80年前，美国记者埃德加·斯诺跨越了文化和意识形态的差异，将当时中国的真实情况介绍给世界，特别是其作品《红星照耀中国》，向全世界介绍了中国共产党领导的革命根据地的真相。1938年，毛泽东在接受一名德国记者采访时表达了对斯诺的评价和感激：“当我们被整个世界遗忘的时候，只有斯诺来到这里来认识我们，并把这儿的事情告诉外面的世界。所以我们将永远记住斯诺对中国的巨大帮助。”《长征——前所未闻的故事》的作者哈里森·索尔兹伯里在他的书中说：“当时几十万美国人，包括我自己，读了这本书，从中得到了中国共产党及其领导人毛泽东、周恩来、朱德等的初步印象，同时对他们的目标和救国抱负，对他们的艰辛和牺牲精神，也有所了解。”在中国，斯诺被视为中美沟通的桥梁；在美国，他的作品成为美国政府了解中国的重要资料。斯诺意识到了中美两国之间存在的差异，他从现实出发，试图缩小不同观念与看法间的差距。他对新闻事件的理解在很大程度上得益于他对中国文化的深入了解。通过解读中国政治形势，斯诺用更准确、更具包容性的观点来描述中国社会的前进方向，使他能够较为准确地预见到其后中国历史上的许多重大事件。斯诺的经验，对今天和平发展的中国进行国际间的人文交流仍然有很多借鉴意义。

　　未来5年，中国在“十三五”期间计划实施的100项重大工程中，最后一个项目是“建设讲好中国故事队伍”。这个队伍中应该有更多理解中国的国际友人，他们是人文交流中非常重要的一支力量。

外国人讲好中国故事

　　在国际间的人文交流中，相互的理解与友谊不但是由“中国如何看待和对待世界”所决定，也是由“世界如何看待和对待中国”来决定的。不同的国家、不同的人们，在不同的时期对中国的看法都不相同，彼此间要用平等和包容的精神谋求和谐相处、共同发展。中国埃德加·斯诺研究中心1993年在北京大学成立以来，通过斯诺纪念活动来广交国际朋友，让更多的外国人来讲中国故事。两年一度的斯诺国际研讨会在美国和中国轮流举行，斯诺和中国的故事影响着更多美国友人的加入，研讨活动已经从纪念斯诺先生拓展到教育、医疗、企业合作等各个领域。比如以“人文交流：创新友谊和谐”为主题的第15届斯诺研讨会就包括中美高等教育的合作与战略机遇、中小企业的创新与国际合作、水污染治理与绿色经济、中医的价值与成果导向研究等4个分论坛，中国陕西省延安市与斯诺家乡——美国密苏里州堪萨斯城宣布筹建“姐妹城市”，美国斯诺纪念基金会启动在华埃德加·斯诺医生实习计划及实施美国和中国的音乐交流计划等。

　　让外国人讲中国故事，也要请进来、送出去。为了更好地让大学生了解国际友人对中国革命和建设的贡献，中国埃德加·斯诺研究中心在北京大学新闻与传播学院新闻专业选修课“名记者专题”中邀请了克鲁克、马海德、阳早寒春夫妇等十几位国际友人的二代或三代后人举办系列讲座，向学生们介绍建国前后这些著名国际友人为建立和建设新中国所作出的贡献，这门课受到青年学生们的欢迎。海伦·斯诺的家乡是美国犹他州雪松市（Cedar City），在2009年举办的建市158周年活动上，雪松市市长Gerald Sherratt主持了海伦·斯诺铜像揭幕仪式，他认为海伦·斯诺是这座城市的骄傲。当时我在雪松市的南犹他大学连续问了几个大学生，他们都不知道海伦·斯诺是谁。2013年，我再次访问这座城市，来到海伦·斯诺铜像所在的市中心广场时，一位美国青年主动过来给我讲海伦·斯诺二战期间在中国的故事。

　　

青年人讲好中国故事

　　青年是思想解放的先锋，青年人的价值观代表了社会发展的未来方向。“国之交在于民相亲”，讲好中国故事，推动不同文明间的人员往来，尤其要推动青年人之间的交流。多年来，中国埃德加·斯诺研究中心在北京大学与国外的大学和机构共同举办了让大学生和中学生参与的纪念活动和学术活动，努力使青年人成为民间外交和人文交流的主体，通过融入不同的文化，通过了解彼此的故事，通过跨越常常隔阂我们的成见和误解，增进沟通，成为深化国际关系的活力。通过高校之间的活动增进相互理解，促进友谊，为中外青年学生人文交流注入新的活力。通过学科间的交流活动、青年论坛、论文比赛开展自由交流和对话，增进沟通。青年成为中外交流大舞台上的积极因素，为促进中外交流、深化国际关系增加活力。

