The East in the West: Understanding China through the Lens of Chinese International Students in the United States

Abstract

The rise of China has also seen the rise of many unprecedented concerns on both the international and domestic Chinese level, making many question whether the strong state system that China possesses can be tolerated at all. Using Chinese international students in the United States as a window into Chinese society, this paper seeks to explore the context and background in which the Chinese system arises. Findings show that a combination of cultural values and tendencies as well as historical factors and contemporary concerns contribute to the general justification of their own government by Chinese citizens. This in turn significantly affects their view on foreign affairs and contemporary events such as the Hong Kong protests and the COVID-19 outbreak of 2019.