US-China

Baum put up an article from Time on US-China relations and I've found the struggle between the things they agree on and dispute about quite interesting. The five things that they agree on is 1/ Trade 2/ Green tech 3/ North Korea 4/Mutual Uncertainty and 5/Education. The main disputes are over 1/Taiwan 2/Currency 3/Military relations 4/Intellectual property rights 5/Human rights issues. Obviously, China and the US agree with each other on issues that revolve around their economy. They both play a mutual part in the $400 billion of exchange in trade yearly. The problem, therefore, is in their policies. Because China is still emerging in the international community, it's policies have remained antique. And they cannot be blamed for this. Their insecurities have been building up since the first Opium War and won't dissipate until they are able to regain a sense of superiority.

article: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1978640-1,00.html

It was interesting to meet the people who live in China. The difference definitely exists between Beijing locals and Shanghai natives. Much to my surprise, I found people in Beijing really knew how to enjoy their time. My Shanghai travel study group went for a weekend trip up to Beijing (for future me: a weekend is not enough time to do anything!! Please stay for at least 4 or more full days) and while we passed the park to get to the road lined with bars, I remember how much activity there was in the park--and it must have been past 9pm! I didn't think much of it then because everything was novel. I just busied myself with taking a picture of an Asian-ified Starbucks store at the moment, but thinking back on it, it is quite to see the community. There were people of all ages: from children to the elderly. The festivities might have been from some holiday unbeknownst to me, but it was amazing to see the openness and freedom and safety that could not be matched in the safest of parks in Southern California. There's a community in Beijing that is not just rare in Shanghai, but in many parts of America.

to read: http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/what-chinas-currency-shift-could-mean/?ref=asia