38 • Saudi Arabia (23): Growth in sales ucts and the eighth-largest exporter of $56 million), food by-products (up $21 million, or 49 percent, to $40 million). of aircraft, spacecraft ($18 million, up wheat and related products, among all million to $74 million). • U.S. meat exports to Korea fell 12 per- 326 percent) and arms, ammunition ($13 states in (fiscal year) 2012. See page 13 • Largest value declines: wood pulp cent to $944 million in 2013, with sales million, up 489 percent) contributed the of this report for more detail on export (down $17 million to $8 million), sugars for five of the six major states (including most to export growth and represented data published by the USDA. (down $17 million to $4 million). Minnesota) of 2012. Colorado was the about one-quarter of the state’s exports • In 2008, Mexico broke into Minne- exception, where meat exports to Korea to this country. 84 Machinery (Rank: 1) sota’s top five markets. State exports to increased 40 percent to $117 million. • Switzerland (19): Electrical machin- • Export value, 2013: $4 billion. Mexico have grown 71 percent since ery ($85 million, up 32 percent – espe- • State trend, 2012-2013: down 1 per- then. Philippines (8): cially batteries and electric capacitors), cent. • Export value, 2013: $552 million. machinery ($43 million, up 92 percent) • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: down 1 per- Japan (4): • State trend, 2012-2013: up 11 percent. and optics, medical products ($49 mil- cent. • Export value, 2013: $1.1 billion. • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 4 percent. lion, up 20 percent) were the top exports. • Major country markets: Canada ($835 • State trend, 2012-2013: down 10 • Top three products: electrical machin- • Colombia (29): Increased exports of million), China ($600 million), Mexico percent. ery ($402 million), food by-products machinery ($37 million, up 32 percent) ($290 million). • Largest value gains: Mexico (up $78 • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: down 7 per- ($57 million), machinery ($30 million). and cereals ($5 million, up from none million), China (up $63 million), Bel- cent. • Largest value gains: food by-products in 2012) fueled growth. gium (up $25 million to $196 million). • Top three products: optic, medical (up $50 million), machinery (up $16 • Venezuela (42): Machinery ($15 mil- • Largest value declines: United King- ($337 million), electrical machinery million). lion, up 31 percent) cereals ($14 million, dom (down $40 million to $89 million), ($128 million), machinery ($118 mil- • Largest value decline: miscellaneous up 259 percent) and optics, medical Germany (down $26 million to $183 lion). grains (down $28 million to $65,000). products ($11 million, up 86 percent) million), Italy (down $26 million to • Largest value gains: meat (up $23 • Minnesota was the second-largest state were the state’s main exports. $40 million). million to $53 million), paper (up $11 exporter of electrical machinery to the • Turkey (33): Almost two-thirds of • Minnesota was the second-largest state million to $31 million). Philippines, which mainly consisted Minnesota exports to Turkey consisted exporter of spraying machinery (HS • Largest value decline: cereals (down of electronic integrated circuits ($364 of machinery ($34 million, up 36 per- 8424) to all countries. $53 million, or 95 percent, due to a per- million). cent) and optics, medical products ($20 sistent fall in demand for Minnesota’s • For U.S. markets, the Philippines million, up 97 percent). 90 Optic, Medical Instruments (2) corn.) However, sales of corn (HS 1005) ranked 33rd. • Export value, 2013: $3.3 billion. to Japan increased strongly from other Other Notable Markets • State trend, 2012-2013: up 7 percent. states (e.g. Illinois, Ohio, Iowa) in 2013. The United Kingdom (9): • Brazil (15): • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 1 percent. • Export value, 2013: $528 million. o Export value, 2013: $384 million. • Major country markets: China ($438 Germany (5): • State trend, 2012-2013: up 3 percent. o State trend, 2012-2013: up 13 percent. • Export value, 2013: $760 million. • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: down 14 per- o U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 1 percent. • State trend, 2012-2013: up 4 percent. cent. o Top three products: machinery ($117 Continues on page 10 www.chinainsight.info history JUNE 2014 > PAGE 5 The May Fourth Movement By Pat Welsh, contributor

not become a well-organized or uniform movement but rather a complex coales- cence of activities with divergent ideas, though not without its main currents. The opportunity to become powerful leaders of mass movements tended to make many students reformers and rev- olutionaries. Not having a genuine leg- islature or election system, the students realized that any gradual improvement was easily obstructed and this justified to them in their eyes to engage in revolt or protest in unorthodox political action. Moreover, having lost faith in the old social order, many student and younger intellectuals had already advanced the idea of a “New Culture Movement” On April 30, 1919, America’s Presi- incidents of unrest over the next five designed to bring China into the 20th dent Wilson, Britain’s Prime Minister weeks. On June 5 and 6, merchants and century. Despite the efforts of social Confucianism and the national legacy Lloyd George, France’s Prime Minister workers began conducting sympathy conservatives, reverence for tradition that provided a sense of stability that Georges Clemenceau resolved in secret strikes and demonstrations. On June 25, gave way to an admiration for the new. economic and social prosperity require. to transfer to Japan all of Germany’s for- the purpose of the student, merchant and The value of traditional Chinese thought Some of their criticisms come across worker strikes was achieved as China mer interests in the western Pacific and was also viewed in a new light, with as oversimplified and indiscriminate. refused to sign the Peace Treaty. This, in Shandong Province. This resolution some advocating overthrow of the old Moreover, in their enthusiasm for the however, did not change the fact that ignored Japan’s promise made in 1914 and others favoring a remodeling of new, the younger intellectuals often to eventually return these interests back traditional norms tailored to fit the new tended to be too credulous of the new to China. This secret resolution was century. These ideological changes untested ideas and too impatient. They later included in Articles 156 – 158 of were accelerated by the adoption of the naively expected that China could mas- Section VIII of the Versailles Treaty. vernacular as a medium for writing and ter in a few short years what had taken Earlier in the Versailles Peace Con- the creation of a new literature based the West centuries to achieve. ference, the Chinese delegation had mainly on humanism, romanticism, In the 90 years since the Incident, insisted that China’s treaty of May 25, realism and naturalism. Additional a divided and interest-driven Western 1915, with Japan had been signed under impetus to the students’ movement was reaction toward the May Fourth Move- duress and that China’s entry on the side provided by the rapid development of ment has disappointed the more con- of the allies vitally changed the situation the press, popular and technical educa- servative elements of the Movement. contemplated in that treaty. China had tion and the formation of a recognized The renunciation by the Soviet Union also presented to the Conference two national language. of its concessions in China after World memoranda: What is often regarded as the most War I coupled with the support of West- (1) “The claim of China for the abroga- important achievement of the May ern interests by Western governments tion of the treaties and notes concluded Fourth Movement was an ideologi- drove the progressive and left-leaning with Japan on May 25, 1915” and cal and practical transformation in elements to a higher degree of energy (2) There must be readjustments of is- China’s social equilibrium during that in their work, to a reorientation of their sues regarding renunciation of spheres movement. There had occurred a col- thinking, which explains the attitudes of Japan’s presence in China remained as of influence, withdrawal of foreign lapse of the old political structure and many Chinese had developed after the a source of irritation. troops, police, post offices, areas of an outdated agricultural economy. It Movement towards communism and In his book, “The May Fourth Move- consular jurisdictions, relinquishment of also was recognized that the various the Soviet Union. At the same time, the ment, Intellectual Revolution in Modern leased territories, restoration to China of warlords who ruthlessly ruled China’s more conservative intellectuals tended China,” Chow Tse-tsung advances the foreign concessions and tariff autonomy. countryside and cities had to go. At to become even more conservative and These memoranda were not accepted idea that the term “May Fourth Move- the same time a new native industry inactive thereby providing no effec- by the other members of the conference. ment” should be used in the broader and commerce arose, a product of the tive counterweight as they retreated As the Chinese public had been closely sense. He advances a case that the May recognition that China needed to make into academia and away from pressing watching the results of this conference, Fourth Movement should cover at least use of Western science and technol- economic problems. As expected, the a huge barrage of pamphlets and news the period of 1917-1921. Considering ogy. This hastened the breakdown of more conservative members of the releases had the temporary effect of Japan’s Twenty-One Demands of 1915, the traditional alliance of the gentry, Movement consequently lost touch with causing Japan to lose face. some scholars advocate a 1915-1923 landlords and government bureaucracy the Chinese peasants and workers who In response to their growing sense period for the May Fourth Movement. in favor of a new alignment of workers, were forced to deal with hated warlords, of humiliation and frustration, on May The rising tide of Anti-Great Power and peasants and government. Out of these their abhorrence of Western Imperialism 4, 1919 some 3000 Chinese college patriotic feelings had already lit the fuse developments arose China’s modern that kept them in poverty by favoring students conducted a demonstration back in 1915 for the May Fourth Inci- Kuomintang and Communist parties. imports over local production, and the protesting the Chinese government’s dent. Even before the Incident, there Some shortcomings of the Move- injustices of corrupt local political gov- failure at the Paris Peace Conference. had already been a push by students ment were probably a natural phenom- ernments. u This demonstration was referred to as and intellectuals to build a new China enon in a period of massive intellectual the “May Fourth Incident.” This inci- through social, political, educational transition. In order to sweep away ob- dent gave impetus to further anti-foreign and literary reforms. This multi-faceted stacles in the path of modernization, Read the paper online at and anti-Japanese demonstrations in push intensified after the May Fourth In- many reformers overlooked consid- www.chinainsight.info more than 200 other student strikes and cident. The May Fourth Movement did eration of many excellent features of PAGE 6 > JUNE 2014 education www.chinainsight.info Transferring Western management knowledge to China

