ChinaFostering business and culturalInsight harmony between China and the U.S. VOL. 15 NO. 10 Nov- Dec 2016 Chinese Consul General Hong Lei’s first visit to Minnesota since appointment

By Greg Hugh China Briefs, p.3

recently. His schedule inclued diverse his thoughts and views on China-U.S. schedule of events: a luncheon with the relations and China’s foreign policy. business community, a meeting with the “The past predicts the future,” he noted. University of Minnesota President Eric “History tells us where the two countries Kaler, a reception with 70 Chinese visiting will go. The last 40 years have shown that scholars, a campus lecture primarily for China and the U.S. should continue to Chinese students and a dinner reception cooperate to build the partnership, or what at Mall of America. we often refer to as building a new model More than 250 students from China of major country relationship.” Food, p.7 currently attending the University and He questioned where Sino-U.S. other invited guests attended Hong’s relations should be headed 40 years later speech, “Let History be Guidance to and added that a reflection on the past Future: Jointly Building A New Type of should let us know what we do in the future. Major Country Relationship between Reflecting on the past, he noted that Hong Lei China and US is the Historic Trend,” was in 1979, China and the U.S. agreed to delivered in English at the University’s establish diplomatic relations, a historic Visiting Minnesota for the first time, Humphrey School of Public Affairs. His event of the greatest strategic significance Hong Lei, consul general of the Consulate topic was. for international relations in the latter half General of The People’s Republic of He stated it was his honor to have of the 20th century. Arts & Culture, pp.8, 12 China in Chicago, spent several days here the opportunity to share with the group continued on page 9

Business & Economics Data on Minnesota Exports for Second Quarter 2016 – Published September 2016

Second quarter state exports slide •State exports Figure 1. Exports of Goods Drop for Most States Community, p. 9 8 percent to $4.8 billion fell the most to •Minnesota exports, including agricul- Asia, decreasing tural, mining and manufactured products, by $204 million (or were valued at $4.8 billion in the second 12 percent) during quarter of 2016, representing a decline of this period. China 8 percent since the second quarter of 2015. (down 16 percent to This was slightly more than the 6 percent $506 million) and Ja- decline in U.S. exports over the same pe- pan (down 22 percent riod. The strong U.S. dollar continued to to $240 million) large- impact the competitiveness of, and demand ly contributed to this for, U.S. exports. trend. •Minnesota dropped to the 23rd-largest •Minnesota ex- Gov’t & Politics, pp.14-15 exporting state. State exports grew by 5 ports to North Amer- percent or more to three of the state’s top ica dropped 4 percent In This Issue 10 country markets, as well as to some (down $61 million) to additional smaller markets. $1.7 billion. Strong Decline 0% Growth MN: -8% Arts & Culture 6, 8, 12, 16 •Minnesota manufactured exports fell demand in Mexico (up U.S.: -6% Book review 11 about 9 percent to $4.5 billion in the second 5 percent) helped offset Business & Economics 1,4, 10 quarter of 2016, compared with a 6 percent weaker sales to Canada in Asia, South and Central America, and Community 1, 6, 9, 16 decline nationally. (down 8 percent). North America. Education 11 Encouraging gains in Africa, •Minnesota exports to Europe dropped Growth in cereals, chemicals, Events 16 despite significant declines to 8 percent to $1.1 billion. Exports to the metal products, despite other regions European Union (EU) accounted for about Food 7 •Minnesota sales performed the stron- 92 percent of these sales. EU sales declined widespread Decline Government & Politics 14 –15 gest in Africa (up 32 percent to $43 mil- 4 percent, with mixed trends across major Between the second quarters of 2015 History 5 lion). Gains were strongest to Ethiopia (up markets. Sales to markets outside the EU and 2016, exports of the top 10 product Letters to the Editor 2 2,553 percent to $8 million, from $312,000 fell 37 percent to $94 million, driven by the groups all declined. However some bright News 3 – 4 last year) and Morocco (up 148 percent to Ukraine (down 90 percent to $4 million, spots included cereals; chemicals and Pronouncements 2 $5 million). Wheat and vegetables drove primarily due to decreased machinery chemical products; some metal products, growth to Ethiopia, while food by-products sales). Science & Technology 13 fueled growth to Morocco. The state’s larg- •Nationally, exports increased 4 percent mineral fuel and oil products; and prepared Society 10 est African market is South Africa (ranked to non-EU markets but decreased to other meat, fish and seafood products. 40th, down 5 percent to $11 million). regions, with the largest declines to markets continued on page 4 PAGE 2 / Nov-Dec 2016 pronouncements chinainsight.info Publisher’s Pronouncements ChinaInsight Greetings, Publisher: As we enter the holiday season, China Day. This is the day we honor our military in January and invite you to submit any Gregory J. Hugh Insight wish to convey our best wishes for veterans and let them know that their service events or announcements you wish to [email protected] a great Thanksgiving holiday as we prepare to our country is deeply appreciated; so be publicize by Dec. to accommodate the for winter, the most challenging of seasons sure to let our folks in the military know holidays. This is especially important for for all of us residing in Minnesota. that we appreciate the sacrifices they make all organizations planning Chinese New Manager of Operations/ Unless you’ve been living in a cave for to keep our country free, which of course Year celebrations. Circulation: the past six months, you know Election Day include your right to vote in a completely As always, thank you for your continued Richard He will be Nov. 8, and while for many, it is a day democratic election. support of China Insight. Please feel free to [email protected] we all get to exercise our democratic right As noted on page one, the Chinese to complete and return the reader survey (p. to vote in a national presidential election, Consul General Hong Lei from Chicago 7) to let us know what you enjoyed reading many others will be happy it will be over recently visited the Twin Cities. His visit is and what other topics you would like us to Staff Writers: soon. According to all historic records, one of many he is planning since he hopes cover, or if there are any other ways we can Greg Hugh this presidential campaign has been one of to visit all nine states covered by his office better serve the community. [email protected] the most contentious and bitter campaigns within 90 days. Sincerely, in the history of the U.S. it should not deter Please note that this edition of China Elaine Dunn you from voting. This issue contains many Insight is a combined issue for November- Gregory J. Hugh [email protected] articles about how the U.S. election is December and that there will not be a perceived and covered by Americans and separate edition published for December. Chinese alike in Hong Kong and China. Thus, in addition to our best wishes for In addition to Thanksgiving, we also a great Thanksgiving holiday, all of us at President – CEO Contributors: celebrate Veterans Day on November 11. China Insight wish you a joyous, prosperous China Insight, Inc. Nicholas Gordon In other parts of the world, this day may be and healthy holiday season. [email protected] celebrated as Armistice or Remembrance We will resume our publishing schedule Patrick Welsh Letters to the Editor [email protected] Anyone but Clinton “Hillary is a woman. It’s a huge stride.” (Asian Americans fastest growing electorate, October China Insight) Really? Is that why HRC deserves women’s votes? What a crying shame if Asian American women such as Avanti Gupta waste their votes on someone because she’s “a woman,” someone, in this case, who totally lacks a moral compass, sincerity and ethics. I, too, am an Asian American woman and I strongly hope everyone will consider the immensely important Supreme Court justices Production Editor: the next president gets to appoint. Can you trust a (proven) power-hungry liar who risks our national security and destroys government Teresa Khamlusa documents after they had been subpoenaed, showing complete disregard for the law of the land, to that task? I don’t think so. [email protected] Call me deplorable, but I’m not stupid! Anyone But Clinton. Thanks to China Insight for covering a wide range of topics! Honorary: Jennifer Nordin, Editor Emertus Anne K [email protected] Minneapolis, MN

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Editor, ChinaInsight 750 Mainstreet, #230 Hopkins, MN 55343 Tel: 612-723-4872 Insight [email protected] ChinaInsight Letters to the editor become the property SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM Guaranteed of ChinaInsight and may be edited for length and published. Articles will not be 10 issues - $24 for a domestic subscription and $40 for published without the express consent of international. YES you could run to the the author. Please make check payable to ChinaInsight, 750 Mainstreet, store and pick up a copy, but did you know you can have NOTICE TO READERS: The views #230 Hopkins, MN 55343 expressed in articles are the author’s and Name______ChinaInsight delivered not neccesarily those of ChinaInsight. Address______directly to your mailbox? Authors may have a business relationship A subscription costs a mere with the companies or businesses they City/State/Zip______$24 and brings a full year (10 discuss. Phone______issues) of new understanding Email______about today’s China, Company______from language to business Title______opportunities. Copyright 2016 ChinaInsight, Inc. All Rights Reserved. chinainsight.info news Nov-Dec 2016 / PAGE 3 Bumping China along Briefs Two men in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, were captured on camera going down the street in a pair of bumper cars in mid-October. Authorities said the pair observed all traffic rules though their action is “very dangerous.” No word on how or spotted taking a pair of bumper cars out for where they got the bumper cars! Oddly a joyride around town. enough, they’re not the first. In 2013, four “My childhood dream come true!” workers at a Shanghai amusement park were commented one web user. ♦

New reality TV # # 1 # 8 6 A new eight- confessed their 3 part series, “Al- crimes on cam- # By the numbers # Thick ankles ways on the Road,” era, some even 10 4 # # 2 So iPhone sales are down in China, debuted in China. broke down and 7 but it was business as usual at customs. The show “stars” cried. One polit- China’s new form of The first day the iPhone 7 went on sale some of China’s ical science pro- entertainment in Hong Kong, customs in its border city worst public offi- fessor equated Better smartphones, faster connectivity of Shenzhen netted 60 smugglers trying cials. CCTV and the series with and willingness among the younger folks to sneak 400 new ones into the mainland. the Communist public humilia- to share personal lives online have made Shenzhen customs estimates the Party’s Commis- tion of during the livestreaming (zhibo, 直播), or broadcasting value of the seized phones on day 1 at sion for Discipline Cultural Revo- an event live, a growing trend in China. Lives- approximately USD450,000. The phones Inspection created lution treaming in China is more like a video selfie. will be put up for public auction with the the show to expose details of the corrup- The last episode will air just before Most of these amateur “broadcasters” stream proceeds going into the state treasury. tion scandals uncovered by President Xi the Central Committee’s four-day plenary several hours a day and generate financial Jinping’s anti-graft crackdown. “Stars” session begins. ♦ payoffs from viewers’ tips and sponsorships. Enhanced corporate culture Content range from playing video games — Female staff at a brewery machine viewers watch the streamer’s on-screen action company in Beijing are required to kiss — to English instruction; but the majority are their boss each morning to “enhance young women flirting, singing or dancing, corporate culture!” More than half of Hot water for good which is a big draw for Chinese men. And the staff refused initially, but all gave in viewers can tip the streamers with virtual eventually because it was that or no job! presents by buying tokens from the apps. Two women did resign. service 46 percent of China’s internet users used The boss’ rationale for the daily ritual a livestreaming app in June 2016. was because he had witnessed the kissing What would you do if a top-tier 100,000 views at a time are generated on his foreign travels and he thought it customer asks you for assistance? You by the most popular streams on average. cultivated a fish-and-water-like bonding. comply, right? For one poor Cathay Pacific 3 most popular Chinese livestreaming Hmmm … care to comment, Hillary? ground crew, it landed him in hot water! apps are Douyu, YY and Ingkee. The customer could not clear 120 million active monthly users for the Poop chute cream Taiwanese customs with his 20 live hairy Douyu app. Douyu Internet Technology What?? Yep, a Chinese-produced crabs bought in Hong Kong. He found was a website started in 2014 for gamers. ointment one applies to one’s derriere the Cathay Pacific worker who asked an In 2015, it added livestreaming. to mask any bad odor was one of six airport restaurant to cook the crabs up. 50 million users have downloaded the In- products touted as “Chinese products with The passenger got his box of cooked gkee mobile app, which launched in 2015. worldwide reputation” by the Chinese crabs through customs, but when fellow 900,000 registered users regularly stream media. The Musk Hemorrhoid Ointment passengers leaked the story, the poor CP using YY, which was started in 2008 as Cream garnered a five-star rating among worker ended up facing disciplinary an online gamers platform to talk strategy 20 reviewers. One comment stated, “This action. Life’s not fair. ♦ in real time [poop-chute cream] is fantastic! It is 5 billion USD is the projected Chinese extremely cooling, it’s like applying rose- personal livestreaming market in 2017 by colored ice cream to your bum.” Huh? Credit Suisse in September 2016. 39 million people watched China’s Cool palm greaser mobile maker Xiaomi’s promotional Tiger Balm, the ubiquitous Meet up at livestreaming of its phablet’s battery life, mentholated ointment in the little red which lasted and streamed continuously round tin Chinese had used to quell aches for 19 hours. and pain for decades, is widely used IKEA 5 million viewers watched a lobster-cook- in lieu of cash tips by Chinese visiting ing competition hosted by a Beijing com- Egypt. Travel agents tell Chinese tourists pany during a national holiday. to Egypt to bring dozens of tins of Tiger Apparently, the Shanghai IKEA 50/50 is how Douyu split token sales Balm to hand out to tour guides, service store cafeteria is a hot meetup spot with streamers. Ingkee declined to reveal staff and customs officials. for seniors. Twice a week, the old its terms. The Wall Street Journal believes the folks show up to relax, gossip and 1 yuan buys 10 tokens on Ingkee. A trend started with Chinese diplomatic find love, consuming huge amounts bunch of virtual flowers costs 1 token, a missions of the 1980s as gifts for friends. of coffee – free to those with family hug costs 5 and 13, 140 tokens will buy Some Egyptians use it to ward off memberships, and hogging up tables a virtual yacht. headaches (as do the Chinese) by rubbing for paying customers On Oct. 5, the 500 and 300 employees monitor content it on their temples or as a “cooling balm.“ seniors were told they had to buy at Ingkee and Douyu respectively since Many give it away to friends and families. something or they cannot occupy a the Ministry of Culture is cracking down table. Hmmm … will the enterprising on “pornographic, low-taste and inap- seniors just bring their free coffees to propriate information” content on sites. the sofa and bed sections? ♦ PAGE 4 / Nov-Dec 2016 news chinainsight.info People mountain people sea WWTT? What’s that on their T-shirts?? (Answer on p. 15)