　　在中美人文交流中，中国埃德加·斯诺研究中心主要是通过斯诺的影响力来拓展中美青年之间的交往。以翻译海伦·斯诺的作品为内容的“海伦·斯诺翻译奖”竞赛活动已经举办了6届，吸引了数千名大学生参与，中美两国获奖学生将分别赴美国和中国的相关高校交换学习一个学期。2014年，来自海伦·斯诺家乡的南犹他交响乐团与北京大学元培学院联合奉献了一场蕴含中西方音乐特色的精彩演出，其中《汉调——行云流水》由北大中乐学社民族管弦乐团与美国南犹他大学打击乐团共同演绎。由中美双方联合编导、作曲、演出的《海伦之梦》大型现代舞剧也在中美两国巡演。

　　在中英人文交流中，中国埃德加·斯诺研究中心主要依托由李约瑟1965年创办的英中理解协会拓展中英青年之间的交往。李约瑟在抗战期间受命执行援华任务，行程5000里，给困难中的中国科学界以实际、真诚的帮助，向中国大学及图书馆赠送科学书籍7000余册，资助60余名学生赴英国留学，并编写了著名的《中国科学技术史》，让世界了解中国的灿烂文明，并提出近代科学为何在西方诞生而未在中国发生的著名的“李约瑟难题”。英中理解协会成立的目标是让更多的英国人能够更理解有着不同文化背景和不同政治制度的中国，2015年，中国埃德加·斯诺研究中心与英中理解协会在李约瑟的母校奥多中学举办了第一届论文大赛，安娜贝尔·巴克荣获第一届论文奖（论文题目：《李约瑟对理解中国历史与现实的启示》），2016年她被牛津大学录取，专业方向是中国历史。今年，乔治·何克的母校圣乔治中学也将参加第二届论文比赛，更多的英国青年学生将通过论文比赛来讲中国的故事。

　　2015年，习近平主席在英国白金汉宫讲了何克的故事：“作为第二次世界大战的盟友，中英两国人民相互支持、休戚与共，谱写了中英友好的历史佳话。我们不会忘记，英国曾经向中国提供了宝贵的经济和道义援助。一位中文名字叫作何克的英国记者，积极投身中国人民抗日战争，不仅撰文揭露日本侵略者暴行，还担任陕西双石铺培黎学校校长，为带领学生向安全地区转移付出了年轻的生命。”

　　为进一步促进中英人文交流，2016年9月，中国埃德加·斯诺研究中心与英中理解协会携手北京出版集团在伦敦举办“品读北京”英国书展，将举行何克的著作I SEE A NEW CHINA的中英文版本首发式，并将同时举行二战期间英国援华总队的负责人Arthur Clegg的《支援中国（1937-1949）——回忆一次被遗忘了的英国人民援华运动》，现任英中理解协会主席Zoe Reed父亲（抗战期间李约瑟从双石铺培黎学校带到英国读书的中国青年）的回忆录，以及李约瑟传记中文版的首发式，具体生动地体现中英两国人民在相互支持、休戚与共中谱写的中英友好历史佳话。北京出版集团展示的500多本中国经典图书将赠给伦敦新办的中英双语学校，让更多的英国孩子来品读北京，了解中国。

　　

讲好中国故事要体现共同发展的思想

　　中外人文交的源泉来自人民之间的相互理解、支持、友谊。我们今天所处的时代，是以和平与发展为主题的时代，也是各国同舟共济、携手共进的时代。讲好中国故事，要体现共同发展的思想，这是沟通中外的密钥。人类生活在同一个地球村，越来越成为你中有我、我中有你的命运共同体。“和平、发展、合作、共赢”为时代潮流，“共赢”的指向就是共同发展。在实现共同发展这一愿景中应承担的义务，“计利当计天下利”“对世界和地区和平、稳定、繁荣都肩负重要责任”“每个国家在谋求自身发展的同时，要积极促进其他各国共同发展”。共同发展体现了文明的平等与融合，讲好中国故事，要认同文明多样性，主张文明平等和文明间的对话、交流、互鉴。“文明因交流而多彩，文明因互鉴而丰富”，文明间应当“各美其美，美人之美，美美与共”。

