Chinese journalists visit Penn

Exuding confidence and optimism, Zheng Wahzen and other journalist s engaged a group of Penn students in an informal talk last Thursday about U.S.-China relations. Wahzen, editor-in-chief of Foreign Affairs Journal, led the Foreign Policy Journal Editors Delegation of six Chinese journalists attending the discussion, which was held over dinner at the Tabernacle Church at 37th and Chestnut streets. The delegation shared its thoughts with Penn students on improving the relationship between the United States and China. In addition to the journalists, the event included three representatives of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, a nonprofit educational organization that hosted the event. According to Abbey Newman, a program assistant with the committee, the purpose of the evening was the "exchange of scholarly knowledge," to "share experiences" and to "bridge the gap" between the U.S. and China. The students, who were randomly chosen after responding to anInternational Relations listserv message, discussed a wide variety of subjects with the foreign journalists over a dinner of Chinese food. Politics, economics and education were mentioned as the target areas for improving the way the United States and China deal with one another. Han Pingping, council member of the Chinese People's Institute on Foreign Affairs, said through a translator that the goal of the trip is to "have a better understanding of how [American] people understand China." When asked to what extent students are aware of the reform and modernization movements currently under way in China, students replied that outside of history and international relations majors, there is a general sense of ignorance and apathy, except toward issues of autonomy for Hong Kong and Taiwan. But another student added that as rising enrollment in Chinese language and related courses would indicate, interest in Chinese affairs has developed significantly in the last few years. To improve the situation, Wahzen suggested that we "need to learn more about each other, not just history, culture, tradition, values? [but] to interact with each other more." In addition to "more reporting, more coverage [and] more programs on China" on television, Wanzhen said the key to interaction is "more exchanges." Explaining the value of visiting other countries to learn about their culture, Wahzen demonstrated the familiarity with America he has gained through his travels. "I can sing your oldies, goodies!" he said. To illustrate his point, he broke into a line of Elvis Presley's "Fools Rush In." Student participants reacted positively to the delegation and the efforts by the two countries to build stronger ties. "It's always a good opportunity to sit with people, especially diplomats, and hear what they have to say," College senior and student organizer Rachel Schiller said. "It's about building understanding." And College junior Adrian Chiu praised the style of the interaction. "For the most part, the delegation is very interested in dialogue and [in] being able to exchange ideas," Chiu said. "And that's [what] should be the cornerstone of any type of foreign policy that you have between U.S. and China."