Happy Lunar New Year from the USC US-China Institute!
Taliking Points: May 6 - 20, 2009
The USC U.S.-China Institute's weekly newsletter - news about U.S.-China relations and China-focused talks, conferences, performances, and screenings.
May 7, 2009
Talking Points
May 6 - 20, 2009
Last week, Talking Points noted that Chinese authorities, chastened by the costs of their slow and far from transparent response to the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, were moving in a highly public way to respond to the A/H1N1 flu (swine flu). News photos showed the screening of passengers on a Aeromexico flight to Shanghai and authorities canceled flights to and from Mexico. By the end of the week, Mexican nationals visiting China were quarantined in a number of cities. While one Mexican citizen in Hong Kong was found to have the flu, the others were quarantined without regard to whether or not they exhibited any symptoms or had been in contact with infected individuals. On Saturday, a group of Canadian students arrived in the Northeastern city of Changchun to study Mandarin, but were pulled off the plane ahead of others and put into quarantine. Both the Mexican and Canadian authorities lodged protests.
"We are especially worried about China, where Mexican citizens showing no signs at all of being ill, have been isolated, under unacceptable conditions."
Patricia Espinosa, Mexican foreign minister, May 2, 2009
"I think it's unfair that because we have been honest and transparent with the world some countries and places are taking repressive and discriminatory measures because of ignorance and disinformation.”
Felipe Calderon, Mexican president, May 4, 2009
The Chinese government responded that the actions were legal, appropriate, and necessary. Authorities argued the quarantines were not discriminatory and that Chinese nationals who had been in China were also quarantined. Further, China had offered Mexico $5 million in aid to help in coping with the epidemic. Nonetheless, feelings were badly bruised. To further show its concern for how its nationals are treated abroad, Mexican first lady Margarita Zavala went yesterday morning to the Mexico City airport to welcome home 136 people flown back to Mexico City from China.
Mexican tourists have been going to China in increasing numbers. Almost 49,000 visited in 2009. While the flight cancelations and quarantine will dampen this, it’s unlikely that Mexican – Chinese economic ties will be significantly affected. There are already trade tensions between Mexico and China. Mexico imports more than ten times what it sells to China and the country has frequently charged Chinese firms with “dumping” goods below their production cost in Mexico. These issues came up during Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping’s February visit to Mexico.
You can learn more about China’s relations with Mexico and the rest of Latin America in the new issue of US-China Today, due out this week. The issue includes an interactive map detailing trade ties. Online gaming, hip hop, and the children of migrants are among the other topics explored in this issue. Look for it at uschina.usc.edu.
*****
Almost a year has passed since a massive earthquake killed almost 90,000 in China’s Sichuan province. This evening, HBO offers a documentary on the quake and its aftermath. In “China’s Unnatural Disaster” filmmakers Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill let rural Chinese describe their experiences. US-China previously reported on a film by Pan Jianlian, a Chinese filmmaker, on media coverage of the tragedy, and of one American group’s aid efforts. We’ll review some of what’s been done to rebuild lives and communities in Sichuan in next week’s Talking Points.
Finally, please be sure to visit the U.S.-China Institute website at china.usc.edu to watch the video of Elizabeth Economy’s remarkable overview of the environmental challenges produced by China’s remarkable rise. In addition to detailing the problems, she discusses the work of individuals, groups, and governments to address the crisis.
Thank you for passing Talking Points on to others. We always appreciate your comments. Please write to us at uschina@usc.edu.
Best wishes,
The USC U.S.-China Institute
Support the institute at: http://www.usc.edu/giving/.
USC
|
|
California
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North America
|
|
|
|
|
Exhibitions
|
|
|
|
|
USC U.S. – China Institute
3535 S. Figueroa St. FIG 202 Los Angeles, CA 90089-1262 Tel: 213-821-4382 Fax: 213-821-2382
Email: uschina@usc.edu
Website: http://china.usc.edu
You have received this e-mail because you have subscribed to receive updates from USCI. If you feel this message has reached you in error or you no longer wish to receive our updates, please click, unsubscribe, and enter "Remove" in the subject line. |
Featured Articles
January 4, 2024
We note the passing of many prominent individuals who played some role in U.S.-China affairs, whether in politics, economics or in helping people in one place understand the other.
Events
Thursday, March 21, 2024 - 4:00pm PST
Ying Zhu looks at new developments for Chinese and global streaming services.
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 - 4:00pm
David Zweig examines China's talent recruitment efforts, particularly towards those scientists and engineers who left China for further study. U.S. universities, labs and companies have long brought in talent from China. Are such people still welcome?