Mahmood Zaidi and Thomas Norman report on how team teaching and virtual international student teams have proved vital ingredients in a successful international EMBA

of the American school’s strategy to establish a constellation of three or “A survey of the Chinese EMBA programme’s graduates indicated that four EMBA programmes in partner- students appreciated the opportunity of working in diverse teams and learn- ship with top business schools abroad. ing how to work collaboratively to solve problems.” It built upon knowledge from the Carlson School’s “partnered EMBA programmes” in Austria and Poland with, respectively, Vienna University of Economics and Business and the Warsaw School of Economics. 71% The mission of the China EMBA programme was to provide com- Graduates felt that their prehensive, market-based business “overall experience with the management education to Chinese programme was satisfactory” and outside the classroom. Team managers and entrepreneurs. Stu- teaching thus leads to the professional and a high number (71%) felt dents attended weekend classes twice development of the faculty of both their programme was a each month on the Chinese school’s China’s recent economic perfor- schools. top EMBA programme campus over a two-year period. The mance has been extraordinary. It has Lingnan faculty members were in China. language of instruction was English. driven a considerable increase in able to observe how management edu- Carlson’s Executive MBA programme demand for management talent in both cation is delivered in a marketbased was used as a basis for quality control foreign and domestic firms at every economy such as the US. Carlson of the programme and the standards level— from supervisors to CEOs. In faculty benefitted by gaining up-to- for selecting Chinese faculty, stu- this kind of environment skill shortag- date knowledge about management 32 dents, examinations and grading were es can be a major bottleneck for eco- practices in China. identical to the American programme. The first seven cohorts nomic growth. The Chinese govern- This “train-the-trainer” approach Finally, the teaching performance of of the Chinese EMBA ment has devoted a significant amount helps expand management knowledge the American faculty in the Chinese programme graduated of effort and financial resources to in several ways. Faculty members programme was part of their annual 32 students per year developing management education, in- from both institutions can use their evaluation. on average. cluding forging many partnership with newly acquired skills in teaching their One of the key features of this foreign MBA programmes. students, share new knowledge with EMBA programme, team teaching, The MBA has its origins in the US- their students and develop global and has been used for a long time in other national networks and participated in but it is now recognised worldwide as multicultural perspectives in teaching disciplines but its use in management and research. university graduation ceremonies. an effective way to develop an inter- education is relatively recent. Team The use of virtual teams incul- nationally competitive pool of manag- Recent studies report that both fac- teaching forces faculty members to ulty and students regard team teaching cates three important skills needed ers. The traditional MBA, as well as adjust their course planning and class- by executives: developing a learning Executive MBA programmes designed as a great success. One study found room management as they collaborate significant improvement in student community; improving collaboration; for more seasoned leaders, have been- to meet learning objectives achievement in team-taught EMBA and knowing the processes involved in introduced relatively recently in China The faculty of both schools jointly courses. This may occur because stu- the co-construction of knowledge. but they have matured quite quickly. developed each course with indi- dents are receiving different teaching Learning in virtual teams is con- One Executive MBA programme viduals from Carlson acting as lead. approaches and perspectives on topics. tinually evolving. A survey of the Chi- of note takes an innovative approach, American faculty were responsible for The second important feature of nese EMBA programme’s graduates which respects the character of the working with counterparts in China the Chinese EMBA programme is the indicated that students appreciated Chinese environment and the skills on the development of the syllabus, use of global, virtual student teams. the opportunity of working in diverse of Chinese faculty by marrying their course design, grading and reporting The teams were formed in the second teams and learning how to work col- best practices with those of the fac- the final course grades to the registrar year of the programme and consisted laboratively to solve problems. ulty from a major American research of University of Minnesota. This type of a mix of EMBA students from this As they learned how to work ef- university. The schools involved are of team teaching approach was a new programme along with the Carlson’s fectively in their virtual teams, they the University of Minnesota’s Carlson idea in the Chinese classroom. local EMBA class and its partnered bonded across four cultures. This is School of Management and Sun Yat- The use of team teaching was ap- EMBA programmes in Poland and a benefit to China, as large employ- sen University’s Lingnan (University) propriate for a number of reasons. Austria. ers value employees with the skills College. The programme is unique by First, there is a demand for indi- Under the guidance of a faculty virtue of two combined features: team genisation of management education member from each business school, teaching and virtual international stu- in China. Students and employers are each virtual team was required to dent teams. This was the first EMBA demanding the use of “China-context develop a business plan for a new programme in China taught in English specific” cases in Western EMBA pro- product or service for an overseas in which all courses are led by faculty grammes. Using teaching teams com- market. At the end of the programme, members representing schools from posed of a faculty member from both a two-week international residency both countries. Carlson and Lingnan is ideal for this required of all the EMBA students was This programme was among the situation as it allows the programme hosted at the Carlson School campus. first batch of joint initiatives approved to adapt its curriculum to the local During the residency, the previ- by the Chinese Ministry of Education cultural and business environment. ously formed international teams and the Academic Degree Commit- Second, faculty members of both presented their assigned case, made tee of the State Council in 1999. The schools are enriched by the transfer of site visits to American companies, at- EMBA programme in China was part knowledge that takes place both inside tended classes, built their own inter- Continues on next page www.chinainsight.info education JUNE 2014 > PAGE 7

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1192931_112006 10x7 bw.indd 1 Nearly all of them had 10 or more on communication skills and exper- 5/5/14 2:46 PM years of work experience with an tise in international business. Local average of 14 years of overall work Chinese professors were considered experience and six years with their superior in their expertise on Chinese 14 current employer. Just under one-third business. were female. Both faculty types scored well on showing respect to students. Nearly all of survey Nearly all graduates felt that their “overall experience with the pro- In summary, this EMBA pro- respondents had gramme was satisfactory” and a high gramme has created a decade of 10 or more years number (71%) felt their programme students generally satisfied with their of work experience was a top EMBA programme in Chi- studies who subsequently advanced in with an average na. A larger majority of these students their careers in terms of promotion and of 14 years of over- expected to add important people to compensation as they help to build the all work experience their network via the EMBA. Chinese economy. and six years with The virtual student team project The graduates noted that the team their current was an important design element in teaching philosophy and the use of vir- tual international student teams were employer. meeting these expectations and, after “This EMBA programme has valuable experiences. Executives who graduation, a majority of students created a decade of students gener- completed this EMBA degree were reported satisfaction with the qual- ally satisfied with their studies who ity of people added to their network satisfied with their educational experi- needed to work in multicultural teams. subsequently advanced in their from their classes. The team teaching ence and found both the first hand and The first seven cohorts of the Chi- careers in terms of promotion and method was praised by more than 80% virtual experiences with instructors nese EMBA programme graduated 32 compensation as they help to build of the graduates. and students from different cultures students per year on average. About Graduates were also asked to helped them to build their professional the Chinese economy.” half of them responded to a survey on u “compare their expected and per- network globally. the effectiveness of the programme ceived returns on their investment in This article was first published by EFMD in Global Focus magazine. and the unique features of team teach- this EMBA degree”. About half were ABOUT THE AUTHORS ing and virtual team collaboration. satisfied or very satisfied with the Demographically, survey respon- Dr Mahmood A Zaidi is a Distinguished International Emeritus Professor, Emeritus “cost-to-benefit ratio” of their EMBA Professor of Human Resources and Founding Director of International Programs (Now dents were enrolled with a bachelor’s degree. Less than one-tenth were Carlson Global Institute) Carlson Schoolof Management, University of Minnesota, US. degree or its equivalent and were dissatisfied. The graduates felt that ( [email protected]). largely from the Pearl River Delta the most important attributes of the Dr Thomas J Norman is Associate Professor, College of Business Administration & Public region. They were divided between programme were teaching quality and Policy, California State University, Dominguez Hills, US. senior leaders (president, director, re- overall instructor quality. FURTHER READING gional manager) and middle managers. Overall, faculty members from Cohen, Malcolm S and Zaidi, Mahmood A (2002), Global Skill Shortages, North Hampton, Most of them worked for state-owned the Carlson School were perceived MA: Edward Edgar Publishing Inc.Zaidi, Mahmood A and Norman, Thomas A, (2013), enterprises (SOEs), multinational as having a positive attitude toward “Transferring Western Management Knowledge to China: Perceptions of Graduates from an companies or were entrepreneurs. teaching. They also were rated higher American Executive MBA Program, Frontiers of Business Research in China, 7(1): 82-105 PAGE 8 > JUNE 2014 food www.chinainsight.info Eight Most Popular Chinese Dishes China Highlights

comes from pepper powder, one kind The “chow mein” is the Cantonese of condiment usually used in Chuan pronunciation of the Chinese characters Cuisine. 炒面, which means stir-fried noodles. The milky tofu is enriched with Generally speaking, this stir-fried dish brownish red ground beef and chopped consists of noodles, meat (usually green onion. It is really a tasty delicacy. chicken, beef, shrimp, or pork), onions and celery. For making chow mein, the noodles need to be cooked in boiling water for a while. After they become cool, then move to the step of stir-frying.