and oceans of people head toward top attractions such as the Forbidden City in Beijing, which sold 20,000 tickets within two hours on Sunday (Oct. 2), or 166 tickets a minute; Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum in Nanjing and Huashan in Shaanxi Province, where 500 people became stuck on overnight after heavy winds forced a cable car to China’s Golden Week always begins on stop operating. Oct. 1, China’s National Day, the day that There were 55,000 cases of speeding celebrates the Communists founding of the violations, 1,100 cases of drunken driving People’s Republic in 1949. In 2016, hordes and 3,100 cases of the illegal use of emer- of travelers will again take to the highways, gency lanes. the rails and the air. The basis for many overseas family On the first day of the holiday week, vacations are children-focused. Visits to 960,000 people, a 6.4 percent increase over well-known universities where their chil- 2015, took to the skies. Train travel also saw dren are studying or where they plan to send a 15 percent increase over the previous year, their children to study when the children totaling 14.4 train passengers and requiring graduate secondary school. Of course, there 500 additional trains to be put into service. also are the trips strictly for sightseeing and Miles-long traffic jams on highways shopping. ♦

Business & Economics Minnesota quarterly export statistics continued from page 1

Figure 2. Growth to Three Markets in Top 10, Despite Overall Decline in Second Quarter 2016 mineral fuel and oil products (up 42 percent to $30 million) consisted of petroleum- based products and petroleum gas products. Canada drove much of the growth. • Prepared meat, fish and seafood products sales were up 36 percent to $27 million, driven by pork-related products (up 58 percent to $18 million). Top markets were Canada, the Philippines and Japan. • Exports of optic/medical products decreased 11 percent as sales fell sharply to Japan, Belgium, Canada, Brazil and Taiwan. In contrast, sales increased to Singapore (up 51 percent to $37 million), the Netherlands (up 31 percent to $39 million) and Ireland (up 15 percent to $67 million). • Exports of cereals product groups grew strongly, such as of Figure 3. Minnesota Exports of Chemical Products • Exports of machinery fell 18 percent, (up 58 percent organic chemicals (up 28 percent to $39 with the largest declines to China, to $79 million) million, with strong growth including to Mexico and Canada. Affected products jumped as sales of Singapore, Germany and South Korea); included machinery for working with corn surged 121 miscellaneous chemical products (up 25 plastics, centrifuges/filters and computer percent to $65 percent to $61 million, with strong growth components. million including to China, Mexico, and Japan); • Market performances for electrical –about half of and fertilizers (up 30 percent to $27 million, equipment were mixed. Strong gains to which was sold to with strong growth mainly to Canada, the Germany and South Korea countered large Mexico (up to $32 dominant market). declines to Canada and the Philippines. million, from less • Sales of base metal products (up 48 percent Strength in electric generators and signaling than $1 million last to $33 million) were driven by Mexico and products offset weakness in integrated year). its demand for mounting hardware and circuits and telecommunications products. ♦ Exports from fixtures. various chemical • About two-thirds of the state’s sales of Figure 4. Decreased Exports in All Top 10 Product Groups in Second Quarter 2016 Minnesota Quarterly Export Statistics is the most current resource available for tracking the state’s manufactured export trends and is prepared for the Minnesota Trade Office (MTO) by the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) Eco- nomic Analysis Unit (Thu-Mai Ho-Kim). The quarterly and annual statistics reports primarily cover export data based on the Harmonized Tariff System (Schedule B), collected by the U.S. Department of Com- merce (USDOC) and distributed by IHS Maritime & Trade. Reports are available on DEED’s website at “Export and Trade Statis- tics” (http://mn.gov/deed/data/export-stats/). chinainsight.info history Nov-Dec 2016 / PAGE 5 China’s warlords, part II By Pat Welsh, contributor

