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Watch the following videos (3 in total) and post your reactions to these videos. The reaction should be substantial (200-300 words in writing or 2-3 minutes if it’s an audio or video). Put your name on the post. Preview is due by noon on the day class and graded on completion.

Video 1: Blank paper becomes symbol of China’s protests - BBC News  (6:50 min)

Video 2: China expands two-child policy to three (2 min)

Video 3: China's population policy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmYmbjNKtLM (6 min)

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Watch the following videos (3 in total) and post your reactions to these videos. The reaction should be substantial (200-300 words in writing or 2-3 minutes if it’s an audio or video). Put your name on the post. Preview is due by noon on the day class and graded on completion.

Video 1. Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation | CBC Radio | CBC (4 min)

Video 2: Why Mulan Mattered (21 min)

Video 3: The Chinese React To Disney’s Mulan Trailer | ASIAN BOSS  (start at around 4:20 min)

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Upload a picture representing China and three words to describe your impression of China

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Upload a picture representing China and three words to describe your impression of China

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Molly (@user124376890975)'s videos with original sound - Molly | TikTok

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TikTok video from Molly (@user124376890975). original sound - Molly.

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The topic I decided to work with was how different fashion brands incorporate Chinese culture in their clothes. I focused on this specific topic because it shows how brands can incorporate Chinese culture in their clothes without it being cultural appropriation. Some big name brands such as Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and Armani took elements from Chinese culture to honor the beauty and grace of the country. I think it is important to showcase what cultural appreciation can look like and examples of how it could be achieved.

I also focused a little bit on the streetwear that is worn all throughout china. I wanted to show how Chinese streetwear influences the rest of the world. Over the pandemic, there was a trend on Douyin that featured how people in China incorporated masks with their outfits. This trend made its way to Tik Tok and inspired millions all across America. There was a feature in vogue that showcased all the different types of avant-garde perspectives on the streets of China.

Towards the end of the Tik Tok I made, I made sure to also include cultural appropriation when it comes to launching a clothing line. Over the past decade, foreign brands have experimented with the trend of Chinese characters in designs but seemed to miss the mark, being accused of cultural appropriation by many in the industry. For example, I made sure to include how nike and supreme totally missed the mark.

It is important to be cautious about the message being sent out when using Chinese characters. I decided to make a video on Tik Tok since it is the worlds largest video platform. If I wanted to spread a message, posting it on Tik Tok would gain the most praise and success.

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Molly (@user124376890975)'s videos with original sound - Molly | TikTok

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TikTok video from Molly (@user124376890975). original sound - Molly.

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For the final project multimedia post, I created a fake Instagram post that represents the recent implementation of a three-child policy in China. The post depicts an image distributed by the People's Republic of China in an attempt to gain support for the three-child policy, and also to encourage Chinese families to have three children.

This encouragement comes after China increased their two-child policy to a three-child limit in an effort to replenish the nation's birthrate. China implemented a one-child policy in 1979 to combat the nation's exponential population growth rate. The one-child policy effectively dropped China's growing birthrate. Besides stabilizing China's population growth rate, the one-child policy resulted in a better standard of living for children and an increased presence of Chinese women in STEM fields.

In 2016, China rescinded the one-child policy and adopted a two-child limit instead. This policy was implemented because China had experienced rapid economic growth, and needed to ensure that the one-child policy did not diminish the working population. Despite Chinese families being allowed to have more than one child for the first time in over 30 years, many Chinese families opted to have one child instead. China's high cost of living prohibited families from being able to support more than one child, so many disregarded the government's encouragement to have more children. The recent switch to a three-child policy is another attempt by the Chinese government to promote larger families to the Chinese population. Despite encouragement like the graphic in the above social media post, many Chinese families continue to have only one child. China is now faced with the pressing issue of having a rapidly growing economy and a record-low working population. Many families are calling on the government to offer financial incentives for Chinese young adults to have multiple kids, but it is not clear how the Chinese government will address this problem now that the three-child policy is proving to be ineffective in raising the country's birthrate sufficiently.

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https://share.icloud.com/photos/0baiM-iUvqCy2u8tCT3Z6CzNQ

In this TikTok I address the issue of celebrities in politics, specifically Chinese celebrities involving politics. I picked this topic because in class we talked a bit about the Western view on China and whether it´s harmful or not. So what happens when a public figure combats the claims of the Western view? Recently, there has been a debate on whether celebrities should be able to state their political point of views or if they should remain neutral and solely entertain. From my understanding, while some people believe that public figures should not be involved in politics because of their influence, others believe that at the end of the day they are human and should be able to state their opinions.