馄饨 China is rich in tourist attractions. be substituted by other ingredients like Wontons Delicious foods are an attraction indis- chicken, beef or pork ribs. pensable in a good tour. With a long Since the Tang Dynasty (618–907), history, unique features, numerous it has been a custom for people to eat wontons on the winter solstice. styles and exquisite cooking, Chinese Peking Roasted Duck 北京烤鸭 cuisine is one important constituent part The most versatile shape of a wonton of Chinese culture. Chinese dishes are is simple a right triangle, similar to Ital- Peking duck is a famous dish from famous for color, aroma, taste, meaning ian tortellini. Wontons are commonly Beijing, enjoying world fame, and and appearance. boiled and served in soup or sometimes considered as one of China’s national The following are the eight most deep-fried. The filling of wontons can dishes. popular dishes among foreigners and be minced pork or diced shrimp. Peking duck is savored for its thin Chinese. For customers’ convenience, and crispy skin. The Sliced Peking duck we also list their Chinese character is often eaten with pancakes, sweet bean names and English pronunciations. sauce, or soy with mashed garlic. It is a These eight dishes are sweet and sour must-taste dish in Beijing! pork (chicken), gong bao chicken, ma po tofu, wontons, dumplings, spring Kung Pao Chicken 宫保鸡丁 rolls, chow mein and Peking duck. These dishes are available in most large Kung pao is a famous Sichuan-style restaurants in China. specialty, popular with both Chinese Since China is so attraction-packed and foreigners. The major ingredients and Chinese food is so delicious, tak- are diced chicken, dried chili, and fried Dumplings 饺子 ing a Chinese Food Tour is a good way peanuts. to ensure you taste a variety of these People in Western countries have With a long history of more than delicious delicacies and enjoy the top created a Western-style kung pao 1,800 years, dumplings are a traditional sights in China. chicken, for which the diced chicken is food widely popular in North China. covered with cornstarch, and vegetables, Dumplings consist of minced meat and sweet and sour sauce and mashed garlic chopped vegetables wrapped into a thin are added. piece of dough skin. Spring Rolls 春卷 Popular fillings are mince pork, diced shrimp, ground chicken, beef, Spring rolls are a Cantonese dim sum and vegetables. They can be cooked by of cylindrical shape. The filling of spring boiling, steaming, or frying. Dumplings rolls could be vegetables or meat, and are a traditional dish eaten on Chinese the taste could be either sweet or savory. New Year’s Eve. After fillings are wrapped in spring roll wrappers, the next step is frying. Then the spring rolls are given their golden yellow color. It is a dish especially popular in Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Fujian, 糖醋里脊 Sweet and Sour Pork Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, etc. u Sweet and sour pork has a bright orange-red color, and a delicious sweet Ma Po Tofu 麻婆豆腐 and sour taste. At the very beginning there was Ma po tofu is one of the most fa- Read the paper online at only sweet and sour pork, but to meet mous dishes in Chuan Cuisine with a www.chinainsight.info demands, there have been some devel- history of more than 100 years. Ma (麻) opments on this dish. Now, the pork can describes a spicy and hot taste which Chow Mein 炒面 www.chinainsight.info travel JUNE 2014 > PAGE 9 The Eternal Couple Taishan Mountain and Tai’an City By Wu meiling & Li Zhuoxi, China Today, Aug. 26 days people climb Taishan to worship Festival was held there in 1987, Taishan and north of Wenshui River, is a tourist Lord Dongyue and the “Grandma has played host to sports and cultural destination in its own right. Its auspi- Taishan. Dongyue is another name for carnivals, theatrical performances and cious geographic location between a Taishan, meaning “sacred mountain in even trade talks. Tourists continue to mountain and a river is deemed by the east.” Why is it sacred? The legend ascend its famed slopes, injecting vital- ancient Chinese medicinal precepts to goes that Pangu, the progenitor of all ity into the old colossus. connect the essence of heaven and earth. human beings, created the world by “What shall I say of the Great Peak? There are many health spas and natu- seperating the heaven from the earth The ancient dukedoms are every ral springs in the city. Visitors take their with his axe. When he died, his head where green, pick. In the evenings local culture is on became Taishan Mountain. “Grandma Inspired and stirred by the breath of full display at shadow puppet shows, Taishan” is a nickname for the Bixia creation, musical performances and cabaret-type Goddess, who was sent by the Yellow With the Twin Forces balancing day theaters. Emperor to the mountain to take care of and night.” In Taishan Colorful Times, a com- Fantawild, Tai’an’s very own adventure its people. Today, Bixia Temple is still bination of movie town and tourist parkl. Jiang Weichang These are the first four lines of Du the most popular place for praying on Fu’s A View of Taishan. On arrival at the resort, visitors can see flowers bloom Standing on the North China Plain, the mountain. mountain, travelers, just like Du Fu, are in spring, take a dip in any number of the mountain overlooks the sea to the sure to be in awe of the majesty of the lakes in summer, pick fruits in time for east and the Yellow River to the west, scenery and the grandness of the peak the autumn harvest and marvel at virgin which appears like a golden ribbon in front of them. snow in winter. Tourists jostle with lo- winding beyond undulating hills. For On the south slope, there are three cals for that perfect photo opportunity in Chinese in the region, Taishan appears geographic faults – the Yunbuqiao the scenic area. At certain times of year as a pillar supporting the sky. Fault, the Zhongtianmen Fault, and happy brides and grooms descend on the When discussing Taishan’s history, the Tai-qian Fault. They rise like steps, area’s Tianhe Garden for pre-wedding the importance attached to it by succes- forming three distinct, sharply con- photo shoots. The site recently launched sive emperors is a good place to start. trasting landscapes. Zhongtianmen, a new tourism program – ethnic musical Even before Emperor Qinshihuang Taishan Colorful Times, a combination of literally “Half-way Gate to Heaven,” performances. unified China in 221 BC, there were 72 movie town and tourist resort. rises to 700 meters over Tai’an City. attested kings of states who scaled the The mountain peak, Yuhuangding, is Climbing Taishan affords a window peak for various reasons. For ancient 700 meters higher than Zhongtianmen. on traditional Chinese culture. One Chinese, Taishan, standing in the east The stretch between the bottom of the passes a myriad of stone inscriptions of the country, ushered in the sun’s first Songshan Valley and Nantianmen, or en route that present different stages light every day. South Gate to Heaven, is 400 meters in and schools of Chinese calligraphic Many of the kings held sacrificial vertical height. The section is the most art, from the earliest carved in the Qin ceremonies on the peak, with the aim challenging for hikers, who face 1,600 Dynasty (221-206 BC), to 2,200 later of getting closer to God. However, not steps and 18 bends. inscriptions written by emperors. If every emperor had the right to perform From the foot of the mountain to the The Tianlecheng water park. Li Ming visitors have a particular interest in the fengshan, a solemn ritual ceremony Half-way Gate to Heaven, the slope is Chinese painting and calligraphy, the There are also activities for children regarded as a reward for particular quite gentle and is lush with dense for- in Tai’an. Fantawild is Tai’an’s very feats. Fengshan would only be held Taishan Galley in Tai’an City is also a ests of pine trees. Arriving at the Gate, good place to deepen one’s knowledge own adventure park. It features Disney- when emperors united the country or the slope rises and the path becomes esque castles, roller coasters and Ferris maintained peace despite the odds. of the disciplines. The gallery focuses on narrow and winding. Hikers start puff- Taishan Mountain as depicted in art, and Wheels. At the center of a park is a Fengshan was thus a symbol of peace ing, but no one, not even those in their lovely lake, which makes a great spot and prosperity. According to official its collection is second to none. 70s, gives up with the peak in sight. As Poems relating to Taishan repre- for parents to relax while the children histories, only 12 emperors conducted the saying goes, “The most beautiful tire themselves out on the rides. the sacred ceremony. sent some of the grandest examples of scenery is saved for the perilous peak.” Chinese poetic achievement. Experts Another attraction in the city for The mountain blessed emperors as From the mountaintop, the view is adults and children alike is Tianlecheng, well as the common people. Scaling estimate that roughly 16,000 historical spectacular no matter which way one poems were composed on the mountain- an indoor water park. It features a white Taishan would ensure peace in one’s looks. But four sights stand above all beach with sand imported from Phuket, top. Many of these are still known today; household and beyond. Chinese people others: sunrise, the golden ribbon of the Thailand. The park is the largest of its some have even made the transition into today continue to believe this – it has Yellow River, the sea of clouds (best kind in Asia. There is also a salt-water proverbs. become a faith of sorts in its own right, viewed on an overcast day), and the river in the complex; revelers float just Confucius (551–479 BC) once and thousands of visitors climb the peak dull glow of sunset. Climbers time their as they would do in salt-water bodies said that standing on Taishan, one will every day of the year. arrival at the peak to fit in with one of such as the Dead Sea. find out how small the world actually The mountain has been the spiri- these spectacular phenomena. Hot springs make for a relaxing way is. China’s great historian Sima Qian tual home of the nation for as long as Sunrise is arguably the best time to to spend a day, and also carry medicinal (145–87 BC) wrote in his Records of people can remember. As early as the survey the surrounding countryside. If benefits. Tai’an’s favorite is called sim- the Historian, “Though death befalls Neolithic period, the mountain has been you time your ascent up the 7,000 steps ply “Tai’an Hot Spring”; it’s a natural all men alike, it may be weightier than a natural refuge for human populations. to perfection, you can arrive at the peak formation and has high mineral content. The people of the Dawenkou Culture Mount Tai or lighter than a feather.” just as the sun is edging up over the You’ll come away from a visit feeling – are understood to have prayed for rain Two of the country’s greatest poets, Li horizon. The stars gradually disappear and looking – great. on Taishan. When the Yellow River, Bai (701–762) and Du Fu (712–770), as the heavens fill with pale light. Soon, The holiday-making resort Baotai- the “Mother River” of China, flooded, also composed poems while climbing the brilliant yellow of the new dawn is long opened its doors last June. The site people would seek safety by climbing the mountains. Li waxed that, “calling upon you, and the mountain, veiled in sits upon an underground river. Rubber the peak. One piece of ancient pottery out at Tianmen Gate, the wind comes in darkness on your ascent, reveals itself tubes are on hire; float down the river at unearthed on a slope depicts the sun from a thousand miles away.” Du wrote: beneath your feet. If you’re lucky, you’ll your own leisure. Also within the resort above, flames in the middle and Tais- “Some day when I reach the top, all be standing above a sea of clouds from complex is a bird-watching island, a han below. This indicates the belief peaks in view will be dwarfed.” your vantage point atop a mountain- man-made wetlands zone, the Wanshou that Taishan lit the sun. It is not hard Taishan is the incarnation of 5,000 island. It is simply marvelous. Peak and a cultural park. A few days to see why the mountain would thus be years of Chinese culture. But today the in Baotailong is a few days well spent. worshipped. mountain still finds a place in modernity. Tai’an’s Leisure Scene Time flies, and gods change. Nowa- Since the First International Climbing Tai’an, south of the fabled mountain Continues on page 15 PAGE 10 > JUNE 2014 trade www.chinainsight.info

