When I boarded the plane to China, it was difficult to ignore the well-meaning echoes of concern I received beforehand. Many friends told me they “hoped I didn’t get arrested” and to make sure I “didn’t become a political prisoner”. However, from the moment I exited the airport towards the pristine streets littered with flashes of green and blue license plates, I realized these concerns were based on a one-dimensional misunderstanding of China.
The roads were quietly alive with rush-hour traffic, yet silence lingered between the whistles of the street conductors in their dark uniforms. I felt compelled by the gentle suasion of the city as I became aware that the images of dirty, chaotic urban streets polluted with fear were not the same as the ones before me. The striking levels of innovation, safe streets and insightful conversations regarding foreign policy made me realize that China is far more complex and vibrant than suggested by news headlines.
Innovation: China’s Creative Renaissance
After deboarding the plane, I was struck with appreciation for the impressive degree of innovation. Early morning light seeped through the broad windows and walls and painted reflections on the floor. As one of the world’s largest airports, Beijing Daxing is designed to hold over 100 million passengers a year and is remarkably environmentally friendly with multiple energy-saving features like 100 percent rainwater collection, a solar farm and clean energy vehicles.
ABOVE: The starfish-shaped Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) opened in 2019 and is the largest, single-structure airport in the world.
As soon as we left the airport, I immediately noticed the bright blue and green license plates. Our guide informed us that the green license plates belong to electric vehicles (EVs), which are rewarded with unrestricted driving times. Blue license plates, on the other hand, belong to non-EV vehicles and face driving restrictions. This distinction is likely one of the contributing factors to China’s US$376.4bn EV revenue, with purchases expected to increase to 9.57m vehicle units by 2029.
Among the most impressive innovations was the high-speed rail. As we departed, the expanse of entwined rail lines enshrouded me, exhibiting China’s technological interconnectedness. Our train sped along at around 180 km per hour. It was difficult for my North American brain to comprehend this level of speed, let alone that China did not have a single high-speed railway at the start of the 21st century.
ABOVE: With a population of 11 million, Wuhan ranks as the seventh-most populous city in China. There are 17 cities with over 10 million residents in China, including Beijing, with a population of 22,189,082 million.
As of 2023, China has 159,000 kilometres of railway throughout the nation, which is more than a 74 percent increase from the 2010 network. The 1,229 km between Beijing and Wuhan felt much shorter as we reached our destination in around four hours. With this level of innovation, China cemented its place in my mind as a creative leader that is propelling itself toward a better future.
Safety: The Unexpected Takeaways for Western Public Policy
Western perceptions of China as a dangerous and oppressive police state were evident in the comments I received, warning me of an abundance of police officers and security cameras corroborating to arrest me. However, I was surprised by how safe the streets felt in comparison to Ottawa, where I frequently look over my shoulder out of fear of the dangers posed by mental illness and addiction.
Within one year of living in Ottawa’s downtown, I witnessed overdoses, racist attacks from the mentally ill on public transit, and the petrifying fear of individuals high on drugs screaming in my face. It wasn’t until I walked the streets of China that I realized it was possible to let my guard down and enjoy the simple pleasures of urban life. According to our guide, this was due to the devastating impact of the Opium Wars, which led to multi-faceted social programs to target drug addiction.
The Opium Wars are largely regarded as one of the greatest humiliations in Chinese history. Trade relations in the early 18th and 19th centuries were largely in favour of Chinese interests. As a result, the British offered the Chinese opium instead of cotton to tilt the trade imbalance in their favour. According to the Asia Pacific Curriculum, by the early 19th century, many Chinese people began to smoke opium recreationally, which led to addiction and increased demand for the drug. The impacts led the modern Chinese state to create extensive drug institutions and control laws.
Part of the strategy targets drug-related poverty through rehabilitation, detoxification and employment guidance. According to the Chinese Embassy, this approach addresses the root causes of drug-related poverty and also improves poverty alleviation in rural areas.
As I walked through the streets free of the necessity to carry a naloxone kit, I wished Canada had more effective policies to properly address the drug and homelessness crisis.
Foreign Policy: The Nuance No One Wants to Discuss
Many lamented that outsiders often do not understand that China has a peace-loving culture due to an oversimplified view of their foreign policy. In particular, Western governments often criticize China’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, many Chinese citizens do not view this as support for Russia, but rather as a strategic move to maintain neutrality for future negotiations.
China’s recent response to Russia’s use of a nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile reflects this intent as Spokesperson Lin Jian called for de-escalation through dialogue and negotiation and recommended “all sides should remain calm and exercise restraint.” While my opinion of the situation remains complex, experiencing the gentleness and peace of Chinese culture reminded me that it is not propaganda to consider how culture influences worldview and foreign policy. To forget this nuance reduces the ability to effectively debate foreign policy.
We also discussed how China is often portrayed as the United States’ international development rival with its Global Development Initiative (GDI) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). These programs are heavily criticized for being forms of debt-trap diplomacy which force indebted countries to hand over strategic assets to China. Some scholars view debt traps as an intentional and manipulative policy tool to gain access to valuable resources.
However, according to the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), China’s approach to development is not inherently predatory and exploitative. For example, before China’s rise to dominance, it became one of the first countries to assist Sudan in developing its oil industry. In this instance, China deliberately chose to invest in Sudan in the 1970s as a way to create a partnership and improve each economy, not to manipulate Sudanese loyalties. Several projects, such as the Hassa Heisa Friendship Textile Mill, were established without strings attached as a result of lenient Chinese loans. Stories of positive investments like these provided a more nuanced view of the complexities of the international development debate.
Conclusion
Throughout the topics I explored during my trip, each conversation highlighted how there is a forgotten common ground between Canada and China. One of the academics I spoke to said, “China is not all about high politics but is also about food, families and peace”, which many Canadian visitors will appreciate. China is also one of the oldest civilizations on earth, and appreciating the beauty of historical sites like the Yellow Crane Tower and the Forbidden City led me to realize that its international reputation should better reflect the depth of its culture and history.
ABOVE: Beijing’s Forbidden City is the ancient Imperial Palace, commissioned by Emperor Yongle in 1404.
Henry Kissinger championed this nuanced position and did not reduce China to a nefarious, power-hungry regime. According to Kissinger, “China does not want revolution; it does not want war or revenge; it simply wants the Chinese people to “bid farewell to poverty and enjoy a better life” (Henry Kissinger, On China). Kissinger understood that the complexities of China—and, indeed, any nation—are too often reduced to oversimplifications and must be experienced firsthand.
This is not to say that the Chinese government should not be criticized or held to account. Like any government, the degree of truth and purity in their statements must be carefully critiqued. However, to refuse to ask their perspective altogether is an intellectual failure as “love of knowledge, without a love to learn, finds itself obscured by loose speculation” (Henry Kissinger, On China). It is imperative that journalists and civilians speak directly with those they have been told to fear in order to form proper critiques.
ABOVE: A view from the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, constructed between 182 and 252 as a watchtower for the army of the King of Wu.
My trip to China opened my perspective not because I was thwarted by propaganda at every turn but due to the warmth of the local people and incredible innovation often omitted from Western news headlines.
Travel is not just about relaxation and exploration—but about seeking experiences to become more open-minded, empathetic, and well-informed individuals. Most importantly, this creates the pathways to the difficult, uncomfortable, but necessary conversations about global issues that our culture is often too afraid to discuss about those with whom we disagree and fear.
Visiting China is more than a travel opportunity, it is an invitation to develop a more balanced perspective and personally experience the complexities that define the world.
The header image of the Yellow Tower is sourced from iStock. All others are credited to Analise Saavedra.