Eva Shan Chou

on September 29, 2015

Eva Shan Chou is Professor and Chair of the Department of English at Baruch College, City University of New York. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from Harvard College and a Ph.D. in Chinese Literature from Harvard University. She is interested in both works of art and the cultural contexts of their creation. Currently, she is at work on a history of ballet in China. In this area, she has published articles on Swan Lake in China and on the National Ballet of China in its 2015 season at Lincoln Center’s Festival, a season which included The Red Detachment of Women. Earlier, she published a study of the classical poet Du Fu (Cambridge University Press, 1996) and one of the modern writer Lu Xun (Association of Asian Studies Publications, 2012), as well as many scholarly articles on these figures, the culture of their times, and their reception today.

Li Shengjiao

on September 28, 2015

Li Shengjiao is a former senior Chinese diplomat, scholar, bilingual author, and former Nanjing sports star.

In his 40-year career as a diplomat, Li served as Acting Ambassador of China to Barbados, First Deputy Consul General of China in Toronto, and Counselor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, among other posts.

A recognized expert on the International Law of the Sea and China’s territory and border issues, Li was met twice and was praised by Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai for his contribution to these issues.

A guest professor at Nanjing University, Li is a columnist for The Huffington Post, and China Daily, writing about international affairs, international business, and U.S.-China ties.

Li was an all-around sports star in his youth, excelling in soccer, basketball, the 100-meter sprint in track and field, and table tennis. As a member of the Nanjing municipal soccer team, he represented the city in several national level matches during his years at Nanjing University. He was the coach of the basketball team of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the table tennis champion of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A direct descendant of Li E, the Qing Dynasty poet and scholar, Li is the son of the distinguished scholar of modern China Li Linsi.

What’s China’s Mood Under Xi? New Data Gives a Glimpse

By David Wertime on September 28, 2015

China, under the presidency of Xi Jinping, has invited a number of breathless pronouncements about the state of the country. Chinese media regularly conjure the “Chinese Dream,” one of Xi’s favored phrases, which means whatever readers want it to mean but generally signals a rejuvenated nation finally ready to snatch the long-denied mantle of global leadership.

Xi and Obama Should Make a BIT Breakthrough

By Hu Shuli

on September 28, 2015

President Xi Jinping has begun his first state visit to the United States to meet U.S. President Barack Obama in what state councilor and former foreign minister Yang Jiechi has called “a pivotal meeting at a critical time.”

Xi arrived in the United States amid tensions between Beijing and Washington over cybersecurity and South China Sea disputes. The meeting between the leaders of the two most important trading partners in the world comes as market volatility in China spills into global markets and reforms to the yuan exchange rate send ripples around the world.