China 21

Does the Trump Administration have a grand strategy in Asia? How does an "American First" posture square with the idea of a free and open Asia Pacific? Stephan Haggard interviews Michael Green on the president's visit to Asia and how it reflects the recurring themes in the long arc of American strategic thinking.

Dr. Michael Green is senior vice president for Asia and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) He served on the National Security Council (NSC) from 2001 through 2005, first as director for Asian affairs with responsibility for Japan, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, and then as special assistant to the president for national security affairs and senior director for Asia, with responsibility for East Asia and South Asia.

Dr. Green has authored numerous books and articles on East Asian security, including most recently, By More Than Providence: Grand Strategy and American Power in the Asia Pacific Since 1783. He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from SAIS.

Dr. Stephan Haggard is the Lawrence and Sallye Krause Professor of Korea-Pacific Studies. He is the director of the Korea-Pacific Program, and distinguished professor of political science here at the School of Global Policy and Strategy. He is a go-to expert on current developments in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly the Korean peninsula, and on the politics of economic reform and globalization.

Dr. Haggard has written extensively on the political economy of North Korea and is a prolific contributor to the blog "North Korea: Witness to Transformation" at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

This episode was recorded at UC San Diego Studio Ten300

Host: Samuel Tsoi

Scholars Jennifer Pan & Yiqing Xu discussed their paper on “China’s Ideological Spectrum,” which has generated widespread acclaim and discussion. They analyzed data from an opinion survey of more than half a million Chinese citizens, and find that public preferences in ideology are not simply split along a pro-regime or anti-regime divide in authoritarian contexts. The paper can be accessed via: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2593377

Jennifer Pan is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Stanford University. Her research examines the strategies authoritarian regimes employ to perpetuate their rule, including censorship, redistribution, and responsiveness, using large-scale data from traditional and digital media as well as experiments on media platforms. She received her Ph.D. from Harvard University’s Department of Government.

Yiqing Xu is an Assistant Professor at Department of Political Science here at UC San Diego, and a faculty member of the 21st Century China Center. He works on political methodology and political economy, with a special focus on development and institutions in authoritarian countries. He received his PhD from MIT.

This episode was recorded at UC San Diego Studio Ten300

Host: Samuel Tsoi

Caixin's Managing Editor Wang Shuo 王烁 describes the challenge for investigative journalists in China in the context of a changing media landscape and state control of information. He also discusses the stories his team has worked on, from high-speed rail accidents, to the one-child policy, to shadow banking - and Caixin's growing international audience.

Wang Shuo 王烁 is the co-founder and managing editor of Caixin, a leading Chinese business and finance media group. Wang Shuo provides high-quality news reports and leads an award-winning editorial team, which was honored by Stanford University with the Shorenstein Journalism Award. Wang Shuo is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. He received degrees in Philosophy from Renmin University and Peking University, an Executive MBA from Fordham and a Master’s in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins.

This episode was recorded at UC San Diego Studio Ten300

Host: Samuel Tsoi

Director Evans Chan (陳耀成) talks about his latest documentary “Raise the Umbrellas,” the politicization of Hong Kong identity and media, and the city's democratic future and implications for Greater China. (Trailer: https://youtu.be/Q2kxtQW-nAA)

Chan is an independent filmmaker, who has been described by critics as one who "has made a singular contribution to Hong Kong cinema and at the same time a major contribution to the whole spectrum of contemporary film-making." He draws on everything from literature and political studies to journalism and social-activist campaigns for his subjects – and on everything from film history to performance art for his images.

This episode was recorded at UC San Diego Studio Ten300

Host: Samuel Tsoi

Gordon Hanson and Charlene Barshefsky discuss China’s commitments and market reforms since joining the WTO and the path ahead in the trade relationship between the world’s two biggest economies. They explore the policy and enforcement tools the US has to confront China over the imbalance and lack of reciprocity, and the immediate political pressure on US policy makers to address the loss of jobs due to trade.

Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky served as the US Trade Representative from 1997 to 2001, she was responsible for the negotiation of hundreds of complex market access, regulatory and investment agreements with virtually every major country in the world. She is best known internationally as the architect and chief negotiator of China's historic World Trade Organization Agreement. She is currently WilmerHale's Senior International Partner, where she continues her legal career in international litigation, commercial negotiations, investment and regulatory advice, and dispute resolution.

