Witney Schneidman

on February 19, 2015

Witney Schneidman is a nonresident fellow with the Africa Growth Initiative and a member of the Trade Advisory Committee on Africa in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Sub-Saharan African Advisory Committee at the U.S. Export-Import Bank, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Corporate Council on Africa. He is president of Schneidman & Associates International (SAI). Since 2001, SAI has helped American and international companies and non-governmental organizations achieve their commercial and program objectives in Africa. SAI has worked on a variety of projects in a number of sectors in Africa.

Schneidman helped to create the Africa-China-U.S. Trilateral Dialogue on behalf of the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Brenthurst Foundation, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He has also worked for compliance with the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative on behalf of the Hess Corporation. During the Obama presidential campaign, Schneidman was co-chair of the Africa Experts Group and a member of the Presidential Transition Team. In the Clinton Administration, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, responsible for economic and commercial issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. His responsibilities included the passage and implementation of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, and coordinating the U.S.-SADC Forum, the U.S.-Angola Bilateral Consultative Commission and the U.S.-Nigeria Joint Economic Forum.

Schneidman is the author of Engaging Africa: Washington and the Fall of Portugal’s Colonial Empire. He is the author of the report "A Ten Year Strategy for Increasing Capital Flows to Africa," published by Peterson Institute for International Economics, and “Twelve Years of the African Growth and Opportunity Act,” published by the Brookings Institution. He has written extensively on African economic and political issues, and has served as a commentator for CNN, the BBC, and NPR, among other media outlets.

He received a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Southern California, an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and a B.A. (Cum Laude) from Temple University.

Why 700 Million People Keep Watching the Chinese New Year Gala, Even Though It’s Terrible

By Rachel Lu on February 19, 2015

The Chinese New Year Gala, which aired live on February 18 on Chinese Central Television (CCTV), is a four-and-half hour variety show with song and dance, comedic skits, magic tricks, acrobatic acts, and celebrity cameos. The show celebrates the Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, the country’s most important family holiday.

Chinese Studies at the University of Botswana

A China in Africa Podcast

By Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden & more on February 18, 2015

It’s long been said that while China may have an Africa policy, Africans do not have a China policy. In particular, too many Africans do not understand the language, culture, and politics of their new number one trading partner. The University of Botswana, for its part, is trying to change that. UB has one of the most ambitious Chinese studies programs in Africa. Dr.

Cai Guo-Qiang’s Love Affair With Fireworks

In Celebration of the Lunar New Year

By Orville Schell on February 18, 2015

New York City-based artist Cai Guo-Qiang, one of the most celebrated contemporary artists born in China, has become the Godfather of a spectacular new kind of fireworks displays which he calls “explosion events.” Having done large-scale events around the world, from Beijing and Buenos Aires to Doha and Hiroshima, he has taken “gunpowder,” one of China’s “four ancient inventions” (printing, paper, the compass, and gunpowder) and pioneered a new epic form of art that is both material and metaphoric.

Scott D. Livingston

on February 17, 2015

Scott D. Livingston is an American attorney specializing in Chinese trade and investment law, with a particular focus on technology. He has written numerous articles on China's economic reforms and emergent data privacy framework, and contributed to several comprehensive reports analyzing China's treatment of foreign investors. Livingston was formerly an Associate in Covington & Burling's Beijing office, and now resides in California. He is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and an alumni of the International Chinese Language Program (ICLP) of National Taiwan University.

Letter to the Editor from ‘Mao Zedong’

on February 17, 2015

美国纽约《中参馆》：

今天天堂版《参考资料》载贵馆所编 “毛还是死了的吗？” 的笔谈摘译，内容很生动，又带原则性。我于一九七六年差点没死的问题，像你们现在这样讲法，过去还没有过，特别是马若德和小沈两个人很能看出问题，分析得很不错。汉人李固说“盛名之下，其实难副”，这两句，正是指我。

我收到马克思的请帖，已经三十九年了。天堂消息很灵通，每天参阅材料、情报，都是很有兴味的。看样子，我党经过多少错误路线的教育才逐步走上正轨，并且至今还有问题，即对内对外都有大国沙文主义，仍须加以克服。一九七零年我曾与美国友人斯诺说“你说中国怎么怎么好，我不赞成。两个东西在斗，一个进步的，一个落后的”。我对中国的进步不满意，历来不满意。当然，我也曾经说过，不是没有进步。三十几年前同现在比较，总进步一点吧，三十几年啊！

Prosperity, International Cooperation, Civil Rights Key to Defeating Terror

By Hu Shuli

on February 17, 2015

The global fight against terrorism has entered a new stage with the emergence of the Islamic State (IS), and the battle lines have never been so clearly drawn all over the world.

On February 18, Washington will host the Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, and Chinese delegates will join in the conversation.