The Foreign Service Journal, June 2023

6 JUNE 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 84 Reflections Finding Pavarotti in Western Zambia By Ca r l Wi l l i am He n n 86 Local Lens Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China By A l ex L i t i c h ev s k y On the Cover— Photo by Lara Eventide. It is of baobab trees near Kirindy Village, Madagascar, in October 2022, around the time of year when farmers burn the land to clear it for planting. There was a lot of smoke and burnt ground when she visited then. Marketplace 77 Lodging 78 Real Estate 81 Index to Advertisers 82 Classifieds FOREIGN SERVICE 7 President’s Views Accomplishments and Challenges By E r i c Ru b i n 9 Letter from the Editor U.S.-Africa Partnerships By Sh awn Do rma n 21 Speaking Out Standing by Taiwan and Its Democracy: Why Statecraft Is Not Just About Avoiding Conflict By Ro b e r t S . Wa n g Perspectives Departments 10 Letters 13 Letters-Plus 16 Talking Points 74 Books AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION 45 AFSA President on the Road 46 State VP Voice—Your Pension Should Be Your Pension, Period 47 USAID VP Voice—A Complicated Question with No Clear Answer 48 Inside Diplomacy: Climate Change and the Role of Diplomacy 49 AFSA Co-Sponsors “Diplomacy, Dissent and the Holocaust” Film Screening 49 DACOR Needs Our Support 49 AFSAMeets with FirstGens@State 50 Changes to Assignment Restrictions: FAQs 50 AFSA Governing Board Meeting, April 19, 2023 51 AFSAMeets with Post Reps 51 AFSA Congratulates New Retirees 52 Donate to the FSN Emergency Relief Fund 52 AFSAMeets with Americans by Choice Group 52 Transportation Safety Act in Honor of FSO 45