Chinese Foreign Affairs University, Beijing

On Friday we had the opportunity to sit in with a graduate class at CFAU. This was probably one of the most memorable things we have done thus far. We walked into the room and I immediately noticed writing on the board that looked familiar. They had just been learning about deterrence theory, hand tying, costly signals, etc.  This being my area of interest, I was immediately excited about the coming conversation.

As far as the students, I expected them to not necessarily be unfriendly, but rather more skeptical of Americans. They were actually the opposite. I first introduced myself to a male student who promptly found a different place to sit, (he didn't seem to want to be in class) but after that I found two girls, roommates named Susie and Sun shu. These girls were both first year students and were lovely. We chatted about school and our lives at home and realized that we have a lot in common. It was extremely surprising how similar our classes were, although as students in the same field we shouldn't have been surprised. They read Waltz, Mearsheimer, and my personal favorite Schelling. I think the experience made all parties realize how similar we are, even if our cultures are very different. It was also encouraging to have a conversation with the future government workers of China about the continuation of friendly Sino-U.S. relations in spite of differences.

I look forward to meeting the students in Chengdu and Shanghai next!

Cheryl
16 May 2014

The Great Wall

 The Great Wall of China is a sight to behold, unless of course it's covered with tourists and surrounded by smog. On our third day in Beijing we went to the Mutianyu section of the wall and climbed for over two hours. By the time we reached the top our only company was a few brave athletic souls. Our guide/friend Edward is training for the equivalent of the US military PT test so he made quite the effort to run back and forth between different groups and take all the pictures we would ever want. Climbing up approximately 400 meters makes you really appreciate how good of shape the soldiers on the wall must have been. Having two people in the group with knee problems, myself included, places an extra focus on the physical demands that job would have had.

We have been very lucky with the smog. Being up high we were able to see how heavy the pollution was over Beijing. But even then, it just looked like we had picked a rather cloudy day to make our pilgrimage to the wall. Most of the days have been blue skies and easy breathing. We're beginning to believe it is over exaggerated or a flat out lie when people say that the air gives them an asthma attack or that they can't see the end of the street. We have a few days left, so I guess we'll see, but right now I don't hear anyone complaining.

Caroline
15 May 2014

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Beijing

Today, on our second day here in Beijing, our group had the fantastic (and rare) opportunity to visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to observe a live press briefing. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Miss Hua Chunying briefed the press on several recent and upcoming issues in which China is involved. Some of these included upcoming visits by Chinese dignitaries to Israel and Croatia as well as high level visits by the president of the Kyrgyz Republic. What was more interesting, however, was the discussion of recent tensions in the South China Sea where Vietnamese vessels have apparently been ramming Chines ships and oil rigs in an attempt to disrupt oil drilling in what China believes to be their "undisputed territory".  We found this information very insightful has we were unaware of any current tensions between China and Vietnam.

We also greatly enjoyed the question and answer portion where journalists from various international news agencies were able to ask further question regarding other fascinating subject of which we had never heard discussed. A couple such questions involved the current construction of what is believed to be a Chinese airstrip along a reef that Indonesia claims is theirs but which China claims is indisputably their territory. Again, a very interesting topic we had never heard discussed before. Spokeswomen Hua simply stated that construction might be taking place, but the land belongs to China, making such construction perfectly legal. We enjoyed taking part in such a rich experience and were grateful for the opportunity we were given to observe and discuss such interesting topics in very current Chinese international affairs.

Sean
14 May 2014

798 Art District: China Dream on Display

By Benjamin J. Hayford

After climbing the Juyonguan section of the Great Wall, we headed to the 798 Art District. Walking through the refurbished factories-turned-studios, seeing the work of talented Chinese artists reminded me of my youth. Attending the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, a small (read 600 students in six grades) public school in Southwest Washington State, was a pivotal experience in my life. Although my focus was theatre and literary arts, I have many friends who focused on vocal and instrumental music, dance, film, and – of course – visual arts.

I felt a certain closeness to the artists and art in 798 today. I love witnessing how people express themselves and their dreams through art. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press briefing yesterday morning, the press secretary encouraged the journalists to understand the Chinese people’s dreams and report the news objectively.

