From August 12to 13, 2023, the Sixth International Symposium on the Humanistic Foundations and Cross-cultural Understanding of Sino-U.S.Relations, i.e.,the Annual Meeting of the Center for American Studies of Southwest Jiaotong University(SWJTU), was held on Emei Campus, SWJTU. Nearly 100 scholars from China and the United States attended the symposium, and the discussion centered onthe drastically-changing China-U.S. relations and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

 

Kang Guozheng, Vice President of SWJTU,attended the conference and delivered a welcome speech on behalf of the university. Hesaid that this symposium is of great significance to promotingpeople-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, andhoped that, by upholding the valuesof“Humanity OrientationandCultural Integration”, all experts present could do their part in maintaining the healthy development of China-U.S. relations. He would be most delightedthat experts could put forward their valuable suggestions on the development of the disciplinesof foreign linguistics and literatureand the area studies of the university.

Chu Chengzhi, Director of the Academic Committee of the Center for American Studies of SWJTUand Professor of the University of California, Davis, highlightedin his opening remarks that, the study of the humanistic foundation of Sino-U.S.relations and cross-cultural understanding is a fundamental project closely related to the people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States. People-to-people exchanges and cross-cultural understanding are instrumental toovercoming current difficulties between the two countries, and to the progress towards better collaboration and mutually beneficial development. The stormierthe China-U.S. relations are, the more important it is to keep the bridgesand roadsopen.If the rain stops and the sky clears up, the smooth flow between the two countrieswould be no longer blocked.

The conference comprises four sessions: Keynote Speeches, Thematic Forum: Area Studies and the Foreign Language Discipline, Roundtable Forum: International Chinese and Foreign Language Education, and Parallel Sessions. Experts at the symposiumstagedtheir opinions on the phenomena and causes of foreign language disciplines in the context of the new hotspot and new problems of area studies; they voiced theirsuggestions on the relationship, significance and methodology of area studies and the development of foreign language disciplines; they also discussed the topics related to international Chinese and foreign language education.

Notably, all the American scholars invited are influential leading scholars and experts who are friendly towards and love China, such as Professor Paul G. Pickowicz from UC San Diego, Professor Charlene Polio from Michigan State University, and Professor Stephen R. Bokenkamp from Arizona State University.

Via video link, Professor Paul G. Pickowicz shared his unforgettable experience of visiting China as a member of the first American student delegation invited by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.At that time, hemet Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and witnessed the beginning and development of China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges. Taking ChatGPT as an example, Professor Charlene Polio expounded online on the application of AI in second language teaching and research and its potential impact. Professor Stephen R. Bokenkamp, also a noted sinologist, shared online his Daoism studies and his research on and exchange about Daoism in Sichuan, China, entitled “Why Daoism is a Good Basis for Cultural Exchange?”.

“China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges are an important part of relations between the two countries and also a significant driving forceof its development,” said Yuan Zheng, a researcher from the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.In his opinion, the weight of people-to-people exchanges is even more prominent when the two countries’ relationship falls into low ebb.

“The insightful opinions of the participants have greatly enriched the content of the symposium, and enabled us to share a high-level academic feast”,said Yu Senlin, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages of SWJTU.He alsoexpressed his heartfelt thanks to all the experts and scholars from China and the United States, and proclaimed,“based on the humanistic foundation of Sino-U.S. relations, this symposium has explored how to better promote the cross-cultural understanding between China and the U.S. It is a symposium of vital significance for Chinese and American academic circles.”