The public figure involved in this controversy is Jackson Wang, a Chinese man who is a part of a kpop group who recently went on a solo tour. Why is it important that we know he is a kpop idol? Well, as some people may or may not know this sort of community of people take fan interaction very seriously. It seems to almost be the basis of their popularity without the help from their music. These friend-like interactions carry over to social media building a very diverse and strong bond between other fans both local and international.

Now that the foundation has been established, why has Jackson Wang received so much backlash? On his solo tour in Londin he had about an 8 minute speech on acceptance and motivation to do things that you want and follow your dreams. This 8 minute speech was clipped to about the first 30 seconds to a minute in which he talked about the Western media and its view on China. All in all, he heavily disagreed with this portrait of China. Although there is nothing wrong with being patriotic towards your country, what some fans saw was him condoning alleged inhuman acts in China being done to Muslim people in attempts to re-educate Musim people in a specific part of China. The U.S had released documents claiming that there were alleged Muslim concentration camps in China that were mistreating the people there. His statement paired with this new information sparked a fire in some fans that caused the clip to go viral and Jackson Wang received both backlash and support. Support came from people who believed he was simply uneducated and backlash coming from people that either believed what is allegedly occurring is correct or that he should not say anything without being educated on the matter.

So my questions are, where is the line drawn between public figures and regular human beings? Where is the line drawn in fandom influence? Should we address politics and portrait especially in an entertainment setting? Should public figures state their opinions in politics?

Lauren Ladaker

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Sign in to iCloud to access your photos, videos, documents, notes, contacts, and more. Use your Apple ID or create a new account to start using Apple services.

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Final Project - YouTube Post by Ousman Berndt

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Final Project - YouTube Post by Ousman Berndt

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An Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Microchip Fabricator, with the UV light digitally added.

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Final Project: Facebook Post by Riley Clauss

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Final Project: Facebook Post by Riley Clauss

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Pictured above is an Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Microchip Fabricator produced by ASML, a Dutch company that is currently the only company that produces machines capable of this process. Using molten tin and high powered plasma light, it can produce a circuit pattern precise down to 3 nanometers. For reference, a single strand of DNA is approximately 2.5 nanometers in diameter. These microchips are extremely powerful and extremely fast. As they become more common, they power consumer electronics like your iPhone (which has a 10 nanometer chip). ASML sells these machines for around $200 million dollars. However, due to sanctions in place by the United States, China cannot purchase anything from ASML. The given reason is that access to this technology would pose security threats to the United States and the world. It is hard to ignore this assertion among the rising tension about “Chinese technology” in the US. Fear regarding TikTok and Huawei has been prevalent since around 2016, leading to Huawei being banned from US markets and TikTok being vulnerable to the same fate. Some say that access to this technology could allow China to crack encryption necessary for military security in the US, while others assert an economic necessity; simply saying the Chinese markets should not have access to this. But this special form of protectionism does not serve any purpose, other than putting off entrance by Chinese firms to the “sub-10 nm lithography chip” market. In December of 2022, Huawei made a major breakthrough in developing this technology on their own.

This issue should concern anyone who owns a computer - not for the vague ‘security concerns’ that American firms claim to exist, but because it suggests future breakthroughs are yet to come. The development of future and super-future technologies are not restricted to one nation or the other. Nor should they be. Arbitrary divisions like America vs China or Google vs Huawei should not restrict the ability of everyone, especially cutting-edge firms like Huawei from contributing to the global good. Connection through cell phones, computers, and internet infrastructure benefits everyone. The Huawei ban from 4 years ago, and if reports are to be believed, the proposed total extension to all business with Huawei will only hurt American and Chinese citizens. Huawei’s ties to the government have yet to see any credible proof, or anything beyond conjecture. Huawei is one of the globally leading firms for cutting-edge technology, and spreading that technology across the world. Huawei and other manufacturers in China should not be subject to these restrictions just because of the country they reside in.

