MARCH 22 , 2008 - U.S. - China Trade

Please join BIAHC at the Bainbridge Public Library (1270 Madison Ave. N.) on Saturday, March 22, from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. for coffee, refreshments, a 30-minute video, and a Great Decisions community discussion on this timely issue.

Great Decisions is a nation-wide program of the Foreign Policy Association to broaden public involvement with the most important foreign policy issues facing the United States.

Recent product safety scares have thrown the spotlight on the enormous role China plays in supplying products to the U.S. Could the large and growing trade imbalance with China have an adverse effect on the U.S. economy? What role does the undervalued Chinese currency play? As the Chinese economy grows, so does China's global footprint. How is the rest of the world, particularly the United States, dealing with the continuing trade imbalance, the quality of Chinese products, and with China's ever-growing thirst for energy? As Chinese and U.S. companies go head-to-head in the world of business, technology, and manufacturing, who's got the edge?

The discussion on U.S. – China Trade will be moderated by Rene Peritz, Ph.D, a Bainbridge Island-based political scientist with a focus on Asian politics and culture. Also on hand will be Ted Hume, a Bainbridge Island economist and attorney specializing in international trade.

While enjoying coffee and pastries, participants first view a 30-minute Foreign Policy Association DVD of a conversation between two experts on the topic to be discussed. To assist with advance preparation, please review the relevant chapter of the Great Decisions briefing book, which is available at the Bainbridge Public Library. Copies can also be purchased from BIAHC for $15.

• Talking to Our Enemies – Feb. 9
• Latin America: Shift to the Left? - Feb. 23
• European Union at 50 – Mar. 8
• U.S. - China Trade Policy – Mar. 22
• Russia - April 5
• Private Philanthropy - April 19
• U.S. Defense & Security Policy - May 3
• Iraq End-Game  - May 17

Please contact BIAHC at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to be added to the Great Decisions email list for updates on the topic schedule and to receive topic background information.  More information about Great Decisions at the Library is here >>

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Suggested background readings for U.S. - China Trade (March 22):

The $1.4 Trillion Question. The Chinese are subsidizing the American way of life. Are we playing them for suckers—or are they playing us? By James Fallows. January/February 2008 Atlantic Monthly. www.theatlantic.com

China, beware. The country's rulers care too much for their own welfare, and too little about the rural peasants. The Economist, Oct. 11, 2007. www.economist.com

Foreign Policy Association Resources on U.S. – China Trade: www.fpa.org

US-China Trade Statistics and China's World Trade Statistics. From the U.S.-China Business Council. www.uschina.org

China's Trade Surplus Shrinks as Demand for Exports Falters. Wall Street Journal, March 10, 2008. online.wsj.com

A Nato for the World Economy: An Argument for a Trans-Atlantic Free-Trade Zone by Gabor Steingart. Spiegel Online International, Oct. 25, 2006. www.spiegel.de

U.S. State Department - China: usinfo.state.gov

The Uneasy U.S.-Chinese Trade Relationship. By Eben Kaplan. Council on Foreign Relations. April 19, 2006. www.cfr.org

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