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CHINA DAILY Tuesday, January 23, 2018
VISION CHINA
7

Observers offer fresh insight for new era

Intellectual hails progress made in past while warning of challenges that lie ahead

VISION CHINA
New Era New Thinking
新时代大讲堂

By LI YANG
liyang@chinadaily.com.cn

Robert Lawrence Kuhn has many titles, ranging from investment banker to anatomy researcher. But he is better known in China as a specialist who knows the country inside out.
Over the past 29 years, he has visited almost every provincial region and spoken with people from all walks of life, including some who have gone on to become State leaders.
"It's been a great gift to my life to be able to learn so much about China's rich civilization, political theories and the whole development," he said.
Kuhn, who is from the United States, learns as an outsider but communicates as an insider. In his talk show Closer to China with R.L. Kuhn on the China Global Television Network, he presents China's complex story to the world through candid, intimate discussions with the country's decision-makers.
In a hotel suite in Wangfujing, downtown Beijing, one busy lunchtime last week, Kuhn shared his thoughts on Chinese politics with China Daily, between exercising and a meeting of the Communist Party of China, which he had been invited to attend as an observer.
He spoke passionately about the 19th CPC National Congress, which was held in Beijing in October, describing it as "a milestone congress that set the agenda for more than 30 years".
The Party proposed two new concepts at the congress — "a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics" and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which has been written into the Party Constitution.
"To understand China today, it is critical to appreciate what the new era means. ... I like to understand new era in two categories: its characteristics at home and abroad, and its timeline," Kuhn said.
He has obviously developed his own way of explaining terms with Chinese characteristics. That is to break down the characteristics, domestically and internationally, rather than delve into the term.
He listed a number of challenges in China's new era, from pollution to medical care, among which he said the biggest is the rising expectations of the people at home, because "now that the people have some, they want more".
The complex international environment is the main characteristic of the new era, as the world is fragmented by diverse problems and challenges, he said.
While explaining what he called the timeline of the new era (2017, 2021, 2049) and expounding his understanding of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era — which he broke down into three categories: serve the people, national rejuvenation, and governance modernization — Kuhn showcased his knowledge of the Party's files, which he has clearly learned by heart.
He recited almost every key point of the 68-page report Xi delivered to the congress in October. More important, he made connections between these points, presenting them in a vivid way, seasoned with personal experiences and thinking.
When asked about the effects of the anti-corruption campaign, he immediately listed 10 objectives. That's his style of approaching Chinese issues — divergent thinking and a vigilance not to lose sight of the connections between different points.

"I like to understand new era in two categories: its characteristics at home and abroad, and its timeline."
Robert Lawrence Kuhn, investment banker and anatomy researcher

Q&A | ROBERT LAWRENCE KUHN
You hold multiple titles now. How have you managed to master so many different fields? Do they have anything in common?
There's one word to describe the commonality, that is "passion". Whatever I've done I want to have passion for it. To expand that a bit, it's the passion to learn. I'm not here to teach, I love to learn. When I write a new book, it's something I want to learn about. I use that vehicle to learn. So passion about learning is the common denominator. China has given me a hugely rich life because of everything I've learned here.

From left: Zhao Jianguo, head of the international communication bureau of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee; Jiang Qingzhe, Party chief of the University of International Business and Economics; China Daily reporter Andrew Moody; Guo Weimin, vice-minister of the Information Office of the State Council; speakers Robert Lawrence Kuhn and Liu Xin; Zhou Shuchun, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily; and Zhang Jianmin, head of translation and interpretation for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pose for a photo at the inaugural Vision China event on Monday at UIBE. FENG YONGBIN / CHINA DAILY

British journalist tells China’s story to the world

By LIU XUAN
liuxuan@chinadaily.com.cn

Despite living and working in China for a decade, Andrew Moody’s ability to speak Mandarin is still at a basic level. Yet that has not stopped the award-winning journalist from interpreting China’s story for the world.
Moody joined China Daily nine years ago and is now a senior correspondent. He has written more than 150 cover stories for the paper’s European Weekly and African Weekly, examining a wide range of issues including the Belt and Road Initiative.
The job has provided him with first-hand experience of how China is developing as well as the chance to record reactions from the outside world, especially in the West, toward the nation’s growth and changes.
He was at the Great Hall of the People to hear General Secretary Xi Jinping deliver a report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October, when the concept of a “new era” was first mentioned.
“The consensus of the various people I spoke to in the hours after the speech was that China’s entering a new era could be a momentous turning point in world history,” Moody said.
According to his interviews, he said, people believe that a more confident China is striding into a world that it also is helping to shape.
Moody has his own understanding of the new era. With 40 years of reform and opening-up, he said China has reached a point where it can move on in many ways, such as in foreign policy, global governance and domestic reforms. “China has reached a new junction and has to move forward.”
The British journalist has written many stories that explain China to the rest of the world, and these have brought him many honors, including being named a State High-End Project Foreign Expert.
“I like reporting on China because it’s perhaps the 21st century’s most fascinating story,” he said. “The real fun of reporting in China is the closeness to the actual story, the big fascinating story of China merging into the 21st century, the stories that maybe Western media don’t really have the chance to interview.”
Moody sees his task as communicating China to a global audience, and there are still a number of things that need to be done, he said.
“I go back to the UK quite a lot, and I still don’t think that people are aware of the impact of a much bigger Chinese economy and China’s being a more significant player in the world,” he said. “All I can do is to report and do stories one by one.”