China dream or 中国梦 is on the tip of everyone’s tongue and the forefront of many minds, but what does it mean? I am convinced one important manifestation of the China dream is and must be through art, because art is one of the most unfiltered mediums through which people’s dreams are articulated, explored and illustrated.

I was particularly enthralled by the sculptures of artist Liu Ruowang (刘若望). When we entered the Yang Gallery in 798, a bronze soldier brought alive in still motion caught my attention.  To me, Liu’s bronze sculpture blended the strength of the ancient Middle Kingdom with the bold energy of a determined and disciplined modern Chinese person. Traditionally, the Chinese clay soldiers unearthed in Xi’an have unwaveringly stood guard. What about today? Now, Liu depicts a clay soldier adaptive to an ever-changing world. It is not enough for the Chinese to stand still and protect the old ways. The youth of China, from artists to diplomats, will have to learn and move in the twenty-first century.

I would love to see more of Liu Ruowang’s work and similar work by other prominent Chinese artists on display in the United States, especially in venues such as the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, which, along with the George Bush School of Government and Public Service, is housed at Texas A&M University and the Asia Society – Texas Center. Increased exposure abroad will only advance the China dream’s reputation and influence.

Liu Ruowang’s website http://www.liuruowang.com/

 

The Trip Before the Trip

As I begin a new semester at The Bush School in College Station, I cannot help but reminisce about the three amazing weeks I spent in China this summer. Not to sound to cliché, but I will cherish the relationships that were built and the experiences I had for the rest of my life. The China trip for me was originally just an opportunity for me to travel abroad but it ended up opening my mind and heart to a complex, ancient, and beautiful culture and people. 

As mentioned earlier on this blog, my trip, along with Drew’s and Jack’s, began in Hong Kong, China. The city of Hong Kong is truly an international city consisting of residents who are welcoming and willing to share their culture. The days in Hong Kong consisted of sightseeing, discovering local mom-and-pop restaurants, some souvenir shopping, and a lot of walking. Of course, being the nerdy graduate students we are, we couldn’t pass up visiting the University of Hong Kong or learning about the history of the city at several of the museums.   

(Above: View of Hong Kong from the student plaza of the University of Hong Kong)

(Above: Replica of a traditional boat used by fishermen and merchants in Hong Kong)

A majority of the city felt like a typical big city that you would find back in the states, such New York. It also helped that so many of the residents spoke English and were willing to help give directions if needed. Although some of us knew very basic Mandarin we did not know enough to have a proper conversation. Luckily, we never had a problem ordering food in Hong Kong because either the waiter spoke English or had an English menu.  As a result, we were able to enjoy local Hong Kong cooking instead of the typical McDonalds (which there were plenty of).

After a few days in Hong Kong, we headed to Beijing to meet up with Jeniece before the rest of the class arrived to China. Upon arriving in Beijing we discovered right away that there are big differences between Hong Kong and Beijing. After dropping our luggage off at our hotel room and finding Jeniece, we walked around the corner to the first restaurant we could find. Dinner that night was an experience and an adventure because not only did none of us know enough Mandarin, but the waitress spoke no English and had no English menu to offer us. Needless to say ordering food that night consisted of primarily of the universal finger pointing to items on a menu. To this day I still have no clue as to what we actually ate in the restaurant that night.

After a good night’s rest our first full day in Beijing began and was dedicated to seeing the sights that we would not have time to see with the rest of the class once they arrived. So the four of us (Drew, Jeniece, Jack, and I) boarded a city bus in the direction to our first stop the Summer Palace. Located in the northwest corner of Beijing, the Summer Palace covers 2.9 square kilometers, most of which is covered by water. The combination of the architecture, nature, and the history certainly made the Summer Place my favorite spot in China. Below are a few highlights from our time at the Summer Place. However, I would encourage you to search the web for more information about the history of the Summer Place. (Spoiler Alert: The Anglo-French allied invasion of 1860 destroyed much of the Palace which then had to be rebuilt. This is one fact that you will not forget once visiting the Summer Palace because it is written at the end of almost every building description.)  