Even as a protectionist measure, forcing China to develop these machines on their own may cause more economic damage to US firms than selling them would have. If companies like Huawei relied on ASML like the rest of the world, they could still control the market. But Huawei’s development would make China self-sufficient not just for the microprocessor fabrication machines, but all microchip manufacturing. Without relying on TSML in Taiwan, China would be free to produce phones and laptops at much lower prices. Huawei also claims on their website to be producing technologies that bypass lithographic technologies. Huawei plans to have approximately 90 Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography systems in use by 2025. Fear of the Chinese market will only serve to harm American industry that fails to adapt to global technological developments. As Americans, we should foster a global network of cooperation, especially in the technology industry, as that is what drives innovation. We should not fear technological development just because it is not ours, as Huawei has not feared technological development by the West. Ren Zhengfei’s company is, in my opinion, the closest thing we have to the next consumer technological revolution. I make this post to ask you as a reader and an American to consider the strength of Chinese technological developments and weigh the costs of isolating the market against the benefits. If you believe that the free market should determine the best technological development, then you should agree that fencing China out is unfair and bad for business. If you believe that government intervention should serve the people, then ask who this serves?

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Final Project: Instagram Post, Lexi Chettleburgh

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Final Project: Instagram Post, Lexi Chettleburgh

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Is Shang-Chi a good cultural representation of China?

Shang-Chi was a good representation of China to a certain extent.

The lead actor who played Shang-Chi, Simu Liu, was born in China and moved to Canada when he was 5. As well as other iconic actors and actresses such as Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina, and Meng’er Zhang. There is a mix of Chinese-born and Chinese-American people in the cast which I think enriches the idea of Shang-Chi being an American film which reflects Chinese culture. Although it is not purely Chinese in its filming, it was very conscientious of Chinese culture as it referred to “qi” in Ta Lo. The producers clearly did their research with the mythical creatures represented in the film. For instance, there were fire phoenixes, nine-tailed foxes, stone lions, and the famous Chinese dragon. These are all very prevalent parts of mythical stories and beliefs in China which is why I am glad that they incorporated it into the movie. They also spoke a lot of Mandarin Chinese in the movie which is commendable considering the fact that it was made for an English audience. This additional aspect of language helped make the movie feel a little bit more authentic because they were speaking the native language of the country it took place in. These details are all very important in making Shang-Chi culturally accurate.

On the other hand, there are some undoubtedly Asian-American factors to the movie in characters such as Awkwafina and Shang-Chi when he goes by "Shaun" in America. Their characters are undoubtedly Asian-American as they portray the American lifestyle in the beginning of the movie very well. This may take away from its representation of China itself, but I think that it’s still an important aspect to integrate subtly into the storyline since the target audience of this movie was most likely Asian-Americans.

Of course, I believe that it is still only to an extent that it reflects China culturally because I believe that China’s culture is too ancient, rich, and vast to fit into one movie. However, for being Marvel’s first Asian superhero movie, I think that it is clear that they did their research and created something that the Asian-American community could be proud of to claim as their own.

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Final Project - Quora Post George Boundroukas

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Final Project - Quora Post George Boundroukas

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My multimedia post is a Quora post inviting discussion on the topic between Chinese Americans to see what they constitute as cultural appropriation versus appreciation. The topic is one that provides a lot of debate and controversy and what we learned, people have varying opinions on this definition according to the articles and backlash that occurs. These differences of opinions lack clarity and thus we do not know the basis of the rules. It should be important for us to understand the difference because if we do not, we can never make sure to check ourselves.

Thus, I created a Quora post to try and get Chinese people to try and explain their perspective and thoughts on the situation. Quora is a social media tool that allows for discussions on certain topics. Thus, I prompted this discussion by creating a post that invites Chinese people to discuss the topic and comment on their thoughts on the topic. This would provide a variety of opinions from a broad community of people that allow for more discussion, a more general consensus, and great examples to help us understand this information better. I believe this is the best choice of medium because it provides a professional and important discussion on a social media platform that gives a lot of insight, and thus the most impactful way to conduct data. While other social medias draw awareness to these issues, I believe that they are not effective in drawing debates and discussing topics. Quora provides a formal place to talk and discuss. This also implements the characteristics of social media because I am telling people to leave their opinions in the comments, and also placed an image as well, exemplifying these as a social media post that's goal is to create a discussion.

