Burning the Boats: Consulate Closures in Houston and Chengdu

China’s economy has grown faster than any other over the last 40 years — but there are troubling signs ahead. How could a Chinese economic downturn affect people in the rest of the world? Houze Song, a fellow at MacroPolo who specializes in the Chinese economy, explains how slowing economic growth, an aging society, and a looming property crisis have implications not just for China, but for the United States and beyond. (Click here for a full transcript of this podcast) 1:17 What is the general trend of China's economic outlook? 2:21 What indicators measure the health of China's economy? 3:37 What are the challenges facing China's economy? 7:25 How will a slowing Chinese economy affect the United States? About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/chinas-slowing-economy/ Follow Houze Song on Twitter: @hzong Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr). Visit our website for more U.S.-China Insights: https://www.ncuscr.org/us-china-insights

Xi Jinping is China's political leader, but what does that mean in practice? Yuhua Wang, professor of government at Harvard University, analyzes Xi's status in the Chinese political system and how much influence he has. About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/how-powerful-is-xi-jinping/

Dr. Meg Rithmire (Harvard Business School) gives an updated summary of China's unique political and economic system, describing its changing relationship towards Chinese businesses, citizens, and even the United States.

In recent years Japan has found itself increasingly at a crossroads between its post-War ally, the United States, and rising neighbor, China. U.S. Editor and Chief Desk Editor of Nikkei Asia, Ken Moriyasu, examines the geopolitics, trade, and history that play a role in shaping Japan’s ties with both major powers. Learn more at ncuscr.org/uschinainsights

In China, industry and political leaders are capitalizing on sci-fi’s unique ability to inspire the public and project a vision of the future that features China as a global innovation leader. Experts Aynne Kokas, Jing Tsu, and Yilin Wang explore how this genre can both reflect China’s present and shape its future.

The United States and China have pledged to work together to fight climate change. But is cooperation enough to stop global temperatures from rising past 1.5 degrees Celsius? Climate policy expert Deborah Seligsohn (Villanova University) explains how competition between the two countries can be leveraged as a positive force to deliver the best environmental outcomes. For more videos and podcasts, visit us at ncuscr.org/media.

Stop AAPI Hate co-founder Russell Jeung addresses the alarming reports of violence and crimes committed against Asian Americans over the past year. He examines the racist beliefs that often motivate perpetrators, discusses the influence of social media, and offers a hopeful look at how Asian American communities and their allies are standing up to injustice nationwide. Russell Jeung is a professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University. In 2020, Dr. Jeung launched Stop AAPI Hate, a project for tracking Covid-19-related discrimination in order to develop community resources and policy interventions to fight racism. Learn more about anti-Asian racism in the United States, and what you can do to help: ncuscr.org/anti-racism.

A successful pandemic response helped reshape Taiwan’s image in 2020. Could a new U.S. administration further change the island’s prospects in 2021?      Margaret Lewis explores the new year's possibilities for U.S.-Taiwan relations, as well as the key issues facing the Taiwan government’s domestic and global standing.

Asian Americans are often stereotyped as a “model minority.” UC Boulder Professor of Ethnic Studies Jennifer Ho and Queens College President Frank H. Wu measure this stereotype and its damaging repercussions against a history of Asian American activism and solidarity among minority groups, deconstructing the myth that still exists today.

On July 23, 2020, the United States government ordered the Chinese consulate in Houston to close. Less than a week later, the American consulate in Chengdu was vacated as reciprocation from Beijing. Harvard Department of Government Ph.D. candidate and former diplomat Naima Green-Riley analyzes the motivations behind each government's drastic step and evaluates the possible implications for the regions serviced by each consulate, as well as the U.S.-China relationship as a whole.