On December 2^nd, the 2023 Understanding China Conference officially kicked off in Guangzhou. During the opening ceremony, John L. Thornton, the Honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Brookings Institution and Executive Chairman of the Asia Society, delivered a speech highlighting the perception of Chinese people among ordinary Americans. He believed that to strengthen Sino-US relations in the new era, it is crucial to pay more attention to American youth and engage with them using language they can understand.

"How one perceives the world often depends on their background and experiences." John L. Thornton believed that in order to understand a culture, one must approach it with humility, curiosity, and empathy.

On this basis, he argued that fostering stronger Sino-US relations in the new era also requires humility, curiosity, and empathy. It is important to approach this topic based on facts rather than sensational stories. "I do not believe in rumors and hearsay," he said.

How do Americans view China, Sino-US relations, and Chinese people? During his speech, John L. Thornton shared the results of a survey conducted by American scholars a few months ago.

The survey results showed that the Chinese people are well-liked and welcomed by the American people. China is seen as having a strong and stable economy, and its cultural traditions and heritage are highly attractive to Americans. "In the eyes of Americans, China is a responsible and proactive international participant," he said.

When it comes to the opinion of American to Chinese people? According to the survey, the majority of respondents used keywords such as hardworking, innovative, reliable, economically powerful and stable, and compassionate.

"It comes out with a conclusion that cultural exchange is the most important and promising aspect of Sino-US relations," John Sutton stated.

He also mentioned that due to different cultural backgrounds, ordinary Chinese and American people have different perspectives on the concept of "win-win" results. If the term "mutual benefits" is used instead, it is more readily accepted by ordinary Americans.

Therefore, he hopes that to strengthen Sino-US relations in the new era, attention should be given to listening to the voices of ordinary Americans and engaging with them using language they can understand.

Source :Yangcheng Evening News

美国老百姓如何看待中美关系和中国人？约翰·桑顿这样说

12月2日，2023年“读懂中国”国际会议在广州正式开幕。开幕式演讲中，美国布鲁金斯学会董事会名誉主席、亚洲协会全球主席约翰·桑顿畅谈美国普通老百姓眼中的中国人。他认为，要加强新时代中美关系，应多关注美国的青年人，用美国人能够听懂的话跟美国人打交道。

“一个人如何看待世界，往往取决于他的背景和经验。”约翰·桑顿认为，要了解一种文化，必须要以谦逊、好奇、同理心的态度来做出尝试。

基于此，他认为，在新时代加强中美关系，也需要怀有谦逊、好奇和同理心，并要以事实为基础来看待这个话题。“我不相信奇闻逸事。”

美国普通老百姓是如何看待中国、中美关系和中国人的？演讲中，他分享了美国学者几个月前进行的一项调查。

调查结果显示，中国人民很受美国人民的喜欢和欢迎，中国有强大、稳定的经济，中国的文化传统和遗产对美国人来说非常有吸引力。“美国人眼中的中国，是一个负责任的、积极的国际社会参与者。”他说。

美国普通老百姓如何看待中国人？调查中，大部分受访者给出了勤劳、创新、可靠、经济强大稳定、有爱心等关键词。

“我们的结论就是，人文交流是中美交流最重要、最有潜力的一部分。”约翰·桑顿说。

他还提到，基于不同的文化背景，中美老百姓对“双赢”一词有不同的看法，如果谈“互利”，美国老百姓会很接受。

因此，他希望，新时代加强中美关系，还要关注和倾听美国普通老百姓的声音，用美国人能听得懂的话跟美国人交流。

文｜记者 张璐瑶
图｜记者 蔡嘉鸿
译｜陈萱
责编 | 王楠
校对 | 赵丹丹