　　让更多外国友人来讲好中国故事，在国际舞台上去展现今天的中国发展，无疑将改善世界对中国的印象，有助于中国在世界上获得更多倾听者、更多以心相交的朋友，从而提升中国软实力。中国埃德加·斯诺研究中心编辑出版的《寻梦中国——中美人文交流访谈录》，用20个美国人的故事讲述在中国也有一个可以实现的梦。本书以中英文双语出版，采访对象中第一部分为目前仍然生活在中国的著名国际友人的家庭，以深度访谈的形式再现他们和他们的后代为中国革命和建设作出的重要贡献。第二部分为目前活跃在中国教育、科技界的新一代国际友人，展现他们在中国实现和成就了自己的梦想，为中国的教育事业和科技创新所作出的突出贡献。第三部分为近年来中国引进的海外高层次人才。在这本书中可以找到很多国际友人讲中国故事的感人话语。寒春说：“我们在中国待了一辈子，不是为养牛而来中国的，是为信仰而来。”潘威廉说：“我从来没有想过，在中国可以过上如此幸福的生活。”雷蒙说：“感觉在中国工作就像在自己家里一样。”约翰·桑顿说：“在过去的10年里，我花了越来越多的时间在中国上。如果我能够对双方都产生积极的影响，这将构成一个理想的事业。”马克·力文说：“不要认为中国梦只是中国人的事。我有一颗中国心，当然也有中国梦。”

　　向世界说明真实的中国，让世界把目光投向中国——80年前斯诺做到了，今天我们更有必要做到，向世界说明中国的和平发展，让更多友好的目光投向中国。不同的国家、不同的人们，在不同的时期对中国的看法都不尽相同。今天的中国，应该以更加开放的胸怀，努力引导各方面客观、理性地看待中国的发展和国际作用。现在，越来越多的外国人来到中国，他们用各色眼睛看着这个红色的国家，我们无法回避。人文交流只要秉持包容精神，推动不同文明相互尊重、和谐共处，通过文明交流、互鉴增进各国人民友谊，推动人类社会进步，维护世界和平，这样文明间就能够和谐共处，相互促进。（作者系北京大学中国埃德加·斯诺研究中心副主任兼秘书长、教授）

Foreign Friends Telling China’s Story

Eighty years ago, American reporter Edgar Snow overcame cultural and ideological differences to describe the reality of what was happening in China to the rest of the world, particularly in his book Red Star Over China, which provided a true account of life in the CPC-led revolutionary base area. In 1938, in an interview with a German reporter, Mao Zedong expressed his admiration and gratitude toward Snow: “At a time when the whole world had forgotten us, only Edgar Snow got to know us and told the outside world what was going on here. We will always remember the great help Snow gave to China.” In his book The Long March: The Untold Story, Harrison Salisbury stated that tens of thousands of Americans, including himself, read Snow’s book, which provided an initial impression of the CPC leadership, including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Zhu De, and explained their goals and aspiration of national salvation, as well as the hardships they faced and their spirit of sacrifice. In China, Snow was seen as a facilitator of communication between China and the US. In the US, his book became an important source of information for the US government to understand what was happening in China. Snow was aware of the differences that existed between the US and China, and he attempted to narrow the gap between the ideas and opinions of the two sides based on the reality of the situation. His understanding of news events was in large part due to his deep understanding of Chinese culture. By interpreting the political situation in China, Snow was able to describe the way forward for Chinese society with a more accurate and inclusive attitude, and it meant he was able to accurately predict a number of major events in Chinese history. Snow’s experiences still serve as an interesting reference point for people-to-people exchanges between today’s peacefully developing China and the international community.

　

Of the 100 major projects China plans to implement in the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), the final one is to “put together a team adept at telling China’s story.” This team should include international friends with a sound understanding of China, as they are an extremely important group for people-to-people exchanges.

　

Foreign Friends Telling

China’s Story

　

Achieving mutual understanding and friendship in international people-to-people exchanges is not determined just by how China sees and treats the rest of the world, but also how the rest of the world sees and treats China. Different countries and different people have held different views of China at different times. But both sides should adopt a spirit of equality and tolerance to seek harmonious co-existence and common development. The Edgar Snow Research Center was established at Peking University in 1993, and it holds regular commemorative events to make connections and enable people abroad to better understand and share China’s story. The biennial Edgar Snow International Seminar is held alternately in the United States and China. The stories of both Snow and China attract the participation of increasing numbers of Americans, and the event has expanded from being a commemoration of Snow to encouraging cooperation in the areas of education, health and business. For example, the 15th Edgar Snow International Seminar, on the theme of “People-to-People Exchanges: Innovation, Friendship and Harmony”, featured four sub-forums on Sino-US cooperation in higher education, SME innovation and international cooperation, the control of water pollution and the green economy, and the value of Chinese medicine and results-oriented research. The city of Yan’an in China’s Shaanxi province and Snow’s hometown of Kansas City, Missouri have announced that they are to become sister cities, while the Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation has launched the Edgar Snow Residency Internship Program in China and a music exchange program between the US and China.

