The real China and the old laundry list of misconceptions

I'm an American who's been traveling to China on and off for 30 years. I work in educational children's TV, and my first trips to Shanghai were back in the 90's when I was a part of the team that produced Zhima Jie, the Chinese co-production of Sesame Street. Since then, I've been back to China dozens of times and co-produced several well-known TV series including Super Wings with Alpha and P. King Duckling with UYoung for CCTV and Disney Junior in the US.

Over the years, I've come to love China, its culture, the people, and their sense of optimism.

But the China I know is not the same China I hear about in the US. It's as if a few years back someone said, "Let's only publish negative things about China. The Chinese used to be our friends and our partners, but now let's just try and make them look bad in any way we can."

I think this is unfortunate and unfair. It makes me angry and it makes me sad. When I talk to Americans about China, and they repeat the same old laundry list of misconceptions about China, I try not to get into arguments with them. Instead, I just tell them about the China that I know, the China that has touched my life. I speak from my heart about my experiences in China.

The China I know is a gentle place. Whether you are eating dinner at an outdoor night market, attending a meeting at a big tech company, or asking someone for directions, the Chinese are gracious, warm and welcoming people. They carry themselves with dignity and they expect to be treated with dignity. They are not arrogant and yet they will not tolerate any disrespect.

The China I know is a place of progress. The trains are fast and clean. The roads are new, the bridges are elegant and long, and the airports are works of art. You have the feeling in China that their leaders are constantly trying to improve the lives of their citizens, to give them the newest tools for connectivity, healthcare, and education.

The China I know is place of fairness and reciprocity. In business, you often hear the phrase, "win-win relationships" and I have seen this approach in action hundreds of times on our TV projects. What does it mean? It means that both sides should expect to benefit from any type of business cooperation. Any deal should have at its heart a true sense of mutual benefit.

The China I know is not looking for trouble or conflict. When a Chinese person or a Chinese company is unhappy, they do not usually get loud, they get quiet. It's unlikely they will make a scene or want to start a dispute. Instead, they will just move on to another more positive and productive relationship. They will smile while they show you the door and that will be that.

Open to change

The China I know is creative. Whether in entertainment, science, or finance, the Chinese are always trying out new approaches to find out what works and what doesn't. They are open to change and they're not afraid to take risks. Even their political system, which we in the West try to put inside a simple box, is a wholly unique and works.

The China I know is safe. Here in New York, and in most American cities, there is a lot of street crime, illegal drug use, and a general feeling that one must be careful walking at night. In China, I never feel nervous when I'm outside in the evening. This allows me to relax in a way that I never fully do when I'm at home. This is part of the comfort I feel whenever I return to China.

The China I know likes America and hopes to rebuild a mutually beneficial relationship. Most Chinese do not view Americans as enemies, but rather as old friends. They do not see China's growth as a nation as being at the expense of the US, but rather they hope that both nations will continue to grow, prosper and share the world stage. As the scholar and author Edward Tse wrote, "The Pacific Ocean is large enough to accommodate two major powers."

My own belief is that we should not view America and China as adversaries, but as partners who must continue to find ways to accommodate each other's changing needs.

I suspect that many people will read my thoughts about China and say that I'm naive. They will say that I'm ignoring the perils of a rising China. Well, I would respond to them that perhaps they are ignoring the reality of China, a peaceful nation that has done an extraordinary job of improving the lives of its people while supporting the 100+ nations it does business with daily.

I do hope that any American who feels critical of China based on what they have read or seen on TV will visit China and experience it first hand before reaching any conclusions.

Josh Selig is the President of China Bridge Content. He is the creator and producer of many educational children's shows and has been awarded 12 Emmy Awards in multiple categories.