China to Vote ‘Yes’ (if it could) in Scottish Referendum

With Scottish independence a real possibility tomorrow, it is worth considering what are the gains to be made in relation to China. There are two separate ways of looking at these issues. What would the Peoples Republic of China gain and seek to gain, and vice versa, what would Peoples Republic of Scotland seek to gain?

Firstly, according to the under valued Leo Lewis at The Times, the CCP hierarchy will be rubbing their hands with glee at the very thought of political instability in the UK.

The Chinese political classes see the UK as a dinosaur and not warranting of their position in the world and overbearing place on the UN security council.

The case of a tiny minority seeking and winning independence from the UK will not be lost on China and will no doubt be an excuse to privately level at UK diplomats when human rights issues are bilaterally discussed.

UK diplomats should be prepared for this by completely backing the decision (if it is a Yes) in the direction of onlooking nations, not just China but South Sudan and Russia and other states that may not react so well to independence. It is only this way that the UK can look other states in the eye come discussions over South Sudan, Tibet/Uighur Provinces and indeed Georgian territory and to that end Ukrainian territory.

Tibeten independence has taken a huge hit from its UK supporters as Scottish independence is likely to be a clear case study China will use of the dangers of democracy and giving in to minority preferences.

China will also gain a overt and clear subordinate in Scotland in terms of trade. Salmond as entertained CCP officials at Whiskey factory’s in Scotland and China know Scotland know they need China should they win independence. Salmonds wooing seems to have gone down very well and is something China would like the UK to do more of.

But what do the Scottish seek to gain out of this with China. There will of course be investiture, in energy for one. Scotland intends to be nuclear free so there will be no nuclear power deals as in the rest of the UK. It is as yet unclear how symbiotic the relationship will be but time will tell. Scotland have already had the Pandas, maybe China would come up with something more substantial?

However, it we can be sure of one thing, it is that Scotlands relationship with China will be a symbolic one and China wll reap the rewards from any unstatesmanlike behaviour post poll from Friday onwards.

Study China Programme 2014 – Nanjing University

Day One/Two

Some what nervously, I travelled from Heathrow to Shanghai. I had prepared myself as much as possible not only in the run up to the trip but also by doing a Chinese Language module the previous semester and Understanding Modern China module at my university, Southampton but also by researching China and Nanjing as best I could. I would really recommend the Lonely Planet guide to anywhere but the China one was particulary useful. I met several people on Study China on the flight as they were not hard to identify. However, most were off to Beijing mot Nanjing.

My flight left the UK at 11:50 and I landed in Shanghai at 09:00 on Sunday morning. I was in plent of time for the shuttle bus but…. My luggage had been lost in Moscow (my connecting flight) and I was to be without it for some time. Owing to being tired and my natural disposition I did not let it worry me and slept most of the 5 hour shuttle bus to Nanjing. We arrived at Nanjing about 4pm and after some time checking in were in our rooms at 5pm. I was so lucky to get a great room mate. We got on immediately and ended up borrowing a few t shirts until my luggage arrivd some days later. After unpacking and familiarising ourselves with the hotel, we went out to eat. There was loads to chose from and luckily we had a good Chinese speaker to help order. We went to bed well fed and a little less nervous about the forthcoming 3 weeks.

Day 3

I naturally wake up early anyway but when I am in a new place I like to explore. I woke up at 6:30 and went round the corner to a street food vendor where I got a breakfast wrap for 4 Yuan (40p) I was strange having a bit of spice in the morning but was very tasty. I went back to our room to shower and prepare for our meeting at 9am. We gathered for a opening ceremony with a speech from a student and a talk from the University which is the 3rd best in China! After this we had a small tour of the campus andthen had the rest of the afternoon to ourselves. We ate lunch and headed towards the Confucious temple area for a look around. After this we went to the Nanjing city walls which was very very impressive we arrived at dusk and saw the city light up as night fell. That evening we when to Ellens Bar for a drink before going to bed and resting before lessons in the morning.