southern coastal province of Guangdong. unsuccessfully led his forces south into Duan was also weakened by the outbreak Zhili and clashed with Wu’s forces. Routed, of the May 4 Movement, which reduced Zhang retreated to Manchuria and promptly his support from the Northern Chinese declared Manchuria’s three northeastern merchant and intellectual classes. provinces independent from Beijing. In August, Duan unveiled a plan to In June 1922, Li Yuanhong (黎元洪), “hold” Hunan with 45,000 men. These who was made president after Yuan Shikai’s men were to seize Guangzhou a few weeks death in 1916, once again assumed the thereafter. Unfortunately, Duan could not presidency in Beijing. Here, however, we acquire enough military support for this from enter a confusing era when the northern the various northern warlords. At this time, warlord generals betray each other. the powerful central plains warlord, Wu Peifu (吳佩孚), the pro-Zhili commander of the Beiyang Army’s 6th brigade in Hunan, concluded a personal ceasefire with the Hunan commanders. Wu then sent out a telegram condemning the war and Duan’s plan to unify China through military force. The Zhili Group leaders Marshal Cao Kun (曹錕) and President Feng sided with Wu. southwest and prevent further intrusions in In December 1919, two months after his his Hunan. term of presidency ended, President Feng Tan had also aroused opposition to Duan died and was replaced by Xu Shichang ( by promoting the idea that Hunanese should 徐世昌). Duan engineered Xu’s election Zhang Zuolin rule Hunan. Duan countered this by sending as president because he was a civilian and another Hunanese, Fu Liangzuo (傅良佐) yet he had close ties to the Beiyang Army. to serve as the military governor with Tan Moreover, Xu was neutral to both its Zhili In September 1922, Zhang attempted acting only as a civilian governor. and Anhui cliques. Lacking any military to feel out Sun Yatsen’s thoughts toward a Although Tan chose not to formally power of his own, he had to play Duan, Zhili proposed joint venture to wipe out Wu and oppose Fu, he did appeal to the Guangxi leader Cao , and the Fengtian Manchurian his Zhili armies. At the same time, Zhang warlord Lu Rongting (陸榮廷) for warlord leader Zhang Zuolin against each spent one million yuan on the purchase assistance. Lu thereupon appealed to other to stay in power. of military equipment and the services of Beijing by suggesting that to avoid a civil In March 1920, Zhang came with Japanese engineers for building arsenals war, that Hunan be considered as a neutral a trainload of troops into Beijing in an for his forces. Feng Guozhang zone. unsuccessful attempt to negotiate peace In September 1923, the Zhili commander, The Beiyang Army (北洋軍) in the north At this time the Yunnan warlord Tang between the Anfu and Zhili Cliques. He Marshal Cao bribed Parliament in Beijing had split into three factions: the pro-war feeling threatened by Duan’s ambitions, returned to Shenyang stating that in the to force President Li to resign. Then in Anfu Group (安福俱樂部) headed by Duan suggested sending Yunnanese troops future he would mediate with military October, Cao had himself elected as the new Qirui (段祺瑞), the pro-peace Zhili Clique to aid Tan in Hunan. His neighboring force. Premier Duan responded by forcing president. In 1924, Cao made an agreement (直隸系軍閥) headed by President Feng warlord, Lu in Guangxi, agreed and allowed President Xu to dismiss the Zhili Group with and the Zhili Christian warlord General 馮玉祥 Guozhang (馮國璋) and the Fengtian Group Tang’s armies passage. Unfortunately, the leader Cao and Zhang Zuolin from their Feng Yuxiang ( ) to attack and destroy (奉系軍閥 Fēngxì Jūnfá) in Manchuria Yunnanese troops could not reach Hunan in posts. Both kept their armies. Zhang Zhang’s forces in Manchuria in what was to headed by Zhang Zuolin (張作霖). time to resist Fu’s army. retreated to Manchuria to fight another day. be called “The Second Zhili-Fengtian War.” In March 1918, the feuding Northern On July 10, 1920, Duan ordered a After Wu’s forces moved north, Feng warlords, politicians and military counter-attack against Zhang’s Fengtian pretended to follow and reinforce Wu; but commanders seemed to settle their forces in Manchuria. Zhang’s forces then at the last moment, Feng turned back and differences. Duan was once again invited allied themselves with Wu of the Zhili occupied Beijing. Wu now found himself to resume the premiership and assume the Clique against Duan. On July 14, contact trapped between Feng’s forces in Beijing office of Minister of War by the Anfu Group between the forces broke out. The result was and Zhang Zuolin’s army in Manchuria. military leaders. After Duan’s resumption a severe defeat of Duan’s armies followed Wu fled north and Feng deposed President of office, President Feng, the founder of the by the surrender of the Beijing garrison’s Cao. Once again, Duan Qirui was persuaded rival Zhili Group was compelled to swear northern and southern barracks on July to come out of retirement and assume the loyalty to his former rival Duan, and return 23 and 24. This forced Duan to resign post of “provisional chief executive.” This military command to Duan that had been the premiership once again and flee to the arrangement lasted until April 1926. taken from him earlier. The Anfu Group Japanese consulate in Tianjin. Now Zhang Feng Yuxiang revolted again. This time leaders then demanded Duan secure more and Wu’s militaries occupied Beijing. it was against the Zhang Zuolin’s Fengtian provisions and munitions as their shortage A joint Manchurian-Zhili government clique. Feng then deposed Duan and forced formed on August 13. Fearing Japanese him to flee to Zhang for protection. Zhang, seriously hampered their progress in Hunan. Wu PeiFu By convening a large military conference reprisals, Zhang received Japanese journalists tired of Duan’s double-dealings, refused in Wuhan, Duan had hoped to reconcile the Forced to welcome Fu’s troops, the in Tianjin to explain his opposition to Duan to restore him after recapturing Beijing. Anfu and Zhili groups. This effort misfired. Hunan warlord Tan made it clear that he and pledged “mutual collaboration” with Duan then exiled himself to Tianjin. He Other than the Anfu faction, no one wanted would not be willing to serve as a civilian Japan and an improvement in Sino-Japanese later moved to Shanghai where he died on war. Four of the main commanders failed governor without military power. Many relations. A new Beijing government under Nov. 2, 1936. Zhang himself would fall to 靳雲鵬 to show up claiming they had too many lower-ranking officials loyal to Tan resigned, Premier Jin Yunpeng ( ) made Zhang Japanese assassins in 1928. military affairs to attend. Moreover, the as did Tan himself. Trying to avoid Tan’s commissioner for Suiyuan, Chahar and In July 1925, the National Government 國民黨 pro-peace and pro-Zhili President Feng disloyalty, Fu hosted a series of lavish Rehe. of the Kuomintang ( ) was formed forwarded to Duan telegrams from all over banquets to see the retiring officers off. In March 1922, Zhang turned against and in July of the following year saw China opposing the war in Hunan. Nonetheless, before long, Tan declared Wu,, his former ally, and convened a the very beginnings of Chaing Kaishek’s Hunan was seen by Duan as the point his autonomy in southern Hunan. This conference of his senior commanders in Northern Expedition, the topic of my next from which the rebellious southern and obstinacy could not be tolerated by Duan Shenyang, Manchuria. In April, Zhang offering.♦ southwestern provinces could be overcome. and the pro-war Anfu Group. About Pat Welsh Yet Hunan was an uncooperative province. In May, five Northern brigade In 2009 while teaching English at Sichuan University, Welsh was asked to give a Its dujun (督軍), military governor, Tan commanders demanded a ceasefire in speech where he was introduced to the audience as a “pioneer of Chinese American Yankai (譚延闓) had sympathy from and Hunan and conducted a slowdown of their relations” as a result of his cooperative work in international banking during the connections with the Yunnan warlord Tang operations. Duan tried but failed to entice Deng Xiaoping era. For more than 65 years, Welsh has been learning Chinese Jiyao (唐繼堯) to his southwest. Tan had the southern Chinese armies to join up with and has used this knowledge both professionally and personally to enhance his opposed Duan’s financial ties to Japan and his northern armies. The Northerners had understanding of Chinese and Asian affairs. He currently resides in Georgia and his plans for unifying China by military also attempted an invasion of the coastal occasionally lectures on China to classes in World History and World Literature. means. He had also been trying to get the province of Fujian, which had been beaten Chinese navy to come to the aid of the back by troops from the neighboring PAGE 6 / Nov-Dec 2016 community chinainsight.info Twin Cities’ Chinese community held civic engagement seminar By Elaine Dunn judicial powers, checks and balances, independent judiciary and representa- tive democracy. Also presented in a non-partisan way were the different views of the Democratic and the Republican platforms’ key issues: economics, abortion, gun control, gay marriage, military spending, energy, the death penalty and immigration. The audience, approximately 30 percent were students, showed intel- lectual curiosity about the topics of law and separation of powers rather than ideological differences of the two parties. There also were typical ques- tions representing concerns of first n Chinese immigrants: transgender bathroom; violence against Chinese small-business owners; affirmative action (which presumably will hurt Chinese students with strong academ- ic background in California. Wang stressed that the audience should look at all these issues from both sides and watch analyses from both left- and right-leaning media such as MSNBC and Fox News. In addition, Wang mentioned the impor- tance of reading the Constitution and learning about U.S. history, the civil rights movement in particular, to un- According to the Pew Research Center, there derstand where “political correctness” are approximately four million Chinese (includ- came from. ing Taiwanese) in the U.S. as of 2011. A report When China Insight asked Wang what stood from the Council of Asian Pacific Minnesotans out for him about the event, he said, “About gun (based on U.S. Census Bureau 2010 statistics) Arts & Culture control, I was shocked to learn one audience indicate that Chinese in Minnesota grew from member had not heard of the National Rifle As- 16,060 in 2000 to 24,643 in 2010, with 13.5 sociation. I told him to do some research on the “Ink Unbound: percent and 7.6 percent of the Asian populations organization. That same person also expressed in Hennepin and Ramsey counties being Chinese. an interest in observing/monitoring the voting. On Oct. 15, Peking University Alumni I suggested he read up on Minnesota election Paintings by Liu Association – Minnesota (PKUAA-MN) and laws and call the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Tsinghua University Alumni Association - office to ask about volunteering on election day.” Minnesota (TAA-MN) held a joint seminar on Wang wrapped up his presentation by log- Dan” at Minneapolis civic engagement and the 2016 election at the ging on to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Ramsey County Library. Board members from multilingual website on election and voting, two alumni-associations attended the seminar, which includes a Chinese version; and showed Institute of Art along with an audience from the local Chinese the audience how to register to vote and research community. Chang Wang, a PKU alumnus and the candidates. a regular contributor to China Insight, delivered He encouraged the Chinese community to the keynote speech in Mandarin. participate in the political process by learning 北京大学 Peking University ( ) and Tsing- to understand the history and complexities of the 清华大学 hua University ( ) are two of the most political issues, engaging in public service, voic- prestigious universities in China. More than ing their concerns through appropriate channels, 200 alumni from both universities work and live and developing meaningful dialogs with other in the Twin Cities. In addition, there are more communities. “If you do not participate, you than 3,000 Chinese students and scholars cur- do not exist in the political world.” Wang con- rently studying at the University of Minnesota, cluded, “If you do not vote, you do not matter.”♦ making the University of Minnesota the largest Chinese-student community in the United States. A significant portion of the Chinese student body at the U of M is graduates of Peking University and Tsinghua University. Wang is chief researcher at Thomson Reuters, an attorney, and a member of Civic Engagement Steering Committee of the State of Minnesota, Reimagining the Lystra Scene, 2016 which is responsible for developing best practices Ink on paper to ensure cabinet-level administrative agencies 118 1/8 × 78 3/4 in. (300 × 200 cm) make an effort to communicate with historically Collection of Minneapolis Institute of Art disenfranchised communities. Under the lead- ership of Commissioner Kevin Lindsey, Deputy Liu Dan, born 1954, is one of China’s with the 2,000-year-old heritage of Chinese Commissioner Rowzat Shipchandler and Civic most renowned living artists, translating painting. Artistic traditions become a point Engagement Director Nick Kor of Minnesota his fastidious observations of the world of departure as Liu resists schematized brush Department of Human Rights, the Civic En- around him into ink through fresh ideas techniques and stagnant notions of great art gagement Committee crafted Minnesota’s Civic about composition and original brushstroke in favor of a new visual language all his own. Engagement Plan 2016, as a government effort techniques. This expansive selection of his “Ink Unbound” captures Liu’s remarkable to facilitate meaningful dialog with all members of the public in its work and in the development recent paintings — meticulous and unex- contributions to contemporary Chinese ink of policy. The Civic Engagement Committee pected landscapes, rocks, and still-lifes — painting while also offering a contemplative is part of Governor Mark Dayton’s Diversity of showcase both his technical virtuosity and experience for all viewers. The exhibit will Inclusion Council. unrestrained imagination. be on until Jan. 29, 2017, at the Minneapolis Starting with an overview of the United Uniquely classical yet refreshingly Institute of Art, 2400 Third Avenue South, States Constitution, Wang detailed the guiding contemporary, Liu’s paintings blend his Minneapolis. ♦ principles of the U.S. government: the rule of deep appreciation of the Western art canon law, separation of legislative, executive and chinainsight.info food Nov-Dec 2016 / PAGE 7 (Free) Food and the Chinese By Elaine Dunn

There was a joke where I used to work: make food takers complete a form before meals to its 50“most attractive” diners daily. pot restaurant in Jinan, Shandong Province. How do you get staff to attend an unpopular leaving with food. Other locations are Diners who want to eat for free are taken Women wearing skirts or dresses revealing meeting or presentation? Provide free food! devising “management” strategies. to a “beauty identification area” to have It appears free food is not a joke in Coupons for free buffet their faces scanned and their eyes, noses, China. The Chinese take it very seriously. To help residents celebrate China’s mouths and foreheads evaluated by a panel Charitable “sharing fridge” not recent National Day, a buffet restaurant in of cosmetic surgeons trying to promote their shared Anhui Province handed out coupons for free services at the restaurant. “Do the ugly have to pay twice?” wondered a Weibo user. Are you fat / thin enough? 2015 seem to be the year of fat promotions. A string of restaurants in

meals. Security guards at the entrance of the restaurant had a hard time preventing deadly a modest 3 inches are only given 20 percent stampedes by the crowd waiting to get in. off their meals. Once in, plates were piled high with the How low can you go? freebies. Unfortunately, the saying “Eyes bigger than stomach” rang true. Photos on Chongqing started offering discounts to In early October, a new community social media showed many plates with a overweight male diners or slim females on kitchen with a refrigerator stocked with large amount of uneaten food, generating the condition they get weighed in full view food meant for needy hungry folks opened comments such as: “The quality must not of other restaurant customers. Men who in Shanghai’s Putuo District. However, not be good!” Ingrates! weighed more than 308 pounds and women all in line looked “needy.” And once the Are you attractive enough? who weighed under 77 pounds qualify. community kitchen doors opened, families In 2015, a Korean restaurant in Henan After complaints of sexism, the restaurant scrambled inside to grab what they could. Province ran a promotion offering free changed the female criteria to rewarding A retiree was stopped for trying to take all overweight women as well. the food in shopping bags. “’Fat can be a sensitive topic and fat Local media, reported on Oct. 13 that people might feel depressed sometimes, so Chinese tourists aren’t known for their 30 food boxes donated by a restaurant were we are helping them have interaction with manners abroad. A video went viral last gone within 10 minutes, and sometimes, their friends and be a happy fat person,” said year showing a group of them “jostling taken by a single person! Food placed in a the restaurant owner. each other” at a hotel buffet in Chiang similar fridge meant for seniors in another How high can you go? Mai, Thailand, shoveling their plates into part of town was taken by people from Another weird restaurant promotion: the shrimp. It showed them walking away outside the neighborhood. Women customers whose skirts or dresses with plates overflowing with shrimp and To prevent greedy “snatchers,” the Putuo are 12 inches above their knees get a 90 then leaving much uneaten. For shame, kitchen has placed volunteer guards who percent discount off their food bills at a hot for shame. ♦ FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS Getting to know you … Who are you? What articles do you enjoy reading? China Insight would like to ensure our contents match your interests. Please take a few minutes to complete this poll so we can update out reader demographics. For your trouble, the first 10 respondents each month will receive a free annual subscription to China Insight. Winners will be notified by email.

