Professor Quansheng Zhao, American University, Washington DC

How can we research political and economic situations in mainland China? From the Professor Quansheng Zhao point of view there is only one way – through “empirical research and comparative advantage.”

Mainland China affairs is Professor Zhao speciality. He is well-known scholar in this field. We met him in the international conference at Taiwan’s, in the National Chengchi University, where he has presented some stages of mainland China studies. He said we must understand Mainland China political and economic situations from her relations with other countries.

The question of mainland China studies has two directions. One of them is the environment studies, belongs to “empirical research” field and could be named
“ social science training”. This direction includes international relations and comparative politics research – it is a sphere of “learning and understanding”.

Second direction belongs to the comparative advantage fields which asked at least one direction, for example mainland China business field. This subject should include a main framework analysis about East Asia countries. “We can’t look up to China in critical way; we must understand China through other countries perspectives and attitudes, which are comparative to the international situation in the world” - said Professor Zhao. We must know other countries political and economic situation, were cannot neglect the communist countries background, like North Korea; or socialist countries, like former Soviet Union. From this framework, mainland China studies will be very interesting to research.

Professor Zhao did his research in USA where he has an opportunity to compare different countries’ (USA and China) societies, cultural differences and language barrier, as well as society’s knowledge background.

Besides mainland China studies Professor Zhao has study Japan’s foreign policy. In his future he wants to research “leader’s effect” between China –USA –Taiwan. “Countries leaders affect international policy and economy” – said Professor Zhao – “it is interesting to observe China relations with other countries and understand other countries politic, nationality, minorities and different diplomatic directions.”

Professor Zhao is born in Shandong, graduated from the Beijing University, department of international politics. Latter he went to the USA, where he obtained a master and PhD. degrees. His books nowadays are very popular not only in the Asia –Pacific region, but all over the world.

(Reported by: Sun Chu-Chun, Translated by: Ilona Aleksejeva)