(Above: The Northern side of Longevity Hill)

(Above: We learned fast that you need to pose or give the peace sign in every photo)

(Above: The Southern side of Longevity Hill with the Tower of Buddhist Incense in the middle)

After spending hours exploring the Summer Palace we bored the subway and headed to the Temple of Confucius. Upon arriving at the Temple of Confucius we learned about the life of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism. Again, the buildings on the temple grounds were magnificent and the photos I took are numerous. The two pictures I want to show you are from the inside of one of the Imperial College buildings. The Imperial College is located directly next to the Temple of Confucius and is where the emperor taught students throughout the year. I wonder if any of the Bush School professors would like to have a classroom like this to teach in.

(Above: In the center of this large room is where the emperor would lecture students when he visited the Imperial College)

(Above: Another viewpoint from the emperor’s classroom)

Our last stop of the day was at the Temple of Heaven. The Temple of Heaven was dedicated to annual ceremonies of prayer, led by the emperor, to Heaven for good harvest. Again the grounds were filled with beautiful buildings and nature that made you forget you were in one of the largest cities in the world. In the center of the grounds is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and is the iconic picture from the Temple of Heaven.

(Above: The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests)

 

After a full day of sightseeing in Beijing, all four of us headed back to our hotel to await the arrival of our classmates who would arrive the next day. That evening the four of us spent time with Dr. Mu who treated us to dinner at one of her favorite restaurants. We shared our first experiences and impressions of China with Dr. Mu and enjoyed a great evening filled with food, entrainment, and friends.

In subsequent posts I will share with you some of my other experiences in Beijing and Shanghai that happened once the rest of the class joined us.

Till then,

Taylor Smith

6 Yuan to the Dollar

Okay, I’ll confess.  I’m a negotiator by profession.  My eight year old son has the gene and every offer he receives is returned with a counteroffer.  It’s what we do.  We pale, however, in comparison to our Chinese counterparts.  By all experiences and accounts, the Chinese are master negotiators and they are impressive to watch.  My first experience negotiating in China was in Beijing at the Pearl Market.

The Pearl Market, Beijing

After attending a State Department meeting on a variety of topics, including the fact that “IP theft is insidious” in China, we took their advice and headed to the Pearl Market to gain some insight to the issue.  The Pearl Market is a multi-story building in Beijing where domestic and foreign shoppers alike can walk a seemingly endless maze of household goods, clothing, shoes, luggage, and jewelry.  The mix of real and fake is seamless but the common denominator remains the same—it’s all inexpensive in comparison to the prices found in stores in the United States.  For example, a multi-string set of fake pearls in the United States can cost around US$30.00.  Comparatively, a multi-string set of real pearls at the Pearl Market in Beijing can cost around US$35.00—if you are willing and able to negotiate.  Do not worry, however, because an ability to speak Mandarin is not required.

'THE' fake Louis Vuitton purse and real pearls

Now I should preface my negotiation experiences in China with the fact that I do not speak ANY Mandarin.  And by ANY I mean zilch.  I cannot properly pronounce the words “nĭ hăo” (hello) despite slaughtering its use throughout the cities of Beijing and Shanghai.  It’s true and I am not proud of it, but I use it as an example of the gravity of my Mandarin ineptitude.  That being said and much to my surprise, I did not need to speak Mandarin to negotiate in China.  All I needed was an idea of what I wanted to pay, the guts to walk away, and a calculator.  Of course, the market vendors know this and they are prepared for your ignorance.  Impressively, they are fluent in Mandarin and English and will put you to shame if you even try to stumble through your Chinese phrasebook.

So, this is how a typical shopping scenario works.  You approach a vendor, greet them with a butchered nĭ hăo, and point to the object you are interested in.  Depending on your level of confidence, you can simply ask “How much?” or bumble through your embarrassing attempt at the Mandarin equivalent “Zhège duōshăo qián?”  They immediately take out their large calculator, typically one meant for the elderly or visually impaired, and type in a figure and say in perfect English “This is a good price.  Very cheap.”  Now I must confess.  At first, the sheer size of the calculator made me feel stupid.  They already had a leg up on me because they were more prepared for my ignorance than I was.  The vendors knew that not only am I unable to speak Mandarin, but my ability to read a number may be in question as well.