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China Highlights

Christmas in Beijing Beijing Playhouse is one of the biggest Christmas in Beijing is celebrated with holiday players with a Christmas themed keen interest by some of Beijing’s younger play every year. generation. Usually it is celebrated as a The Bookworm features readings and happy occasion for social get-togethers live music in the evening that link China and giving presents. However, most people to Christmas like never seen before for a work on Christmas day unless it happens to cultural event. It held a Christmas-themed fall on a weekend. Christmas in Beijing is flea market on last year where presents could mainly commercial; it is a busy shopping be bought. time Some of the major hotels have special Christmas dinners, and people can also be reminded of the original meaning of Christ- mas at churches in Beijing. Best Christmas shopping markets Christmas time and the New Year, is considered the peak season for shopping, Digital display in Hong Kong and not just in the West. During Christmas Christmas is not a public holiday in What the Chinese do at Christmas and New Year, most department stores and China because China doesn’t have much Most Chinese people who celebrate shopping malls will launch promotions and Christian cultural influence, and most Chi- Christmas do so as a happy occasion for prolong business hours. Be prepared for large crowds in public places and remember nese people are not Christian (only 1 percent get-togethers of friends, relatives, and The Bird’s Nest at Christmas time officially), though it is a public holiday in couples, without any religious attachment. to keep your belongings in a safe place. Macau and Hong Kong. The Christians generally celebrate Christmas trees and ornaments shop- For more active Christmas days for the However, along the coast and in the Christmas religiously, sometimes more so ping: Before Christmas, Christmas trees are entire family, check out the Bird’s Nest (the big internationally influenced cities, it has than in the West. Most Chinese people don’t usually available at flower markets. Christ- national stadium built for the 2008 Olym- been a big commercial success and a newly realize that Christmas celebrates the birth of mas ornaments can be found in small goods pics), which hosts the Ice and Snow Festival adopted festive tradition. The holiday has Jesus Christ or attach a religious significance markets and some large supermarkets. And annually. This is a long-term event that runs been steadily gaining popularity in recent to the festivities. it is worth checking out these markets, too: from Mid-December until Mid-February, years, though there are regional differenc- The secular Chinese Beijing Lai Tai Flower Trade Center with ice-skating and themed winter fun for es and most families hardly celebrate the The commercial Christmas has become 萊太花卉 It is the largest flower market in all ages. holiday at all. a major annual event in the major cities in Northern China, offering wholesale, retail There are also a bunch of Christmas How to say “Merry Christmas” in China. On the streets and in department services and flower auctions. The market bazaars every year: Chinese stores, there are Christmas trees, lights and offers Christmas trees of every size and The bazaar at the German Embassy 聖誕快樂 Shèngdàn kuàilè /shnng-dan decorations. You’ll hear Christmas music ornaments for customers to choose from. is extremely popular with foreigners living kwhy-ler/ ‘Holy-birth happy’ playing from the end of November. Christ- Tianyi Small Goods Wholesale in Beijing as well as locals. If you plan to Mainland China — Christmas only mas carols can be heard over the noise of the Market 天意小商品批发市場 Opened go to this Christmas market, do make sure celebrated in big cities crowds shopping for the Christmas season in 1992, Tianyi is the largest small goods that you bring your passport for security pur- In the Mainland, in recent years, Christ- sales and promotions. A Chinese “Father wholesale market in Beijing. Retail markets poses as the market is on embassy grounds, mas has become more and more popular Christmas” ( 聖誕老人 Shèngdàn Lǎorén are also available. Its commodities include and get there early as tickets sell out fast and is celebrated with interest in large /shnng-dan laoww-rnn/) helps to make the clothing, daily necessities, kitchen ware, and (RMB 100 per voucher, including discount cities where a large number of expats live, scene complete. stationery. Before Christmas, the market is vouchers to be used inside the market). and Western influence in greater. These You’ll see many of the same decorations swarming with customers who go shopping There is also the Hutong Winter Fayre cities are generally along or near China’s up: Christmas wreaths, Merry Christmas for Christmas trees, ornaments and other is also popular with visitors and foreigners east coast. There are more Christians there banners, colorful lights, and the same sorts seasonal buys. living in Beijing. All of these will have the (perhaps 5 percent in some areas). of ornaments. Most of these decorations produce to make your Christmas atmospher- However, in smaller cities and country- bought in the West are made in China ic while away from home. side areas in China’s interior there are far anyway! Christmas choirs at churches fewer Christians and the people have had For young people, it’s a chance to get less contact with foreigners, so Christmas together with friends and have Christmas is sometimes a foreign mystery, especially parties. These might be held at a friend’s for the older generations. house, McDonald’s, karaoke cafe, restau- The further west in China the less Christ- rant, or bar. There is a festive atmosphere, mas is celebrated, with the exception of big and people enjoy the decorations and un- cities like Chengdu and Chongqing. In the usual music. far west where a lot of Muslims and more The Christian Chinese Christmas devout Buddhists live, such as in Xinjiang Many of China’s Christians celebrate and Tibet, Christmas is publicly celebrated Christmas as the top event of the year, out- Colorful beads at Tinayi Small goods very little. ranking even Chinese New Year, preparing Wholesale Market Wangfujing Church In Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan songs and activities weeks before. It is a two-day public holiday in Hong Christians in China celebrate by going to Tianyi Market 天意市場 With a There are 11 churches in Beijing, among Kong and Macau, due to the British and special church services, which are typically similar name, this market, which sports which six are Catholic and five are Protes- Portuguese influence. packed to capacity. On Christmas Eve, there seasonal decorations year-round and has tant. There are activities, mostly choirs, on In Hong Kong, Christmas Day (Dec. are choral performances, and the congrega- been nicknamed “Christmas Market” by both Christmas Eve and Christmas. Christ- 25) and Boxing Day (Dec. 26) are both tion puts on dance and drama performances. expats living in Beijing, also offers plenty mas choirs usually start at 7 p.m. and last for official public holidays. Banks are closed It is called ‘Peaceful Evening’ (Ping’an Ye of knick-knacks and small gifts whether it 2 or 3 hours. It is advisable that you call the on these days. Boxing Day is a British 平安夜 from the translation of the carol be for Christmas or as souvenirs. Every church in advance for more details. Below tradition. It is a day for shopping for af- “Silent Night”). floor has something different: electronics, is a list of churches in Beijing. ter-holiday sales and for employers to give An unusual apple eating tradition has nail polish and make up, clothes, house Christmas in Shanghai gifts to employees. evolved in the country. The word apple ( accessories, and lots of stationary. Located Shanghai is a center for world trade and In Macau, Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) and 苹果 píngguǒ /ping-gwor/) sounds like the close to Houhai. a place where East meets West. In a modern, Christmas Day are official public holidays. word “peace” in Mandarin, so people eat Top Christmas events highly-developed city, smart shopkeepers Both days and Dec. 26 as well are bank apples. Hoping to capitalize on the holiday spir- don’t lose any opportunity to sell their holidays. Carol singing in the streets is rarely seen, it, retailers and communities alike decorate products. Most shops in the downtown area In Taiwan, Christmas is generally cel- though it’s popular in Christian’s houses, the city in their Christmas best and lure decorate their shops to attract visitors in the ebrated more than in Mainland China, but where the karaoke machine, ever popular you in with Christmas concerts, music and holiday period. less than in HK and Macau. in China, may be employed. countless other events. continued on page 12 chinainsight.info community Nov-Dec 2016 / PAGE 9 Chinese Consul General Hong Lei’s first visit continued from page 1 BLACKJACK! It had not only opened up a new page He noted, “We’re not going to confront in the history of China-U.S. relations, but anybody, nor do we have any intention to also carried far-reaching impact on the replace any country.” In Hong’s opinion, evolving international arena. “Thanks “China’s growth is good for China and good $2 TABLES TO OUR to joint efforts of successive leaders and for the U.S. in the end.” the people of both countries, China-U.S. • China and the U.S. have entered into an HIGH LIMIT ROOM relations have weathered twists and turns era of interdependence, and “nobody can and made unprecedented progress.” live without the other.” Both China and the In 1979, the annual bilateral trade U.S. are big in terms of trade, investment & EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN volume between China and the U.S. was and people-to-people exchange. “If conflict only $2.45 billion, and surged to $560 billion happens to us, both of us will lose given our in 2015. Two-way investment, which was high degree of integration,” Hong said. insignificant in the early days, exceeded • China does not promote expansionism, OPEN 24/7 $150 billion. From January to July 2016, which the consul general referenced historic Chinese investments in the U.S. grew at a and cultural factors to allay those concerns. rate of 210 percent, and U.S. investments in “We have no reason to challenge the China grew 130 percent. “Now China and international order, which is based on victory the U.S are economically integrated with over fascism, nor do we have the motive to each other.” According to IMF data, from overthrow the international system, which 2010 to 2015, China and the U.S. contribute we are fully committed to build.” an average of 67 percent to global economic • As for concern about the South China Sea growth combined, with a record high of 111 issue and other situations that have created percent in 2012. instability in those regions, the consul Throughout his talk, Hong presented general asserted historic and legal evidence many examples of what had taken place on China’s right to safeguard its territorial between China and the U.S. since 1979: integrity and sovereignty, but remains many summit meetings, government committed to peaceful resolutions of initiatives the creation of sister provinces/ disputes through dialogue and consultation RunAces.com states as well as sister cities, Today, more in accordance with international law. China than 10,000 Chinese and Americans fly over insists on promoting the negotiation on the national interests must be safeguarded,” maintain healthy and stable development the Pacific every day, compared to only a code of conduct in the South China Sea of bilateral relations.” No matter what few thousand people visiting each country and strives to reach an agreement as soon Hong said. back in 1979. as possible. China insists on maintaining “In closing, Hong commented that all problems and challenges the international It also was noted that the cooperation peace and stability in the South China Sea countries in the world are paying close community will face in the future, both between China and the U.S. was nothing like and ensuring all countries enjoy freedom attention to the U.S. presidential election. countries should strengthen cooperation what we have today in scope and intensity of navigation and over flight in accordance He hopes that whatever changes may take with each other in safeguarding world peace illustrated by current challenges. Hong noted with the international law. “These are our place in China and the U. S., both sides will and promoting human development. that in the37 years since diplomatic relations positions, which shall not change in the move forward along the path of building a Following the presentation, was a Q&A resumed, both countries have moved away future.” new model of major country relationship. session. Most of the questions were from from a state of no contact to become a • Some Americans are worried whether “No matter what kind of contradictions the the students on what they, as students from community of intertwined interests that China will squeeze the U.S. interests in the two countries will have in the future, both China, could do to help promote better now is the trend of our time, and the trend Asia-Pacific region if China grew stronger. China and the U. S. should respect each China-U.S. relations. The consul general of history dictates that both countries need “The answer is definitely no. China is a other, maintain communication, increase stated that the students are actually serving to tackle a few important issues: staunch supporter of peace and stability in credibility, dispel doubts, continuously as ambassadors from China and must do all • We need to enhance strategic trust. the Asia-Pacific Region. China’s legitimate expand consensus, resolve differences, and they could to promote the understanding of Chinese culture while learning as much as they could about the U.S. since cultural exchange between the two countries was just as important as the academic education they were receiving at the University. Following the presentation, Hong and his associates traveled to the FireLake Grill House at Mall of America (MOA) for a dinner reception hosted by the management of the Mall. The dinner was attended by guests from the Chinese community. Prior to the dinner, the MOA management announced that MOA plans to host a Chinese New Year celebration on Jan. 28, 2017, to welcome the Year of the Rooster. The all- day event will include performances and activities held throughout the Mall. ♦

Editor’s note: Hong Lei was appoint- ed as the Chinese Consul General in Chicago in July 2016 and is responsible for nine states in the Midwest: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wiscon- sin, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana and Iowa. Such appointments typically are for two years. PAGE 10 / Nov-Dec 2016 society chinainsight.info A lonely burden for only children By Luo Wangshu, China Daily Europe, Oct. 9, 2016

