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Thursday, December 6, 2012 - 19:30

China's New Leadership Generation

Patrick Chovanec, Associate Professor,

School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University
Who are China's new political protagonists? What will their priorities be? Does reform or retrenchment lie ahead? Join Patrick Chovanec, associate professor at Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management, for post-Party Congress commentary on China's new leadership and where the country is heading. In addition to teaching at Tsinghua's International M.B.A. Program, Professor Chovanec is a featured commentator on Chinese business, economics, politics, and culture by both Chinese and international media including CNN, BBC, CNBC, Time, Newsweek, Wall...
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 - 19:30

Brave Old World: Professor Tu Weiming on China's New Confucianism

Tu Weiming,

Professor of Philosophy and Senior Fellow of Harvard University's Asia Center;

Founding Dean of the Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies, Peking University

What does it mean to be human? Distinguished Peking University professor and author Tu Weiming addresses issues with our current place in the world and the way we relate to it through a Confucian lens. Using historical memory, theories of modernity, Chinese philosophy and lessons learned through inter-nation dialogue, Professor Tu interprets Confucian ethics as a spiritual resource for the emerging Chinese identity and global community. Tu Weiming, lifetime professor of philosophy, was born in February 1940 in Kunming, China. He grew up in Taiwan and obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. from...
Thursday, November 8, 2012 - 19:30

Giant Pandas: Born Survivors

Sarah M. Bexell

Conservationist and Author

China's national treasure and a conservation icon the world over, giant pandas are arguably the most misunderstood animals on the planet. At once threatened by human encroachment and safeguarded by human ingenuity, these diffident creatures experience the best and worst of mankind. Join us for this exciting book release and presentation by Giant Pandas: Born Survivors co-author, Dr. Sarah M. Bexell. Pandas represent many things to many people: a living toy, an evolutionary cul-de-sac, a political pawn, to name just a few; but above all, the panda represents the ongoing...
Saturday, November 3, 2012 - 10:00

Outing: Guanfu Museum with Nicholas Grindley

Nicholas Grindley

Dealer and Chinese furniture connoisseur

Join classical Chinese furniture connoisseur Nicholas Grindley on a tour of the Guanfu Museum which houses an extensive collection of fine examples of Ming and Qing dynasty furniture as well as a fine collection of ceramics covering the Song to Qing dynasties. Originally located in Liulichang, the Guanfu Museum was China's first privately-owned museum, founded in 1997 by self-taught scholar and antiquities expert, Ma Weidu. For over 35 years, Nicholas Grindley has been a private dealer and researcher of Chinese art with particular interest in furniture and scholar's objects. Since...
Thursday, October 18, 2012 - 19:30

Watermelons and Gutter Oil: Explosive Food Safety Truths in China

Christopher Hickey, Ph.D.

China Country Director, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Exploding watermelons, gutter oil, melamine in baby formula, fake eggs: just how safe is the food supply in China? With international media coverage of mounting scandals, Chinese citizens are increasingly demanding higher safety standards and accountability. Have things improved? What are the main challenges ahead? Dr. Christopher Hickey, who has served as Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's China office since 2008, will address key questions about the regulation of food in China and will highlight FDA's effort with Chinese regulators and industry as they work to...
Thursday, October 11, 2012 - 19:30

China's Middle Income Trap: Growth, Inequality and Future Instability

Scott Rozelle, Economist and Senior Fellow,

Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University
Despite recent robust growth, there is concern that as China moves up the income ladder, its high level of inequality—both in income and education—may be a breeding ground for future instability. Professor Scott Rozelle will seek to put China's economic performance and growth-inequality status into perspective by examining past and present income inequality, China's human capital challenge, lessons gleaned from other nations and possible solutions for policy-makers, academics and business professionals to address these issues. An economist and senior fellow at Stanford...
Thursday, September 27, 2012 - 19:30

A Predicament in Principle: The Challenge of Business Ethics in China

Stephan Rothlin, S.J., Professor of International Business Ethics,

Center for International Business Ethics (CIBE),

University of International Business and Economics, Beijing

How are business ethics in China and Asia defined? How do they relate to ethical approaches in the West? Is there an interest in dealing with ethical dilemmas? Has there been improvement in diminishing corruption, enhancing product safety, addressing labor conditions or protecting the environment? A 14-year resident of Asia, Professor Stephan Rothlin is co-founder of the Center for International Business Ethics (CIBE) at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing which focuses on research, social entrepreneurship, training programs and media outreach on...
Thursday, September 13, 2012 - 19:30

Chinese Women Entrepreneurs and the Business of Sustainable Development

Panel discussion with:

Lü Zhi, Professor of Conservation Biology, Peking University and
Executive Director, Peking University Center for Nature and Society
Yang Jing, Owner, Jing's Residence
Zhang Mei, Founder, WildChina
Melinda Liu, Beijing Bureau Chief, Newsweek and The Daily Beast; Panel moderator
Many nations have become prosperous first before dealing with the question about how to become sustainable. But China is still poor (by per capita GDP) as it strives for sustainable development. What special challenges or advantages does this present? What does it take to run a sustainable business in China? Does being a woman entrepreneur make a difference? Join us for an in-depth discussion on entrepreneurship and sustainability with our three panelists and moderator Melinda Liu. Lü Zhi Professor of Conservation Biology, Peking University and Executive...
Thursday, June 7, 2012 - 19:30

Open-air Concert and Barbecue

Help us celebrate the end of the 2011-2012 BIS season!