"The real fun of reporting in China is the closeness to the actual story, the big fascinating story of China merging into the 21st century."
Andrew Moody,
China Daily senior reporter

Q&A | ANDREW MOODY
How do you overcome the challenges of showing the real China to the world, especially to those who have biases against China?
It’s a long-term thing, and you cannot change this overnight. There are negative perceptions about China. It’s about engagement. If China has much more interactions with the rest of the world, then people will see China as it actually is. One of the 2035 objectives is to better increase China’s soft power. Organizations like China Daily can actually play a role in improving China’s soft power. But I do think it’s a long-term process, and China doesn’t need to be too sensitive toward criticism.

Broadcaster sees choice and confidence in rising nation

By YANG WANGLI
yangwangli@chinadaily.com.cn

For 20 years, Liu Xin has had a singular goal: to build a bridge of understanding between China and the outside world.
The television presenter began working for China Central TV, the State broadcaster, in 1997, two years after becoming the first Chinese to take part in — and win — the International Public Speaking Competition.
Early last year, her desire to share China’s story received a major boost when she was chosen to host The Point, a prime-time discussion show that airs weekdays on the China Global Television Network.
She said that China entering a new era means three things: opportunities, challenges and responsibilities.
“My winning speech in that 1995 national competition was about choice,” she said. “After 15 years of reform and opening-up, we Chinese now enjoy an abundance of choice in our daily lives.”
After listening to General Secretary Xi Jinping’s report at the opening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Liu said she was impressed with his use of the word “confidence”.
“It’s the confidence China has developed through knowing that our system works. The confidence about who we are as a people, as a culture. And it’s the confidence about our future role in the world,” she said.
“As media workers, we believe we have a great story to tell. In the past, people relied on a few correspondents or experts for information and opinions on China. But more people are tuning in to Chinese media for information, both traditional platforms such as TV and online.”
As more questions emerge in the minds of those watching from outside China, Liu said the opportunities to tell stories from inside the country are growing. However, so too are the challenges.
“Because of the ideological differences between China and the West, China has always been the subject of Western media criticism, which is often downright bashing based on falsehoods,” she said.
Now that China has defied all kinds of predictions of a collapse or economic hard landing, Western observers are having a hard time explaining the China phenomenon, she said, adding that the result is an ignorance-based superiority complex mixed with bewilderment and iced with jealousy.
During her 30-minute program, Liu conducts live interviews with guests in the studio or via satellite link to get a Chinese perspective on two to three topics that affect people around the world.
“I understand the urgency to be more assertive, but I believe we always need to be aware of the danger of putting feelings before reason, putting opinions before facts,” she said. “Nationalism is my biggest enemy.
“President Xi has said we need to improve the quality and effect of development. I believe this also applies to China’s international communication. The Chinese people will work hard toward a community of a shared future, regardless of how others view us.”
Meanwhile, Liu has a job to do. “As a journalist, our duty is to tell China’s story as it is, one topic at a time, one show at a time,” she added.

"China has always been the subject of Western media criticism, which is often downright bashing based on falsehoods."
Liu Xin, host of The Point on China Global Television Network

Q&A | LIU XIN
As a professional journalist, what do you think China’s mainstream media could do to better report China to the outside world in such a media transformation age?
It’s challenging. I think we need to be aware of new technology. And the content is very important. If we’re more confident, we can really be more sincere, be more at ease with our problems and our achievements. So let’s have a sincere conversation, not shy away from the problems we’re facing. That’s why I say let’s tell the China story as it is. It’s not 100 percent about achievements. Every day we see mixed news, we have mixed feelings, so let’s be factual, let’s be sincere and let people decide whether they want to watch us or not. This is going to take time, but I think if we follow the right philosophy, the right steps, we’re going to make it.

What they say

Vision China is the first high-end event organized by China Daily and UIBE after the two sides launched a partnership. By telling China’s stories in an objective and rational manner, it aims to help students get to know a real China and an objective world, and to understand China in the new era.
Wang Jianping, president of the University of International Business and Economics

I’ve learned a lot from Vision China today. What impressed me most is how to eliminate bias against China when telling China’s stories. The three experts shared a common opinion, which is to show a true China and not care too much about comments from the outside world. The sincerest story is often the most touching one.
Zhu Yue, a senior student majoring in international politics from Beijing International Studies University

It was an interesting lecture. It was good to understand certain aspects about China. It would be good to have things like this abroad because it’s about China. You don’t have to explain China to the Chinese people, but you need to explain it to the outside world.
Nektarios Palaskas, science and technology counselor for the Swiss embassy

This event was very interesting. You invited distinguished speakers, and all of them are of global thinking and have a vision about China. China is booming, and everyone is interested. I enjoyed hearing the speakers’ ideas about how China will be in the future. I came here with an open mind.
Ratthawut Nanthaikuakool, first secretary of Thai embassy

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