China and the U.S. are supposed to be allies, but you'd never know it with all the heated rhetoric of recent weeks. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, how Chinese-American relations got so dicey. Also, a look at North Korea. And why some film critics say South Koreans are now making the world's most exciting movies.
China watcher Ed Friedman talks with Steve Paulson about the recent spy plane flap and the prospects for the long term relationship between the U.S. and China. He says both sides need to hold back their hawks, with Taiwan being the most likely flashpoint. Friedman is the co-editor of "What If China Doesn't Democratize? Implications for War and Peace." Also, Peace Corps volunteer Peter Hessler tells Jim Fleming about his experience teaching English in a remote Chinese city that hadn't seen a Westerner in fifty years. His book is "River Town."SEGMENT 2:
Novelist Anchee Min grew up in Communist China and is now married to an American. Her new book "Becoming Madame Mao" is a novel that tells the life story of Jiang Quing the wife of Mao Zedong. Min tells Steve Paulson that Madame Mao saw herself as her husband's attack dog, and has had a profound influence on the Chinese population, even though they despise her.SEGMENT 3:
Han S. Park is the director of the Center for the Study of Global Issues at the University of Georgia, and one of America's leading experts on Korea. He tells Jim Fleming that President Bush has cut off negotiations with North Korea, and why he thinks that's a mistake. Also, Tony Rayns is a London film critic with a particular interest in Korean cinema which he thinks is the most interesting in the world. He tells Steve Paulson why, and they are joined by two Korean film-makers, Hong Sang-Soo and Kim Jee-Woon, who describe and discuss their work.
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