Chinese Character of the Week: 戏

戏 in Chinese means TV series, stage play or even films. 2018 is definitely a significant year for Chinese 戏, or 戏 for Chinese. In China, many high-quality TV series and films. In US, films that featured Asian actors like Crazy Rich Asian or Searching received many positive comments.

Though in other countries, Crazy Rich Asian received many positive comments, it met its Waterloo in China due to several reasons. One of the reasons is Chinese people dislike the costumes and the color of the film. The color, costume and stage set are considered to be outdated and even deface Chinese culture. The plots are considered to be Cliche by many audiences in China. The rate of this film on Douban, the biggest online film review platform in China, is only 6.2 out of 10. If you want to read negative comments, you can find them on this website: https://movie.douban.com/subject/26786642/comments?status=P

So what kind of stage sets, color scheme or costume do Chinese people like recently? You might be able to find the answer through watching some Chinese TV series or some Chinese films. Comment below if you have some shows, films or TV series to recommend for us.
You can also share what you are watching recently in the comment section.

Please USE the Comment Section of This Post to Make Friends

Hello Delegates,

Please use the comment section of this post to introduce yourself and make friends!

Topic 1 Article: Navaro, Trump's Trade Advisor, and His Opinion on Made in China 2025

Hi Delegates,

This is an excerpt from an interview with Peter Navaro, President Trump's Trade Advisor. Navaro undoubtedly has a biased view towards China and Made in China 2025, which is made clear in his unfavorable comments about China's trade practices.

How can China respond to the accusations that have been made and undoubtedly will continue to be made by the Trump administration towards the Made in China 2025 plan? In a broader scope, how can China rise to the challenge of dealing with global leaders who may oppose China's plan to revolutionize its industries?

These are some starter questions and are definitely valid to the overall discussion of the Made in China 2025 topic so feel free to leave some comments.

Justin

Chinese Character of the Week: 清

On this day over 200 years ago, the Qianlong Emperor died on February 7, 1799. One of the longest-serving emperors of the Qing dynasty (大清), Qianlong was born in 1711 and ascended to the throne at age 25.

An open-minded individual but a harsh disciplinarian, he led the conquest of what is now modern-day Xinjiang, expanding the empire into Central Asia as far as the Pamir Mountains, as well as into Outer Mongolia and other border regions with Russia. As a result of this growth, the empire now included people of various ethnicity and religions,  creating ethnic tension that led to revolts in Shandong, Taiwan, and Gansu. There was also tension between the ruling Manchus and the primarily Han population.

Population and trade boomed, with Chinese merchants regularly travelling as far as southeast Asia. In 1793, the British  Macartney Mission to expand trading opportunities was rejected by Qianlong and his court, foreshadowed future attitudes towards "foreign barbarians," and ultimately the downfall of the Qing Dyansty.

Qianlong officially  stepped down from the throne in 1796 out of respect for his grandfather Kangxi, who's 61-year-reign is regarded as one of the most prosperous and stable periods in Chinese history. However, Qianlong continued to wield influence and power behind the scenes,  allowing corrupt officials such as the infamous Heshen, whose total property was estimated to be worth the equivalent of 15 years of imperial revenue for the Qing government (1,100 million taels of silver) when he was finally prosecuted after Qianlong's death in  1799.

The State of Rural Peoples in China

It is not easy being a farmer in modern day China.

Modern perceptions of China from the international stage may provide a dystopian, cosmopolitan, skyscraper-lit view of the country.

This isn't representative of many of China's lands and peoples.

It has never been more important to be a part of the agricultural machine that has kept China fed for many centuries.

China has had famines before, in which millions have died - work needs to be done in order to prevent another one from happening, which would be catastrophic to China's billions.

Farmers face many issues, from urbanization of farmland, trouble adapting to technology, exodus to the industrial workplace, poor morale, to lack of education and more.

Considering these difficulties in committee will be vital in our discussion. Make sure to come up with research points and knowledge that shows us that you have read the topic synopsis for the rural problems.

Some possible blog responses:

What are some solutions that can alleviate the strain on farmers in rural China?

How do you think these solutions will affect urban populations?

Do you have a personal experience related to this?

MUN Advice: Speeches

Hey y'all!

I just wanted to share some speaking tips that really pushed me to strengthen my presence during committee when I first started MUN.

At my first conference, I still didn't really fully understand the difference between debate and MUN, which led me down quite a few wrong paths. The first thing I realized was that I couldn't just BS my way through a speech/exchange without adequately understanding the material (style is NOT more important than substance). Another important tip I picked up early on was to refrain from BMing other delegates. I usually could get away with a jab here and there in debate but it is really not acceptable in MUN to personally attack another delegate (I know it sounds like common sense but sometimes it happens inadvertently so you have to be careful). I know that so far debate seemed to have done a lot of harm to my start in MUN, but one thing that it nailed was preparing me for was confidently giving a speech. There are a couple of things that most delegates end up doing at one point or another: 1) relying on reading off their laptop/notes, 2) forgetting what they were saying and sort of rambling on, 3) avoiding eye contact when addressing others. This isn't a comprehensive list but these are some of the things that I noticed the most in committee and they're sometimes the hardest to fix. I don't really have any advice here that would work for everyone but being more aware of your speaking style is definitely a step in the right direction (ex. take note of how often you look down/look away).

I know that most of you shouldn't have a problem with any of this but if you do have any questions about speeches please let me know I'll be happy to help!

lol tl;dr
1) do research/know what you're talking about when you make a speech
2) don't personally attack delegates - everyone is here to learn and have fun
3) be aware of your speaking habits

Topic 1 Article: US Council on Foreign Relations

Hello delegates!

Here's an article by the Council on Foreign Relations, an American think tank, on America's reaction to Made in China 2025.

Although the article has an American perspective, many of the concerns raised are applicable to other countries as well. Some of these concerns, such as national security, government influence on private Chinese companies, and an unfair playing field for non-Chinese companies in China, are key points to focus on when thinking critically about this topic and developing potential solutions.

How can China's leaders encourage the growth of local firms while also addressing concerns that government subsidies and protectionist measures by the central government are inhibiting international companies and providing an unfair advantage to Chinese firms?

Feel free to discuss in the comments below!

Hubert