Readings for East Asia Today (12/17)

[Anonymous]

The United States is not always viewed in a positive manner abroad. This article shed some light on why that was so a few years ago. Australia, South Korea, Thailand, The Phillipines, and Japan are all formal U.S. allies in Asia. However, their views are shifting. If they were forced to choose to support China or the United States, there is a good chance they would back China. There are several reasons for this shift. In South Korea, South Koreans feel more aligned with Beijing's views on the North Korean nuclear problem than with the views from the United States. All the countries seem to think that the U.S. is putting too much focus on the war against terror. China on the other hand is making more and more positive relationships with its neighbors.

[Anonymous]

This was an interesting article. A recent survey showed that United States allies; So. Korea, Thailand, Australia, Philippines, and Japan, perceptions of the US have declined. The survey also showed that their perceptions of China are now a more positive image. Seoul finds itself more in line with the views of Beijing than the US approach to the North Korean nuclear problem. Also, many South Eastern Asian governments think the US focuses too much on the war of terrorism and the No. Korean nuclear problem. Lastly, China has been successful at building relationship with it's neighbors in recent years. This has cause a shift in our allies perception of the United States.

[Anonymous]

I found this article very interesting. I keep hear from many different sources that China will be the next world top dog, leader, and almighty power. But this article brought up a good point. Looking at Asia's history from the past, the area has been full of competition, fighting, and unstable relationships. The article points out that if one country in the area suddenly did rise to power, there would be alarm and caution taken by the neighboring countries. I enjoyed reading this article and feel that it brought up several good points.

[Anonymous]

As views of the United States shift abroad, it is even more important for us to recognize the value of a program like this one offered. It allows us to understand the perspective of other countries. Often in class, people remarked what they had never learned or heard of in their education. This class allows us, as educators, to bring perspective to our students.

[Anonymous]

This final article in the selection was the one I found the most interesting. Some of the first readings and information in the articles posted here referred to the Bush administration and were written in 2005. The comparison of attitudes among other countries made me curious enough to take a break and google "US vs. China-recent polls from other countries". That is one of the things that I appreciate about this class the most. I have become curious about things I would have not paid attention to before. I learned that our recent election created polls around the world with one on msn reporting that all the world backed Obama in the election...except China. The final selection about power shifting from West to East presented a very easy to understand perspective on the predictions of China's growth. One particular statistic was that only 10% of Chinese engineers were deemed employable by multinational companies while 25% of Indian and 82% of American engineers were considered employable. Many of the perspectives in this article made me curious to know more and were different from what I had assumed were true.

[Anonymous]

I found Sara Bongiorni's article "A Year Without 'Made in China': One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy" intriguing. The thought that they gave up items made in China for a whole year sounded like an incredible challenge. As I read the article, I found myself thinking about whether I would be able to do a similar boycott. I've never given much thought to where the products I purchase come from. My goal is become aware of my place in the global economy by paying attention to the origin of my items.

[Anonymous]

Like Katherine stated in her comment, the United States have not always been viewed positively throughout the world. I found it interesting that countries who profess alliegance officially, are not necessary supported by public opinion. I think China's "charm offensive" is a smart avenue of foreign policy, and one the US should try.

[Anonymous]

This article, written in 2009, points out the almost inevitability of China becoming a superpower within the next 15 or so years. It's intersting to think about the dramatic change in global powers that will occur during our lifetime. It really shows how important teaching our students about East Asia is because of the influence the area will have in their lifetime. I'm intrigued to see how things play out in the future.

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

Dear Colleagues,

Please see below for the readings for the final session.

Best,
Yingjia

[Anonymous]

I agree with mparrille in that I, too, have always heard about the rising of China. They are eventually going to take over the world, with their booming economy and growing army. But this article took each point I've heard made about China (and more that I hadn't heard) and offered a convincing rebuttal. I especially found the section titled, "China will Dominate Asia" interesting because it seems that it would be true due to its size and current economic growth and development. However, the article made an interesting point in that China's neighbors will never let China dominate because there is so much tension between them now and it will only continue to escalate. I like the quote at the end of the section which said that the rise of China has not inspired enthusiasm in the other Asian countries, but rather fear and unease. "So much for China's charm offensive." Fascinating!

[Author]

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