China Does the MoonWalk

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25178299

1. Do you think China's assertion into the space program will spark a response from other countries? Specifically countries like the US who had a raging space program in the 60's and 70's but since then have had much less involvement.

2. Do you think China is truly interested in advancing its scientific prowess, or is it a patriotic show of modernization towards other countries?

3. With such ambition what do you predict the Chinese government will invest in the future? 

NFL and Cheerleaders in China?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-22/nfl-could-find-refuge-from-controversy-in-china.html

1) Should the NFL have teams in China and/or other countries? Why or why not?

2) Since China is known to be academically focused as opposed to athletically, how would a wildly popular sport like football affect the government and the focus of the people in China?

3) Do you think football would be a successful and popular sport in China? Why or why not?

Chinese Art Today

Blog #4 – Chinese art today

1. Are Chinese artists today creating pieces which are purely for aesthetics or to get a message, either political or social, to the public?
2. Areas such as Taiwan and Hong Kong have different “tastes” in art. Do you think that cities and states in the United States also have their own specific, different styles of art?
3. When the Chinese art industry was closed to the foreign influence, they had their own style which was devoid of Western influence. Now that China is integrating with outside cultures and characteristics, do you think that the “Chinese taste” will change and become more like the world’s taste or will it stay the same?

http://www.economist.com/node/18985799

"China withholds visas for New York Times, Bloomberg journalist after hard-hitting reports"

tp://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/china-withholds-visas-for-new-york-times-bloomberg-journalists-after-hard-hitting-reports/article15820181/

Discussion Questions:

1. The article states that "...he [Biden] warned Chinese leaders there would be repercussions for China if the journalists were expelled, especially in Congress." How do you think this event will affect the relationship between the United States and China? 

2. As we recently discussed, in Russia, journalists are facing oppression for their writing also. How would you compare or contrast the experiences of the American journalists in China and the Russian journalists? 

3. As discussed in the article and seen in Ai Weiwei's documentary, despite being faced with negative response to their actions, Chinese officials often make excuses, or lie about what happened.  Why do you think this is able to happen and how do you think the situation would be handled differently in a country such as the United States?

Get Your Grub On. How to Eat Fried Jellyfish.

READ THE TWO HYPERLINKS: Find out what Chinese people really eat.


http://dc.eater.com/archives/2011/10/31/10-chinese-dishes-that-real-chinese-people-dont-eat.php

http://dc.eater.com/archives/2011/11/04/10-chinese-dishes-real-chinese-people-do-eat-and-where-to-find-them.php

Questions for discussion:

1.  Out of all these foods, were there any that you thought were authentic but turned out not to be? 

2. Is this information new, surprising, or did you already know it?

3. What do you think changed Chinese food into "American Chinese food?" Is it because of taste preference or something else?

4. If you were to go to China, how willing would you be to try new food and which ones?

India's Overpopulation.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2517637/India-stretched-limit-overpopulation.html

This article is about the overpopulation problem in India and highlights some of the recent events that show how bad the situation is. 

Questions to Discuss:

Can you see an overpopulation problem like this become a reality in the United States? Why or why not?

 Are there any real solution to this issue?

 Can the United States help with the overpopulation?

 Do you think India officials will resort to regulations similar to the one-child policy in China? 

 How is this overpopulation problem affecting the Indian economy, government and culture?

 How does this affect everyday life and how would you deal with the struggle of overpopulation if you lived in India?

What is Life Like at a Chinese High School?

 

http://www.echinacities.com/expat-corner/Student-Shadowing-Spending-a-Day-in-a-Chinese-High-School

 

Discussion Questions:

 

1.)  What was most shocking to you about this article?

2.)  If you were to be sent to a Chinese high school, do you think you could handle it?

3.)  What are your thoughts about the "gaokao", the three-day test?

4.)  What do you think a Chinese high schooler's opinion would be about the schools in the United States?

Jimmy Kimmel = Hitler? China may think so....

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/11/07/4447492/jimmy-kimmel-hitlera-controversy.html#.Up9IfMRDsrV

Do you think the Chinese overreacted to this controversial segment, or was it right of them to speak up?  Is Jimmy Kimmel truly comparable to Hitler, as the article's title conveys? Is there anything else that Kimmel and ABC could do to ease the tension caused by the segment?  Do the "perceived American prejudices against Chinese and Chinese-Americans" mentioned in the article actually exist today?  

China Is Still a Wonderful Place

http://content.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/printout/0,31522,1850076_1850078_1849814-full,00.html
We have learned a lot about the history of China, and even the more modern facts seem to make
 China seem like a place no one would want to go. After reading this article I realized that China does 
actually have some sights that look worthy of seeing. Does this article change your opinion of whether 
you would want to see China? Do you you thinks facts from the United States' history could make America
 seem like a place people would not want to go? 
What do we have that is worth seeing?

China Poised for Economic Changes

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/11/china-second-revolution-20131127867155573.html

1. Do you think that China will be able to continue its economic growth given that many Western countries, including powerful ones, are suspicious of China's growth?

2. Will Western countries try to stop China's progress? What might they do?

3. If China does continue its economic growth and start dominating global markets, do you think Communism will spread? Or will China be forced to give up its restrictive laws in order to be able to trade with other powerful countries?

AIDS and HIV on the Rise in China

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-12/02/content_17143826.htm

Why do you think the Chinese government has been so proactive about "fixing" this issue, but yet they turn a blind-eye to many of China's other problems? Do you think they have a secret agenda?