Day 4

Today was the day my luggage arrived but not before lessons had started. Today was Tuesday and we began with a meeting at 8:50 before being shown to our classrooms. We then had Chinese from 9-12 and then a two hour break for lunch. We then had Chinese Philosophy for 3 hours which, while it was not my first choice I am so glad I did and a module on Confucianism and Daoism will look so good on my CV. My luggage arrived after this and I was able to get into my own clothes and have a shower with my own wash bag. Yey!!! What I relief! I did half an hour or so of Chinese in the evening and then we went for a walk down to the 1912 district where all the bars are. after exploring we went home and to be. I really felt I had made some friends in the 4 days and has started to find a little more about some of the people. It was such a big mix of degree subjects and universities. However, it had dawned on me that the vast majority of people were from very wealthy backgrounds. Not that they were not great people but very few people came from the back ground I did of working class people.

Day 5

Today was Chinese between 9-12 again and I took the option of arriving an hour early at 8am to swot up a little before class. I am dyslexic and need to spend time doing something for it to slowly sink in. There was no point in coming all this way and taking it easy. After some great street food near the university entrance we had our first Taiji lesson and Calligraphy lesson. Both were new to me and the Taiji in particular was fascinating and so so funny. I really engaged myself with it and found it to be very relaxing. Doing it in front of 25 people you have known for 5 days is actually a plus point. Doing the first Taiji really got me exicited for the next lesson which was in a few days time.

Day 6

We had Chinese from 9-12 again and I did from 8 to 9 again in the classroom on my own. It really helps and I would recomment it to anyone as a way of consolidating what you know. After the lesson we were on a half day and I chose to try out the gym and see what it was like. I paid 10 Yuan for entry and they had every piece of equipment you could imagine apart from a rowing machine and free weights. There was also an athletics staium that was open to the public for free and had approx 200 people in it at anytime. There was room to run round though but as it was midday it was probably a bit too hot so I stuck to the gym. There is no A/C in there but it was good as it was like having a sauna and a workout at the same time. After having a shower me and my group of about 10 went to the Nanjing Massacre Museum. I had not heard a thing about it and was shocked to learn about the killing by the Japanese army in 1937 of the abandoned residents of Nanjing. It really affected me and while I would recommend going, be warned it does not hold back.

Day 7

Today we had our usual Chinese lesson and then the Philosophy lesson. Today was a little different as we all sat in a circle and discussed the issues at hand. This meant everyone had more chance to speak and engaged a little more. After classes I when to the gym again and then got ready to go out. We were heading down to 1912 and were planning to have a dance and meet some Chinese people even if it was just to sday Ni Hao!

Day 8

Saturday, and my group were heading towards the lake and the temple. It was so humid but once you get over the fact you really enjoy the climate. I much prefer it to dry heat. The smog over Nanjing also doesn’t help but it did not ditract from the amazing views and sounds of the two areas we visited. We must have walked miles by the lake and it was a good chance to get to know some of the people I went with. When I got back I did some washing which meant getting a washing maching card and topping it up in the wash room. I had borrowed some washing powder from a friend who had bought a sack load.

Day 9

Day 9 went so fast. It was a whole day off and was spent by going down to the gym in the morning and then an amazing afternoon at the Presidential Palace. It was really good to go to as It was in effect a history lesson on the fall of the first republic and the rise of the communist state. As I do Politics and International Relations as a degree subject it helped me understand what happened during that time and is something I may use when I enter my 3rd year at Southampton. After the Palace we ate street food which is some of the best I have ever had. Its also good because people try new things and get things from different places while all remaining together. Most things cost 5-10 Yuan so trying new things is not expensive.

Day 10

Today was back to classes and I did an hour Chinese in the morning before lesson. I then did the 3 hour lesson. Things really start to stack up in the second week I recommend you really kjeep chipping away and do the odd hour here and there as it is better than huge blocks. We then had our third Philosophy lecture and were given details of the assessment. It was to a presentation in groups of 4 or 5 and we given a large remit to work with. We basically had to use the material we had learned to answer a question we set ourselves. We chose, where does goodness come from? We met in our groups afterwards and planned to do some solo work and meet again later in the week.

Day 11

Today was Chinese for 3 hours  as well as my usual hour in the morning followed by the trip to the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games. We went on the coach and played games on the way and then went into the badminton arena. We saw lots of different games on three courts with some more one sided than others. I had never seen badminton live before and it was exiting to experience. On returning to the accommodation I when to the gym again and then did a good hour or so of Chinese as my roommate was out and working in the quiet is good now and again.