　

To let foreign friends tell China’s story we also need to invite people to China and send our own citizens overseas. To help university students better understand the contributions made by foreign friends to the Chinese revolution and China’s development, the Edgar Snow Research Center invited the relatives of a dozen or so of them, including David and Isabel Crook, George Hatem, Erwin Engst and Joan Hinton, to give lectures to the Peking University journalism and communication class for an elective called “Famous Correspondents”. In the popular lectures, they described to students the contributions made by these famous international friends of China to establishing and developing the People’s Republic. In 2009, Helen Snow’s hometown, Cedar City, Utah held an event to mark its 158th anniversary, during which Mayor Gerald Sherratt presided over the unveiling of a statue of Helen Snow, whom he referred to as the “pride of the city”. Around that time, I asked a number of students from Southern Utah University in Cedar City who Helen Snow was. They did not know. I visited the city again in 2013, however, and while standing in the square where the statue is located, I was approached by a young American who proceeded to tell me the story of Helen Snow’s work in China during World War II.

Young People Telling

China’s Story

　

Young people are the vanguard of emancipation, and their values represent the future direction of social development. International exchanges depend on amity between peoples. To tell China’s story it is necessary to promote exchanges between peoples of different cultures, and especially to promote exchanges between young people. Over the years, the Edgar Snow Research Center at Peking University has held commemorative and academic events for college and high school students in conjunction with foreign universities and institutions. The Center has worked hard to encourage young people to get involved in non-governmental diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges, and to play an active role in deepening international relations by integrating with other cultures, understanding each other’s stories and overcoming barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding; to inject people-to-people exchanges between young people in China and abroad with new life by enhancing mutual understanding and promoting friendship through activities involving universities and colleges; to conduct free exchanges and dialogue and improve communication through interdisciplinary exchanges, youth forums and essay contests; and to increase the vitality of exchanges between China and other countries and deepen international relations by making young people a positive factor on the stage of such exchanges.

　

The Edgar Snow Research Center uses Snow’s influence to expand people-to-people exchanges between China and the US. The Helen Snow Translation Award, which involves translating extracts from Helen Snow’s works, is already in its sixth year and has attracted thousands of participants from higher learning institutions in China and the US. The winners from each country are invited to spend a semester studying abroad at a relevant institution in the other country.

　

In 2014, the Southern Utah Symphony Orchestra and Yuanpei College of Peking University worked together to put on a Chinese and Western musical performance, which included a joint performance of Han Diao—Floating Clouds and Flowing Water by the orchestra of the Peking University Chinese Music Institute and the Southern Utah University Percussion Ensemble. The two orchestras also jointly composed a large modern dance piece titled Helen’s Dream, which they performed on tours of the US and China.

　

In terms of people-to-people exchanges between China and the United Kingdom, the Edgar Snow Research Center mainly relies on the Society for Anglo?Chinese Understanding (SACU) established by Dr. Joseph Needham in 1965 to promote exchanges between young people from the UK and China. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Dr. Joseph Needham was ordered to provide assistance to China, and he traveled 2,500 kilometers to give practical assistance to Chinese scientists who facing difficulties. He also provided over 7,000 science books to Chinese universities and libraries, funded 60 Chinese students to study in the UK, wrote his famous work Science and Civilization in China, which helped the world understand the wonders of Chinese civilization, and posed the “Needham question”, concerning why modern science had not developed in Chinese civilization but only in Europe. The goal of setting up SACU was to help more British people understand China, with its different cultural background and political system. In 2015, the Edgar Snow Research Center and SACU sponsored the first Needham Essay Prize at Needham’s alma mater, Oundle School. Annabelle Barker was the winner of the first essay prize (entrants were asked to respond to the title: “Joseph Needham reminded us that we should understand the meaning of China both past and present. Discuss.”), and she was subsequently accepted to Oxford University to read Chinese history. George Hogg’s alma mater, St. George’s School, will also participate in the second year of the essay prize, meaning more young British students will tell China’s story through the competition.