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The topic of cultural appropriation is an extremely dividing topic amongst Chinese Community that can not be resolved that easily or simply. There are many precedents and characteristics that go into cultural appropriation that we have to understand, - Quora

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The topic of cultural appropriation is an extremely dividing topic amongst Chinese Community that can not be resolved that easily or simply. There are many precedents and characteristics that go into cultural appropriation that we have to understand, such as intent, amount of research, and various o…

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These videos showed a very interesting dynamic between the Chinese population and their government that America doesn’t have, at least not in the same manner. The government in China is viewed (typically) in a much more friendly light. Its presence in everyday life is more welcome by the citizens than in America. But recent developments, especially during Xi Jinping’s presidency have changed the relationship between citizens and government. Covid lockdowns, while effective in the early days of the pandemic, have created discontent among the people who feel abandoned by their government. Efforts to keep people safe seem to overstep and encroach on the daily lives of citizens, breeding protests and as much dissent as they can. Additionally, some feel that the lockdown efforts are an extension of other goals by the CCP, like preventing mass gatherings for political rather than health reasons. The one-child policy also shows discontent between the government and Chinese citizens. The one-child policy was effective, but now that another change needs to be made, the system isn’t ready to accommodate that. The average person doesn’t make enough money to support more than one child, and the government is unwilling or unable to assist. The Chinese population are expressing their discontent in the few ways they can to stay in line with the CCP’s guidelines. It will be interesting to see what happens if Xi Jinping decides to serve another term.

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1)     This protest is interesting because it is pushing against the zero-COVID system. The strict orders and bans that the government has put in place has really suppressed the people which has caused to so many of these protests. I have always admired China for how seriously they take COVID, but after watching this video, it makes me wonder if they have gone too far and stripped the people of some of their basic freedoms or walking outside comfortably. What seems to be even more interesting is that the government is not communicating with citizens what their plan is. I think that if people knew how long these strict orders were predicted to stay in place, then they would be less likely to riot.

2)     I think it’s very interesting that the country is pushing for its population to have more children, yet their economy makes it difficult to do so. In other words, the cost-of living, the cost of education, and the cost of buying house are all too high to afford having more children. The problem goes a lot deeper than the birthrate, but this seems to be putting a band-aid on a large wound rather than serving any real help to the government.

3)     The balance between high population and resources seems to be delicate. It is similar to the last video in saying that it’s difficult for families to have more children since they have access to limited resources. Despite this, it has a positive spin showing that China is doing well in comparison to India, and it also talks about how a higher population can be helpful to the economy by having more people in the labor force. However, it cannot go without mentioning that the work force is shrinking and the ageing population is growing. Some solutions to encourage more births would be better access to health care, improved education, and raised living standards. Without these things, I do not think that China will be able to grow its population rapidly again.

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1. I think it is important for us to understand the reason that these protests are happening. It seems like these COVID mandates are just the tip of the iceberg with regards to regulation in China and government response. I think it also comes down to the overall world and there transition. We see that a lot of other countries are moving away from the COVID regulations yet China is behind on this, and this is where a lot of the frustration comes from
2. I think the modern wave of parents as a whole do not like having a lot of kids. For one, balancing your work life and kids is already stressful enough as it is, and now with a 3 child policy, I can understand the backlash. It is also reflective of the modern family as well. Most new families in the US do not want to raise 3 kids as it is such a financial burden on them for kids. The Chinese people's reaction to this policy just proves this. Also, there are a lot of studies that confirm the strenuous nature of Chinese corporations and jobs, and that would add on more stress.
3. I think it is important to weight the pros and cons in modern times compared to old times. I think the video does a good job weighing those pros and cons such as the increase of quality of life for having only one child, compared to the three child policy, which would allow someone to choose what they want. Either way I think it is important to give couples the freedom to choose what they want to do.

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Reaction 1: I am not surprised that there has started to be discontent with the Covid restrictions. Many countries have started to “move past” their Covid era and begin to live life as they did before Covid. Those who choose to wear masks are able and those who choose not to wear them do not. There appears to be a lack of choice when it comes to this Zero Covid policy, which seems to be a big part of the discontent in China. These strict measures largely effect businesses and everyday citizens. These lockdowns restrict businesses and the average citizen from their job. Lastly, although there are many restrictions, Covid still runs rampant in China. So if all of these restrictions are in place, why are cases increasing and not decreasing? This could be a question many Chinese residents have and a reason why they are upset about the current situation.

