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2010 Newsletter 2010 Inside Save the Date China 1 Mao’s Great Famine Chairman’s Message 2 An Evening Presentation by Women Leadership Initiative 2 Frank Dikotter, Chair Professor of Arts & Culture 3 Humanities, University of Hong Kong Annual Dinner & Membership 4 November 9, 2010 Finance 5 Burma / Myanmar 6 China The financial crisis and subsequent recession has led to a substantial shift in the balance of power between Beijing and Washington. China’s emergence as a 21st century superpower takes place as the United States comes to terms with its changing role in the global arena. The Asia Society Hong Kong Center has brought to members prominent journalists, analysts and SM scholars to make sense of China’s newfound 亞 洲 協 會 香 港 中 心 assertiveness, its complex relationship with the US and its crowded bilateral and James Fallows multilateral agenda. China-US relationship was far more stable “It is the most important bilateral than it appeared. “It is more advantageous relationship in the world,” said David for the US to deal with China as a partner Shambaugh, Professor of Political Science than adversary because of the economic and International Affairs at George advantages. They will still disagree on Washington University. Speaking ahead of some issues, but these disagreements can Barack Obama’s first official visit to China be contained and managed. There are more as president in November 2009, Shambaugh forces keeping the balance in place rather commented: “It is an important trip for than disturbing it,” he noted. American foreign policy.” “China is truly a global actor - I wouldn’t yet call it a global Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator for the power. Its power is disproportionate, for Financial Times, Gideon Rachman questioned: example it doesn’t have military power, “Partners or rivals? They are both. They but it certainly has global economic and have managed their tensions very well. The 通 訊 diplomatic power,” he argued. rivalrous elements to the relationship are coming to the fore a bit more for a number of reasons. Partly because of the financial crisis, the US is facing a crisis of confidence, but there is tremendous continuity on how the US looks at China.” “We are potentially tipping into an abyss where the hard work of last year may throw the Newslette C David Shambaugh rather friendly relations off course.” While Sino-US relations got off to a good ente start after the election of President Obama in 2008, a succession of incidents subsequently cooled ties. These included President Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama; American arms sales to Taiwan; the hacking of Google in China; Reminbi valuation and protectionism. Orville Schell, Director of the Asia Society's Center on US-China Relations, observed: “We are potentially tipping into an abyss where the hard work of last year may throw the rather friendly relations off course.” r Yet according to James Fallows, national r correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, the Gideon Rachman Asia Society Hong Kong Center 2 Newsletter 2010 Chairman’s Message D ear Members, The past fifteen months have been of Sydney to present discussions on ASEAN as well as a roof garden, an interpretive center very busy for the Asia Society Hong Kong countries and US-China relations respectively. and a café. Superstructure works have been Center. We had our Annual Dinner with completed, and we expect to commence interior Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of “The Black Our thematic Entrepreneurs Series fitting-out works by end of the year. We aim to Swan”, in September 2009, who addressed featuring rising stars across industries, Asian open the new center in Fall 2011 and provide a a packed ballroom of our supporters, Family Series focusing on 3rd and 4th generation community facility that will benefit Hong Kong government officials, diplomats and students. led family businesses, and the ever popular citizens and visitors alike. This event also broke our fund-raising record Food Series have added color to our busy for a single event. Throughout the year, we program calendar. We have also launched a In closing, and perhaps most importantly, have hosted notable speakers like the Convenor Collectors Series, an exclusive opportunity to I take pleasure in introducing our new Executive of the HKSAR Executive Council C.Y. Leung, visit private collectors’ homes. Director, Edith Ngan Chan. Edith hails from the Carlyle Group Chairman David Rubenstein, financial industry, and brings with her more Ayala Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de The eighth Summer Films Series, Aspirasians, than 20 years of regional knowledge and global Ayala, AirAsia Chief Executive Officer Tony was held in July 2010, featuring 5 films from business management skills. Her experience Fernandes, KPMG Chairman Timothy Flynn, China, India, Israel, Japan and the Philippines. and dedication to not-for-profit causes, at this UNDP Resident Representative in China Khalid This was made possible by the generous and critical juncture of our moving to a new center, Malik, Guggenheim