Vendor stalls inside Pearl Market

After presenting you with the number on the calculator, you quickly ascertain if you can easily divide that number by six in your head to work out what the US equivalent price is.  The number six ruled my shopping experiences in China.  Since the number six multiplication table had not been on the forefront of my mind since sixth grade, I relied heavily on the calculator application on my phone.  Typically, the number you are presented with is about two or three times more than the price you are willing to pay.  The vendor’s only mistake is that when they perceive your furrowed brow to be a reaction to their offer, not the fact that you cannot figure out how to divide 6 into 334 Yuan.  As a result of your befuddled face, the vendors ask, “How much do you want to pay?” 

Example of Chinese Yuan

Now here is where some good negotiating skills can come into play.  Do not say a price that is reasonable.  Come up with an embarrassingly low price in your head and tell them that instead.  I promise you, NOTHING is too low.  The vendors are prepared.  They will gasp, laugh, shudder, and sink at your counteroffer, but it is all part of the process.  At that point, you have established your price point.  Through a series of back and forths and games with the calculator for the visually impaired you will creep closer and closer to your number.  Now if you are patient, you can repeat this process ad nauseum at a pace of 50 Yuans per round.  However, if you are in a hurry and need to move the process along, there is one fail safe option:  walk away.

I mean it.  Walk away.  Put down the incredible bag, dirt cheap pearls, or wonderfully kitsch souvenir.  I promise, it works.  And if for some reason it does not, the same item can be found two stalls down.  Once you start to walk away, almost immediately the vendor will call after you, “What is your bottom price?”  You repeat your figure and turn around again, evidencing your take it or leave it attitude regarding the sale.  Ninety-nine percent of the time, they fold and the deal is done.  One-percent of the time you will be literally manhandled back into their stall and will proceed through a few more rounds of the calculator game before you settle on the price you originally offered ten minutes before. 

I know, the whole ordeal can sound trite, but it is expected and trust me there are no unfair deals made.  The vendor will dejectedly give you the merchandise in exchange for your fistful of Yuan, but they are not losing sleep because of the sheer volume.  Following your departure, the process begins again with another American in your footsteps and they, my friends, may start negotiations at a price point much lower than even your own and your ‘deal’ no longer seems so great.  Further, you can walk two booths over and find the starting price for your coveted Fu dog bookends to be even lower than what you paid after the ten rounds of intense negotiations you thought you just won.  Although your shopping high will be crushed, you can easily put it all into perspective with some simple math:  divide by six.  You would have paid three times as much for the same object in the United States.  You did good, fellow traveler.  You did good.

Authentic Chinese chopsticks

Trinkets from China

Negotiation Tips for Purchasing ANYTHING in China:

• Know how much you want to pay before the negotiations begin
• You can never make an initial offer that is too low
• Know your six multiplication table
• Calculators are your best friend
• Hold your guns
• Walking away helps, even if it means being prepared to start the negotiation process over again two booths down.
• It helps to attend an infringement lecture at the Embassy and then visit the Pearl Market to keep a little money in your pocket. 
• The official State Department’s stance is that fake luxury goods are bad, but even State Dept. reps admit they shop at the Pearl Market.  Go figure.
• Finally, everyone's a winner in China.  You are getting something for less than you would in the United States but you are still paying more than the vendor’s wholesale price by about six hundred percent. 

Yukon, Ho!

Anyone who has ever spent time with me will know that I'm a huge Calvin and Hobbes junkie. Almost everything I see or hear immediately calls up into my head some C&H strip that then frames whatever my situation may be (and makes me chuckle on the inside). I mention this because, having now been back in the US for over a full month, I still get the same response when I bring up my recent trip to China: "oh wow, China! what an adventure!"

