The best of Asia Society every week. View this email in your browser January 22, 2019 POLICY How to Prevent 'An Avoidable War' Between the U.S. and China No bilateral relationship, arguably, is more important than that of the United States and China, the world’s two largest economies currently vying for military and diplomatic supremacy in the Asia-Pacific. In a series of speeches delivered last year, Asia Society Policy Institute President Kevin Rudd, a veteran observer of the relationship, argues that the American approach to China is undergoing a fundamental shift from "strategic engagement" to "strategic competition" — but that war between the two powers is far from inevitable. Download a compendium of Rudd’s speeches here. What’s on tap for U.S.-China relations this year? In this video Rudd lays out five things to look for in 2019, ranging from ongoing trade tensions to the ever-unpredictable situation with North Korea. Learn More BOOKS A Cultural Revolution Survivor Looks Back As a teenager during China’s Cultural Revolution, Weijian Shan was ordered to leave his family and relocate to the remote Gobi Desert as part of a sweeping political re-education campaign. A half-century later Shan, who went on to obtain a Ph.D. at UC Berkeley and become a renowned private equity pioneer, reflected on his improbable life story with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman at Asia Society New York last week. Read an excerpt of Shan’s new memoir Out of the Gobi: China, the U.S., and One Man’s Remarkable Journey at Asia Blog. Purchase the book here. Watch BOOKS Rabeah Ghaffari Distills Revolutionary Iran in New Novel Forty years ago, on the eve of the Iranian revolution, a divided family struggles to make sense of their lives in a society on the verge of major change. This is the premise of To Keep the Sun Alive, the remarkable debut novel from Rabeah Ghaffari. In a recent appearance at Asia Society New York, where she engaged in conversation with Iranian-born artist Shirin Neshat, Ghaffari read an excerpt from her novel. Check out a different excerpt of To Keep the Sun Alive over at Asia Blog — and purchase the book here. Watch UPCOMING EVENTS Hong Kong — U.S. Public Diplomacy in the Trump Era, 1/23 Washington, D.C. — Advancing the U.S.-Korea Economic Agenda, 1/23 Houston — Connection Through Comedy: A Conversation With Aasif Mandvi, 1/24 Houston — No Date, No Signature Film Screening, 1/27 Hong Kong — Liberalism and Democracy in Myanmar, 1/28 JOIN & SUPPORT Asia Society relies on the generosity of its friends and members to support its mission of strengthening relationships and promoting understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the United States. Become a Member Donate FORWARD TO A FRIEND Asia Society 725 Park Avenue New York, NY 10021 USA Copyright © 2019 Asia Society. All rights reserved. asiasociety.org