exports of HS 26. Minnesota accounted MN Exports for 21 percent of U.S. exports of HS State - level Export Estimates 2601, and was the second largest among of Agricultural Commodities by Continued from page 4 all states. the USDA • In contrast to the state’s trends, iron million), Belgium ($384 million), Japan ore exports jumped to Canada from Commodities by the USDA The ($337 million). 88 Aircraft, Spacecraft (7) Michigan and Ohio, and to China from Minnesota Department of Agricul- • Largest value gains: Belgium (up $69 • Export value, 2013: $606 million. California and West Virginia. ture uses another set export data to million), Canada (up $44 million to • State trend, 2012-2013: up 32 percent. estimate agricultural and food-relat- $279 million), Brazil (up $24 million • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 10 percent. Export Logistics ed exports, based on data published to $93 million). • Major country markets: Netherlands Exports are shipped via multiple by the U.S. Department of Agricul- • The state’s exports for a subgroup of ($142 million), France ($100 million), transport modes. ture (USDA). The USDA uses dif- HS90, representing a proxy for medical Singapore ($38 million). ferent methodology than that used goods (HS9018-HS9033), accounted • Largest value gains: Netherlands (up • Air shipments were valued at $7.6 bil- lion. Optic, medical instruments ($1.8 for the Foreign Trade Division and for 91 percent of HS 90 and increased $136 million), Singapore (up $15 mil- Census Bureau of the U.S. Depart- 10 percent. lion), Saudi Arabia (up $14 million to billion), electrical machinery ($2.5 billion) and machinery ($1.6 billion) ac- ment of Commerce. Actual produc- $18 million). tion and harvest yields are used in counted for 80 percent of air shipments. 85 Electrical Machinery (3) • Largest value declines: South Korea pro-rating overall U.S. exports back • Export value, 2013: $2.5 billion. • Shipments sent via other modes were (down $10 million to $8 million), China to producing states. The state-level • State trend, 2012-2013: up 2 percent. (down $7 million to $15 million). valued at $8.2 billion. Vehicles ($1.5 estimates published by the USDA • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 2 percent. • Demand for aircraft/spacecraft prod- billion), machinery ($1.4 billion) and include commodity-level informa- • Major country markets: Canada ($407 ucts are volatile from year-to-year, electrical machinery ($559 million) tion (such as soybeans, beef, wheat, million), Philippines ($402 million), overall and by trading partner. were leading products sent by land. China ($256 million). etc.) but no country-level informa- • Vessels carried $4.9 billion of goods tion. These estimates also combine • Largest value gains: Mexico (up $56 22 Beverages (8) overseas. The four main products sent million to $210 million), China (up $23 • Export value, 2013: $350 million the commodities with their related by vessel were machinery ($1 billion), manufactured food products, for million), Switzerland (up $21 million to • State trend, 2012-2013: up 71 percent. plastics ($441 million), vehicles ($408 $85 million). • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 1 percent. example, hogs/pigs (commodity) million) and optics, medical ($297 mil- • Largest value declines: Taiwan (down • Major country markets: Canada ($347 and sausages (manufactured prod- $68 million to $44 million – mainly million), accounting for 99 percent of lion). uct). Based on USDA estimates, due to integrated circuits plunging 93 exports. Minnesota exported $6.5 billion of percent to $5 million), Malaysia (down • Largest value gains: Canada (up $148 Peer Performance agricultural commodities in 2012, $12 million to $27 million), Netherlands million) In 2013, Minnesota ranked 20th excluding manufactured food ex- (down $12 million to $37 million). • About 70 percent of these exports con- among all states, with no change since ports ($1.6 billion). This is a much sist of denatured alcohol (not for con- 2012. higher value than that attributed 87 Vehicles (4) sumption) that is related to ethanol fuel. Seven of the top 10 states were to non-manufactured goods by the • Export value, 2013: $2 billion among the states contributing the 10 Harmonized Series of export data • State trend, 2012-2013: up 2 percent. 02 Meat (9) largest export gains, and gained a com- (less than $1.5 billion). State-level • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: no change. • Export value, 2013: $324 million. bined $36 billion in exports between data for 2013 will not be available • Major country markets: Canada ($1.1 • State trend, 2012-2013: down 3 per- 2012 and 2013. Texas and Washington from the USDA until August 2014. billion), Mexico ($184 million), Finland cent. (first-and fourth-largest exports, re- ($84 million). • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 1 percent. spectively) had the largest gain in value • Largest value gains: Canada (up $49 • Major country markets: China ($111 among all states. million), Mexico (up $19 million). million), South Korea ($40 million), Minnesota generated $3,823 in ex- • Largest value declines: Australia Japan ($53 million). (down $17 million to $56 million), • Largest value gains: Japan (up $23 ports per person in 2013, compared to the U.S. average of $4,994. Finland (down $17 million). million), China (up $12 million). Minnesota Annual Export Sta- • Largest value declines: South Korea The Big Picture in Minnesota Exports tistics and Minnesota Quarterly 39 Plastic (5) (down $38 million), Taiwan (down $9 Exports Statistics are the most cur- • Export value, 2013: $1.0 billion. million to $7 million). Minnesota’s exports from manu- rent resources available for track- • State trend, 2012-2013: down 3 per- • About 91 percent of meat exports are facturing, services and agricultural ing the state export trends and are cent. fresh, frozen pork ($154 million, down industries were estimated at $33 billion prepared for the Minnesota Trade • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 3 percent. 5 percent), edible animal offal ($84 for 2013. Office (MTO) by the Department • Major country markets: China ($223 million, down 5 percent) and poultry • Manufactured exports ($19.3 billion) of Employment and Economic De- million), Canada ($144 million), Mex- ($58 million). accounted for 58 percent of the state’s ico ($85 million). • Demand for fresh, frozen pork (up 91 velopment’s (DEED) Analysis and total exports. Evaluation Office (Thu-Mai Ho- • Largest value gains: Canada (up $24 percent in Japan, down 52 percent in • Based on the Harmonized export data million), Mexico (up $9 million). Korea), and edible animal offal (up 20 Kim, 651-259-7180). Since 2012, series in this report, non-manufactured the quarterly and annual statistics • Largest value declines: China (down percent in China, down 22 percent in goods (agriculture, forestry, mining, $22 million), India (down $17 million South Korea) swung wildly. reports have primarily covered ex- etc.) accounted for about $1.5 billion in to $6 million). port data based on the Harmonized exports. (See sidebar for another source • The largest plastics sub-segment was 73 Iron/Steel Products (10) Tariff System (Schedule B), col- self-adhesive materials ($367 million, • Export value, 2013: $322 million. of agricultural export estimates.) lected by the U.S. Department of down 15 percent). Although there were • State trend, 2012-2013: up 3 percent. • Exports of services cover transpor- Commerce (USDOC) and distrib- sharp declines of self-adhesive products • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 4 percent. tation-related services, royalties and uted by the Global Trade Informa- in India, China and Mexico, there were • Major country markets: Canada ($198 licenses, and other private services. tion Services. Reports are available strong gains in Canada, Argentina and million), Mexico ($51 million), China No official comprehensive state-level on DEED’s website at “Export and other smaller markets. (up $13 million). export data for services are available. Trade Statistics” (http://mn.gov/ • Largest value gain: Mexico (up $20 Services exports were estimated at $12.3 deed/data/export-stats/). Alternate 23 Food By-Products (6) million). billion for 2013. and additional estimates of export • Export value, 2013: $613 million. • Largest value decline: Canada (down data on agricultural industries are • State trend, 2012-2013: up 19 percent. $15 million). Note: DEED estimated Minnesota ex- available from the Minnesota De- • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 20 percent. ports of services by pro-rating U.S. ex- partment of Agriculture. • Major country markets: Canada ($198 26 Ores, Slag, Ash (11) ports of services in 2013 as published in million), Mexico ($74 million), China • Export value, 2012: $317 million. the Survey of Current Business (March ($66 million). • State trend, 2012-2013: down 53 2014), the Bureau of Economic Analy- • Largest value gains: Philippines (up percent. sis, U.S. Department of Commerce, $50 million to $57 million), China (up • U.S. trend, 2012-2013: up 5 percent. $44 million), Mexico (up $21 million). • Down from seventh-largest ranking based on production shares of major Please visit • Largest value declines: Canada (down in 2012. sectors in 2012. The U.S. Chamber of $45 million). • Major country markets: Canada ($155 Commerce estimates Minnesota exports www.chinainsight.com • Food manufacturing by-products million; down 59 percent) and China of services at $9.4 billion in 2012 based to view all statistical graphs ($274 million, up 20 percent) and soy- ($128 million; down 56 percent). on different data and methodology (see that accompany MN Exports data. bean by-products ($210 million, up 15 • Iron ores and concentrates (HS 2601) http://www.tradesupportsjobs.com/ percent) are the main segments. accounted for 99.8 percent of Minnesota state/MN). u www.chinainsight.info education, culture JUNE 2014 > PAGE 11 An international quilt of students Ronald A. Wirtz, fedgazette, April 10, 2014

