By Katie Oglesby, Editor-in-Chief
On Thursday, Oct. 6, the Eisenhower Institute (EI) hosted a private, invite-only conversation between a small group of students and Chinese Deputy Consul General Jin Qian. Consul Jingzhi Feng and Vice Consul Xiaoxi Hao joined Qian for the discussion.
During this event, attendee Mason Clark ’24 asked Qian something along the lines of “What is your understanding of Americans’ perspective on Xinjiang, and how do you think the U.S. should understand the Chinese perspective on Xinjiang?” according to Clark.
Clark said, “In this case the Deputy Consul General asked me if I had been to Xinjiang (of course I have not). He then explained that he had been to Xinjiang and that there are no ‘concentration camps.’ He also talked about America’s genocide of the Native Americans.”
According to attendee Blake Dudley ’23 and the Gettysburgian reporter present at the event, Qian also said that there is clearly no “genocide” happening in the region because the population there has grown over the last 40 years.
Following the event, the College posted a photo on Instagram of the Director of the Eisenhower Institute Tracie Potts handing Qian a gift at the event.
The Gettysburg College news article on the College website said the event was part of “an ongoing effort to encourage an open discussion on global issues and ideas.”
The article continues by saying, “The students engaged with the Chinese diplomat on several current topics, including economics, climate change, Taiwan, and U.S. politics. In each instance, Qian was able to provide direct background and context that the students would not have been able to gain through secondhand sources.”
Though many members of the campus community have argued that Qian’s statements regarding alleged genocide in Xinjiang and the legitimacy of Taiwan are incorrect.
“What’s striking to me about this event is not just that it occurred mere weeks after the Eisenhower Institute’s ‘Democracy Week,’ but there’s also a seemingly concerted effort to dilute the visit and to recast its message in a manner that avoids the uncomfortable truth of its reality,” said Director of the Fielding Center and Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Scott Boddery. “But I suspect efforts to frame this event any differently are folly. Gettysburgians know better, and I have complete faith in students’ ability to think carefully and deeply about this situation and in their ability to look past the glaring public relations sheen—no matter its source.”
“The Consul spoke praise early in the meeting of Lincolns words ‘all men are created equal’ but proceeded to use his time to push CCP propaganda regarding China’s world stance. After speaking about the Taiwan issue, he inflammatorily brought his talking to a close by denying the [Uyghur] Genocide, in an abhorrent manner,” said Dudley. “While I had hoped to walk away with a brighter outlook on our nation’s diplomatic relations, it remains very clear that will not be happening while the CCP remains in power.”
Clark was disappointed in Qian’s response to the question about Xinjiang.
“I don’t think that the defense he presented is fair or logical,” he said. “Even if I could go to Xinjiang, I know I would not be allowed to explore and document the region freely. His use of Whataboutism was also disappointing.”
Though, many of the attendees agreed that the experience was one they are grateful for, even if they disagreed with Qian’s statements.
“It was an amazing opportunity to experience,” Dudley said. “These chances we get can’t be found at every college.”
Raycell Diaz Hernandez ‘24 explained that the discussion was rewarding for her as someone very appreciative of Chinese culture and history.
“I do wish that we had a proper opportunity to hear genuine answers to the questions some students asked,” Diaz Hernandez said, “but it is understandable that the diplomatic responses from a country with a different government institution would be elusive for the sake of decency.”
Potts noted that the value of the event was an “exchange of understanding” between the diplomats and the students. She said students better understood China’s perspective afterward, and the diplomats better understood the students that may be interested in studying abroad in Shanghai, or might be majoring in studies related to China.
“As a campus that promotes free expression, we must open the door to those opportunities,” she said.
Potts explained that the consulate reached out around a week before the discussion would actually happen about meeting with students during their ten-state tour.
In explaining why she accepted the request, Potts said, “Facilitating civil discourse is at the heart of what we do at the Eisenhower Institute. We provide opportunities for students engage in difficult, sometimes controversial, conversations about policy and politics. We train them how to have meaningful discussions with people of opposite opinions. It’s a learning process. The goal is not agreement: the goal is understanding.”
Though, students and faculty are in disagreement about whether the decision to host the Chinese diplomats, or in the least to brush over the less credible claims they made, was the wrong one.
“I generally welcome opportunities like this for students to meet with international dignitaries and representatives from foreign governments,” said Carter Hanson, President of College Democrats. “That being said, Deputy Consul General Qian’s emphasis on the U.S. and China’s commitment to ‘work together to benefit the whole world’ is commendable, but it fails to recognize or address the myriad human rights violations that China has committed in Hong Kong and against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang.”
Most students, like Hanson, expressed disappointment, not in the College for inviting Qian, but in Qian’s statements at the event.
“I am disappointed that Deputy Consul General Qian, during his visit to EI, reiterated the Chinese government’s position on Taiwan—denying that nation’s sovereignty—and denied the existence of the ongoing genocide of the Uyghur people,” said Hanson.
Boddery echoed these sentiments, saying, “Being a socially responsible citizen is an active endeavor that surely requires dialogue to take place across differences, but when faced with predictable state-sponsored disinformation relating to demonstrable large-scale human suffering, then we shouldn’t shy away from insisting on moral clarity on matters that strike to the core of our democratic ideals.”
Dr. Scott Boddery is the faculty advisor for The Gettysburgian. His opinion does not represent that of The Gettysburgian.
