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#220 Biden-Xi Summit/QI Letter; Dr. Yanping Chen; Section 702; "Global Women Forum"? News+

In This Issue #220

·       Biden-Xi Summit and Quincy Institute Open Letter

·       Latest Development of The Case of Dr. Yanping Chen 陈燕平

·       Alarm Over Section 702 Surveillance Program

·       Is It a "Global Women Forum" When There Is No Asian Woman?

·       News and Activities for the Communities

 

Biden-Xi Summit and Quincy Institute Open Letter 

This is a special invited report by Juan Zhang, Editor, US-China Perception Monitor/中美印象, Carter Center The highly anticipated Biden-Xi summit took place on November 15, 2023, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Francisco, California. Many experts believe the significance of this meeting lies in the fact that it will prevent further deterioration of the bilateral relationship and possibly lead to a reset of the relationship between the two countries before the upcoming U.S. presidential elections.Before the meeting, 34 U.S. civil society and professional organizations issued an open letter urging the leaders to have “a cordial and productive discussion.” The letter expressed concerns over the current dangerous trends in Sino-American relations. APA Justice was a signatory to the letter.  

The organizations who signed the letter represent “a wide range of American constituencies with direct stakes in the future of the U.S.-China relationship.”  “Continued hostile rhetoric from prominent figures in both the United States and China contributes to this alarming deterioration of relations,” the letter further stated.Dr. Yawei Liu, founding editor-in-chief of the U.S.-China Perception Monitor at The Carter Center, is also a signatory to the letter. Dr. Liu recounted the role of President Jimmy Carter  and his Chinese counterpart Deng Xiaoping in finding ways to put aside differences and cooperate almost 45 years ago.“That legacy is endangered now,” he continued, saying both countries appear on a path that could lead to conflict and confrontation.Read the full report by The HillFarmers, academics, advocates urge Biden, Xi to calm US-China tensions.

Takeaways from the Summit 

The White House released a readout after the meeting, framing the meeting as “candid and constructive.” Two leaders discussed “a range of bilateral and global issues, including areas of potential cooperation and exchanged views on areas of difference”, the statement pointed out. The two sides reached agreements on several key areas that include curbing the production of illicit fentanyl and resuming military-to-military communications, which was suspended after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Rick Waters, former diplomat and managing director of Eurasia Group’s China practice, pointed out in GZERO Daily a fentanyl deal would be key for Biden’s reelection campaign. Fentanyl is a dangerous drug that has become a leading cause of death among young Americans.Taiwan remains the biggest point of contention. It is also the most important issue that China wants to discuss at the summit. Analysts warned that Taiwan could become a flash point that might trigger a conflict between the two countries.Both sides expressed their positions on Taiwan. President Xi Jinping told President Joe Biden that the United States needed to take “concrete actions” to reassure China that it still stands by its stated policy of not supporting Taiwanese independence.President Biden emphasized the One China policy has not changed. Biden also reiterated that the U.S. opposes any unilateral change of the status quo. 

What’s next?

Can this year’s summit successfully manage and stabilize this relationship? This is a million-dollar question. While many experts agree that it is constructive and positive that the top leaders from both countries talk to each other, they do not think that this summit would become a turning point for the troubled bilateral relationship.When the two leaders met last year on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia, both sides had a similar goal: to stabilize the bilateral relations. But the balloon incident earlier this year derailed that goal. The rest of this year would see further U.S. export control, arms sales to Taiwan, and military maneuvers in the South China Sea. Let’s hope leaders on both sides agree that they need to do everything to prevent their fierce rivalry from veering into conflict.

 

Latest Development of The Case of Dr. Yanping Chen 陈燕平

According to AP, a federal judge in Washington is weighing whether to hold in contempt a veteran journalist who has refused to identify her sources for stories about Dr. Yanping Chen, a Chinese American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never charged.The judge previously ordered former Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge, who now works at CBS, to be interviewed under oath about her sources for a series of stories about Dr. Yanping Chen. Dr. Chen, who was investigated for years on suspicions she may have lied on immigration forms related to work on a Chinese astronaut program, has since sued the government, saying details about the probe were leaked to damage her reputation.But after Herridge refused to divulge to Chen’s lawyers how she acquired her information, the scientist’s attorneys are asking U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to hold the reporter in contempt — a sanction that could result in steep monetary fines until she complies.

It’s not clear when the judge might rule on Chen’s request to hold Herridge in contempt.The judge acknowledged the stakes in an August decision that forced Herridge to be interviewed, writing, “The Court recognizes both the vital importance of a free press and the critical role that confidential sources play in the work of investigative journalists like Herridge.”  But Cooper said that “Chen’s need for the requested evidence overcomes Herridge’s qualified First Amendment privilege in this case.”Courts have recognized that journalists have a limited privilege to keep confidential their sources, allowing reporters to block subpoenas in the past. But judges in some cases, like Herridge’s, have found that privilege can be outweighed by the need for the information if the person seeking the source has failed to find it through other means.Read the AP report: https://bit.ly/3QEHfSe.  Read the story of Dr. Yanping Chen: https://bit.ly/APAJ_Yanping_Chen

 

Alarm Over Section 702 Surveillance Program

According to WIRED, more than 60 groups advocating for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are pushing the US Congress to reform the Section 702 surveillance program as Senate leaders move to renew it. A coalition letter expressing strong opposition to including a short-term reauthorization of Section 702 in a continuing resolution or any other "must-pass" legislation was sent to all members of Congress on November 14, 2023.  The coalition calls for members of Congress to consider the concerns seriously and to reject any short-term reauthorization of Section 702. Failure to do so would perpetuate a system that unjustly targets Asian Americans and subjects them to unwarranted surveillance.