Reaction 2: It’s understandable why there would be people against the three child policy. It is gradually getting more difficult to take care of oneself, even without having another mouth to feed. There was a couple that also brought up the quality of education they would want for their child. It’s not that these people don't want multiple children, but that they simply can’t afford to have another child.

Reaction 3: I believe it’s interesting to see the pros and cons of the one child policy and the three child policy. Although a lower birth rate will improve the quality of life, it also increases the employment  rate of older people because there are not as many young people to pass the work down to. Additionally if a couple wants several children a pro and con would be population increase however it is also a heavy con because it decreases the quality of life for all involved.

Lauren Ladaker

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Reaction 1: I believe this video clearly explained what cultural appreciation vs. cultural appropriation is. Sometimes the lines can be blurred of what can be considered appropriation and what is considered appropriation. A quote from this video that I liked is “If it is about us, then it must include us.” Oftentimes when people are culture appropriate, it is because they have not communicated with the people whose culture they have appropriated  therefore they do not understand the rights and wrongs of what they have done. This can cause harmful stereotypes as well as minimize someone’s culture as if it means nothing.

Reaction 2: In this review there is a more positive viewpoint of the 1998 movie and a negative viewpoint on the 2020 movie They state that there is no real emotional connection between characters in the 2020 Mulan in comparison to the 1998 Mulan in which she has a very positive relationship with her father. Additionally, although they talked about qi, it was never truly established what it was. Qi in this movie seemed to be a representation of some sort of super power which is inaccurate. Lastly, the 2020 movie did not set up Mulan for growth, nor empathy, She was non for her natural abilities rather than her cleverness like in the 1998 movie.

Reaction 3: For the most part, the people in this interview seemed content about the Chinese culture being highlighted; however, there were also many concerns that the live action movie would not be able to capture an abundance of Chinese culture. There were also concerns of the story deviating from the 1998 film. In the end the were correct. Although it did highlight Chinese culture in some way, the drawbacks were inaccuracies within the film when involving culture. This was due to the lack of representation when directing the movie.

Lauren Ladaker

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Mulan is an interesting movie to analyze cultural appropriation through, as it was produced by the same company (Disney) around 20 years apart. A key part of some of the reactions in the third video is the idea of commodification - the cultural legend of Mulan in China is commodified in both Disney movies, but in different ways. The triumph of the original film is Mulan subverting the patriarchal society she lives in, participating in it by defying it and saving the emperor. At the end of the film is the payoff, the reward for challenging the status quo, while throughout the film the Chinese conception of gender and society is explained. In the new Mulan, she does not have that moment of triumph. The crux of the movie is the social norm reinforced, Mulan maintains the same position she always has - a woman, but a strong woman. This misunderstanding of the source material patterns the second movie, and exemplifies a kind of cultural appropriation. All of the trappings of Chinese culture are present, but without any of the understanding. The reactions of the people in the Asian Boss video follow a similar pattern of a kind of disappointment. The original film understood some (not all) of the purpose of the original legend of Mulan, and reimagined it in a way that supported the source material. The new movie “like Chinese food and other stereotypes” uses the imagery of Chinese culture as a window dressing, telling its own story with none of the meaning of the original film.

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1. I think that this distinction is very prevalent in not only Indigenous people but also in East Asians. There has been a recent increase in interest of East Asian culture because of things like kpop and anime. However, it has led to people sexualizing Asian culture such as inappropriate recreations of qipao’s and an obsession with “asian core” which highlights parts of asian culture as exotic and different. I think this video did a good job of emphasizing the importance of the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation because although it seems simple, many people are not respectful of other cultures.

2. This video seems very critical of the live-action Mulan which I agree with. Of course I was upset with superficial details like the lack of the classic songs, Mushu, and ShangLi, but I was also critical of things that were pointed out such as the lack of a built relationship between Mulan and her father as well as the lack of coherence in the plot line. This incoherence can especially be seen in its attempt at incorporating chi throughout the movie.

3. I thought that is was really interesting to hear insights from all age groups of people. They interviewed young girls in elementary school, young adult, and seniors. I think that their view of things was very well-rounded. The girl at the end was especially insightful when talking about how actors and actresses cannot portray a culture if they do not share the and way of thinking of that culture.

