Tian'anmen Square

Tiananmen Square was an interesting experience. In America you hear about the event involving the students in the 1980s, however much of the population seems unaware that there were any deaths there just a few decades ago. Much like the other sites, we were treated like super stars. People came up to all of us to get pictures with the tall Americans, which is still a novelty to them.

One thing that surprised me about Tianamen was how open the area was. For some unknown reason I assumed the area was somewhat blocked off. Instead it was surrounded by rather busy roads. We were able to walk to the square from the Forbidden City and then right over to the national museum afterwards. Seeing the squares surroundings explains why that location was chosen. Not only was it right next to the historically important Forbidden City, but it was also directly in front of the People's Congress. We didn't get too close to the giant picture of Mao, but honestly we didn't need to. It was just a wall next to the street. For a place with such intense history the scenery was surprisingly underwhelming.

Caroline Rothrock

Honest and Brave Intellectuals are Needed for the U.S. and China to Become Good Friends

In the United States, academics and businessmen from time to time receive political appointments and serve at the pleasure of the President. Various roles throughout the administration are filled by women and men with experience leading Universities and corporations. The revolving door between administrations and think tanks is not replicated in the Chinese governance system. In China, political reliability is highly valued and politicians are advanced based on performance measures, with an emphasis on economic performance over the past thirty years. However, the Democratic and Republican parties value political reliability as well. The Communist Party of China and the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States groom individuals who are politically reliable. To be an honest and brave intellectual while remaining politically reliable can be a difficult task in the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.).

This morning we had the distinct privilege of hearing from one of the most honest and brave intellectuals in the P.R.C., Yang Jiemian. His words renewed my hope for a bright future between China and the United States. Yang believes, “The best way for peace is to do business.”

He spoke to us about the recent Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit, which was held in Shanghai last week, on the 20^th and 21^st. Yang noted, “We need a new momentum of building Asia into a more secure, more peaceful, and more prosperous region of the world.”

Looking forward, he is confident China and the U.S. can become good friends. His poignant words left a lasting impression on our combined group of Bush School and Shanghai Institutes of International Studies graduate students. “We are all human beings,” he said. “We want a happy life. We want to educate ourselves. We want our children to be better than ourselves. We want peace.”

Following the lecture, Dr. Mu observed, “Sometimes intellectuals must be brave and say what they think.” Indeed, Yang Jiemian is the type of brave and honest intellectual China desperately needs as it rises.

Benjamin J. Hayford

21 May 2014 Pengzhou, Sichuan Province

By Sean Larsen

Today we left the bustling cities, smoggy air, and heavy traffic behind as we headed to Pengzhou, a rural community north of Chengdu. On our way we picked up several undergraduate students from the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) and enjoyed the opportunity of conversing with and learning much from them.  Pengzhou was a beautiful mountainous region full of lush green trees towering over a quiet riverbed.  Among the solemnity lay a few scarred remains of the 2008 earthquake that killed about 70,000 people, a humbling thought for those of us who have never experience such vast tragedy.
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We made a few stops in the area to observe a little bit of the life of the rural Chinese. We paused for a bit at a little nursery with rows of greenhouses full of blooming Gerber daisies and corn drying above. Aligned in neat rows out front were fruit trees, various types of vegetables, and large hydrangeas not quite ready to make their show of beautiful pinks and blues.  The little row of rooms where the caretaker lived were accompanied by pens of chickens and massive pigs.  And a little old lady graced us with her presence and shyly allowed us to take some pictures with her. It is amazing to ponder the events that have transpired in her country over her 80 years of life and the changes she has witnessed.

With a hand full of daisies, we left the little nursery to visit a nearby primary school.  A little class of six and seven-year olds joined us in the courtyard and sang a couple of songs for us. We presented each little girl and several of the bravest little boys with a daisy as they each told us their name.  Fortunately they were willing to interact and speak with us and we greatly enjoyed seeing their excitement of having such strange visitors.  We were impressed by how nice the school was, especially being in such a rural area.  It is obvious that China does put a good amount of investment into at least some rural education programs.

This visit to Pegnzhou was a very rewarding experience for all of us and we were grateful for such an opportunity to experience a side of China rarely seen by foreign eyes.

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/