Museum Director Richard longstanding support of J.P. Morgan. is an exciting prospect for all. I would like to Armstrong, and architects Rem Koolhaas and thank Ms. Alice Au and her team at Heidrick Maya Lin, among others. We are making exciting progress in the & Struggles, who have been most competent construction of our new headquarters at the in the search for the new Executive Director, During this period we continued to examine former Explosives Magazine site in Admiralty. as well as Susan Wong, who has held the US-China relations, and have held programs Besides restoration of the four existing historic Executive Director position in the interim. Please on Asian countries like Cambodia, India, British military buildings, we have also join me in thanking them and welcoming Edith. Myanmar, Pakistan and Thailand. We have constructed a new two-storey structure which also partnered with the Asian Strategy and will serve as the main entrance of our new Leadership Institute of Malaysia and The home, and will house a large multi-purpose Sincerely, United States Studies Centre at the University room for seminars, receptions and exhibitions, Ronnie C. Chan Women Leadership Initiative The inaugural summit of the Asia Society’s deputy leader in the Australian party’s 60 Women Leadership Initiative was held in year history explained: “It is incumbent on Hong Kong in mid-June, with around 120 women leaders across the political spectrum to delegates from 19 countries in Asia and the US encourage and mentor women. Guys are not attending the gathering. going to look out for them.” During the two-and-a half day summit “We had just got rid of a president seen entitled Women Leaders of New Asia, as corrupt and suddenly a woman was trying participants shared personal stories and to do reform. We worked together in Cabinet professional milestones. Delegates also - eight women - the highest number ever. In discussed how the rapidly changing geo- a way, it opened the door to many women political and economic landscape affected serving in government,” recounted Victoria Delegates at the close of Summit women and articulated the role of present Garchitorena, a former Cabinet minister in and future women leaders. the Philippines. women and make them see that management Julie Bishop, Deputy Leader of the Hong Kong’s Secretary for Development potential is a possibility.” opposition Liberal Party and the first woman Carrie Lam has spent 30 years in government and observed: “By and large, this city is very The cultural barriers for women in pro-women, particularly in the public sector. Asia were highlighted by Venilla Rajaguru- I have never felt disadvantaged because I’m Pushpanathan, Chairperson of the ASEAN of the opposite sex. The government respects Secretariat’s Women’s Wing Foundation. men and women.” “There’s a lot of psychological pressure. There are a lot of talented women, but many are often Moriko Sanchanta, Tokyo Bureau Chief harassed and made to obey their husbands.” at The Wall Street Journal, lamented the absence of women in Japan’s boardrooms, “We began a journey less than 48 hours and added: “In Japan, one of the biggest ago. We were travelers. Now we are change problems is that younger women don’t have agents. That is a transformative moment as we role models that they have in other countries. go forward and become stakeholders,” said We need to increase our visibility, increase Vishakha Desai, President of the Asia Society, Panel Discussion our mentoring, spend time with young concluding the summit. Asia Society Hong Kong Center 3 Newsletter 2010 Arts & Culture 150 years of history of the Chinese in was growing at a much faster pace than America came to life in a joint presentation Hong Kong, and that to remain competitive, by award-winning filmmaker Nancy Tong the city had to leverage its strategic and cultural critic Sze-wei Ang. Tong has advantages, including freedom of speech produced a collection of videos on the and its cultural assets. movers and shakers of Chinese descent for the Museum of Chinese in America in New Meanwhile, two leading curators have York. She shared excerpts from the videos, cautioned against “monoculture” brought which Ang supplemented with the historical about by globalization. Richard Armstrong, background of the Chinese immigrants who Director of the Guggenheim Museum prospered overseas. observed: “We do suffer from an overly homogenized view of contemporary art, and our job is to make sure this doesn’t happen.” “A museum is a Hans Ulrich Obrist, named by Art Review magazine in 2009 as the most influential laboratory for new ideas person in the art world, added: “A museum is Traditional Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng and a time storage for a laboratory for new ideas and a time storage for memories and for dealing with the past.” In another food event, members enjoyed memories and for dealing fine French wines elegantly paired by wine with the past.” master and food writer Jeannie Cho Lee with a sumptuous 10-course Shanghainese dinner at Gong Guan private kitchen in Also finding success far away from his Sheung Wan.
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