Returning to China: Inspired by Youth Voices

Thirty years ago, I arrived in China as a young American diplomat after the normalization of relations between the two countries. This summer, I returned to China to witness the vast changes that have taken place.

I had the opportunity to attend the expansion ceremony for IREX’s China Student Journalism Program and the second annual journalism camp held in the remote northwestern province of Gansu. Walking into an auditorium filled with Chinese and American youth, I could feel the energy and excitement in the room. Students and their teachers were proud of the newspapers displayed on the walls of this large auditorium. Their eagerness and commitment to serving as voices for their peers and community were inspiring.

Maximizing our expertise in education and media development, IREX started a pilot program to foster social responsibility, analytical skills, team work, communication, and leadership skills through the production of youth driven newspapers. The program has grown from five to thirteen schools in the past year, trained over 300 student journalists, and reached over 10,000 student readers.

At an event that was the first of its kind in this part of China, over 100 high school students and teachers from China and the US gathered for a week during a hot July to produce youth-centered and international standard newspapers. Student journalists from Annandale High School in Northern Virginia, which produces one of the best scholastic newspapers in the US, volunteered to work alongside their Chinese counterparts. Now, the Chinese students will take what they have learned during the workshops and start youth-driven newspapers back at their high schools. We will provide extensive follow-up guidance with the students and their teacher advisors as well as facilitate exchange between the youth of two nations.

Thirty years later, the ties between China and the US are stronger and more intricate. I hope to see increased cultivation of youth voices across the two nations, working towards a more dynamic and collaborative future.