US students gain insight on China trip

During a one-week trip to China in June, a group of about 20 college students from 15 universities in 15 states opened their eyes to a different culture and China's advanced AI technology. They were also surprised to find how similar Chinese people are to US people.

The trip was organized by the US Heartland China Association with support from the US Soybean Export Council. Students visited Beijing and China's breadbasket, Henan province.

Sharing their experiences at an online meeting on Tuesday night, Imani Murphy, a graduate student of animal science at Tuskegee University, said the biggest shock of the trip for her was how Chinese culture and rural communities seem so similar to the rural South.

"That was shocking to me because I thought it would be completely different, but human beings are human beings. So, we all will have the same sort of characteristics, if that makes sense."

Murphy said there are a lot more similarities than differences between people of the two countries.

"I think we should really hone in on both of our similarities and differences and how we can come together and communicate well to become better (agriculture) leaders in China and in the United States," she said. "We're two of the, probably, top producers in our respective fields, and why not work together."

Samuel Martin from Iowa State University was struck by how agriculture was handled differently in some ways, and how Chinese cuisine uses different parts of animals and cooks them differently.

He courageously tried fish bladder and was surprised to see Palmer amaranth on the menu at one banquet. "We didn't even know you can eat it. We just wanted to kill it in the fields. That was kind of a neat thing to see."

Martin said the trip led him to realize there is a desire in China for quality US food products.

Largest trading partners

"It's nice to hear from one of our largest trading partners that they do desire our products. We want to trade with them. They want to trade with us. If we can make sure that we keep those goals, I think we'll see a lot of success in the next 20, 25 years," Martin said. "I look forward to hopefully being a part of that going forward."

Morgan Barba from Kansas University was impressed by China's vertical integration. "The vertical integration that we saw within all the cities that we visited was just so impressive," Barba said.

Barba was also quite impressed by the integration of AI in China's meat production system.

"They are using AI to improve processing cleanliness, reduce bacterial exposure, and enhance meat quality, specifically when it comes to grading carcasses. I'm going to be really curious when we'll have that integration here in the United States," said Barba.

Lauren Thornhill from Ohio State University was impressed by how China controlled the smell from the poultry and meat facilities. "We walked right up to those barns in some places in China and had no idea it was a pig or poultry operation."

She said this trip shifted her perspective on relations between China and the US: "By yourself, you can do a lot, but with other people, you can do a lot more."

Parker Havard from Michigan State University was struck by the massiveness of Chinese infrastructure. "It was just insane to see all of that infrastructure. It was absolutely wild. But when we went even into the mountains, it was just completely open," Havard said.

Seeing things with his own eyes, he gained a better understanding of China's infrastructure and technology, which "really helped to gain a big insight into how we could foster a better relationship between the two and learn from each other", Havard said.

mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com