　

In 2015, President Xi Jinping told Hogg’s story at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace:

　

As allies during World War II, China and the UK mutually supported each other and shared in weal and woe, writing a wonderful chapter in Sino-British friendship. We will not forget the precious economic and moral support provided to China by the UK. A British reporter called George Hogg chose to cover the Chinese War of Resistance Against Japan and not only exposed the atrocities committed by the Japanese but also served as headmaster of the Shuangshipu Bailie School and paid the ultimate sacrifice in his quest to lead a group of young students to safety.

　

In order to further promote Sino-British people-to-people exchanges, in September 2016, the Edgar Snow Research Center and SACU are working with the Beijing Publishing Group to hold a book fair in London called “Reading About Beijing”, and an event will be held to mark the publication of the first bilingual (Chinese and English) version of Hogg’s book, I See a New China. Events will be held at the same time for the launch of Aid China: A Memoir of a Forgotten Campaign, a book by Arthur Clegg who served as the national organizer of the China Campaign Committee during World War II; the memoirs of the father of Zoe Reed, SACU’s chairwoman (her father was a pupil at the Shuanshipu Bailie School and taken to study in the UK by Needham during the war); and the Chinese edition of Needham’s biography. All of this illustrates the mutual support, solidarity and friendship that have historically existed between China and the US. The Beijing Publishing Group is also giving a new English-Mandarin bilingual school in London more than 500 Chinese classics so that more British children can read and learn more about China.

Telling China’s Story Must

Include Common

Development

　

People-to-people exchanges between China and other countries require mutual understanding, support and friendship between peoples. The themes of the present era are peace and development, and in this era we need to pull together in times of trouble and advance hand in hand. To tell China’s story it is necessary to include common development. This is the key to communication between China and the world. Humanity shares one global village, and it is increasingly becoming a community of common destiny. Peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit are all trends of the times, and common development is the key to mutual benefit. In the course of achieving the ultimate task of common development, it is important to make plans for the benefit of all rather than oneself; shoulder the important responsibilities of world and regional peace, stability and prosperity; and for every country to actively promote the common development of all countries while pursuing their own development. Common development reflects the equality and integration of cultures. When telling China’s story, it is necessary to identify with cultural diversity and advocate cultural equality as well as dialogue, exchanges and mutual learning between cultures. Cultures are enhanced through exchanges and enriched by mutual learning. People should appreciate both the beauty of their own culture and the beauty of other cultures so that different cultures can coexist in harmony.

　

We should let more foreign friends tell China’s story and tell people about China’s current development on the international stage. This would undoubtedly improve the world’s impression of China and help China gain more listeners and likeminded friends around the world, as well as enhance its soft power. Using the stories of 20 Americans, Pursuing the Dream in China: Interviews on Sino-US People-to-People Exchanges published by the Edgar Snow Research Center illustrates that people from other countries can also have an achievable dream in China. The book is published in an English-Mandarin bilingual format. The first part of the book features in-depth interviews with the families of China’s famous international friends who still live in China about the important contributions made by them and their descendants to the Chinese revolution and China’s development. In the second part, international friends of China currently involved in the education and technology sectors are interviewed, showing how they have achieved their dreams in China and their outstanding contributions to education and technological innovation in China. The third section of the book includes interviews with high-level talented personnel China has attracted in recent years. There are many moving accounts of international friends telling China’s story in the book. Joan Hinton said, “We spent our whole lives in China, not to tend cattle, but due to our beliefs.” William Brown commented, “I never thought that I would be able to live such a happy life in China.” Jeffrey Lehman said, “Working in China feels like working at home.” John Thornton said, “For the past 10 years, I’ve spent more and more time in China. If I can have an impact on both sides, then that would be ideal.” Mark Levine said, “One must not think that the Chinese dream is only for Chinese people. I have a Chinese heart and, of course, a Chinese dream.”

　

Eighty years ago Edgar Snow explained to the world what was really happening in China and focused the world’s attention on the country, and there is an even greater need to do this again now, in order to explain China’s goal of peaceful development to the world and turn even more friendly attention toward it. Different countries and different people have held different views of China at different times. Today’s China should be more open-minded and strive to create an objective and rational view of China’s development and its international role. More and more foreigners are arriving in China all the time, and they view socialist China from their own perspective, which is totally normal. As long as people-to-people exchanges are carried out in a spirit of inclusiveness, promote peaceful coexistence and mutual respect for different cultures, enhance friendships between the peoples of different countries via cultural exchanges and mutual learning, provide impetus to social progress, and safeguard world peace, then relations between cultures will be harmonious and mutually reinforcing.

　

(The author is the deputy director, secretary-general and a professor at the China Edgar Snow Research Center at Peking University)