Many born under China’s old family time I do, it breaks my heart. I’ve wondered Li Hao has worked in Turkey as a busi- means I cannot even date a boy outside of planning policy are finding it increasingly many times if things would be better if I ness development manager since 2013. The my hometown because it would be hard to difficult to provide care for elderly parents had a sibling.” 29-year-old only child from the northern take care of my parents at the same time, Next year will be the 10th anniversary Su’s concerns are shared by many mem- port city of Tianjin enjoys life overseas. according to my mother,” she says. Even of Su Yao’s departure for the United States, bers of China’s “only-child generation”, “I enjoy the environment and the simple though Shanghai is only a three-hour drive but she is planning to return home during people born between the late 1970s and life, just work and fun times,” he says. Liv- from Yancheng, her mother has been push- the Christmas holidays. last year, many of whom live in different ing abroad means Li doesn’t have to worry ing her to return home for work. If the trip goes ahead, it will be the fourth cities, provinces and even countries to their about complicated personal relationships, “In my hometown, it’s regarded as time that Su has visited her home country parents. but every year, he spends almost his entire shameful for senior people to live in nursing in a decade. In 2007, the Ministry of Health (now the two-month vacation visiting his family at homes. My mother does not want to live in “I have many plans for the time I will National Health and Family Planning Com- home. Shanghai and I can’t afford for her to live in be at home, such as buying a new TV and mission) said there were 90 million only His mother had surgery recently, and Shanghai, especially at her ‘desired living computer, surfing the Chinese internet, in- children in China. However, Wang Guang- being overseas meant Li felt the separation standard’. She thinks it would be easy for stalling a chess game on the computer for zhou, a researcher at the Chinese Academy more keenly. her to live with me if I was in my home- my father, running bank errands with my of Social Sciences, believes the true figure “It wasn’t a serious ailment, just a minor town,” she says. mother and other things,” she says, adding is much higher, estimating that there were operation. But I was concerned because I Back in the US, Su Yao has decided to that she started writing her to-do-list two 145 million only children in 2010, and that was away from home and received very postpone making any decisions about the years ago, during her last visit to China. the number rose to 176 million last year. little information,” he says. future. Her lifestyle means she has to be As the one-child policy was introduced Eventually, Li decided to take time flexible and respond to circumstances, even in the late 1970s, the oldest members of the off work and return home to look after his though she has to determine the best course only-child generation are about to enter their mother when she was discharged from the of action for her parents and her young fam- 40s. Many are faced with the challenge of hospital. He is now considering returning to ily, especially her 2-year-old son. looking after their elderly parents, the oldest China for good, or at least spending more “I want him to attend primary school in generation of whom is now 70 and older. time working in the country “to take better China but, then again, five years ago I said I China’s population is aging overall. Last care of my parents and set my mind at ease”. would give birth at home,” she says. “At the year, the population was 1.36 billion, and The problems caused by separation moment, I’m leaving this dilemma behind 210 million people were age 60 or older, ac- also affect children who live in China, but me for a while in the hope that everything Da an, 74. His only daughter died cording to the National Bureau of Statistics. in cities and towns thousands of kilometers will become clearer later on.” ♦ from acute appendicitis in 2002. Lin No official statistics are available to from their parents. Hongxian / For China Daily show how many only children and their Last year, a story called parents live in different places, but as China Don’t Dare to Die or Marry Most of her plans revolve around her becomes more open to the outside world and a Husband or Wife from parents, who live in Harbin, capital of the the economy remains strong, young people Somewhere Other Than northeastern province of Heilongjiang, and have more opportunities to leave their com- Your Hometown, which will retire soon. fort zones and travel overseas, resulting in focused on the difficulties “When I came to the US I could never prolonged separations from their parents. faced by both parents and set my mind at ease because my parents For example, the number of young Chi- children, went viral online. were far away from me and I couldn’t stop nese studying abroad has surged in the past It was written by Yang worrying about them, even over trivial decade. From 1978 to last year, 4.04 million Xiwen, an only child who things that really weren’t worth the trouble,” Chinese people had studied overseas, in- lives in New Zealand. the 33-year-old says. “For example, when cluding more than 3 million in the past 10 “The title expresses all we chatted via online video, the reception years. Given their ages, many are likely to my fears,” says Zhang Hui, was always unstable. There were probably be only children. a 29-year-old who lives some simple tech problems. My husband is a “My parents can’t speak English and and works in Shanghai, software engineer and his job is to solve tech they get bored easily in the US. Whenever far from her hometown of problems for other people, but we couldn’t they visit me for more than a month, they Yancheng, Jiangsu prov- even solve our parents’ tech problems.” talk about going home and seeing friends,” ince, in East China. “I can’t think about it too much. Every Su says. “Being an only child Business & Economics More than RMB 92 billion? Alibaba to set new sales record on Singles Day By Ke Jin, AllChinaTech.com, Oct. 21, 2016

November 11 is “singles day” in China, shows, which will be live-streamed using completed at the beginning of the event. a tongue-in-cheek festival created by technologies including even virtual reality. Company data put the total transactions Chinese netizens, celebrating people who Customers can also make purchases by for Alibaba’s first Double 11 sales in 2009 do not have a significant other in their lives. playing online games. at RMB 52 million in value; in 2015, that Alibaba have cunningly turned this day – the Driven by big data, the customized number was RMB 92.3 billion. eleventh day of the eleventh month – into services will enable every customer to have Are you ready for the innumerable a day of massive sales and discounts on its a unique Double 11 shopping carnival of his discounts to drain your savings on the shopping platforms. or her own. Double 11 shopping carnival? Alibaba According to Daniel Zhang, CEO of In addition, the services will be certainly hope so. Alibaba, this year’s Double 11 will be the delivered via multiple channels with a Editor’s note: To find out more about first step for developing the Electronic better integration of online and offline sales. “Singles’ Day,” visit www.ChinaInsight. World Trade Platform (eWTP), a concept Nearly 100,000 digital shops will participate info, select Nov-Dec 2015 issue from the Alibaba’s Tmall launched on Thursday that Jack Ma put forward at the G20 in serving the expected hundreds of millions “Past Issues” tab.♦ the 2016 Double 11 shopping carnival in summit to help promote easier access to of customers. Hong Kong. world markets for small and medium-sized From “Singles’ Day sales” to the About the writer The 2016 Double 11 shopping carnival enterprises (SMEs). “Double 11 shopping festival” and this Ke Jin graduated from the University will feature not only global purchases for This carnival will also be designed year’s “Double 11 shopping carnival,” the of Edinburgh with a Master’s degree Chinese customers, but also sales on a to be more entertaining and interactive. sales records have been broken year after in English and has worked on projects worldwide scale. In other words, the event Instead of merely providing services, Zhang year. Last year saw an overall transaction with Ipsos MORI and SDI Media. She’s will introduce online sellers in mainland believes that the shopping experience itself of RMB 91.2 billion (USD 14.3 billion), particularly intrigued by China’s thriving China to customers in Hong Kong, Taiwan, has been continually improving. The party breaking the record of RMB 57.1 billion technology scene and is eager to write then to Southeast Asia, and then to the wider on the eve of this November 11 will see in 2014, when every second saw 140,000 about this flourishing industry. world market. more celebrities and a wider variety of orders being placed and 80,000 being chinainsight.info book review Nov-Dec 2016 / PAGE 11 “The Oxford Illustrated History of Modern China” edited by Jeffrey Wasserstrom

Reviewed by Jonathan Chatwin, Asian Review of Books, Oct. 4, 2016

in the Heavenly Kingdom.” Editor: Jeffrey Wasserstrom There is, therefore, much to recommend Publisher: Oxford University Press this book to the interested China amateur. Publication date: June 2016 Perhaps most useful for the non-specialist, Hard cover: 448 pages however, is the integration within the text of a few hundred aptly chosen images, Wasserstrom is Chancellor’s Professor of History at the University maps, paintings and diagrams, which of California, Irvine, and editor of the help immeasurably in contextualizing and Journal of Asian Studies. He has edited solidifying the historical narrative. The a number of books on China and is the purpose truly is to illustrate: this is the first author of four: “Student Protests in China book I have encountered that takes Twentieth Century China: The View the trouble to provide a diagrammatic from Shanghai” (1991), “China’s Brave outline of the intricate and, at least to this New World-And Other Tales for Global observer, previously opaque bureaucracies Times” (2007), “Global Shanghai, and divisions of power within the Chinese 1850-2010” (2009), and “China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs Communist Party. to Know” (2010; new ed. 2013). A co- The book concludes with an essay by founder of and contributing editor to the Ian Johnson: indisputably one of the most influential China Beat blog (2008-2012), insightful commentators on modern China, he is a regular contributor to the press, along with this volume’s editor. His chapter including the New York Times and encourages the reader to step back from the Wall Street Journal, and he co-edits the consideration of China’s historical narrative, Asia section of the Los Angeles Review and to instead observe the country’s own of Books. A member of the Board of Directors of the National Committee attitude to its heritage. Johnson is, it is on U.S.-China Relations, he has been fair to say, uncomfortable with the nature traveling to China regularly since the of this relationship: “[A] country that 1980s. has so completely obliterated and then recreated its past — can it be trusted?” he asks. “What eats at a country, or a people, Integral to the misguided conception of investigations into the genesis of the modern amongst other transformations, China began or a civilisation, so much that remains China as unknowably complex is the sheer Chinese state with the gradual decline of to open itself to Western ideas of science profoundly uncomfortable with its history?” scale of its history. While historians of the the Ming dynasty in the late 16th century. through the influence of Jesuit missionaries Johnson’s essay is worth the price United States, for example, need to cultivate As Wasserstrom observes, it was in this in the 16th and 17th centuries. of admission alone, but even without its a knowledge base, which extends back a era that many of the issues that lead to the The subsequent 11 chapters — each inclusion, this volume (despite its slightly few centuries or so, scholars of Chinese eventual demise of the Imperial system first written by a different specialist — cover unwieldy coffee-table design) would remain history must contend with a national story begin to become evident. It was also around the story of the eventual downfall of the my recommendation as the best place to of anything between three thousand and this time that many of the cultural symbols Qing dynasty and, in greater detail, the start for those who wish to get a handle on five thousand years, depending on what that seem to signify “China” “came into calamitous decades of warlordism, civil modern China. ♦ you consider “China” to be. Either way, existence or at least took their most familiar war and Communist social engineering. the terrain of Chinese history seems deeply form”: the Great Wall; the Forbidden City; The chapters, in many cases, offer forbidding to the non-specialist, who is left and the seminal novel “Hong Lou Meng” neatly condensed versions of longer About the reviewer asking the question: how much of China’s amongst them. form scholarship: Rana Mitter’s chapter Dr. Jonathan Chatwin is a British history do I need to know in order to The volume thus begins in 1550, with summarises his earlier book “China’s War writer who has lived in, and written on, understand the country today? a sweeping account by Anne Gerritsen of with Japan, 1937-1945,” while Stephen R China. He is the author of “Anywhere In “The Oxford Illustrated History of the social, cultural and political continuities Platt’s chapter on the period from 1792-1860 Out of the World: The Work of Bruce Modern China,” editor Jeffrey Wasserstrom and developments between the late Ming likewise abridges his compelling full-length Chatwin.” makes a compelling case for beginning one’s and early Qing eras; a period during which, account of the Taiping rebellion in “Autumn

