The New York Times has been publishing some interesting articles lately on China. (I assume you all took advantage of your freebie on-line subscription to this newspaper per the email Vicki sent out long ago. If ignored that email, you are out of luck and missed a great opportunity!)

For example, to catch a glimpse of why many northern Chinese still feel deep anger toward the Japanese and they in turn get upset with the US when we back the Japanese on economic and foreign policy issues, read “Wartime Chinese Laborers Sue Japan.” You might then ask Professor Anderson in your law course whether, if these Chinese plaintiff’s file and win their case in China, can they collect against Japanese assets located in China? (E.g., the Japanese currently own and run factories in southern China where the resentment toward them is not as high, as well as in the city of Dalian, which is actually in northern China/Manchuria but if you look at it on a map you will easily see geographically why the Japanese are there doing business.)

Next, during the winter quarter we will have a session on sustainability in China. Check out “Bring in the Green Cat“, “The Green Leap Forward” and “A Partner for Mr. Hu” for three very good Op-Ed pieces in the NY Times by Thomas Friedman (who also wrote one of the must-read books on your reading list, in my view: “The World is Flat“). Clearly, Friedman “gets” the importance of issues relating to the enviroment.

Also read the following NY Times piece on the Great Wall (”Saving the Great Wall from Being Loved to Death“), which is simply a must see if you travel to China.  As your (and my) big-eyed American footsteps help further deteriorate the Great Wall when we walk on it, we can’t say we weren’t warned (this article, sadly, reminds me of what has already happened to a certain extent with Yosemite in California). That said, try to walk lightly!  And, yes you will sweat that day … a lot as the Wall is steeeeep … so bring an extra t-shirt.

And remember Cuba? As you will see in this Wall Street Journal article they are now looking toward China as THE example of how to move their own system toward a market economy and prosper. Who would have of ever predicted that 15 years ago?! No political scientist I know. But what are some differences that will likely make Cuba’s successful transition to “capitalism with a socialist face” more problematic than some of the amazing things that China has accomplished?

Also check out the WSJ’s “As China Booms, the Poorest Lose Ground” - sheds doubt on the argument that a rising economic tide lifts all boats in China (and the US).

Finally, see also “Much More Than Meets the Eye” — an interesting WSJ article on Chinese decorative art that will help get you ready for our visit to the Shanghai Museum of Chinese Art (one of my favorite in the world, but as good as it is it still stands behind my favorite museum of all time — Paris’ Musee d’Orsay). See also the related article on museums in China, “Why China is Letting a Thousand Museums Take Root and Bloom.” After reading this last article, what business opportunities do you see in China that intersects between an MBA and a love of art? Could you see yourself learning some Mandarin and managing one of these museums for a year or two or three? If not, why not? (Don’t out-of-hand dismiss an idea like this — museums across the world desperately need people with business acumen to keep them afloat! It’s often all about the ability to spot an opportunity and dream, take a chance to move on it, and then, of course, you need to execute. And why not you? Who says such opportunities have to always go to the locals and the article makes it sound like there is not a plethora of people in China qualifed to run these museums that will soon be coming on line in advance of the 2008 Beijing Olympics).