There is both consistency and variety from 145 different countries at the Uni- in the home countries of international versity of Minnesota. At South Dakota students. State University (SDSU), 600 foreign China, far and away, is the biggest students come from 71 countries. exporter of students to both U.S. and There are unexpected, even quirky Ninth District colleges and universities, concentrations of international stu- followed by South Korea and India. Ca- dents in certain states. For example, nadian students have a larger presence in Nepal has an outsized share of foreign district institutions than in the nation as students at Ninth District universities. a whole, mostly because of proximity. The country—poor, isolated, with a The University of Minnesota-Twin fraction of the population of many other Cities has the largest population of countries—ranks in the top five in three foreign students in the district, at 6,400. of five district states, ranking as high as China sends the most students to the uni- fourth in South Dakota, with 7.5 percent versity—more than 2,600—followed by of students. makes for an easier winter adjustment from scratch” through positive experi- India and South Korea with between 700 Among the reasons for this high once on campus. And that’s important ences of students, which then turns into and 800. No other country is represented share is the general affordability of Mid- when students are walking brochures for invaluable word-of-mouth marketing. by more than 170 students. western universities like SDSU, where the university back home. That’s been happening for years with But students from all corners of the Nepalese students make up slightly Song Hoffman, from the school’s Nepalese students. “We actually have a globe make up a huge cultural quilt on more than 10 percent of the international international office, said that getting a brand in Nepal,” Hoffman said. u district campuses. There are students class. The country’s colder climate also foothold in most countries is “developed Dragon Boat Festival: Carnival on water in Hong Kong By Elaine Dunn After the race, everyone (specta- bamboo-canopied stands with advance tors and athletes) moves on to the San tickets Miguel Beer Fest for music, dance and • Cheung Chau Dragon Boat Festival jugs of San Mig! • Saikung Dragon Boat Festival Other races that take place on the Most of the races are in the morn- proper festival day itself, which happens ing, leaving the afternoon to enjoy local The fifth day of the fifth lunar month international sporting events associated to be a holiday in Hong Kong, include: town festivals and to sample some great is when Chinese the world over tradi- with the festival - the China Construc- • SunLife Stanley International fresh local seafood. tionally celebrate Dragon Boat Festival tion Bank Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Championships where Can’t get to Hong Kong? Watch – a day that commemorates the suicide Dragon Boat Races in Victoria Harbour. some 200 local and international teams for the Twin Cities’ Dragon Festival in of the scholar and statesman Qu Yuan, This three-day event is jointly organized participate in the action and attract a July. u around 278 B.C. China Insight cov- by the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat crowd of over 30,000 spectators. ered the folklore surrounding this day, Association and Hong Kong Tourism • Water Parade in Tai O’s Dragon also known as DuanWu Festival in its Board. Approximately 5,000 top in- Boat Festival, organized by three local “What’s the occasion” series in June ternational dragon boat athletes will be fishermen associations to entertain the 2013. (Read online at www.chinain- participating in three days of intense gods, this festival takes place amidst tra- sight.info, in “Past Issues” on the right.) paddling. Teams come from nearby ditional stilt houses where dragon boats The festival falls on June 2 this year. Asian countries such as mainland pull colorfully decorated sampans car- And in the ultra modern city of Hong China, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, rying temple deities in a water parade. Kong, this festival has become one huge and as far away as Canada, Germany, • Aberdeen Dragon Boat Races takes party on water. Between June 6-8, it U.K. and the U.S. Spectators on land place in the charming Aberdeen Fishing will be hosting one of the highest-profile will gather for “boats, beer and cheers.” Village and spectators can watch from PAGE 12 > JUNE 2014 book reviews www.chinainsight.info Tiger Moms not always the best parents By Kelly Chung Dawson in New York, China Daily

