Students in China are curious about trends and issues in American politics.
That was certainly true when I lectured and met with students recently at universities in Shanghai and Nanjing.
The students I met with at the Shanghai International Studies University and the Hopkins-Nanjing Center at Nanjing University were mostly Chinese graduate students, along with a smattering from other countries at Nanjing.
You might expect these students to be reasonably well informed, but many of them were impressively knowledgeable and clearly interested in U.S. politics and policies.
Some topics seem a bit mystifying to the Chinese students; for example, the importance of the media and public opinion polling in influencing the U.S.
national agenda has no equivalent in China.
The students were intrigued by some of the issues that do occupyprominent spots on the U.S. agenda. Among those they asked about were same-sex marriage, immigration, the role of religion in politics, gun control and the role of the NRA.
They wanted to understand the divisions within the Republican Party and how it might fare in the future when the “coalition of the ascendant” - minorities, the millennial generation and collegeeducated women - seems solidly in the Democratic camp, even though there’s no assurance that will continue. There was definitely interest in the Tea Party and what its future might be.
The students wanted toknow more about increasing involvement of women in politics and what eff ect that might have.
They were unclear about why President Barack Obama is not more successful in getting approval from Congress for his proposals. Divided government, with the House of Representatives under Republican control and with the Democrats having only limited control in the Senate, is an unfamiliar concept and the notion of a filibuster hard to comprehend.
They were interested to hear about the imperial overreach that sometimes occurs in our presidential administrations and the second-term blues that have afticted a number of more recent administrations.
The importance of the economy as a political factor was emphasized, and I suggested if the U.S.
economic situation was not improving, some of the other issues on the national agenda might be getting less attention.
It should be noted China’s political leaders have a considerable stake in their country’s economic progress. Continued economic growth and spreading prosperity are keys to political stability.
Though growth has slowed somewhat and there are some troubling indicators, including manufacturing declines, the latest survey of economic sentiment by the Pew Center found 88 percent of Chinese feel good about the economy - the highest percentage in any of the 39 countries surveyed.
The poll also indicated the Chinese were more likely to rate their personal financial situations as good compared to other emerging markets. Contrary to some pessimistic predictions, eight in 10 Chinese believe the economy will improve in the next year, and seven in 10 expect their personal fortunes to increase.
Periodic visits to China over 34 years bring a sense of wonder at all the progress that has been made. To saythere have been remarkable change since my fi rst visit doesn’t begin to describe what has occurred, but each visit in more recent years has provided dramatic evidence.
The nation’s fi nancial center, Shanghai, most obviously, and Nanjing are among a number of mind-boggingly booming urban areas. Once again I traveled between Shanghai and Nanjing on the comfortable high-speed train service - 187 miles in 73 minutes with speeds about 200 mph.
The growing interest in U.S. domestic politics among the younger Chinese could refl ect increasing confidence their nation is assuming an ever-more prominent role in the world and a need to know more about the world’s major power center. At the same time, as China’s middle class grows, we see increasing concern about some of their own domestic issues such as pollution, food safety, corruption and China’s educational system. China also faces the problem of growing income equality.
Of course, there are serious issues between our two nations. Concerns about cyber security obviously need to be addressed.
President Obama says it will be an important topic in his discussions with President Xi Jinping when the two leaders meet in California next week, part of a review of progress and challenges in U.S-China relations and their first meeting since Xi became China’s top ofi cial in March.
The Chinese leader emphasizes what he calls the “Chinese dream,” obviously evoking the archetypical American dream.
China says it wants mutual respect. If there’s going to be mutual respect, there needs to be mutual understanding. Asking questions and learning more about each other, not settling for stereotypical caricatures, is a step in the right direction.
HOYT PURVIS IS A JOURNALISM AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS PROFESSOR.
Opinion, Pages 11 on 06/02/2013