Issue No. 212 | Jan. 28, 2021
Strengthening American capacity for effective engagement
Weekly Reading
Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the virtual Davos Agenda on January 25, 2021, titled "Let the Torch of Multilateralism Light up Humanity’s Way Forward." Xi's remarks at the WEF Annual Meeting has become a yearly tradition, and is worth paying attention to because of how Xi makes the case for China's role in the world and addresses international audiences.

We suggest reading the 中文 transcript of the speech, the English translation, along with watching the video of the address.

俗语 from Xi Jinping's Speeches

集思广益
jí sī guǎng yì

Meaning: to draw upon all useful opinions; to profit from widespread suggestions; to pool wisdom for mutual benefit

Original: "凡事预则立,不预则废。我们要着眼长远、把握大势,开门问策、集思广益,研究新情况、作出新规划。"

Source: January 15, 2021《求是》: 正确认识和把握中长期经济社会发展重大问题
Job Opportunity
Summer Resident Directors, American Councils for International Education

American Councils for International Education is hiring short-term Resident Directors for summer language immersion programs abroad for American high school and college students studying one of 15 critical languages. American Mandarin Society members may be especially interested to know that potentially several positions are available to support learners of Mandarin.

Resident Directors must be proficient in the target language and typically have experience studying, working, or traveling in the host country. They are responsible for promoting student success by ensuring the health and safety of program participants, helping them to maintain a language policy, and assisting them in acclimating to life in the host country. In-country partner institutes are responsible for administering the academic curriculum. Therefore, the Resident Director position is a non-teaching position.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until positions are filled.
Watch
For those of you who are interested in discussing or analyzing the Trump presidency in Chinese, this 30-minute Chinese language video by 观察者网 is interesting and insightful. This commentary by Shen Yi (沈逸), Associate professor of International Politics at Fudan University, makes for a good resource to familiarize yourself with Chinese phrases and vocabulary often used in political discourse.
(h/t: David Moser)

Video description:
"虽然不符合精英的“审美”,但特朗普确实代表了中下层的、本土的、“民粹”的那个美国。四年总统生涯代表了美国社会的一次尝试,试图打破一个不能满足美国人民需求的精英体制,但是特朗普没有完成使命,他只破不立,彻底撕裂了美国,离开白宫后将成为一个“愤怒美国”的象征而长期存在,留给世界关于美国霸权更深的思考。"

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