When Princeton professor and au- In descriptions of her strained rela- with Asian-American readers. thor Amy Chua published Battle Hymn tionship with her own “Tiger Mother”, Keltner’s warm, frank voice inter- of the Tiger Mother in 2011, the result- Keltner likens the relief of a post-visit cuts humor with emotional weight, ing media melee seemed to tap into return home to the feeling of having and the lives she describes will surely a simmering vat of insecurities about gnawed off her own paw to escape the ring true to the children of immigrant the economic rise of China. An excerpt metal teeth of a spring-loaded trap. parents. published in the Wall Street Journal un- “How many emotional body slams Chinese-American women of earlier der the headline Why Chinese Mothers can we take before ending up with per- eras were often poor, and more likely Are Superior triggered a heated debate manent brain damage?” she asks. to have been focused on making ends about the pros and cons of a discipline Her own parenting approach today meet than fretting over identity, she style that discourages improvisation is a rebellion against what she sees as argues. It’s within that context that and creativity in favor of repetition and a cold pragmatism that robs children these women, now in their later years, diligence. of their voices, an argument echoed have applied their own experiences to Was the United States doing its chil- recently in a study by University of motherhood. dren a disservice by not taking cues from Texas-Austin psychology professor Keltner notes that Asian-American the Chinese education system? Su-yeong Kim. women have the highest rate of suicide Novelist Kim Wong Keltner’s new Kim’s study demonstrated that among senior citizens of any ethnicity. book, Tiger Babies Strike Back: How children raised in Tiger Mother-style Pressure to fit stereotypical ideas I Was Raised by a Tiger Mom but households have higher rates of depres- of success, intelligence and beauty can Could Not Be Turned to the Dark Side, sion - and lower grades. be incredibly harmful for people who responds with a resounding No, as an Naturally, the report set off another don’t naturally fit those standards, she impassioned ode to “all the lonely, lost wave of media coverage linked to Ch- says. A reticence about discussing flaws kids who aren’t going to get into Har- ua’s book. or problems also holds many Asian- vard or Berkeley”, Keltner says. “People keep trying to pit me against Americans back for fear of shaming “Many Asians in the US are facing Kim Wong Keltner, or to ask me to com- their families. an identity crisis today, because we’ve ment on that parenting study, and I keep “So many Asians have this sense that been pigeonholed into stereotypes of telling them ‘Look, all I did was write they have something to say, but they’re success,” she says. “Not enough of us my personal family story,’” Chua says. waiting for some kind of permission are saying, I choose not to fit into this What much of the media coverage that’s never going to come,” she says. one box that my parents and the world has failed to mention: The bottom line of “You’re taught to not make a spec- have defined for me. Amy Chua’s kids Chua’s book was that parenting is never tacle of yourself, and I guess I have obviously turned out great, but it’s only one-size-fits-all. What worked with her just the right combination of bravery when kids turn out great that we can first daughter was a resolute failure with and stupidity to say ‘Hey, how come laugh about it. her second, who ultimately succeeded no one is pointing out that the Tiger “There’s this entire group of kids not because of Chua’s “Tiger Mother” Mother idea is perpetuating a harmful out there who feel lonely and anxious parenting, but in spite of it. stereotype and potentially hurting kids?’ because they’re not necessarily going While the marketing for Battle I wanted to mix it up, because there is to be successful in that same way, and I Hymn of the Tiger Mother seemed to an alternative.” want my book to be a message in a bottle target Western audiences, Tiger Babies [email protected] u to those kids,” Keltner adds. Strike Back will likely resonate most

retail sectors, and especially in agricul- become too rich, too fast, amongst too India’s rise ture and e-commerce. In the latter es- many people, with worrying implica- pecially, India has been able to provide tions for future growth. Continued from page 3 a far more open and transparent market Chris Devonshire-Ellis is the Found- than that of China. With the Chinese ing Partner of Dezan Shira & Associates class growth. As its population ages, alluring domestic middle class – coin- government wanting to keep a handle on – a specialist foreign direct investment it will become more dependent upon cidentally the same size as China’s is every possible currency movement out practice providing corporate establish- raising taxes to cover health care costs. today, at 250 million. That middle class of the country, and as a result supervis- ment, business advisory, tax advisory Yet in multinational trade, exactly the also has extensive purchasing power ing the rise of its own online retailers, and compliance, accounting, payroll, reverse is happening. and is increasing. International brands global online retail businesses such as due diligence and financial review India, meanwhile, is a little behind are now flocking to India to sell to the Amazon and ebay, along with many services to multinationals investing in in all this. Its development path is of- domestic market. Yet still, India tends other e-commerce businesses, have emerging Asia. Since its establishment ten erratic, and as a democracy it has to fall down on infrastructure. That found the going in China very tough. In in 1992, the firm has grown into one lacked the one party, single minded however is changing – investment into comparison, the Indian market is start- of Asia’s most versatile full-service drive that has propelled China along infrastructure is racing ahead at close ing to open and giants such as Amazon consultancies with operational of- the past three decades. Its GDP growth to 8 percent growth per annum – higher are expecting huge dividends as a result. fices across China, Hong Kong, India, rates have performed at a far wider than the GDP rate. Put simply, India’s market is more open Singapore and Vietnam, in addition to range than China’s from a low of 3.5 When India’s infrastructure gap to foreign investment and participation alliances in Indonesia, Malaysia, Phil- percent last year, from 9.7 percent in starts to close – and the signs are al- than China’s. ippines and Thailand, as well as liaison 2010, and an expected 6.5 percent this ready there – it will take just a couple If these Indian reforms continue offices in Italy, Germany and the United year. That compares with a consistent of reforms to kick start India as both to happen – and both political parties States. u China deliverable of between 7-8 per- the world’s manufacturing hub and its contesting the Indian elections cur- cent per annum. But the warning signs largest consumer market. Those are tax rently underway are considered business for China are there. India is not just a reform, which has been on the agenda friendly – then the rise of India may yet Read the paper online at home of increasing numbers of work- for the past three years, with the intent cause China some headaches. I will not www.chinainsight.info ers (expected to double to just under 1 to lower corporate income tax from the be surprised if India’s growth in two billion by 2025) available at far lower current 40 percent rate down to 30 per- years from now starts to outpace that of wages than in China, but it also has an cent, and further FDI reforms into the a China that just may have attempted to www.chinainsight.info commentary JUNE 2014 > PAGE 13 Chinese bashing on the rise? By Elaine Dunn

