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发帖数: 170 | 1 http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/us/2014-11/28/content_18996134.htm
Building bridges from Michigan to China
Updated: 2014-11-28 13:20
By Paul Welitzkin In New York(China Daily USA)
Tom Watkins, a decades-long traveler to China, is dedicated to expanding
Michigan's ties with China. Provided to China Daily
Building bridges from Michigan to China
As Governor Rick Snyder wraps up another extended trip to China, Michigan
continues to be a leader among US states in developing economic and cultural
ties with China.
And Tom Watkins has emerged as a driving force behind the Wolverine state's
expanding relationship with China. A former state superintendent for
Michigan public schools and former state mental health director, Watkins is
a decades-long traveler to China and he has consulted on China economic
development and education issues. He is currently the president and CEO of
the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority in Michigan.
His interest in China began in elementary school in the 1960s when a fourth-
grade teacher turned the spotlight on China.
"Looking back, I believe it was the juxtaposition of the ideal of what I was
being taught about what America stood for against the reality I saw through
my 10-year-old eyes while growing up in our nation's capital, with
segregation and poverty abounding. That, along with the Chinese spin that
espoused total equality in China, created a life-long fascination with the
country. I have had my eyes on China ever since," he said.
It would be more than 20 years before Watkins experienced China personally.
In 1988 he organized an international mental health conference in Detroit.
Among the participants were four mental health officials from China. As a
favor, the officials invited Watkins to China and in 1989, his first trip to
the mainland included stops in Beijing, Nanjing and Xi'an, where he toured
mental health facilities.
On that trip, Watkins began a custom that has served him well. "Since it was
the 1980s, I carried a Polaroid (a camera that took instant photographs)
and I would not only take pictures of the Chinese but also of myself and
give them the photo so I could leave something behind. This proved to be
very beneficial in building a relationship and creating a two-way exchange,
which is something I still try to do today," he told China Daily in an
interview.
That year Watkins made another visit to China, stopping in Harbin and taking
the train from Beijing to Tibet. That trip began for him the process of
unlocking China's history, culture and society.
"I found the Chinese people curious and interested in me and the United
States," he said. "Remember, in the 1980s, both the US and China were just
beginning to open up to each other. I know I learned a lot about the Chinese
people, their culture and history. I would like to think I helped them to
learn at least a little about the US as well."
When visiting China, Watkins likes to totally immerse himself in the country
and its people. "I try to stay in Chinese hotels rather than Western hotels
operating in the country," he said. "I find that this helps me to
understand and experience China in a much more personal way."
Because of his many trips to China, Watkins has been able to explore some of
the lesser-known areas of the country. "I have been to the mountains near
Zhangjiajie in Hunan province," he said. "These contain some of the most
spectacular scenery anywhere in the world. It was used as a model for some
of the background shots in the movie Avatar."
Watkins believes that Americans need to educate themselves about China. "Too
many of us still possess an image of China that doesn't reflect its
complexity and change, especially over the last 30 years," he said. "We are
still beholden to an image of China that was formed when our parents told us
to eat everything on our plates - there are children starving in China.
China is a modern nation and society that happens to include a 5,000-year
history."
Watkins spends a lot of his time trying to help build upon the Michigan-
China connection. Michigan has one of the more enduring relationships with
China. Michigan's own Leonard Woodcock, a former president of the United
Automobile Workers (UAW) union, was named by President Carter in 1977 to be
chief liaison to China. Two years later, Woodcock became the first US
ambassador to the People's Republic of China.
Michigan is slowly rebuilding its economy as it seeks to recover from the
downturn caused by the 2008 financial crisis. Most agree that Michigan
suffered the most, as Detroit, the state's largest city and the epicenter of
the US automobile industry, is just starting to emerge from bankruptcy.
Watkins believes that China will be a crucial part of the state's economic
recovery. "Michigan has everything that China will want or need. From autos
to tourism to food, Michigan can provide the products and services that will
help fuel the middle-class growth China wants," he said.
Watkins believes that tourism may serve as the state's ace in the hole when
it comes to nurturing economic ties with China. Already home to a thriving
tourist trade thanks to an abundance of water and other natural attractions,
Watkins thinks China's rising middle-class will seek a US vacation
alternative once they have explored New York, Las Vegas and Disney World.
"After spending time in Shanghai and Beijing and experiencing all the
pollution in those cities, I believe the Chinese will want a place with
fresh air, clear rivers and lakes and green forests. I don't see any reason
why they can't enjoy Tahquamenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula or a
freshwater lake as large as an ocean (Lake Superior)," he said.
Watkins calls the US-China relationship the most important bilateral
relationship in the world today. "Every major issue is going to intersect
between Beijing and Washington. I believe the recent agreements on emissions
and visas between China and the US are good and at least both sides are
engaged in productive discussions."
Just because of their sheer size, Watkins believes it's vital that China and
the US maintain a good connection. "To have a world with the US and China
at odds is simply unimaginable to me," he said.
[email protected]
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