Education My favorite Chinese character

Totino-Grace High School is a private The second image on the right side of the his first name 白. her child is in danger. That is the story Catholic school in Fridley. It started a character is of a person holding a sword over 白is also used as a radical or a part of behind the hanzi character “妈妈 Mandarin Chinese Program last year. A few his head. These images combine to show other more complicated characters. I like 水 by Elliot Becker of its Level 2 (second-year) students in the that the person owns the corn plant. The this character because it is easy to write and 水, pronounced shuǐ, is the Chinese Chinese language program submitted their person is saying, “The corn plant belongs remember. character for the word “water.” On the left favorite characters to ME.” This complete image demonstrates side is a river flowing like an angle. On 我 by Olivia Killilea the meaning behind the pronoun “I. “ the right side is a stream coming off of a 我 is a very important Chinese character. 我 is also used in some other important mountain. In the middle is a steady stream It is the pronoun “I.” 我 is pronounced phrases. Two examples are 我们 (wðmen) of water coming from a faucet, possibly? using the 3rd tone so the pinyin looks like and 我的 (wðde). These terms mean “we” The character 水 has three visual examples wǒ. and “mine.” 妈妈 by Andrew Johnson of water flowing. An example of using 我 in a sentence 白色 by Alex Claussen In many languages, “mother” is “mama” 家 by Alex Sharp is 我是学生. This sentence means, “I am 白色 are pronounced bái-sè and the or something similar. This Chinese character 家, pronounced jiā, means family. The a student.” characters atand for the color white. 白 is likewise pronounced, “māmā” and means story is that the pig under the roof means I like this character because I am able also means “pure.” This character was mother or mom. The character has two everyone will take care of the pig and be fed. to clearly see the story behind it, which I originally formed as an acorn with a short parts: 女, pronounced “nǚ,” indicates Other expressions made with家 include: don’t see in a lot of the other characters. stem on top, like the white of the flesh or “girl” or “woman.” The right side is 马, 大家 dà jiā everyone The character 我 has a very elaborate story inside of an acorn. pronounced “mǎ” and means “horse.” 家具 jiā jù furniture and is comprised of two images. One of the In the eighth century the famous Tang Together, the meaning is that a mother acts 家庭 jiā ting household two is an image of a corn plant on the left. Dynasty poet Li Bai used this character for very fast and leaps up to run and help when 家乡 jiā xiāng hometown PAGE 12 / Nov-Dec 2016 arts & culture chinainsight.info

here. Very festive and highly recommended. promotions. In public places, be prepared Medieval Christmas Town is an open for large crowds and keep an eye on your air Christmas Market on the West Bund. belongings as you rub shoulders through Food and the works are promised at this the crowds. Wanted: one, with a medieval theme. On weekdays Christmas trees and ornaments markets it will run from 5-10 p.m., on weekends Christmas ornaments can be easily found it’s 11a.m.—10 p.m. There is an entry fee in many large supermarkets, for example: for this one. • Yide Road Market 德路精品市场: Christ- ONLINE Hamburg Christmas Market is another mas trees, ornaments, and decorations. German style Christmas market that sprang • Lingnan Flower Market 岭南花卉市场: English Lanuage up last year. It’s a week-long affair featuring Christmas trees. Teachers great food, drinks, music — live jazz — and Christmas food/dinner/buffet gift stalls. Four- and five-star hotels will usually Jiashan Market is a bi-monthly farmer’s host special Christmas dinners or buffets Would you like to help Chinese students market that transforms into a special Christ- such as White Swan Hotel, Shangri-La Ho- (Gr. 6-12) polish their spoken and written mas market from mid-November to Decem- tel and Westin Guangzhou. Many Western English skills (and, occasionally, history/ literature)? We are hiring experienced na- ber each year, open every first and third restaurants and bars will also offer Christmas tive. English-speaking teachers to teach Saturday of the month. Best for Christmas meals. Reservation in advance is essential. ESL (different levels) or high school U.S. eats (cakes, puddings, ginerbread, treacles Christmas food, snacks, and candies are history or literature. and more). Also, look out for wreath-mak- readily available in large department stores, Teach from our Twin Cities cloud- ing stalls here plus live performances, and supermarkets, and international chains. You classroom set up or your home office. some great homemade mulled wine stalls. might even find special sections for Christ- Teaching will usually take place in the Caojiadu Flower Market 曹家渡花市 mas food with imported products. evenings (6–10 p.m.), early mornings With more than 400 shops, it is the largest Christmas in Guilin (6–8 a.m.) or weekends. Number of hours flower market in Shanghai. Christmas trees, Guilin, one of those smaller cities, where are flexible. Rates are from $15-$40/hr based on the course requirements and festive flowers and Christmas ornaments are there are fewer Christians and Christmas teachers’ experience. available in plenty, be ready to drive a hard is less celebrated. Famous for its karst bargain though. landscape, Guilin draws many foreign and Teaching experience is required. Teaching license is preferred, but not necessary. Chenghuangmiao Market 城隍庙市 domestic tourists, but very few in the winter 场 is located in city center, near Yuyuan and at Christmas time. If interested, please contact Richard at 612-987-6540 or [email protected]. Garden and City God Temple, and there is The biggest Christmas event in Guilin is a snack market. Chenghuangmiao Market the Christmas Eve Performance Night at the has Christmas trees, decorations and cards church on Zhongshan Middle Road, where for sale. for three hours songs, dances, and skits are Wanshang Flower and Bird Market 万 performed on stage by local Christians. The 商花鸟市场 The market offers Christmas church is always packed to bursting then, trees and festive flowers before Christmas. so get there well before 7 p.m. to get a seat. At usual times there are various kinds of The decorations, mostly in large shops plants, flowers, pets and birds for sale. and restaurants, are less grand than in bigger Christmas dinner/buffet cities, and may linger until replaced by the Many 4- or 5-star international hotel more lavish Chinese New Year displays. chains and large Western restaurants such as Christmas music is played there — almost JW Marriott, Kerry Pudong, Hotel Pelham’s always the same three Chinese songs (Silent at Waldorf Astoria, Atrium Cafe at The Night, Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas in China Hilton, and Shangri La offer Christmas Eve Christmas), though some English carols dinner or buffets, with all kinds of Christ- may be broadcast. Almost nowhere else continued from page 8 mas food like turkey, ham, steak, cakes and is decorated, so Christmas can feel rather puddings, along with wine. It is necessary dreary and forgotten to a Westerner walking drink litres of festive booze or hot to make reservations in advance. the streets. chocolate while you shop. These Christmas in Guangzhou Christmas meals recognizable by West- markets make for great spots to feel It sometimes seems that Christmas is erners are only available in the largest the holiday spirit, meet people, get more popular than Spring Festival (Chinese Western chain hotels, i.e. the Shangri-La to buy some unique things that you New Year) in Guangzhou, especially to and Sheraton, and Western-run restaurants won’t find at any other time. the young people. There are three things in Yangshuo. Other restaurants and hotels These markets are targeted at they love to do: have Christmas parties, go put on events on Christmas Eve, with raffles tourists, locals, and expats, and are shopping, and enjoy Christmas dinner. Why and staff dressed up, mainly for children. congregation of local businesses not go Christmas shopping in Guangzhou? Christmas in Taiwan and vendors, Christmas products, Christmas is popular in Guangzhou. The Christmas is an unofficial holiday in drinks and food. Christmas is local Chinese generally enjoy the festivities Taiwan, but only because it coincides with often considered a good time for and commercial aspects. Christmas isn’t a Constitution Day, the anniversary of the shopping. Department stores and Mainland China holiday, and most people signing of Taiwan’s constitution in 1947. work on Dec. 25, unless it falls on a week- While its 5% Christian population celebrate Packed street market scene shopping malls also tend to pro- long business hours till midnight, end. Some foreign embassies, consulates the birth of Jesus Christ in churches and Christmas carols are heard everywhere. and offer various promotions and and Western companies have several days homes across the island, the majority enjoy People work during Christmas, unless it discounts. Don’t be surprised to see over off to celebrate Christmas. the decorations and displays in shops, and falls on weekends. Some foreign embassies, the top decor, especially in malls on Huaihai The Guangzhou Christmas general commercialism. consulates and international organizations Road and Nanjing West Road. atmosphere The big hotels and Western restaurants may give several days off to celebrate Christkindlmrkt is one of the most Most Guangzhouers celebrate Christmas offer Christmas dinner, and the malls and Christmas. Expats usually take time off from popular and anticipated Christmas markets more as a time for couples and friends to get shopping centers are dressed up in holiday work, and some companies may give a day in Shanghai. This is hosted by Paulaner’s together or to have parties, instead of as a decorations to entertain Taiwanese shoppers. or half a day off to employees. branch on Fengyang Road. religious festival. The Taiwanese have evolved their own Many shops, department stores and Santaville . Each year, Kerry Parkside About 100,000 foreigners live in Guang- peculiar Christmas traditions, isolated in restaurants prolong business hours to seize holds a special Christmas market called San- zhou, mainly for business, work, or study, the Pacific and subjected to cultural cur- the business opportunities. If you are taville, with vendors selling delicious eats so they’ve helped make the festival popular. rents from the West and East. In Taiwan, looking for Christmas supplies, you won’t and drinks, and decoration items and more. Guangzhou is the administrative capital of celebrating Christmas isn’t really so much be disappointed by what you can find. Be What’s more? There will be live perfor- the Pearl River Delta region, and the region an affair for parents and their children, but prepared for large crowds of people in mances at this venue as well as carol singers exports more products than any other region its for romantic couples. It is sort of like a public places. walking around. This is on till Dec. 25. in China. Foreign business people and mer- Western Valentine’s Day holiday. Christmas dinners with colleagues are Shanghai Centre’s Christmas Market. chants converge on the city from all over the Couples meet and spend the day to- welcome and increasingly becoming a trend. This space has been keeping very busy of world, and they enjoy the holidays. gether. Then they go out for dinner in the Top Christmas markets in Shanghai late, with cooking competitions (hello Mas- Christmas shopping evening. Singles meet up with their friends, The number of Christmas markets terchef?), Zumba classes, baking markets, Christmas and New Year’s Day (Janu- and they go out for a good time. Then af- November and December have increased and more. Thanksgiving and Christmas will ary 1) are big shopping days. Department ter dinner, people want to go and watch a in Shanghai. You can buy Christmas trees see related pop ups in this space with over 90 stores, shops and restaurants are open as movie. How the collision of cultural winds (real and fake), a multitude of decoration designers and vendors who will display their usual, and many of them prolong business produced this social custom is at yet not items (unlimited variety at great prices) and goods. You could find the perfect Dutch pie hours until midnight and launch various understood by scientists. ♦ chinainsight.info science & technology Nov-Dec 2016 / PAGE 13 Amy aims to make their intelligent robots real helpers to humans

