How do American students view China?

I arrived in the United States on March 4 and started my reporting tour entitled "Wired for Change: America's Millennial Generation" running through March 5-18.There were other 11 reporters from Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Nepal, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey and Vietnam together with me.The trip is so exciting and informative to me that I have an opportunity to talk with American millennials face to face.What strikes me most is American youths’ attitude toward China and their perspectives on China.One American student told me that he ‘heard’ that China is not democratic as the U.S.. “Why?” I asked. The guy cannot make a definite answer and said he heard that from another guy.It is not a debate on which country is much more democratic, the U.S. or China. The sticking point beneath our discussion is the distance between young people from the two powers to know about each other.As it is known today, bilateral connections between China and America are turning out to be much more solid in the new century. But what media always cover is trade frictions or the currency issue. There are limited channels for the youths from the two countries to know about each other in-death.During my trip in the United States, the news about China is so limited and one relevant story I read is about a Chinese guy who has tried to make pace for his NBA career.One of China’s celebrities American students know is Yao Ming, who plays for Houston Rockets. And they know several Chinese guys who play for the country’s football league.The places they are familiar with are China’s world-famous Great Wall and Forbidden City. What poor guys.What I mentioned may not be new. But I have learned how serious the issue is. The problem is the same as that in China as Chinese students are facing with an increasing influx of American fashion, cartoons, and designed brands but with limited information about their U.S. counterparts.What proves to be another example of limited understanding is that another guy asked me whether there is a Walmart store in China. "Yes, there is and nearly all of giant supermarkets around the world have their branches in China," I replied.