Tell us a little about yourself

I major in Sociology, and minor in Diplomacy at Fudan University. I spent the first twenty years of my life on Nanjing Road, which is the very center of Shanghai. I witnessed the rapid transformation of Shanghai from a socialist city in the early 1990s to an international metropolis today. It is this direct experience of social and cultural change that led me to sociology. I started to minor in Diplomacy from my sophomore year, seeking to understand cultural differences, and ways to facilitate cross-cultural communication. My academic experience has nurtured my interest in engaging with people.  Understanding another culture could be challenging, but not so much if one aspires to listen, to observe, and to talk.

This became increasingly clear to me as I lived in the United Kingdom, traveled to Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong, SAR.  It is hard for people to jump out of their long-held assumptions of another culture. However, it is easier for outsiders to understand the stereotypes and to challenge and question them. Culture gives us a coordinate system, based on which we position ourselves. It is very important for us to be aware of the particular system we hold, and the differences between one culture and another. No culture is a better culture. All it takes is simply more time and patience to understand and to appreciate.

Why did you apply to this program?

"Trade" was the first word that caught my eye. However, trade is the least thing that I am interested in. Let me explain why.

Chinese society is opening up, but there are many areas in China that require further liberalization, i.e. religion and free press.  Currently, trade and its subsequent economic benefits are the keys to the modernization of China. If the bilateral trade volume is to increase, China will have to be more open. Why?  Because trade is more than just trade, but often means a series of spillover effects. Thus, I see trade as the momentum for future reforms in China. In the light of this, it is crucial to secure and facilitate bilateral trade. In other words, if the trade relations between the US and China go down, everything else will go down, and vice versa.

Please identify the single aspect in US-China relations that you are most interested.

The different ways people do business in China and in the US are very interesting. Generally speaking, Americans prefer an institutionalized way of doing things, while the Chinese rely heavily on personal ties. Some argue that because American enterprises are more institutionalized, they tend to be more productive and labor-efficient, while personal ties in Chinese firms lead to corruption and low efficiency. This is not a legitimate argument. We need to acknowledge the negative aspects of institutionalization, and the positive aspects of face-to-face society. For example, lobbying system in the US is an institutionalized way of pushing the interest of a small group of people to the public.  Therefore, both Americans and Chinese need to learn about each other's traditions, to smooth out possibilities of bilateral conflicts from misunderstandings in this respect.

What are your top professional goals? What do you want to accomplish during your internship?

I plan to work for NGO/NPOs that promote cross-cultural understanding. During my stay in the DC area, I want to narrow down the specific areas that I can contribute to in my future career. In other words, my interest is still quite broad, and I want to find a particular field of interest for my future. I trust the intensive exposure to different speakers during Monday lectures and weekday internship will achieve this goal.

How will the U.S.-China Bilateral Trade Internship Program help you and your country in the future?

Personally, I am excited about this opportunity.  It gives me a chance to work, learn and live in a foreign country with the best brains in the two countries. I am not able to foresee the exact things that the program will benefit me.  However, I am sure that the program will offer me with a clearer career plan, better understanding of Western culture as well as networking with some of the best students in the US.

In the long run, the program will benefit both countries, since the students in this program will be the leaders in various fields. Although the program will not teach us how to be a good leader, it will absolutely help us to learn from each future leader among us.