Dear Friends: We hope you’re staying well in these tumultuous times. The Chinese word for “crisis” combines ideographs suggesting both “danger” and “opportunity”. Despite uncertainties and disruptions, RASBJ has seized the opportunity to launch a popular series of online events on Zoom. Since March 9, we’ve had 7 wonderful talks – from award-winning author Paul French on “Murders of Old China” to an evocative discussion of Jung Chang’s book about the Soong sisters. Please join the RASBJ! If you follow instructions (below) to become a member you’ll get free access to the ongoing Zoom talks – plus their youTube recordings – as well as the RAS China journal and discounted entry to in-person events and excursions when they resume. Upcoming Zoom talks include:

4/19: Prof. Richard de Grijs on”17^th century medical innovations, East & West”

4/25: Tario Perez Vila on UK and China ties post-1997 (see below)

4/29 Joerg Wuttke on EU-China relations and the pandemic;

5/4 Prof. Robert Bickers on the Swire story;

5/8 Matthew Hu Xinyu on “Rediscovering Beijing”;

5/20 Guiseppe Cuccia on “Turandot and Western opera in China”;

5/27: Michael Humphries “Contagion: History and How Covid will End”

WE HOPE YOU CAN JOIN OUR UPCOMING EVENT!

Soft Power and Economic Interdependence: UK-China Relations since 1997
by Tario Perez Vila

WHAT: RASBJ online discussion on “Soft Power and Economic Interdependence: UK-China Relations since 1997” with RASBJ Council member Tario Perez Vila.

WHEN: Apr 25, 2020, Saturday 19:00-20:00 Beijing Standard Time

WHERE: Online via Zoom

HOW MUCH: free and accessible to RASBJ members and affiliates worldwide. If you’re not an RASBJ member but become one by April 23, you’ll be sent login details for this event.

HOW TO BECOME AN RASBJ MEMBER: If you’d like to become an RASBJ member (or, for PRS passport-holders, to become an Associate) please befriend Membership Secretary John Olbrich on Wechat at johnobeijing and send him your name, nationality, mobile number and email address plus the annual subscription amount (or, for aspiring Associates, the suggested donation) of RMB 300 for those resident in China, RMB 200 for those resident overseas and RMB 100 for students. For more details see www.rasbj.org

HOW TO JOIN THE APRIL 25 EVENT:
1) Download the Zoom mobile app or desktop client (some computers may allow you to join through your browser without downloading): https://zoom.us/download
2) Sign up using your name; you’ll be sent a link, meeting ID and password

3) click the link no later than 19:00 April 25; input login details as instructed

 MORE ABOUT THE EVENT: Join us for an online discussion on the evolution of UK-China relations from the politically-tense handover of Hong Kong in 1997 to the 2018 visit of former British Prime Minister Theresa May to China where she committed to intensifying the “golden era” of UK-China relations, as we try to contextualise this significant improvement in political relations from an increasing economic interdependence perspective and a Chinese soft power building point of view.