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1. There are some key differences between the two that there needs to be a set line too. It seems like a lot of the time we misidentify what is what and this video gives a lot of clarity for people.
2. I think it is very important for people to understand that Mulan had and how important it was for the authors to get it right. It was a portrayal of Chinese culture that did not accurately go over the details and I think that it is important that media goes over this and tries to improve on what we can do
3. I appreciate the view that other Chinese people have about the film and what ways it was good and it what ways it could be improved. This insight is essential because it shows that the Chinese community appreciates the effort that these companies go to give Chinese power, but there needs to be an accurate portrayal of these characters in Chinese history.

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Watch the following videos (3 in total) and post your reactions to these videos. The reaction should be substantial (200-300 words in writing or 2-3 minutes if it’s an audio or video). Put your name on the post. Preview is due by noon on the day class and graded on completion.

Video 1: Is Taiwan a Country or Part of China? (12 min)

Video 2: Recap of Pelosi's visit to China (6 min)
https://www.tiktok.com/@kassycho/video/7129948198025612545?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7184501570695824938

Video 3: China Taiwan conflict explained | Geopolitical Analysis (13 min)

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Reaction1: I knew of the conflict between Taiwan and China however, since I am not well versed in the history nor politics, I had no idea that it dated so far back or that it was such a large issue. There seems to be a lot that happened between the 1900s and now. This video puts into perspective the intricacy and importance the history between Taiwan and China is. I believe that it is possible that the tension between the U.S and China does not just stem from competitiveness between the two countries but also the relations the U.S has with Taiwan.

Reaction2: I had not known much information on the topic before viewing this TikTok yet it seems as though many other places knew of her visit.  I’m surprised yet not surprised that the U.S decided to make this sort of move. I just question why now? Knowing that tensions were already rising between Taiwan and China, why visit at that time? While it’s great to increase bonds with a country, is it currently worth the risk? Apparently it was due to what seems to be a positive visit between both the U.S and Taiwan.

Reaction3: This video better puts into perspective the relationship between the U.S and Taiwan and why they support Taiwan. It makes sense why China would want Taiwan. If Taiwan and China were one at one point, why would China want Taiwan to be connected to the U.S. There is also a dependence on Taiwan that China has. Since Taiwan has economic capabilities that would benefit both the U.S and China, it seems to be a battle of which country can obtain a stronger foothold in China.

Lauren Ladaker

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Much of the tension between the United States and China over Taiwan is an extension or proxy of greater tensions between the two powers. As Sengupta said in his video, small powers are used as the stage for conflict between larger powers, and those small powers bear most of the negative effects. In the Cold war, the United States wanted to use China as a lever against the Soviets, and allowed the transition of control of China from a far-right power (the ROC) that would’ve aligned closer with the West to the communist CCP. The United States is now dealing with the consequences of its own actions. It cannot throw all in with Taiwan, as it needs friendly(ish) relations with China for both political and economic reasons. It can’t get behind China entirely for the same issue - the US is the ‘beacon of democracy’ and abandoning Taiwan would be seen domestically as bowing to an ‘enemy’ power. In the end I expect little to come of this beyond the saber rattling that the US and China like to do. The US will use Taiwan to prove that China is an evil empire, and China will maintain political dominance and take any derivations from their stance as an attack on sovereignty. The importance of the TSMC cannot be understated, not just for the US and China, but the world. Pelosi’s visit may be to drum up domestic support, to allay fears that the DNC is too friendly with China, or to pressure China to relax some tensions and show the US still has some commitment to Taiwan.

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1. 1. I already knew why Taiwan was such a hot topic and it's significant to the entire East Asian Sea. However, it is still interesting to me to see how the relationship has developed overtime with raised tensions and how it started. The video discussion paints a clearer picture of the situation and its relation to the rise of tensions between of China and Taiwan, giving us the important perspective needed to understand the context of the situation

2. 2. This situation is very interesting and intense. While I did not hear too much about it on the homefront, it seemed like people on the border cared a lot about what the US did. This shows the power that the US still has in the world to manipulate and persuade people, as their firm stance as a top player makes their stance known to China on the public stage. It still shows the US holds a lot of influence on these countries in East Asia and what the US does will have a great impact on the world, and this development is extremely important.

3. I learned a lot more about the intricacies of the Taiwan situation. I learned about the reason as to why China feels they own the land. China wants Taiwan to stay away from Western influences, as the countries that surround it are American values and have a sense of democracy that is used in other countries, and China would feel threatened by that. I also did not know about the first and second island chain. Past the second island chain is believed to be US and before the first is Chinese and China believes that US crossing into that first line to try to convert Taiwan is cause for action.