Join us for an evening of music played on traditional Chinese instruments in the setting of the Polish Embassy gardens and enjoy a barbecue dinner, drinks, dessert and a lucky draw. Guests are encouraged to bring picnic blankets.

Free for members,
50 RMB at the door for non-members.

Children over the age of 12 are welcome.

Thursday, May 31, 2012 - 19:30

Beijing—Sound Capital

Michael Pettis

Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace;
Professor of Finance, Guanghua School of Management, Peking University

Rock music started in China in the mid-1980s, and from the beginning it was an important way for many young Chinese to express a sense of freedom and rebellion. It was not until the past decade, however, that the music scene became of more than sociological interest, when the internet suddenly made available to Chinese musicians the whole history of European and North American rock, avant-garde classical, experimental and underground music—and a group of ferociously talented young musicians, Beijing-based for the most part, emerged to develop a scene that has become one of the most...
Thursday, May 24, 2012 - 19:30

The Art of Collecting: A Conversation with Uli Sigg

Uli Sigg

Vice-chairman of the Board of Directors

Ringier Media Group, Zurich

Uli Sigg first traveled to China in 1980 as a young businessman for the Schindler Elevator Company. Fifteen years later he became Swiss ambassador to China (1995 to 1998). Thirty years later he holds one of the world's most substantial collections of contemporary Chinese art. With great comprehensiveness, Dr. Sigg's collection covers more than 2,000 works of over 180 contemporary Chinese artists and the genres of cynical realism, socialist realism, pop art, avant-garde, and Maoist and Communist iconography. Join us for a talk with Dr. Sigg as he discusses his passion for...
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - 19:30

When China Rules the World

Martin Jacques
Writer and Columnist

Will China rule the 21st century the way the United States ruled the 20th? First published in 2009, Martin Jacques' groundbreaking book, When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Rise of a New Global Order, overturns conventional thinking about the ascendancy of China, showing how its impact will be as much political and cultural as economic, thereby transforming the world as we know it. In its greatly expanded and fully updated paperback edition, When China Rules the World (Penguin Press, 2012) explains the deeper meaning of China's rise to power...
Thursday, May 3, 2012 - 19:30

Magic Needles: How Traditional is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Xavier Fricker and Marcus Gadau

What is the difference between classical and traditional Chinese medicine? Is Western medicine its friend or foe? How can we cultivate better health wisdom? Join Xavier Fricker and Marcus Gadau for an evening exploring the truth about TCM and why this logical system of lines and numbers isn’t as traditional as everybody thinks. Witness “no-needling” acupuncture and learn about important TCM guidelines for wellness from two unique voices in the field. Xavier Fricker is a former student at Beijing University for Chinese Medicine (BUCM), and student of Dr. Wang Juyi, founder of...
Thursday, April 19, 2012 - 19:30

Blue Sky Days: Bleak and Bright Realities

CYJO, Fine art Photographer
Tahra Vose, Environment, Science, Technology and Health Section (ESTH), US Embassy
Eunice Yoon, Beijing Correspondent, CNN; (Moderator)

How bad is it? What does it mean to see, breathe and feel one thing and hear another? Is it changing? Take a deep breath and join fine art photographer CYJO, air-monitoring specialist Tahra Vose and CNN's Eunice Yoon for a conversation on pollution, art, perspective and reality. CYJO is a Beijing-based Korean American fine art photographer who specializes in portraiture and collective groupings that conceptualize perspectives from both the East and West. CYJO's photographic project, Blue Sky Day (2010 – ongoing), documents the color palette of Beijing's sky in monthly...
Thursday, April 12, 2012 - 19:30

25 Years at the Great Wall

William Lindesay, O.B.E.

Since arriving in China in March 1986, William Lindesay has been back to the Great Wall many, many times. He has spent 1,800 days on various parts of the immense structure. In this presentation to mark the 25th anniversary of his historic 2,470-kilometer foot traverse of the Ming Wall in 1987, William Lindesay will recount memorable episodes from his remarkable archive of Great Wall adventures and history. William Lindesay studied geology and geography at Liverpool University. He has authored five books on the Wall and curated two national exhibitions in Beijing at the Capital...
Thursday, March 22, 2012 - 19:30

Nationalist Protests in China: A Form of Dissent?