Day 12

Chinese lesson today was very hard as we were all very tired. However, doing it was good and no doubt some of it went in. It is the sheer consistency of doing Chinese everyday that helps in the end. We had our second and last Taiji and Calligraphy lessons and it was sad that it ended. I will try and use the Taiji I learned back at home but onl really learned two moves. It would have been nice to have had more Taiji lessons and would recommend that future study china programmes do this. We also had our class photos on this day.

Day 13

In Chinese today we were given a small task of preparing for a short oral test on the title ‘my day in China’ the emphasis was on the tones rather than length which made it very hard. After another two hour lunch break which I was getting used to by now. You can use it to take a knap as it is very hot in the day, or to explore the local area for street food or work. Because China is 8 hours ahead you cannot Skype or phone home at lunch time and this has to be kept to evenings. In the afternoon we made traditional Chinese dumplings with some advice from the student advisors.

Day 14

Today was more Chinese for the three hours and then the last of our lectures on can the heart think/Chinese philosophy. In the evening about 30 of us went to KTV a Chinese karaoke place, for a students 21st birthday party. It was on 5 floors and one each floor was about 30 rooms. It is so big in China. Everyone had a good singsong and a certain someone had a great 21st Birthday in China. We went to a nice restarant before called Nanjing Impressions. It was highly recommended in all the guidebooks and was really good and traditional.

Day 15/16

Today was the history groups turn to go on a trip and I went along as it was up the Purple Mountain which had cable cars and temples. It was another really hot day and the smog was giving us really high pressure again. We spend ages there and it was nice to spend time with other groups for a change. When I got back I had another knap and spent the rest of the day looking round the uni and preparing for the presentations we had in philosophy and in Chinese. I was getting a little nervous and needed to knuckle down. I had a lie in on Sunday, the first one for a long time as I had been working at home before I went to China. I went to the gym and did some more work before going to bed. The aircon is so nice and 25 degrees in the perfect temp to sleep to. It does however mean that when my roommate got ill, I too got it. If not through the aircon then the sharing of food and close proximity in lessons etc…

Day 17

Back to work on Monday and another hour of Chinese before the lesson. We then had a half day and went quickly to another temple but this was unlike any of the others. It was on one of the main roads in Nanjing but behind the wall was an oasis of rockeries and peace gardens, bonzi trees and waterfalls. It was amazing to think that just a few metres behind the hustle and bustle of the city was such peaceful surroundings. It began to rain while we were there and it was monsoon rain for approx one hour. When it eased off we got some street food and got a taxi home. My advice would be to take an umbrella. We finalised our presentations as for tomorrow we had both our Chinese and philosophy ones to give.

Day 18

Presentation Day: My Chinese presentation was not as good as some but I was happy with it. They lasted until the break and then had our normal Chinese lesson. We then had our two hour break when we had a quick meeting before the afternoon presentation. The philosophy presentation went very well despite being very nervous. Everyone’s was very different and I had no idea what was coming next. One person even did a poem. I was please with whaat I did as we didn’t have access to the uni library and the internet connectivity was very poor. I did a comparison between Plato and Confucious which would never have been able to do without Study China.

Day 19

Visit to Nanjing Museum. It was huge! but lacked the exhibits to put in it.There were vast swayths of space with nothing in it. After the museum we tries to find the Ming tomb which was easier said than done. We went on the metro which was 2 Yuan for any journey which is really cheap and such an experience if you are only used to the underground or the trams in Manchester. We then went home and began to revise as in two days we were to have our Chinese written exam and I had to learn a lot of Characters.

Day 20

Our last lesson of Chinese and then a half day to prepare for the test. We did go out for a bit though as it is easy to get cabin fever if you stay in even for just a few hours. There are so many places to go even for a couple of hours just make sure you get a good guidebook.

Day 21/22….

The last day of the programme. We had our Chinese test where I wrote the whole exam in Chinese characters.  We had an hour to do it in and afterwards we watched a kungfu film where we had the chance to try and pick up the spoken chinese. We also practised a song and dance we had to perform for the closing ceremony later that day. We were singing a love song and had choreographed some dance moves to it. We all got changed into smart clothes and headed to the closing ceremony where we heard a closing speech from a student and from the staff at the university. We then had our closing ceremony meal and some people headead off as they had early flights to catch. I was heading off to Shanghai the next day and got the 11am shuttle bus.