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1.      Upon watching this video, I was shocked by how controversial the island of Taiwan had become. At first glance, it seems like it is just an island among East Asia. However, the history of it goes much deeper than this. In the video, it explained that China was annexed by Japan, then surrendered back to China after World War 2. Taiwan seemed to have cut off communication with China which really surprised me too since they are so close in proximity and bound to run into each other, especially in the Taiwan strait. But to my surprise, they maintained the 3 Noes of 1) no contact 2) no compromise and 3) no negotiation. I was mainly surprised by this because I did not think that Taiwan held enough power to be their own government entity. This is where it seems to get complicated with the 1992 Consensus on the “One China Policy” stating that there is only one China, however China and Taiwan both see themselves as the legitimate government of China. This disagreement seems to put them in a tough situation because neither unification nor independence are the best solution for Taiwan. Hence, why they have probably been stuck in conflict over this issue for decades now.

2.      This visit proved very controversial politically. I was confused as to why the US would make such a bold political move when I realized that they wanted to strengthen Taiwan relations in order to support democracy in East Asia. With this being said, it arguably countered China’s recent crackdown on human rights in places such as Hong Kong. I am glad to hear that the US and Taiwan were able to strengthen their relations, however, I worry that it will negatively affect the US’ trade deals with China. The US must balance a democracy and economy here which is a very dangerous game.

3.      This dangerous game is furthered by the third video as it compares the China-Taiwan conflict to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It claims that the China-Taiwan conflict could escalate to that level if Taiwan tried to declare independence or China tried to initiate unification. Furthermore, the main takeaway of the video is that the US viewed Taiwan as a “strategic tool”. The video worked to deconstruct the idea that the US wanted to support Taiwan because of democracy when they actually wanted to support Taiwan because they saw Taiwan as a strategic tool democratically and economically. They brought up a good point that the US is competing with China economically to be number one in the world which means that supporting Taiwan, whom China is reliant on for their economic stability, would give them an upper hand in the market.

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Watch the following videos (3 in total) and post your reactions to these videos. The reaction should be substantial (200-300 words in writing or 2-3 minutes if it’s an audio or video). Put your name on the post. Preview is due by noon on the day class and graded on completion.

Video 1: Understanding the rise of China (25 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imhUmLtlZpw&t=585s

Video 2: Why Huawei is banned in US? (5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJp35a4UM7M

Video 3: Interview employees of Huawei (watch from 7 min and forward)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXIFmzfgzM

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1. Martin Jacques’ TED Talk contrasts the operating systems of China with its Western counterparts and explains how the Western perspective can inhibit a person’s understanding of present-day China. Jacques begins his presentation by addressing the key differences between the role of the state in China and the United States / Europe. According to Jacques, the Western stigmatism surrounding communism is derived from an intrinsic view of the state as an intruder to the people. The United States, as well as most European democracies, have long histories of a power struggle between the state and the people, the latter typically wanting to decrease the state’s ability to breach privacy. On the other hand, Eastern cultures, predominantly China, have adopted a perspective that respects the government as an authoritative entity, and values the state’s role as a daily regulator. These established ideologies are not interchangeable, so trying to view the Chinese operating system through a Western lens will prevent someone from understanding present-day China.

2. This is my first-time hearing about Huawei, but the United States ban against Huawei products seems to be more of a strategic way of hindering a foreign tech giant rather than a legitimate attempt to preserve American cybersecurity. As far as I am aware, there is no substantial evidence that Huawei is using its global influence to gather intelligence for the Chinese government, but because Chinese businesses have a different state relationship than Western companies, they are deemed to be a threat to American privacy.

3. The third video manages to humanize Huawei in a way that totally contradicts its Western reputation. The video depicts real conversation between an interviewer and employees and gives important insight into how Huawei employees are treated and how they view their employer. Huawei employees are known to have exceptional salaries and can live in the Huawei living district. This video helps to destigmatize a successful Chinese business and suggests that the Western demonization of Huawei could be reasons other than cybersecurity.