Eric Vanden Bussche
China scholar, Stanford University

Over the past decade, China has witnessed a series of anti-foreign street demonstrations. These expressions of nationalism have emerged as a powerful force in the country, generating unease among the Chinese political leadership. How have these protests challenged the Communist Party's control over the political discourse? In what ways have they shaped the perceptions of Chinese identity and the country's role on the world stage? How has the Communist Party coped with the increasingly zealous nationalism among the youth? This talk will examine the evolution of nationalist protests, from...
Friday, March 16, 2012 - 19:30

Walking Tour: Midnight in Peking

Paul French

Author and Historian

The Midnight in Peking walking tour retraces major events and locations that feature in Paul French's historical true crime bestseller Midnight in Peking. The book tells the story of 1930s Peking and the sins and scandals that were hidden within the city walls, the murder of nineteen-year-old Pamela Werner and the investigation that ensued when her body was found. The walk will take you to the scene of the crime, Pamela's old haunts, the homes of the murder suspects and other key locations across Peking's former Legation Quarter, the area once known as the “Badlands” and the old...
Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 19:30

The Dragon Does the Salsa: The Future of Chinese-Latin American Relations

Enrique Dussel Peters
Professor, National Autonomous University of Mexico

The last decade has seen a boom in trade between China and Latin America, with the Chinese economic engine increasingly hungry for imported raw materials. China is now the largest trading partner for Brazil, Chile and Peru and in some eyes a welcome foil to U.S. influence in the region. Yet Latin America has the largest concentration of countries that recognize Taiwan, and there are fears that dependence on commodity-driven exports could turn into a new kind of economic colonialism. Dr. Dussel will discuss how commercial and political relations between the major Latin American...
Monday, March 12, 2012 - 19:30

Iran, China and the US: Between War and Diplomacy

Michael Singh, Managing Director
Washington Institute for Near East Policy

For almost a decade, the international community has employed a combination of tactics – diplomacy, sanctions, and even threats of war – to halt Iran's nuclear activities in accordance with the demands of the UN Security Council. Michael Singh, managing director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, explores what options remain to the international community for preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, with a specific focus on the role of the US and China, and Sino-American cooperation. He will also explore how Iran's internal politics are affecting its nuclear calculus...
Thursday, March 1, 2012 - 19:30

The Yellow Emperor's Cure: A Conversation with Kunal Basu

Kunal Basu, Author

Moderated by James Chau, CCTV-9

Author Kunal Basu will discuss his most recent book, The Yellow Emperor's Cure, taking us on a fascinating journey from Portugal to Peking on the eve of the Boxer Rebellion and exploring the contrasts between European and Chinese perspectives on medicine, politics and social mores. LISBON, 1898: philandering surgeon Antonio Maria discovers his beloved father is dying of syphilis, scourge of both rich and poor. Determined to find a cure, Antonio sets sail for China to study under the renowned Dr. Xu, in the hope that traditional Chinese medicine has the answer that eludes...
Thursday, February 23, 2012 - 19:30

The China Angst

Frank Sieren
China Bureau Chief, Die Zeit

How can we overcome the paralyzing fear of China? How does China threaten our prosperity while at the same time help us to keep it? How will China capitalize on the world's economic crisis? Frank Sieren, China Bureau Chief for the German weekly Die Zeit, author and documentary filmmaker, will present the frightening strengths as well as the hidden risks of China's boom. He will illuminate the inherent contradictions of China's advancement as well as the role it will play at a time of global crisis. Living in Beijing since 1994 and hailed by the London Times ...
Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 19:30

West Heavens: Indian Influences on Contemporary Chinese Culture

Johnson Chang (Chang Tsong-zung)

Art Director, Hanart T Z Gallery (Hong Kong)

For centuries China has uniquely and profoundly shaped East Asia. But why has China's recent economic and cultural shift radically changed its influence as well as its own past? Can contemporary India serve as a link to understanding contemporary China? How do China's and India's modernity compare and how can they refresh each other? Johnson Chang (Chang Tsong-zung) explores why it is time for China to take stock and examine the paradigms of how society and politics are imagined. He will examine alternative paths to modernity and show how the Indian example can be an excellent...
Thursday, January 12, 2012 - 19:30

A Talk with Charlie Custer

Charlie Custer

Writer; Documentary Filmmaker

Charlie Custer is a Beijing-based writer and documentary filmmaker. As the founder and editor of the blog ChinaGeeks, he has been writing about social issues in China for many years. His work has appeared everywhere from Foreign Policy to the Global Times. He currently works for Penn Olson covering the tech scene in China, and spends his free time working on a documentary film about Chinese children. Learn more about this special documentary preview in our monthly email to members.