Chinese Minister Counselor personally invites BYU students to study in China.
Each year, more than two thousand BYU students study abroad in countries worldwide. As they consider where to go, many students envision themselves eating a fresh croissant under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, admiring the Alps from a serene porch in Switzerland, or walking the same steps ancient gladiators did in the Colosseum. Yet, as a result of political tension between China and the United States, students less frequently imagine themselves walking along the Great Wall of China or visiting the majestic ice castles in Harbin, China. With this in mind, Shen Xuesong, Minister Counselor for the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the US, visited BYU to explain how the Chinese government hopes to help BYU students study in China and strengthen international ties in the process.
On February 27, 2024, Mandarin students and professors met in the Kennedy Center to hear from Madam Shen Xuesong. After introducing herself and asking each person in attendance to do the same, Shen shared the purpose of her visit: she wanted to personally invite BYU students to come study abroad in China.
Her desire to extend this invitation to American college students came following the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leader’s Week—an annual assembly of the world’s economic leaders that discusses trade and economy between 21 Asia-Pacific countries. This meeting inspired the Chinese government to find new ways of strengthening ties between themselves and other countries.
Despite inconsistent relations between China and the United States as a whole, Shen believes that inviting American students to study in China can improve international relationships. She explained that as students have cultural experiences in China and explore numerous cities throughout the country, they will begin "to understand [Chinese citizens’] lives and their thoughts.”
Shen hopes greater emphasis on experiences abroad will “allow everyone to mutually understand each other and eliminate more misunderstandings.” But more so than this, Shen believes that “building better relationships can help our world resolve more problems.”
Visit the Kennedy Center website to get started on a study abroad today.