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Ousman Berndt

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The first video was a TED talk by Martin Jacques, who primarily focused on the idea of the Chinese model as a completely new paradigm in the global and local political ecosystem. He argued that attempting to understand China and the decisions that the PRC makes through the Western model that has dominated the global political system will fall short of understanding the real motivations and ideals behind them. China, not just as a modern country and UN member, but as a thriving new political model, cannot be understood in terms of democracy, and its success is inexplicable if you only focus on the Western perspective. The relationship between the American market and Huawei can be understood through this lens; the American market operates exclusively under American conceptions of proper business practices and the relationship between Public and Private is well defined. The Chinese market does not operate in the same way. As far as I am aware, there is no actual evidence that Huawei is using their technology to spy on foreign governments. But the American market and government are not equipped to understand the relationship that the Chinese government has with private enterprises, and can only assume that the Chinese government would be involved in private enterprise for the same reason the American government would be involved with private enterprise; as an extension of governmental power. Is the Chinese government using Huawei to spy? Maybe, but to assume it with no evidence is irresponsible. This tension is partially a result of a fundamental difference in the cultural practices of each country.
Riley Clauss

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1. In Martin Jaques’ TED Talk, he made the comparison of the Western view and the East Asian view. I think this is a very interesting perspective because it allows us to see just how different a nation-state and or civilization states can be mostly influenced by history. Additionally, he brought up the fact that since the West had been more central when it came to development, which allows people in the West to be less knowledgeable about other cultures and events outside of their own states. Since other countries have been watching the West develop as well as other states it provides them with more insight as well as makes them less culturally and socially ignorant.

2. This is my first time hearing about Huawei, however; I’m not surprised that it has been banned from the U.S. This makes me think of the attempts to ban TikTok for the same reasons. The U.S thinks of China as competition and if they feel as though they’re being threatened or there could be a potential threat, they tend to attempt to eliminate it immediately.

3. I think it was very smart and important for the interviewer to get the perspective of the Huawei employees. We are able to get more information on what’s happening behind the scenes in the company. Although I can partially understand the reason for U.S suspicion, the employees of the company seemed to be ready to cooperate with the Western countries in order to find a solution. Additionally, the employees seem to produce more insight than the U.S has on why they have banned Huawei. I also think it’s interesting that although they are bound from certain countries, they are still able to bring in a large sum of customers and revenue.

Lauren Ladaker

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1. I think this video is interesting with regards to how this person describes the views of China. He compares China’s views to America’s views and how the distribution of power in China is different compared to America. He also talks about authority and how China sees authority in a way where they believe regulation is key to success, however America does not believe that, which is leading China to grow massively.

2. It is interesting to see how Americans react to Chinese innovations. While America believes China is hacking into their software, I think it has to do with stunting Chinese growth compared to them stealing our data. The concern America has may more be that a Chinese competitor is taking over the market than data mining. This is also shown with the 2017 that requires Chinese companies to comply with the US marketplace terms. It seems that China is being held to a different standard of protection and concerns versus other markets

3. This interview is very interesting and affirms what I said before about America being a bit worried about Chinese control in the market. A lot of Chinese workers seem to be that Western media is portraying the company to be. A lot of workers seem to have no bad intent for America besides the interpretations of their company, which makes me believe the western media makes China out to be an evil country.

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It wound up being 4 minutes, I hope that is okay!

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1. I thought that it was very insightful how he explained the difference between a civilization-state and a nation-state. He compared the Western gaze vs. the Eastern gaze which I have never truly thought in-depth about before. I never realized how the Western gaze feels a sense of superiority over the East and struggles to understand how a nation works as one civilization with many systems rather than one system.
2. Huawei seems like a very suspicious company for the US to sanction bans on it, and I have not heard of it. Despite the ban, it surprises me that their revenue is not majorly affected by US sanctions. It is very interesting to see how cautious people are of Huawei yet how it continues to dominate the smart phone industry on a global scale. Many brands that I have heard of such as Cisco and T-Mobile successfully sued which I found as a shock because those are trusted brands of mine. Therefore, it makes me reconsider if Huawei is really as clean as it says it is.
3. This video showed another perspective that countered the second video. The interviews made Huawei seems more reliable. Although there are concerns from Huawei family members, it seems like the company is doing well considering they can afford their Top Minds programs. They are paying young graduates millions of dollars each year in order to keep farming strong minds for the company. Therefore, this proves their strong financial standing. Also, the rotating chairman seems unconcerned as well as all of the employees which makes me question whether the West's distrust was unbased.
Lexi Chettleburgh

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growth
culture
variety

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Ancient, Beautiful, big

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Rising power, busy

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(Rapid Economical Growth)