Dr. Gordon Hanson is the Acting Dean and Pacific Economic Cooperation Chair in International Economic Relations at the School of Global Policy & Strategy at UC San Diego, where he also directs the Center on Global Transformation. Dr. Hanson specializes in the economics of international trade, international migration and foreign direct investment. His recent research project on the effect of China’s rise on US workers, firms and markets spurred a wide discussion on US trade policy at the height of 2016 US presidential elections that is still being debated.

Host: Samuel Tsoi

China is now the biggest auto market, including electric vehicles. Michael Dunne discusses the government's role in guiding the car industry, competition and cross-border investment among Western and Chinese firms, and implication for clean energy, infrastructure and job-creation in both countries.

Dunne is the author of the book titled “American Wheels, Chinese Roads” and is a commentator on major outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Forbes. He’s originally from the Motor City and a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he received an MBA and a Masters in Chinese History.

This episode was recorded at UC San Diego Studio Ten300

Host: Samuel Tsoi

Dr. Karl Gerth interviews Dr. Tom Mullaney about his journey in building a digital humanities community for Asian studies and how a new set of analytic tools are disrupting and transforming the practice of teaching history and understanding various phenomena in China.

Karl Gerth is a professor of Modern Chinese history and holds the Hwei-Chih and Julia Hsiu Endowed Chair here at UC San Diego, he is writes on the history and contemporary implications of Chinese consumerism. His latest book is titled As China Goes, So Goes the World: How Chinese Consumers are Transforming Everything. It explores the wide-ranging ramifications and future implications of China’s shift toward a market economy over the past thirty years.

Tom Mullaney is a historian of China and of technology from Stanford University, and is currently working on a fascinating project examining Chinese typewriters and computers, with two books in the works through MIT Press. Tom’s collection of Chinese typewriters is now a museum exhibition called “Radical Machines: Chinese in the Information Age,” which will run through mid-April at the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum. He also directs Digital Humanities Asia, and is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Dissertation Reviews.

This episode was recorded at UC San Diego Studio Ten300

Host: Samuel Tsoi

Two China policy veterans: Prof. Susan Shirk and Amb. Winston Lord are members of a high-level bipartisan task force that launched a report on US Policy Toward China, with detailed policy recommendations for the Trump administration. They offer an overview of the comprehensive list of issues covered in the report, and discuss the priorities that 45th President must address in his first year, such as the North Korean nuclear threat, climate change leadership, Asia Pacific alliances, and trade and civil society reciprocity.

The task force comprises a group of 20 prominent China specialists that include policymakers, scholars, and trade representatives, many of whom served under both political parties and every U.S. president since Nixon. Watch the panel discussion with task force co-chair Orville Schell of Asia Society and read the full report on china.ucsd.edu

This episode was recorded at UC San Diego Studio Ten300

Host: Samuel Tsoi

Intercultural comedian Jesse Appell, founder of US-China Comedy Center in Beijing, shares his fun and educational journey of learning what makes Chinese people laugh, and bridging cultural gaps with humor. www.ChinaFocus.us hosted Jesse's performance at UC San Diego on Feb. 6 as part of his “Great LOL of China” North American tour.

Jesse Appell (艾杰西) is a Fulbright Scholar alumni whose research focuses on Chinese humor and performance. He is a disciple of master Xiangsheng performer Ding Guangquan, and regularly perform Xiangsheng (a form of Chinese comedy also known as crosstalk), bilingual improv comedy, and Chinese stand-up live and on TV. Jesse creates comedic online videos intended for the Chinese audience; one of these, “Laowai Style,” gathered 2 million hits across several media platforms.

Jesse’s performances, writing, and commentary on Chinese comedy, media, and culture have been seen and heard on CBS, TEDx, PBS, NPR and PRI, as well as Chinese media such as CCTV, BTV, and CRI.

Jesse founded www.laughbeijing.com, with the focus of using comedy to bridge cultural gaps by focusing on storytelling and character rather than surface differences and stereotypes.

China 21 is produced by the 21st Century China Center, at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy. This podcast features expert voices, insights and stories about China’s economy, politics, society, and the implications for international affairs. Learn more at china.ucsd.edu

This episode was recorded at UC San Diego Studio Ten300

Host: Samuel Tsoi, Jack Zhang