People’s Daily carried an article covering how Tsinghua University conducts training programs for U.S. officials. According to Sun Zhe, director of the Center for China-US Relations under Tsinghua University, the training programs are part of the “World Leadership Training,” an advanced training program sponsored by the Federal Executive Institute based in Virginia. The participants are mainly senior administrative officials from U.S. government departments including the State Department, Department of Defense, and Homeland Security. “If we can continue (to hold this type of program), it can have a fundamental influence on the China U.S. relationship,” Sun told People’s Daily.
The program consists of courses that cover China’s Strategy and Political System, the 18th National Congress, the International Political Climate, the China U.S. Relationship, China’s Military Modernization, its Military and Defense Policy, Foreign Policy, Economic and Trade Policy, and its Energy and Policy Making Process. “These administrative officials are the foundation of the U.S. government. They often make various types of recommendations to top U.S. decision makers. We allow them to learn about China and about what is on our mind so that we can minimize misunderstandings between us. … We can be friends with them and we can thus have some influence on them,” Sun said.
The last time that Tsinghua held this type of training program was in April 2010.
Source: People’s Daily, April 28, 2012
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/17774822.html