By Ibo Fung, AllChinaTech, Sept. 14, 2016

Industrial robots have been helping end of 2016, and RMB 20 billion by 2017. humans in areas like manufacturing and As indicated by these figures, the China construction; recreation robots have been service robot industry is developing rapidly, singing, dancing and even fighting against but there is at least five years to go before each other for the purposes of entertaining household robots are popularized in China, humans. Smart robots have even defeated according to Li. human champions in chess and go, an “Most of the current household robots ancient Chinese strategy game. in China are more like toys for kids. They However, there is still be a long way to can’t be helpful in a real sense. Many of the go before the vision of robots depicted in commercial robots in the market are weak in Steven Spielberg’s “Artificial Intelligence” terms of interaction with humans,” said Li. becomes reality. Li said there was still a big gap between Many such Hollywood depictions of Chinese robot makers and international robotics remain fiction, but intelligent ones, especially when it comes to household robots are nevertheless becoming a more robots: foreign robot makers, including real – and more useful – feature of modern iRobot, VGO and Beam, simply have more society. Chinese intelligent robots maker accumulated technologies in computing and Amy Robotics has made its robots helpful artificial intelligence. to businesses, and wants to make them an “That doesn’t mean we don’t have a assistant to every family. chance. We can learn from them. And when Entrepreneurship inside a racing we are at the same technical level with them, car driver we will have the lower prices,” said Li. Looking like a typical suit-and-tie The Amy A1 & M1 robots share the same appearance at present. The company is setting up R&D labs business guy, Bill Li is not just the founder with American and European universities. and CEO of Amy Robotics – he used to the intelligent robot industry, something “Currently we have hundreds of orders Currently they have one set up at Carnegie be a professional race car driver. Li had which was cutting-edge and challenging. from foreign countries, including America, Mellon University, and are in discussion won a couple of titles in the China Rally There were also some emotional reasons Germany and Denmark, etc.” said Li. with other universities in America and Championship in 2003. behind the decision. Li named the company “Amy” because Europe to set up more. The company will “I love racing. I love cars. Most men “I wanted to do something big. I want he wanted to make a superior, or “Ace” fund research, and send technical staff love cars, right?” Li said. my grandchildren to see what I have done robot that each individual user could call there to learn from the foreign researchers, on my own when they grow up,” said Li. “my own.” He took the “A” from Ace and according to Li. A robot in need is a robot indeed “my” from “my own,” and joined them for Although the company has gained Li founded Amy Robotics in the the company name. profits from its overseas sales, the China southeastern Chinese city of Hangzhou in June 2015. The nine founding members of the company and eight of the technical specialists are overseas returnees: America, Germany and Japan are in the leading position in the robotics industry according to Li. The company finished the development and research and testing of its robot prototypes within six months, and showcased them in the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 in January, and in the industrial trade fair Hannover Messe, in April. The company has two intelligent robots, the Amy A1 and the Amy M1. The Amy A1 is a household robot, which the company sees as a family assistant. It can Bill Li, founder and CEO of Amy Robotics. interact with humans, read human emotion and behavior, gather and analyze family Indeed, cars and racing are considered members’ health information, and tutor kids. masculine. But not every man can turn them It can also move on its wheels. into a profession. As Li’s racing team grew The Amy A1 intelligent robot is priced The Amy M1 robot working at a hospital reception. too big, he chose to quit driving and work at USD 4,999, and will go on sale in China as an operation manager, organizing racing in October. His ambition was supported by investors: market is yet to be developed. Li said the events with Formula One. The Amy M1 intelligent robot is more a the company landed RMB eight million in company aimed to ship 5,000 robots inside Li told AllChinaTech that these commercial robot, but it can also be used for an angel investment round in June. China in 2017, and 20,000 overseas for the experiences were helpful in some ways the household purpose. It can be customized “We want our robots to be truly useful same time period. By the end of 2017, he when launching his startup later. according to different needs of businesses, to both families and businesses. It’s only was confident that the company would be “Starting a business is just like as well as hospitals, rehabilitation centers really a robot if it does something genuinely able to make ends meet. racing. Both of them are psychologically and shopping malls. Amy Robotics can useful,” said Li. “We have now made arms for our robots, demanding, requiring an ability to withstand put the information and data of a particular and are testing prototypes. We are working stress and effective management of your business into the Amy M1, and the robot Service robots and household on an exoskeleton robot. We hope our team,” said Li. can then answer specific questions about robots Prior to his startup, Li held office as a that business, and guide people where they According to market research firm robots can be the right man to each and every director at Chinese automobile maker Geely want to go. The Amy M1 is priced at at least Analysys, the market size of the service family in a few years,” said Li. Auto. He was in charge of the organization USD 10,000, depending on customization. robot industry was RMB 8.2 billion in China (All photos provided by Amy Robotics.) ♦ and operation of racing events, as well Presently, Amy Robotics is putting in 2015. It will reach RMB 14 billion by the as technical exchanges with foreign auto more attention on the Amy M1, since most Ibo Fung is passionate about bringing the Chinese tech and science industry to the companies. Chinese families are not ready for a robot, rest of the world by writing about the sector. His interest in tech started after a stint However, as Li said, the spirit of according to Li. About three quarters of working at Foxconn. He’s crazy about smart devices and any advanced technology that personal challenges is in his blood. He the company’s robots have been sold to is adapted for end-user adoption… and basketball. wanted to set up his own company and enter overseas markets. PAGE 14 / Nov-Dec 2016 government & politics chinainsight.info U.S. election: the Chinese view By Elaine Dunn

•Trump’s Chinese aspersions are nonsense, Spring uprisings in early 2011 and of being at global trade by manipulating its currency, South China Morning Post, Sept. 28 a leading player in Washington’s move to to using the U.S. as a piggy bank to rebuild- •Commentary: U.S. presidential election contain the rise and influence of China in ing China are dismissed as “nonsense.” chaos exposes flawed political system, Asia. They feel she’ll be tougher on China And Trump’s comments on imposing a 45 People’s Daily, Oct. 8 than Trump. percent tariff on goods from China have •Election game mirrors failure of U.S. de- When she ended her stint as Secretary incensed Chinese officials and civilians mocracy, Xinhua, Oct. 9 of State in 2013, a commentary in the alike. On the other hand, Trump’s promise •Just four mentions? China fades from Global Times described her as “the most to dismantle the Trans-Pacific Partnership limelight in second Clinton-Trump debate, hated American politician among Chinese agreement is music to Chinese ears. They South China Morning Post, Oct. 10 internet users.” That sentiment certainly also like his stance on questioning U.S. •Opinion: Next U.S. president has many seems to prevail among current Chinese involvement in territorial disputes in the social rifts to heal, China Daily, Oct. 22 netizens, who labeled her an “old witch,” South China Sea. Americans are not the only ones who •Commentary: U.S. election falls to new and commented she, not Trump, would be In the past, Sino-U.S. relations have think the 2016 election had sunk to new low in third debate, Xinhua, Oct. 22 responsible for starting World War III. fared better under a Republican president. lows. The Chinese media also thinks so. China has the world’s second biggest How is The Donald viewed by the The GOP is more pro-business and trade The Chinese state-sponsored news agency economy and is a rising military power. The Chinese? He fares no better in terms of and not focuses on China’s human rights or Xinhua proclaimed the day after the second next U.S. president will have to be able to popularity, though some internet users seem political system. It was Richard Nixon, after presidential debate, “The American election maintain positive Sino-U.S. relations – a to be quite forgiving of his personal trans- all, who resumed diplomatic ties with Bei- has plummeted to new depths.” On Oct. 11, crucial role in one of the most important gressions: “Trump only said some offensive jing in 1972. George H. W. Bush’s second it followed up with, “The second debate be- bilateral relationships in the modern world. words and the media are ganging up against term was claimed by the Chinese media as tween White House contenders Hillary Clin- However, both presidential candidates him, whereas Hillary compromised their “the best ever” Sino-U.S. relations. ton, the democratic nominee, and Donald have made China-bashing a common national interests and the media just ignored That said, there is the saying that it’s Trump, the Republican nominee, considered theme. The People’s Daily was quick to better to deal with a known devil than an as one of the nastiest U.S. presidential de- note on Sept. 28 that China was mentioned unknown! To borrow terms from former bates in recent memory, reflects the decay of by Trump nine times and by Clinton three U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, times in the first presidential debate. At the The chaotic 2016 Clinton is a “known known,” and Trump is U.S. politics and a deeply divided society.” presidential election China generally does not comment on second debate, China was mentioned only “ between a “known unknown” and an “un- U.S. presidential elections, but 2016 was four times total, which one international has highlighted the known unknown.” too good an opportunity to pass up. The relations expert at Peking University inter- defects in the U.S. With a Clinton administration, Beijing 2016 U.S. election, in Chinese eyes, legit- preted as “a kind of blindness to a reality election system and may recognize remnants of policies and imizes its own one-party political system. where China was gaining prominence in the dysfunction of personnel from the past. With a Trump America’s international issues.” administration, trade deals and security al- From Clinton’s mid-October “ring China democracy. with missile defense” comment to Trump’s After the third debate, a commentary put liances appear to be all negotiable. Beijing position on China stealing U.S. jobs, the out by Xinhua that said, “U.S. presidential views Trump’s “unpredictability” as riskier two presidential candidates have provided debates have given place to a deplorable ” than Clinton’s “predictability.” attractive fodder for the Chinese media the soap opera that no one would feel amusing.” it,” commented one. “He says whatever he Given the many twists and turns of this past year. A sampling from the past three So how do the Chinese feel about the wants and never cares about political cor- election cycle, no one knows who “the lesser months includes: candidates and is there a “lesser of two rectness. But he does often tell blunt truths of two evils” will be. But everyone knows •Editorial: China-U.S. relations not to be evils” they prefer? and speak to the common people’s heart,” and expects much change in U.S. policies affected by aggressive speeches in U.S. pres- Along the Clinton vs. Trump lines, we added another. One even drew a parallel of that will impact Sino-U.S. relations. idential election, People’s Daily, Aug. 19 see rehashing of Clinton’s advocacy of the Western media’s “moral crusade against Let’s hope Song Yuhang, an internation- •Cheers, jeers and beers as Beijingers bypass human rights over the past two decades Trump” with China’s literary inquisitions al news editor at a Chinese media outlet, is China’s Great Firewall to tune in to U.S. and how it has riled officials in Beijing. during the Cultural Revolution. correct in “What they say in campaigns is presidential debate, South China Morning The Chinese government also suspects her For Beijing, Trump is a “big mouth.” one thing. If elected into office, they will Post, Sept. 27 of being the mastermind behind the Arab His constant tirades about China cheating become more realistic.”♦ Debating the election on the other side of the world By Nicholas Gordon, contributor

On Sept. 26 —about 12 hours before the consulting group). About half the questions across the entire world. from students through young professionals first official presidential debate at Hofstra were devised by the moderators, while The Republicans Overseas serve a to older members of the community, as University — a “mock” presidential debate the rest were submitted by the audience. similar role, as both a resource for questions well as a large contingent from the League was held at the University of Hong Kong. Topics ranged from gun regulations and on voter registration and the representative of Women Voters. However, over half the The debate was not between the official trade policy to the Supreme Court and racial of overseas American interests to Republican audience was made up of local Hong Kong campaigns, but between two organizations justice. politicians and the Republican Party. residents, including a large number of representing the interests of Americans Two-person teams submitted by the However, unlike the Democrats Abroad, university and high school students. living temporarily and permanently in Democrats Abroad and Republicans they are not an official part of the Republican Personal observation Hong Kong: the Democrats Abroad and the Overseas spoke on behalf of ex-Secretary Party, and so play no part in the selection Americans living overseas make up a Republicans Overseas. Clinton and Mr. Trump respectively. of the Republican nominee for president. nontrivial part of the American population. I took part in this debate on the side of Democrats Abroad Hong Kong is the The mock debate was organized by There are approximately 80,000 Americans the Democrats Abroad, and what follows local chapter of the Democrats Abroad, the the Hong Kong chapter of the League of currently living in Hong Kong: a population is a short (and nonpartisan!) description of official organization of the Democratic Party Women Voters, which was founded in 1977 that The New York Times wrote was what happened. My own personal thoughts for Americans temporarily or permanently to study current United States and Asia- comparable to the population of Ames, Iowa. about the debate, and what it implies about living abroad. It acts as both a source of Pacific issues. It is also the only foreign These 80,000 are part of the 8.7 million the election, and what it means to Americans information about voter registration and chapter of the League. The Hong Kong Americans living outside of the United living in Hong Kong and the rest of the absentee voting, as well as the representative chapter has facilitated past debates between States (according to the State Department). world, comes at the end. for the interests of Americans abroad to the the Democrats Abroad and Republicans And it’s a growing population: the Bureau of The debate held in Hong Kong on Democratic Party. As an official wing of the Overseas, such as its mock presidential Consular Affairs recorded 500,000 citizens Sept. 26 specifically asked the following: Democratic Party, it also sends delegates to debate in 2012, with the Democrats Abroad born abroad between 2000 and 2009, which is Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump the the Democratic National Convention to help representing President Barack Obama and is greater than the number currently living in best choice for president? The event was select a nominee. The number of delegates the Republicans Overseas representing Wyoming or Vermont. There were 60,000 moderated by Heather Timmons, senior is determined in a Global Primary, which Governor Mitt Romney. citizens born abroad in 2014 alone, a rate Asia correspondent for Quartz (a digital has been held since 2008. In 2016, Senator Both Americans and non-Americans greater than more than half the states in media outlet) and Randy Phillips, managing Bernie Sanders won the Global Primary, attended the debate. The Americans the Union. partner for Asia of the Mintz Group (a global winning about 69 percent of the ballots cast themselves were a varied group, ranging continued on next page chinainsight.info government & politics Nov-Dec 2016 / PAGE 15 Finding the right approach to differences By Wu Zurong, China-US Focus, Oct. 20 , 2016

