I finally remembered to write about this article from The Baltimore Sun. The article is about a new exchange program that was started between Communist China and the College School Board; this exchange has been characterized as simply a way to bridge the culture gap between China and America. At first glance, one might think that is a part of the globalization process, that Communist China just want's to be friends, and that we can all join hands and sing peace songs. Sorry not gonna happen. Call me paranoid, but I see something far some sinister in this move by Communist China.
First and foremost, the 38 teachers being sent here (to teach all across the country) are not being sent as representatives of independent universities. They are being sent at the behest of Beijing, who is paying them a stipend to teach in the U.S. for 18 months. Secondly, these teachers are not being sent to universities, high schools, or even middle schools. These "teachers" are being sent to elementary schools (then they will move up the food chain) to "teach" (re-educate?) young children about how "...the joy of this experiment is her role in helping to break down misconceptions about her country and in learning a different way to teach." One Chinese teacher elaborated saying, "We want to show that we are trying to make a harmonious world with others in the world." Nope, this isn't propaganda by the Communist regime that resides in Beijing. After all, we all know how peaceful and gentle the Communist rule of China has been since the end of WW II. Nothing happened at Tiananmen Square or during Vietnam to ever possibly give anyone any idea about Beijing's wish for a Communist "Co-Prosperity Sphere" that just happens to encompass the entire globe.
And we haven't even gotten to the best part yet. According to the Sun article, this whole thing got rolling when 380 American academic got invited to China to examine the Chinese culture and education system. This trip was financed by Beijing. The article goes on to say that more American administrators will be visiting China and more Chinese teachers will be coming to the United States. This influx, which is scheduled to occur in 2009, will result in 250 Chinese teachers coming to teach language classes. Not only that, but Beijing will apparently be underwriting the entire program. Selena Cantor, director of the Chinese language and culture initiative at the College Board, had no problem with this. Canton compared this program to a Peace Corp program. Yeah, that’s right, a Peace Corp program.
Even more interesting, a Chinese teacher named Zhijun Peng described the different teaching styles in China compared to the United States. Peng described how "...she must learn to adjust her teaching methods to give more individual attention to children. In China...classroom space is tight and students sit at small desks in rows with 50 students in a class. Because the classes are so large, teachers teach to the majority and do not concentrate on individual needs...Here I think individuals are highly valued." Not to beat a dead horse, but that is the difference between a Communist society and a capitalist society. Even more interesting, China hopes that Chinese will become a world language much like English. But the Defense Language Institute reports that becoming fluent in Chinese takes "63 weeks of five-day-a-week, eight-hour-a-day" classes. Nope, this is all just innocent Peace Corp stuff.
Another risk of this program is the possibility of even more Chinese spies becoming embedded in our society and influencing our policy decisions. Also, if they indoctrinate our young with the idea that Communist China poses no threat to the United States, that viewpoint will influence our dealings with China in the future, if these adolescents become involved in the government or the head of think tanks. On the other hand, this program does bring up some opportunities for our intelligence agencies to shine. We have the opportunity to turn some of these Chinese citizens while on our soil.
Unfortunately, China probably has planned for this eventuality. All of the teachers selected by Beijing probably have left some family back in China. This would cut down on incentive for people to spy on China knowing that their families would be at risk. Also, some of these teachers may actually be trained spies, who would turn into double agents and feed Chine intelligence on the United States. If this sounds complicated that is because it is. If you want a better understanding of the spy game see my blog here. Constant vigilance is the key.
Mike Grant