shouting racial slurs. Two of the Chi- crime he was being held. At the jail, nese were beaten with a steering wheel the bailiff stopped by and showed Zhou locking bar. a wound, accusing Zhou of inflicting At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the it. Among Zhou’s charges: resisting Spanish men’s basketball team posed arrest, battery on an officer, trespassing for an offensive pre-game “slant-eye” and disorderly conduct. A witness had photo. Though no violence was in- seen the bailiff initiating the beating, the volved here, would they have done judge inside the courtroom witnessed something similar had the host country the brief scuffle when the bailiff pushed been Australia or the U.S.? Zhou back inside. However, in the In 2009, a Chinese account execu- three years of court wrangling, Zhou tive was choked and beaten to death in was unable to contact the witness nor Flushing, N.Y., by four non-Asian teens obtain footage of the surveillance tape who admitted the victim was selected in the courtroom, despite numerous sub- specifically because of his race. poenas. However, in 2007 an all-white In 2010, a group of African-Amer- jury dismissed all the charges against icans attacked and robbed a group of Zhou. Convinced of a cover-up, Zhou Asian-American students at Indiana contacted the Indianapolis FBI in April University. Racial slurs were used just 2008 requesting an investigation into before the attack. his case. Not surprisingly, after meet- In January 2014, an 84-yr-old Chi- ing with an FBI agent, he was met with Zhou YongPing nese man with limited command of silence. In 2012, Congresswoman Judy English was beaten by NYPD for jay- Chu contacted the FBI on his behalf. Zhou hopes to bring to justice the law Anti-Chinese fervor erupted in rise? Or has offensive references to Chi- walking. He was arrested and charged enforcement officer who perpetrated Vietnam mid-May when the Chinese nese been tolerated far too long that it is with jaywalking, resisting arrest, ob- his uncalled-for beating, for filing false government parked an oil rig in disputed now part of everyday entertainment? An structing governmental administration charges and for tampering with evidence waters. This sparked the burning of August 2013 article in the China Daily, and disorderly conduct. It’s likely the against him. Chinese-owned factories by civilian “Confronting ‘Chinaphobia’ challenge,” resisting arrest charge was the result of Discrimination and racism do not Vietnamese in southern Vietnam’s Binh quoted Kesho Scott, an associate profes- his inability to understand the officers always manifest themselves in physi- Duong province. sor at Grinnell College, Iowa, saying, telling him he was under arrest. And, cal violence. They can be more subtle: The 440 rioters who were arrested “The fear of Chinese people, culture, even if he had conscientiously resisted a missed promotion (read bamboo were indiscriminate in their destruction. population and economic dominance is arrest, does it warrant beating an old, un- ceiling), a refused rental, the service At least two Chinese were killed, 15 fac- not new. What is new is the frequency armed man bloody in the head? Would provided by a clerk with raised-voice- tories were set on fire and hundreds of of mistreatment of Chinese people as the the police have treated a non-Asian man slowed-down-speech. However these enterprises, most owned or managed by Chinese Diasporas have more influence the same way? anti-Chinese feelings manifest them- Chinese, Taiwanese and South Koreans, in the world. Many non-Chinese see On May 9, 2014, a retired Chinese selves – physical, verbal or even subtle were destroyed during the riots in the racial issues only within the black and garment worker was savagely stomped nonverbal slights – these incidents are early morning hours of May 14. Mon- white binary and tend to trivialize mod- on and kicked in the head repeatedly happening with alarming frequency. etary damage is estimated in the billions ern Chinese mistreatment because of by a young black man in Manhattan, (Note: According to Southern Poverty of dong (on May 15, 1VND = 0.000047 perceived advantages the Chinese have, N.Y. The victim died of his injuries. Law Center, an independent law firm USD), not to mention the thousands of such as the fastest-growing economy in The surveillance footage showed the that specializes in fighting hate groups, workers who may be losing their jobs. the world.” attacker seemed “pleased with his work” only 44 percent of hate crimes are May 16, unidentified gunmen at- Be it caused by ignorance, racism as he walked away after the attack. The reported to the police.) Even if the in- tacked the camp of a Chinese company or genuine fear, hate violence targeted victim’s family is asking that the murder cidents described above are the actions in northern Cameroon. Ten people are at Chinese and Asians are all too real. be treated as a hate crime. of a few “bad apples,” things can’t be Egregious incidents abound. Recently, Zhou YongPing contacted missing and one injured. As this goes expected to improve any time soon as China Insight in the hope of raising to press, the reason for the attack is In 1887, a gang of white farmers and Chinese-U.S. political relations con- awareness of his case. These are the unknown. schoolboys robbed and murdered 31 tinue to deteriorate. details as related by Zhou: This type of animosity is not new. Chinese miners (known as the ‘Snake Asians have a tendency to stay on In May 2005 in Indianapolis, Zhou, Anti-Chinese sentiment has brewed in River massacre’) at Hell’s Canyon along the sidelines. However, as China grows a Chinese, was sitting at the back of a Indonesia for decades, also ending in the Oregon’s Columbia River. Their muti- stronger economically (and wins more Marion County, Ind., courtroom going burning of Chinese-owned businesses lated bodies were thrown in the river. Olympic medals!), it becomes a bigger through his paperwork while waiting to in the late 1990s. Currently, the Shwe In 1982, the senseless and shocking global threat. Chinese the world over meet with his attorney. Head down, he project in Myanmar, one of many con- murder of Vincent Chin in Detroit. Mis- will be perceived as part of the threat. heard an order, “You leave!” On lifting troversial Chinese investment projects taken for a Japanese, Chin was beaten to Do not wait until “Yellow Peril” rears his head, he realized the bailiff was ad- there, is also encountering mounting death with a baseball bat by a Chrysler its ugly head again before you stand up dressing him, telling him that he’d better anti-Chinese sentiment. plant superintendent because at the time for equality and justice. be out of the courtroom on a count of 10. In November 2013, a Dutch talent of the unfortunate encounter between Zhou’s hope is “to expose this hate show judge mocked a Chinese con- Chin and his murderers, the U.S. au- Taken completely by surprise, Zhou crime event to American society. The testant who sang an aria from Verdi’s tomobile market was being eroded by hurriedly gathered up his documents and goal is to ask U.S. Congresswoman Judy “Rigoletto” (beautifully) commenting Japanese brands and Detroit autowork- coat and, before the count of five, had Chu and other congressmen to bring my that his performance was a “surplise.” ers were getting laid off. Chin’s murder- exited the courtroom. Unexpectedly, Indy hate crime to US Congress House A month before that, Jimmy Kimmel ers, though convicted of second-degree he felt a blow to the back of his neck Judiciary committee.” If any reader is asked a “panel” of kids what should murder, served no jail time! and fell to the floor, hitting the ground interested in helping Zhou in his cause, be done about the U.S. debt to China. In 2005, an 18-yr-old Chinese high face down just outside the courtroom. please email [email protected] One 6-yr-old said, “Kill everyone in school student was accosted by four The bailiff grabbed him by his hair and with subject line: Support Zhou. China,” to which Kimmel said, “That’s American classmates on a subway plat- shoved him against the wall, handcuffed an interesting idea.” Kimmel and the form in Brooklyn. Bruised and swollen him and pushed him back inside the A summary of Zhou’s ordeal is avail- network apologized, but how many for days, he said that harassment and courtroom briefly, before pushing him able online at: http://www.atlanta168. more such incidents will occur before bullying of Asians were a routine oc- back out again. (As Homer Simpson com/p/201404/20140423/1_29607. the entertainment industry undergoes currence at school. would say, “D’oh?”) Approximately html u sensitivity training? In 2006, four Chinese were attacked three to five hours later, Zhou was taken Is anti-Chinese sentiment on the in Queens, N.Y. by two white men into custody, not knowing for what PAGE 14 > JUNE 2014 education www.chinainsight.info

Guangdong, and other parts of south- With such complex images, you may ern China. Although it is written with wonder how Chinese is typed on comput- Character study the same characters as Mandarin (a ers. In addition to characters, there is a By Whitney Clark Cantonese speaker and a Mandarin system for representing Chinese sounds speaker could communicate through in the latin alphabet calledpinyin. This writing), the two languages are pro- system is necessary for things like dic- 吃 chī nounced completely differently and tionaries because it is generally not pos- are mutually unintelligible in speech. sible for a reader to determine the correct The character 吃, pronounced chī, means to eat. The character contains the You have probably heard Cantonese pronunciation of an unfamiliar character following components: before in Chinese films, as many kung simply by looking at it the way you might Radical Pinyin Meaning fu films are produced in Hong Kong. “sound out” an English word. This ro- manization system is also used for typing; 口 Kǒu mouth Characteristics of Chinese Chinese computer users generally use 乞 Qǐ beg Although there are many different regular computer keyboards to type their sub-languages of Chinese, most of message in pinyin. Then their computer’s The way 吃 is used in Chinese is very similar to how we use it in English. them share a couple of unique char- software will display a menu that allows In its simplest form, it means to just consume food. However, it also can be used acteristics: them to select the specific character they to describe other emotions and situations. Tones: Most Chinese dialects are want (since one pinyin word like “ma” For example: tonal, which means that the meaning of will have a variety of characters associ- 我肚子很饿！我想吃午饭！ I’m hungry! I want to eat lunch! a particular sound can change depend- ated with it) or that automatically selects 你吃饭了吗？Have you eaten? ing on its intonation. Mandarin, for ex- the correct character for them. (This is a common way to greet someone when it’s around meal time.) ample, has four tones and a “neutral” Grammar: Compared to Western languages, grammar in most Chinese 我的女朋友很吃醋，她不要我出去玩儿。My girlfriend is jealous, she doesn’t fifth tone, so the sound “ma” can have want me to go have fun. five different meanings depending languages is remarkably simple because which tone is used to pronounce it: it lacks any sort of verb conjugation. 我花了五十块钱买十五块钱的衣服。我吃亏了！I paid $50 for $15 clothes. I mā (first tone): “mother” Whereas in English we say Igo, she goes, got such a bad deal! má (second tone): “hemp” he went, they would have gone, etc., in mǎ (third tone): “horse” Chinese the verb never changes, and dif- Phrases with 行 include: mà (fouth tone): “to curse” ferences in mood and tense are indicated Phrase Pinyin Meaning ma (neutral tone): a grammatical with grammatical marker words or im- plied by context. 吃饭 chī fàn To eat food/a meal particle that indicates a question And Mandarin is a lightweight 吃苦 chī kǔ Endure hardships when it comes to tones; Cantonese has Classical Chinese 吃醋 chī cù Jealous seven tones and some other dialects Modern spoken Chinese is quite 小吃 xiǎo chī A snack have more than 10! different from the language spoken in Characters: Almost all languages ancient times, and for thousands of years Food is a large part of not only Chinese culture, but the Chinese language as well. in the Chinese language family are Chinese scholars and officials persisted in There are many reasons for this; one is that without food, we would obviously written using the same characters. writing using the old language and gram- cease to live. This importance has not been lost on a civilization as old as China’s. These characters, often made up of mar. This language, now called Classical Another reason is that sharing a meal with someone is a great way to build a re- smaller parts called radicals, have Chinese, shares many similarities with lationship, particularly in China. For these reasons and more, 吃 is a part of daily been in use for hundreds or in some modern Chinese, and it is written with the life in China. u cases thousands of years across China. same characters, but it is still extremely In fact, Chinese characters are also difficult to read without specialized train- Clark began studying Mandarin at Breck School 20 years ago and is still interested sometimes used in Japanese writing ing because. Nearly everything written in in it. He eventually spent five years in Sichuan enjoying the subtropical climate and Chinese over the past century has been culinary expertise of the locals. He is now back in Minnesota and teaching Mandarin (where they’re called kanji) and in written in modern Chinese, but older to the next generation of interested learners. Korean (where they’re called hanjie). Each character has its own mean- works of literature and philosophy are ing and its own single-syllable pronun- written in classical Chinese, and often ciation. In a sentence, each individual must be read in translation even by native character doesn’t necessarily use its Chinese speakers. own individual meaning, though, What is “Chinese”? as characters are often combined in Chinese in English By Charles Custer, About.com, China News groups of two or three to form single Although you may not know it, you words. For example, 电 (electric, elec- probably know at least a few Chinese talk about “Chinese,” they’re almost tricity) and 脑 (brain) can be used indi- words and phrases, because a bunch of always referring to either Mandarin vidually or can be combined to make them have trickled into English. Here are or Cantonese, two of the most widely- 电脑, the Chinese word for computer. a few examples: spoken sub-languages in the Chinese Among Chinese speakers, there are “Long time no see” is a word-for-word 好 language family, but there are hundreds two different systems for writing char- translation of the Chinese expression “ 久不见”. of dialects of Chinese that are spoken acters. Traditional characters are, as by smaller groups of people across the the name suggests, the older versions The word typhoon originally comes 台风 globe. of the characters that have existed for from the Chinese word (tai feng). Mandarin (普通话) is the most hundreds of years. Traditional char- The word China itself comes from widely-spoken variety of Chinese, and acters are still used in everyday life in Chinese (via Latin, Persian and Sanskrit) in fact the most widely-spoken language Hong Kong and in Taiwan, but main- and was probably meant to represent the on earth (at least in terms of native land China has moved to simplified pronunciation of the name of either the speakers). Based on the northeastern characters, a modern reconstructionof Qin or Jin dynasty. An early example of Chinese characters Gung-ho comes from an abbreviation dialect of China’s capital, it is the of- the writing system that makes the writ- from the third century C.E., Public domain of the Mandarin phrase for an industry ficial language of both the People’s ten characters less complex. Here are cooperative.u The first thing you need to know Republic of China and Taiwan, and it some examples of the same character about Chinese is that actually “Chinese” is the Chinese language that foreign written in traditional characters (on is not really a language at all! It’s a language students generally choose to the left) and simplified characters (on group of languages that share certain study. When people say, “I’m learning the right): Read the paper online at 馬 → 马 characteristics, but that can also be Chinese,” they’re almost always talking www.chinainsight.info different to the point of being mutu- about Mandarin. 說 → 说 ally unintelligible (much like romance Cantonese (广州话) is the variety 龍 → 龙 languages). These days, when people of Chinese spoken in Hong Kong, 國 → 国 www.chinainsight.info events JUNE 2014 > PAGE 15