"Section 702 and related surveillance authorities have been misused to spy on Americans,  including but not limited to protesters, journalists, campaign donors, and members of Congress.  The consequences of such misuse have had a profound impact on our Asian American community, resulting in wrongful targeting, unjust surveillance, and devastating tolls on careers, livelihoods, and reputations. This disproportionate targeting has fostered a climate of fear among Asian Americans and their families, causing anxiety about being stopped, monitored, or investigated while engaging in everyday activities. These issues not only raise significant concerns about civil liberties and civil rights, but also underscore the need for substantial reform," the letter said."The inclusion of a short-term reauthorization in larger 'must-pass' bills would undermine the democratic process, run counter to the will of Congress, and disregard the concerns of the American people. Such an approach could also imperil the long-term viability of Section 702 by alienating members who are willing to engage in constructive negotiations for meaningful reforms," the letter also said.Concerned individuals may sign on to the opposition of warrantless surveillance here: https://bit.ly/3EFkg3R.  A community briefing on Section 702 has been tentatively scheduled for December 12, 2023.

Read the coalition letter: https://bit.ly/47gXxaO.  Read the WIRED report: https://bit.ly/47wdFVz.  

 

Is It a "Global Women Forum" When There is No Asian Woman?

On November 14, 2023, The Washington Post hosted an all-day event named Global Women's Summit, featuring "women from around the world galvanizing innovation and change."  However, according to Nancy Chen, President of Chinese American Women in Action (CAWA), noted that none of the 44 women speakers and 2 men from around the U.S. and part of the world are of Chinese and East Asian ancestry. In an email to Sally Buzbee, executive editor of the Washington Post and one of the organizers for the Global Women’s Summit, Chen wrote"I am reaching out to you as the executive editor of the Washington Post and one of the organizers for the Global Women’s Summit.

"It's astonishing that the Washington Post trumpets its Global Women's Summit with 44 women speakers and 2 men from around the U.S. and part of the world but omits and excludes American and other women who are of Chinese and East Asian ancestry.  Basically, you have ignored almost one quarter of the female population in the world while touting this as a 'global' women’s summit.  Our exclusion—either domestically or internationally—harkens back to the colonial era of the past two centuries when Asian women were excluded by the Page Act and later the Chinese Exclusion Act in the United States, and Asian countries were divided up amongst European powers. "By any measure, women of East Asian ancestry are equally shaking up the systems of power in government, entertainment, tech, business and medicine, but are apparently not enough to be recognized by Washington Post decision-makers.  There is no shortage of distinguished and nationally-recognized women leaders—Women like Tammy Duckworth or Mazie Hirono in government, Michelle Yeoh or Sandra Oh in entertainment, Kim Ng in sports management, Dr. Leana Wen in medicine, Helen Zia in civil rights, Ellen Pao in technology, Celeste NgMaya Lin and more. You could have looked as close by as AARP, one of Global Summit's leading sponsors, and its Vice President of DEI Daphne Kwok whose career has spanned the civil rights, government and nonprofit sectors. It speaks volumes of the mindset of the Washington Post that East Asian American women leaders are invisible in this 'global summit.' "Chinese American Women in Action (CAWA) was founded a year ago amid anti-Asian racism during the pandemic in order to increase recognition and civic engagement for women in our community. This slight by the Washington Post is yet another reminder of the work ahead of us, our daughters and our granddaughters to belong and to be seen and heard.

"We ask that you and the Post do better."Read Nancy Chen's letter: https://bit.ly/49ygHuu 

 

News and Activities for the Communities

1.  APA Justice Community Calendar


 

Upcoming Events:2023/11/16 C100 Forum Debate: Has the Chinese Economy Slowed Down Permanently, Temporarily, or It Depends?2023/11/18 Inaugural Jimmy Carter Conversation on U.S.-China Relations2023/11/18-19 National API Elected Officials Summit2023/11/19 Rep. Gene Wu's Weekly Town Hall meeting2023/11/26 Rep. Gene Wu's Weekly Town Hall meeting2023/12/03 Rep. Gene Wu's Weekly Town Hall meetingVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details.

2.  Survey on Racism and Anti-Asian HateAccording to AsAmNews, nearly 9 out of 10 Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders polled, or 86 percent, say racism is a serious problem in the United States.  Half of those say they’ve been discriminated against based on their race and 16 percent say they’ve been a victim of a hate crime.Those are the results of a new survey conducted by APIA Data and AP/NORC.Another 34% of AAPI adults believe they’ve been subjected to verbal harassment, racial slurs or have been on the receiving end of threats of physical violence.Surveys were conducted online and via telephone in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean. 1,178 Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders aged 18 and older living in the United States participated. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.2 percentage points.Read the AsAmNews report: https://bit.ly/40E2R5M

November 16, 2023

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