Most people believe that China and the affected. It is unfortunate and rare that a to reform its monetary, foreign exchange China and the U.S., as well as other coun- United States have more common interests Secretary of Defense fails to visit China and financial systems. The two countries are tries, to safeguard peace and stability in than differences and that, on the whole, Si- during his tenure of office, but that has been doing more to help maintain the stability of the region. Discussions and consultations no-U.S. relations have witnessed good prog- the case with Ashton Carter. the world financial market through increased among parties concerned should focus on ress in the last eight years or so. But when Other differences, however, have been exchanges and cooperation. realizing this goal. we observe the development of Sino-U.S. managed much more successfully. The The third positive example could be the Pathways to pragmatic cooperation relations in recent years, we often find first is the issue of climate change. Initial- issue of cyber security, once a very hot issue can be found when common interests are that differences between the two countries ly, China and the U.S. would accuse each between the two countries. Accusations pursued. In the case of the cyber security that are not handled with a right approach, other of heavy emission of carbon dioxide, against China and threats to punish cyber issue, the two countries shared an interest in increasingly hinder any expected progress, as they are the two largest emitters in the hackers in China according to U.S. domestic cracking down on cyber crimes according while good and fair-minded handling of world. But with sustained joint efforts, the law and to impose sanctions and so on were to law. So curbing cyber crimes became other has contributed a great deal to the two countries took the lead in cementing often reported in the media. Now, such voic- an important objective for both countries. healthy development of relations. the Paris Agreement, a historic global es are rarely heard. The two countries are Meanwhile, differences should not be We first review the different after-effects pact to curb greenhouse gas pollution and working together to punish cyber crimes ac- played up or exaggerated in the media by or consequences resulting from different ap- build resilience to the damaging effects of cording to their respective domestic laws as either side. Trying to gain an upper hand in proaches. The issue of the South China Sea climate change. Cooperation between the an effective way to improve cyber security. public or media opinion never helps resolve is not rightly dealt with by the United States. two countries in the field of energy has been The fourth case of the two countries conflict, and often adds new impediments Washington’s approach was worked out and expanding. pursuing a common goal: the joint efforts to a solution. executed to contain China for the sake of The second may be the issue of the made by China and the U.S. in resolving Finally, the outdated logic of the ze- maintaining U.S. hegemony in Asia. As a exchange rate of the Chinese currency, the Iranian nuclear issue, which were widely ro-sum game should be given up by both result, there have been intense debates on Renminbi (RMB). Though there are still praised by the international community. countries when an issue is being reviewed or the issue between Chinese and U.S. military a few people in the U.S. accusing China of The above examples show us that in analyzed. When one side is trying its best to officers, government officials and scholars currency manipulation, no basis for their each and every difference, there are common make use of the difference to exert pressure in recent years. The overall atmosphere of accusation has been found. After a delay of interests of the two countries. The key is to on the other side, it makes it very difficult for bilateral relations has been harmed. The five or six years due to the obstruction of the make great efforts to analyze those common both sides to see and appreciate common. ♦ constant provocative U.S. military actions U.S. Congress, the RMB is now a member interests. This should be the first priority About the writer when dealing with any major dispute, no there have created tension and threatened of the International Monetary Fund’s Spe- Wu Zurong is a research fellow at China and other coastal countries. Without cial Drawing Rights basket. It shows that matter it is a new one or an old one. the China Foundation for International any doubt, the relations between Chinese China is willing to accept more international In the case of the South China Sea, for Studies. and U.S. armed forces have been adversely responsibilities and will make more efforts example, it is in the common interest of China urges Britain to stop interfering in HK affairs Xinhua, Oct. 13, 2016

China on Oct. 13 urged the British region of China. Hong Kong affairs belong China in 1997. China, and given full support to the chief government to stop interfering in Hong to China’s domestic affairs and any foreign The policies of “one country, two executive and the SAR government in Kong affairs. countries have no right to interfere,” said systems,” “Hong Kong people governing governance according to law, he said, adding Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Geng. “We demand that the British side Hong Kong,” and a high degree of autonomy that the Hong Kong people enjoy full rights Shuang made the remarks at a daily press be cautious in words and deeds, and stop have been fully implemented, he said. and freedom in accordance with law. briefing in response to a half-year report interfering in Hong Kong affairs.” The central government has strictly China has strong confidence and on Hong Kong released by the British Geng said the policy of “one country, followed the Constitution and the Basic Law unswerving will to continue implementing government recently. two systems” has scored remarkable of the Hong Kong Special Administrative the “one country, two systems” policy, the “Hong Kong is a special administrative achievements since Hong Kong’s return to Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of spokesperson said. ♦ Debating the election WWTT? continued from page 14

However, it can be difficult for Americans Americans living abroad — more than from actual Americans, as opposed to just living abroad to be involved in the political any other part of the American population from the media. process. Much of this is a function of living — understand how American decisions Some of this may be a function of the outside the United States, which makes it ripple around the world. It is more than current election and its outsized rhetoric stands for understandably difficult to learn about local, just the effect of American foreign policy and personalities. However, it is always “chicken.” In or even national, politics. However, it is also decisions. American expatriates also useful to remember that the outcome of Chinese slang, true that procedures for voting overseas can understand the words and rhetoric used by the American political process impacts a “chicken” is change radically from state to state. Some American politicians can be interpreted very more than just Americans. The question is a prostitute! states allow ballot requests to be emailed different overseas: that loose rhetoric and whether the United States remains a source directly to voter registration offices as late “tough talk” used for domestic audiences of worry for the rest of the world, or whether as a few days before Nov. 8; other states can have concrete effects on the interests it continues to act as a model the rest of the require requests to be notarized and received of Americans abroad and the United States. world can look to and learn from. ♦ by voter registration offices well in advance. And the world is watching. The Even eligibility can differ: some, but not all, number of Hong Kong residents at the states allow the children of former residents mock presidential debate is a physical to register to vote, even if these children manifestation of the idea that non-Americans stands for have never lived in the United States before. are keenly interested in the outcome of the About the writer “manure.” Nicholas Gordon is the media rela- Americans living abroad have a number American election. To put it another way: tions liaison for Democrats Abroad Hong of interests that are specific to their nature Hong Kong residents were interested Kong. An American abroad from birth, he as expatriates, such as the United States’ enough in the American election that was born and raised in Hong Kong before policy of global taxation. There are also they were willing to hear four Americans traveling to the United States for college. certain policies that affect Americans abroad unaffiliated with either campaign talk for an He currently does research and writing differently than those living in the United hour and a half on mostly domestic issues. for a Hong Kong-based think. The views What were they thinking? States, such as trade. The non-American audience saw value in expressed here are his own. But perhaps most importantly, hearing about the American political process PAGE 16 / Nov-Dec2016 arts & culture chinainsight.info

Chinese Garden at Arboretum update

Phase I of the Hsiao-Ho Chinese Garden that was coordinated by University of Path is now complete and has been open to Minnesota capital construction. the public as of Sept. 22. The path, stairs, As part of the community advisors and viewing platform are accessible. Three for the Chinese Garden, artist/University large scholar stones were donated to this of Minnesota instructor Hong Zhang has project from a university in China. agreed to help with the artistic naming of Phase II should be completed spring the places and calligraphy, an essential 2017. This will include a moongate, a path part of any important Chinese Garden and from the platform to the northwest end of the artist Yudong Shen has agreed to assist with You are invited to celebrate the pond where a pavilion will be constructed. placement of some critical elements coming Year of the Rooster A garden with a Tree Peony display along to the Garden. Dr. Carol Brash, director of with complimenting plants will be in the Asian studies at St. John’s University, has area. Phase 2 design planning is beginning also been assisting in the development of 雞年 for moon gate and contemplative pavilion. our garden. She is currently writing a book Many architectural firms attended the with the Minnesota Chapter of on Chinese Gardens of North America. ♦ US -­ China Peoples Friendship Association information session for submitting designs 美中⊺民友好协会明州分会 * * * Sunday, January 22, 2017 5:00pm Social – 6:00pm Banquet – 7:15 Program

Grand Szechuan Valley West Shopping Center 10602 France Ave, Bloomington, MN 55437 952 -­888-­6507

$30 members-­ $35 non-­members -­ $12 under age 12 Sponsored Table for 10 at $400 * * * To reserve your space, send guest names and check payable to USCPF A-­MN to View of the site from accessible walkway Wen LI 6600 Lyndale Ave., So. #1306 , Richfield, M N 55423 and steps from Three Mile Drive to plat- Paypal: www.uscpfa-­mn.org Questions to: [email protected] View of from the platform. form and red rail overlooking pond with many native Asian plantings. Community Chinese Senior Citizens Society celebrates 31 years of service, announces 2016 Model Citizen Awards Photos: Ben Fok

More than 200 members and their Model Mulan awards: siblings Judy Mary and her team. families and friends celebrated at the 31st Hohmann, Ronald Wong, Janice Wong — Entertainment: traditional Chinese annual banquet of the Chinese Senior children of CSCS member Mrs. Pearl Wong dance and songs with erhu and harmonica Citizens Society (CSCS), Oct. 16, at the CSCS wishes to thank all of its members, by Mr. and Mrs. Man Mui Moy (erhu), Mr. Peking Garden restaurant in St. Paul. The the following volunteers and community Chui (harmonica); Kock Zie Yip, Sasha program, featuring a mix of culinary and partners for their support of the annual and Mei ha Chen, traditional dances and cultural delights, included a 12-course banquet: karaoke. banquet, traditional Chinese dance and Presenters: President Agnes Fok, Vice- Door prizes donated by David Fong, songs with erhu and harmonica, prize President Helen Fong, Board Member Petty Tong, Agnes Fok, Truong Thanh drawings, sing-alongs and karaoke, board Sunthi Paul, Advisor Brenda Fong. Market, Mandarin Kitchen, Red Dragon, presentations and announcement of the CSCS Board members: Grace Wong, Sesame Café, Hong Kong Noodle, Jade Model Citizen Awards. Wendy Tsui and Donald Ng for the many Garden, Keefer Court and Pagoda. Model senior awards: Mrs. Lila Woo hours they put in before and during the Stage and sound system support: Aaron and Mr. Karda Lee event. Delicious dinner by Peking Garden, Taylor; photography: Ben Fok. ♦