UCBC June Meeting Know Minnesota -- Land of Ten Understanding your Chinese Partner: Thousand Lakes for Fishing Business from the Chinese Perspective Time: Saturday, June 14, 2 p.m., Place: Hamiline Midway Library, Wednesday, June 4, 2014 company of more than 2,800 employees, 1558 W. Minnehaha Ave, St. Paul 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. affiliated by 30-plus wholly-owned Speaker: Dr. Charles Lee 李宗琦博士 University of St Thomas or controlled subsidiaries, with a total Minneapolis campus asset of 5.83 billion yuan and annual Dr. Charles Lee will share his Min- Room MOH 201 sales revenue of nearly 4 billion yuan. nesota fishing experience, his favorite The Bohong Group has established lakes, the best tackles and baits, and a Understanding your Chinese Partner: Beijing Strategic Headquarters, Shang- short video of popular annual Rainbow Business from the Chinese Perspective hai Marketing Headquarters, Chengdu Resort fishing outing of the last 10 years. See the perspective from the Chi- Operation Headquarters and offices in Lee is a graduate of Peking Uni- nese company. From simple sourcing Frankfurt, Toronto, and Hong Kong, as versity, received his Ph.D. in physics in how they perceive the international a step to extend its outreach nationally from Purdue University, and worked buyer, to joint ventures and mergers & and internationally. for 3M for 27 years. Over the years, he acquisitions. Please bring brochures and informa- contributed to the technology develop- Presenter Ben Brown has lead tion to share on the member table during Chinese American Academic & ment in electronic printing, optics and projects on joint venture negotiations, our meeting! Professional Association in MN (CAA- electrophotography, imaging science, researching LEAN implementation in PAM, 明州華人學術聯誼會) presents ink jet ink, ink jet media and hardware, To register, or contact Jim at corporate environments and initiatives the second of a series about the state of and 3D Home Theater technology. One [email protected] u to leverage post-acquisition global Minnesota. of his many hobbies is fishing.u competitive advantage. He contributes to international M&A, post-acquisition integration, multicultural relationship management for the Chengdu, Sichuan- UCBC June social based Bohong Group in China. He will Thursday, June 26, 2014 share some of the common mistakes and 5 - 7 p.m. misperceptions U.S. companies have Little Szechuan - West End when dealing and working with Chinese St. Louis Park businesses. Cost: $10 in advance Founded in 1999, Sichuan Bohong $12 at the door Group has now grown into a multi- faceted group company engaged in This is a great opportunity to network with other Minnesota business peers who are doing business in China. Meet manufacturing of auto parts, auto sales others who may be a resource for your next China project, or share stories with others on your past China project. and services as well as real estate and Free parking. $3 happy hour beers from 5-6 p.m. with appetizers, including pot stickers, Szechuan noodles, spicy tofu, financial investment. By the end of etc. To register, or contact Jim at [email protected] 2011, Bohong Group has grown into a

The Eternal Couple Taishan Mountain Continued from page 9

Cultural Tourism There is also a culture and tour- green tea, and locals’ favorite items — theater, spectacularly set under Tian- Off the southern flank of the Tai’an ism plaza in Tai’an, which is home to baked donkey oil cake and Taishan thin zhu Peak. In front of them stands the section of Beijing-Shanghai Railway first-tier Chinese culture brands such pancakes. stage with the mountain scenery as a stands a modernistic building. It is the as the Liu Laogen Theater from north- Another activity visitors can’t afford backdrop. The stars begin to reveal Tai’an Art and Culture Center. On its eastern China, the Pan Xiaoting Billard to miss in Tai’an is the Fengshan Cer- themselves just as the performance gets grounds are the city library, an art mu- Club, Julecun Restaurant and Laoshe emony, which today takes the form of a underway; the whistling of the wind seum, a gallery and a theater. It serves Teahouse. Visitors can get to know local large-scale live-action performance. The through the pine trees below adds to as an all-encompassing platform for folk arts that have been listed as national ceremony is performed every evening the drama. The performance lasts 80 cultural exchange, teaching and per- intangible cultural heritages, such as the on Tianzhu Peak of the eastern section minutes and features 500 actors, all of formance. Taishan shadow play, colored glazed of Taishan Mountain. The performance whom change costumes 10 times during was choreographed by Mei Shuaiyuan, The film town in Dongping County wares from Zibo City, papercuts from the show. The interaction between light Gaomi City, New Year woodblock prints founder of China’s large-scale landscape and sound makes for a splendid ambi- is themed on Outlaws of the Marsh, from Yangjiabu Village, kites from live-action performance art. ence. The performance sticks faithfully one of the four Chinese classic novels Weifang City, clay dolls from Huimin to the ceremony as Chinese emperors written in the 14th century. The town’s County and Shandong-style embroidery. would have performed it in the past. The buildings are all in the construction The cultural items and artworks are not story follows emperors over thousands style of the Song Dynasty and appear simply displayed and sold. Visitors get of years and across five dynasties: Qin, in period-piece films every year. Visi- a chance to see how they are made and Han, Tang, Song and Qing. tors are free to don Song costumes and can even have a go at making their own For visitors to Tai’an, Taishan Moun- wonder around when there’s a lull in pieces. tain is a must. But the reverse is also filming. At noon time, there’s a range Traveling in Tai’an is not complete true: a trip to the mountain is incomplete of restaurants open to the public, where without making forays into the local without stopping in the city. Standing you can feast on meat and liquor, just as cuisine. Famous local dishes include atop China’s most sacred mountain, the the heroes in Outlaws of the Marsh were the Taishan Mountain Tofu Banquet, A live-action performance of the Fengshan city looks insignificant. But Taishan is fond of doing. After lunch you can take which features over 100 different tofu Ceremony on Tianzhu Peak. Wang Dequan. nothing if not the collective conscious- a boat ride on Dongping Lake. Your last dishes; Chilin (red scale) Fish, a kind ness of the Chinese people. And that stop should be the fortress on Liugong of freshwater fish indigenous to Taishan At eight o’clock in the evening, consciousness finds its home in Tai’an Mountain, a site mentioned in the novel. Mountain springs; Taishan Mountain visitors take their seats in the outdoor City. u The Minnesota Twins welcome you to Target Field® June 5-8 1984 Twins YJuneJune 55 road kirby Turn Puckett Jersey Back The Y 1st 10,000 fans 18+ Y clock Game Y Presented by JuneJune 66 all-Star Y Game Snoopy Figurine Y FireworkS Friday 1st 10,000 fans Y Postgame Y Target Field Y Exclusive Y Presented by

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