"Adventure" is a perfect word/concept to illustrate. I grew up a military brat, which, interestingly enough, has its own wikipedia page. That's really cool. While I'm usually loathe to reference any article or wiki page that uses the horribly trite phrase "global citizen," this is nevertheless an interesting entry, and actually seems pretty spot-on. Anyway, I think that "adventure" holds a pretty significant connotation for military brats, and the more I think about and reflect on the trip we took, the more I'm able to comfortably call it an adventure.

Which, of course, brings up the fantastic additional content C&H's creator, Bill Watterson, drew up for the opening of his collection Yukon Ho!:

Calvin and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, secede from the family and decide to away from home to the Yukon. While it doesn't quite work out as planned, there's a terrific story arc that follows, including one of my favorite lines, "Calvin's Log: Journey to the Yukon, Day One: Have traveled 200 yards from our starting point. No snow so far." They abandon their journey shortly thereafter (following a mutinous decree of double-rations for Hobbes, who wants an extra sandwich), but it's nevertheless an enjoyable account of childhood adventure. They rummage up a few supplies, attempt to map out a course, and, in the end, are completely unprepared for what they encounter. (sound familiar, guys?)

We didn't see anything like the Yukon on our grand adventure to the People's Republic, but we did see some really cool stuff, like the Summer Palace,

 

The Temple of Heaven Park

And the Great Wall, all the while following... this:

Seriously. We followed the flower

Where happy flower went, so did we

Ever vigilant

I think it's important to wait between returning from a trip and sharing thoughts about it. Having taken that time, I think it's perfectly reasonable to call this an adventure: we got jazzed up and excited for an exotic trip, attempted to prepare through class sessions and readings, and hoped that we packed enough clothes, money, and snacks to last the length of the journey. I, for one, was not even close to fully prepared... But that's the beauty of adventure - you learn as you go, and usually lament having packed insufficiently.

We traveled as a group and in order to fulfill "contact hours" had only a few hours here and there of "free time." But there was ample opportunity throughout the trip to wander and explore once we arrived at monuments or sites (when we weren't following the flower!). Without a doubt my favorite experiences were my discussions with the Chinese graduate students we met in Shanghai at SIIS. A great conversation I can recall during a discussion with a student about Realist theory and US-China relations, as we were joking around and talking about Mearsheimer - not to be confused with making fun of Mearsheimer):

Liu: "Whenever I've spoken with American students, they always seem to be afraid to ask hard questions; they always want to stick to the easy, non-controversial questions."
Jack: "Ok, let's play hardball then... Does China want to be a regional hegemon at the expense of the US and our ability to project power to guarantee security for willing East Asian states?"
Liu: "Well... according to Mearsheimer, yes! We want you out of our seas so we can be the hegemon in our own region, not you. You should not expect any less from China."
Jack: "Yeah... whether we should or not... that's probably not going to happen. There will always be too much rhetoric against cooperation, since our relative decline is viewed as zero-sum to your rise. So, maybe some accessions could be made on both sides, without China needing to push for hegemony - because, let's be honest, neither side really wants to go to war, right?"
Liu: (laughs) "So you ARE scared of us, then!"

I think this highlights the degree to which we really CAN engage in meaningful dialogue as students of IR, when our respective educational backgrounds line up (a challenge, given that Chinese scholars and students both will readily admit to a deficiency in their teaching and application of theory) but there are obstacles. It's similarly interesting to discuss domestic politics with the students, especially in public. The overriding expectation is that reform will happen soon, but it's interesting to see them express that in a hushed whisper, when one so naturally takes for granted the political freedoms afforded Americans at home. To see a student loudly proclaim himself a member of the Communist Party and laud its merits (and then quietly revert to normal, apologize for the career-necessary digression, and explain why he's sick of the system) is fascinating, even other-worldly.

I'll try to blog again sometime before the end of the week, just to expound more on the political and IR-related takeaways from the trip. They're currently bouncing around in my head in a haphazard manner (I'm still working on the paper), so I assume a few more days will let it all settle out in a more clear sense. In the meantime:

"It’s a magical world, Hobbes, ol’ buddy…Let’s go exploring!"

-Jack