On September 24, 2015, the SIAS and the art department of the Wenhui Daily newspaper co-hosted a discussion based on the institute’s latest publication: A Century of Cultural and Artistic Exchanges Between Shanghai and the US. Held at Xuyang Hall in the Shanghai Federation of Social Science Associations, the meeting shed light on how local exchanges with the US can benefit bilateral relations. 

Hu Hua, Executive Director at the SIAS, moderated the discussion. A number of local officials and scholars attended the meeting including: Dao Shuming, Director of the Commission for Friendship with Foreign Countries at the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference （CPPCC）Shanghai Committee; Wu Zhilin, President of the Shanghai Newspapers Association; Chen Shenglai, President of the Shanghai International Culture Association and Director of China’s International Cultural Exchange Research Center; Zhu Minyan, President of the Shanghai Chronicles Association; Jiang Yihua, a professor of history at Fudan University; Wang Xinzhi, Director of the art department at the Wenhui Daily; Bi Sheng, Deputy Division Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee; Yang Zhanye, a Standing Committee member of the CPPCC Shanghai Committee; Sun Qin’an, a research fellow at the Institute of Literature, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS); Xu Ming, Editor-in-Chief of Shanghai Thinkers Forum; Jiang Weihong, a research fellow at the SASS; Gu Ying, an associate research fellow at the Shanghai Institute of Arts and Ni Jianping, a research fellow at the SIAS.

The people present at the meeting all spoke highly of the book. Dao Shuming said that books of this kind are marketable to a wide readership. He followed up his point with a recent anecdote. 

A few days before he had welcomed a delegation of businessmen and investors from Maryland. He took the opportunity to present them with Americans in Shanghai, a series of bilingual books compiled by the SIAS about local expats. The books were very well received, with some of the delegates asking via email for more copies after they got back to the US. 

The story is a vivid example of how popular such books are among Americans, Dao concluded. He suggested that the book series on Shanghai-US exchanges be translated into English in the future too. 

Chen Shenglai was glad to note that he was a part of some of the events featured in the book. For example, the visit of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1974. Chen was responsible for making their travel arrangements at the time. With a total of eight volumes, the book series may serve as a useful historical record, Chen said. He went on to suggest that books be compiled on exchanges between Shanghai and other nations. Although this would be no easy job and could take a long time, it is a project worth exploring. 

Jiang Yihua pointed out that the timing of the book launch was perfect, as President Xi happened to be visiting the US, where his presence was helping to promote friendship between the two countries. He said that the volume successfully presents cultural and artistic exchanges in an unbiased manner. Following President Xi’s call for a new type of major power relationship between China and the US, Jiang observed that publishing works that foster mutual understanding and create mutual benefits is one of the best ways of achieving this. He went on to suggest that people-to-people exchanges are in the best interest of bilateral relations. 

A number of officials and experts regretted missing the meeting, but sent over book reviews they had written. They were Zhou Hanmin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC, Vice Chairman of China National Democratic Construction Association, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC Shanghai Committee; Xing Jianrong, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Archives Bureau; Hua Jian, Director of the Cultural Industry Research Center at the SASS, and Wu Xinbo, President of the SIAS.

Zhou Hanmin noted the significance of the work. He also acknowledged the challenges in compilation. It takes meticulous work and unwavering devotion to produce a comprehensive history of exchanges between two places. He hoped that this book is just the beginning of a long-term project and serves as a foundation for future endeavors. 

Xing Jianrong made the point that the history of Shanghai has become a popular focus across different disciplines, attracting significant attention from international academia. He also pointed out that the ways in which American culture has influenced Shanghai is a subject that has long been neglected. In this sense, the newly published book is something of a pioneering effort.

Hua Jian, who wrote the introductory piece for the volume, said that a nation can survive and thrive in a globalized world only if it embraces cultural diversity and keeps an open mind as regards the outside world. Only this way can a great nation contribute to a community of shared interests. On the other hand, he added, if a nation refuses interaction with foreign countries or adopts a negative attitude towards the outside world, failure is a near-certainty. Shanghai is a perfect example of diversity and inclusiveness, a combination which has made it a world-class cosmopolitan city. 

Across a total of eight volumes, the book series on “a century of Shanghai-US exchanges” will chronicle the history of exchanges in the fields of culture & the arts, sports, architecture, education, technology, finance, and the justice system, starting from the city’s opening up as a treaty port in 1843. The books on architecture, sports and education are expected to be published very soon. 

Wu Xinbo expressed his wish for Shanghai to rise yet farther as a world-class metropolis by allowing more cultural diversity and fostering new exchanges with the outside world. People in both the US and China are fond of cultural and artistic exchanges. This is also where friendship can be developed and mutual trust can be achieved. In the Information Age, there are more and more ways for people to make contact. Things are happening so fast that even the Pacific Ocean will no longer stand in the way for communication and interaction between the two nations.