|
IN MEMORIAM
Remembering
I.M. Pei
I.M.
Pei, who died
Thursday morning in New York at the age of 102, was a giant
in the field of architecture, responsible for transforming the look of
many of the world’s great cities. His designs include:
And
many, many, more. Later in his career, Pei returned to his native
China, where he designed the Suzhou Museum north of Shanghai as well as
a hotel in Beijing’s Fragrant Hills now used for state dinners and
other official functions.
Asia Society was fortunate enough to count Pei as a friend. In 2016,
when we honored him with an Asia Game Changer Lifetime Achievement
award, the 99-year-old Pei accepted
the accolade in a ceremony held at the United Nations. That
fall, we also welcomed Pei to our New York galleries for Asia Society
Museum’s exhibition No
Limits: Zao Wou-Ki — a show displaying the work
of Pei’s late friend and fellow Chinese emigree. Watch
this video commemorating his appearance.
|
|
|
CHINAFILE
The World
of China's Urban Swimming Pools
Urban
outdoor pools in China are a respite on the hottest days — but also, in
the world’s most populous country, a chaotic, joyous, sea of humanity.
The photographer Xu
Song spent the summers of 2014, 2015, and 2016
photographing swimmers in Beijing with his iPhone and discovered how
pools provided a “summer outlet for the emotions” of its inhabitants. ChinaFile has
published a selection of Xu’s most remarkable photos. “I
never realized that so many Chinese people have tattoos,” he said.
|
|
|
|
POLICY
U.S.-China
Trade: It Takes Two To Tango
Asia
Society Policy Institute President Kevin Rudd recently
appeared on CNN’s Fareed
Zakaria GPS to talk U.S.-China trade. One provision in
the U.S. negotiating position, Rudd said, the Chinese have found
“obnoxious” and “not acceptable”:
"And
that is a provision which says that if in the future the United States
judges that China is not honoring the terms of the agreement, then the
United States can unilaterally impose punitive tariffs against China.
But also in the same agreement, requiring that China would under no
circumstances then retaliate. Now all I'd say in response to that is,
if the United States was in a trade negotiation with me, as the prime
minister of Australia, I would find that absolutely unacceptable.
And I'm not surprised the Chinese find it unacceptable. I still think
there's a way through these negotiations, but the United States has to
think through its own position on this as well."
|
|
|
CURRENT
AFFAIRS
India Has
Voted. What's Next?
On
Thursday, the results from India’s enormous, weeks-long election will
be announced. Asia Society has several programs around the world to
help contextualize what happened and speculate on what comes next. On
May 24, Asia Society Hong Kong hosts Henny Sender, Simon Cox, Sanjay Khanduri,
and Anjani
Trivedi for a
discussion on the election’s implications.
Asia Society Switzerland, meanwhile, will host two conversations
devoted to the election. On May 27, James Crabtree, Ruth Kattumuri,
and Mark
Dittli will speak about India’s future in Zurich — more
details here. Crabtree will join Shaila Seshia Galvin
in Geneva for a
similar discussion on May 28.
And at Asia Society New York on May 29, Kanchan Chandra, Menaka Guruswamy,
Tanvi Madan,
and Milan
Vaishnav will discuss the election with Robert Jenkins.
Details
here.
|
|
|
UPCOMING EVENTS
The second
annual Asia in America gala will be held at Asia Society New
York on May 23, honoring Devika
Bhise, Danielle
Chang, and Kenzo
Digital and featuring food, drink, dancing, and
entertainment. Tickets are still available.
On May 27, Asia Society Hong Kong marks the 40th anniversary of U.S.
diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China with a
discussion of the world’s most important bilateral
relationship. Participants include Kenneth Lieberthal, Mary Gallagher,
Michael Barr,
and Richard
Rogel.
On May 30, Asia Society Texas hosts a screening of the new documentary And Then They Came For Us,
a history of Japanese internment during World War Two and the
episode’s parallels to President Trump’s 2017 travel ban on people from
Muslim countries. Speakers include Karen Korematsu, Pratik Shah,
Don Tamaki,
and Mustafa
Tameez. Sang
Shin will moderate the discussion. More
details here.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
