But first, an obligatory baseball note. Yesssssssssssssssss!
- The U.S. presidential election will be held on Tuesday, November 6th. The 18th Party Congress of the Communist Party of China, as noted below, will begin on Thursday, November 8th. This is the first time then in very many years that the two largest economies in the world will host major political events in the same week. The U.S. election marks the culmination of years of campaigning, television advertisements, stump speeches, debates, and the entire circus that is American politics. The Chinese event, meanwhile, will occur entirely out of public view. The winner of the U.S. election will be announced at the earliest possible moment by a feverish group of televised talking heads. The formation of the Standing Committee of the Politburo, China’s highest governing body, will be known only when the members appear in pre-determined order to salute the country. The differences between the two systems aren’t exactly unprecedented; after all, a similar contrast existed during the Cold War. But the outcome of that week in November will be an interesting glimpse into what decisions both countries make.
- Bill Bishop’s Sinocism e-mails are indispensable for knowing what’s going on in China these days. Therefore, I was pleased to note that the New York Times Dealbook will be publishing a weekly version of the e-mails. Here’s a link to the first one. For a full list of key China-related blogs and Twitter feeds, please see the “recommended reads” section above.
- Tonight marks the lone debate between Vice President Joseph Biden and Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan. How much will they talk about China? It’s hard to say. China-bashing was mainly absent in the first debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney, but Romney did get in a few jabs about how we should stop relying on China to pay for certain government programs. Put that way, one could think China was holding America economically hostage. The truth is of course far more complicated, as China needs the U.S. just as much (if not more) than the U.S. needs China. Such nuances, though, aren’t suitable for the febrile world of televised presidential debates. Vague references to the Chinese threat do, however, work well as “political red meat”. Expect more of it going forward.
- Last week Harvard Business Review published a piece about moving around without losing your roots, something which any expatriate in China can relate to. These days it’s never been easier to live in a different country, learn a different language, and travel the whole world. But at what cost? Is having a firm sense of ethnic or national identity important? Oddly enough, I never felt more American than when I was in China, but I did feel a strange, disorienting confusion when I moved back here. I don’t feel the slightest remorse for having spent so many years out of the country, but I do tell people now that I’m tired of “moving around”. It takes its toll.
…