The USC U.S.-China Institute talks with author David M. Lampton on his new book, which examines China’s effort to create an intercountry railway system connecting China and its seven Southeast Asian neighbors.
Clayton Dube - Opening Remarks, Through Tinted Lenses? Conference
Clayton Dube opened the USC U.S.-China Institute's "Through Tinted Lenses?" conference, arguing that the images and attitudes Americans and Chinese hold toward each other and each other's countries matter.
What do Americans and Chinese "know" about each other and how do they know it? What images do they have of each other's society and state? Where do these images come from? Why do some endure and others change? How do images vary with age and other factors? How do these perceptions affect the decisions and actions of governments, businesses, civic groups, and individuals?
On November 1-2, 2013, leading academics gathered with pollsters, journalists, diplomats, and entertainment industry practitioners to explore these questions and questions and others at a conference hosted by the USC U.S.-China Institute.
Clayton Dube opened the USC U.S.-China Institute's "Through Tinted Lenses?" conference, arguing that the images and attitudes Americans and Chinese hold toward each other and each other's countries matter. Those images, he said, affect the decision-making of individuals, of businesses, and of governments. Dube noted how in the 2012 U.S. election politicians and political ad-makers sought to exploit ideas voters had about China and went on to discuss images that Chinese television viewers in the 1980s got of the U.S. from shows such as Hunter and how the more recent television program Prison Break offered a rather different portrayal of the U.S. Dube noted that today, Americans and Chinese have access to information about each other from far more sources than ever before, yet don't seem to like or trust the other as much as we once did. He invited the other participants and the audience to join in the exploration of dominant images, how they are formed and change, and how they affect policies and behavior.