Chinese-language students in US weigh in on bilateral ties

When he started learning Chinese as a mechanical engineering student at the University of California-Berkeley 18 years ago, Adam Wright hadn't expected the language would connect him with his future wife and help him land his current job.

"When I studied at Berkeley, more than half my friends were Chinese, so I was immersed in Chinese culture. If I wanted to get to know them a little bit deeper, I felt it was important for me to learn Chinese," said Wright, director of manufacturing at San Francisco-based NanoCore Technologies.

"As soon as I started to learn, I discovered that I really enjoyed it," he said. Wright then spent a year and a half studying Chinese at Yunnan Normal University from 2008 to 2009.

A fluent speaker of Chinese, Wright said his Chinese-language ability helps him gain a deeper understanding of China and easily establish personal relations with Chinese people, which is why he was hired for his current job.

His company's 3D metal printers can print solid metal parts, and all the manufacturing is done in China.

"It's very important to speak with a factory owner and get to know them. Because of my Chinese ability, I get better treatment," he said.

To help other Americans improve their Chinese skills, Wright has organized a network of more than 50 people, including American students who studied in China, and Chinese language-learners to meet regularly in the San Francisco Bay Area.

They also partnered with the Chinese consulate general in San Francisco to provide a platform for American people who are interested in Chinese language and culture in the region to exchange ideas and deepen understanding of China.

Wang Donghua, the Chinese consul general in San Francisco, recently hosted a reception at his residence for Wright's group to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the US and China in 1979.

Wang encouraged the guests, including college students and retired professors, to continue studying the Chinese language and culture and contribute to the friendship between Chinese and Americans, especially amid the current tensions in bilateral relations.

Among the guests was Thomas Gold, one of the first US government-funded exchange students, who studied in China in 1979. When he returned to the US, Gold became a sociology professor at UC Berkeley and worked as the executive director of the intra-university program for Chinese language studies there from 2006 to 2016.

At the reception, Gold shared his experiences as a student in Shanghai as well as the tremendous changes in China he witnessed over the past four decades. He also expressed concerns over the current tensions and the lack of knowledge of China among many Americans.

"The China-US relations in 1979 gave people an optimistic expectation. I hope the two countries can go back to the optimistic level as in 1979, otherwise the 50 years I spent on people-to-people relationships would be a waste," Gold said in Chinese.

Wright said trade tensions between the US and China have greatly affected his life. His previous company went out of business because of the trade dispute, and now his current company can't start mass production because of increased tariffs.

"All our manufacturing is done in China, so to avoid the high duty, we are waiting for the tariffs to go away before we start mass production," he explained. "The company is doing smaller production now, because the tax is more affordable on smaller orders. As soon as we start larger orders, the 25 percent tax would be unbelievable."

Wright said part of the reason behind the current US-China tensions is that many Americans don't really know about China, and the misconceptions they have are potentially damaging to bilateral relations.

"Whenever I have a chance, I will share my own experience and my photos in China with people, or take my friends to China as a tour guide. I want to show them what the real China is," he said in Chinese.