China Daily event in New York City brings guest speakers and youth from China and the United States together to share their views of improving bilateral ties

Qu Yingpu (6th from right), publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, Ma Xiaoxiao (6th from left), deputy consul general of China in New York, Hu Wei (5th from left), president and CEO of Bank of China USA, and David J. Firestein (5th from right), inaugural president and CEO of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations, pose for a photo with participants of a debate on AI at a Vision China event in New York on Thursday. FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY

Debate on impact of AI brings youths of two nations closer

In a clash of opinions that bridged borders, eight young voices from the United States and China converged in New York City to debate one of the world's most pressing issues — artificial intelligence.

This wasn't a typical debate. These contestants, fluent in each other's respective languages and steeped in the cultures of both nations, brought a unique perspective to the issue. Their goal was to inspire collaboration between people in the two countries on a technology that could reshape humanity's future.

Liam Green, a member of the "pro-AI" team, focused on the technology's potential to revolutionize education in the debate organized by China Daily with the theme "Bridging Futures: China-U.S. Youth Debate and Exchange".

"AI can assist students as a companion, and this is advantageous for both lesser economically developed countries and more economically developed ones," Green said. He emphasized AI's unique ability to promote accessibility and equality, countering concerns about potential societal disparities.

Green, who spent eight years in China before going to university in New York, highlighted the importance of collaboration between the U.S. and China on AI policy.

Elyn MacInnis, founder of "Friends of Kuliang", speaks at the event. FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY

"These two countries are able to work together to pass laws that are effective," he said, stressing the need for transnational cooperation in an increasingly globalized world.

On the opposing side, Zixin Wang, a Harvard Kennedy School graduate from Chengdu, China, voiced concerns about AI's potential negative impact. "Right now, in society, we have seen so many misuses of artificial intelligence, from scams using fake faces and fake videos to trick you, to those who use artificial intelligence to make falsified documents," Wang said. While acknowledging AI's benefits, he emphasized the current lack of regulations and the potential threats posed by advanced AI systems.

Despite their opposing stances, the debaters recognized the value of this cross-cultural exchange. Wang expressed his enthusiasm for engaging with young people from both countries. "I believe conversations can alleviate all the barriers of understanding and also enhance the understanding of each other," he said.

Amelia Yuan, a California native studying at New York University-Shanghai, echoed that sentiment. She viewed the debate as an opportunity to gain diverse perspectives on international relations and finance, adding she had benefited from working with her team members. "It's super exciting," she said, referring to the past week that she spent preparing for the debate.

The audience listen to a speech during the event. WINSTON ZHOU/FOR CHINA DAILY

The debate's significance resonated beyond the participants themselves. After observing the event, John W. Allen, a founding member of the New York-based Chinese Cultural Foundation, told China Daily, "It's a good debate because I can see both sides".

"Above the pros and cons," Allen said, "what is more important about the debate is to make sure that as artificial intelligence plays more of a role in our lives and as we make this transition, we influence artificial intelligence with the human values we have today."

Allen saw the debate as a microcosm of a larger trend: increased collaboration between young people from the U.S. and China. "If I go to China and learn Chinese, and you come to the U.S. and learn English, and then we multiply that relationship," he said.

Elyn MacInnis

Mountain of memories: Kuliang's legacy brings East and West together

China's Kuliang, nestled in the mountains and shrouded in a light mist, has produced countless stories that span time and distance.

The small town in East China's Fujian province, once a popular summer retreat from the late 1800s until 1949, attracted many foreigners who lived in harmony with the local community generation after generation. "For eight years, it was almost like a treasure hunt," Elyn MacInnis, the consultant for the Kuliang history and culture research organization and also the founder of "Friends of Kuliang", said in a speech on Thursday at the Vision China event in New York.

"We found so many treasures along the way, but especially the discoveries of people from the U.S. and other countries who worked and lived with the Chinese people with understanding and respect.

"Their love and friendship was so deep that it is still echoing in our families to this day," said MacInnis.

After living and working in China for 30 years, MacInnis, who speaks fluent Mandarin, returned one day to Kuliang, the town where her husband, Peter, a descendant of a World War II Flying Tigers member, was born.

Initially, she was merely curious about her husband's family's roots, but as they delved deeper into their research, more and more stories — like those of her own family — began to unfold, through museum archives, newspaper reports, diaries and albums.

"We had no idea where his former cottage was located. The local government came to our rescue, welcomed us, and took us on a tour, starting at the old post office, where we found a map on the wall," she said.

MacInnis found her family's old house, even though it was in ruins, but also found more details about the town, with the help of locals from Fujian and Chinese scholars, who were also are interested in exploring Kuliang. "We had Peter and I, Professor Lin Yinan (an associate professor at East China University of Science and Technology) and his students in Shanghai, and later, we found Guo Qing, who lives there and knows the people and the mountain like the back of his hand," she said.

MacInnis also mentioned that younger-generation students help translate documents. It took her and Peter eight years to search for stories and documents, and now, with the contribution of artificial intelligence, they were able to better identify people in old photos.

"Friendship requires spending time together," she said. MacInnis said that many of the foreign people who summered on the mountain were very committed to their work in China and worked in China for 20, 30, 40 years and generations, as educators, doctors and pharmacists.

Locals and foreigners in Kuliang helped each other by exchanging homegrown vegetables and fruits, sharing the public well for water, building houses and rebuilding after typhoons passed through. Meanwhile, children explored the mountains and trees, MacInnis said.

"The foreigners left the mountain in the late 1940s, but they kept this beautiful place, full of friendship and good memories, in their hearts," she said. "Thank you, Kuliang — thank you, Fuzhou and Fujian, and thank you, China, for giving me this beautiful story to share with you today."