(Chinese Focus Face to Face) Wang Dezhong, a foreign "net celebrity": Let more Westerners understand China
China News Service, Toronto, March 27th, title: Foreign "Internet celebrity" Wang Dezhong: Let more Westerners understand China
China News Agency reporter Yu Ruidong
An American who has worked and lived in China for ten years and now lives in Canada has spontaneously produced a lot of videos about China and broadcast them on many video websites at home and abroad to introduce the real China to Western friends. Responding to various questions about China from the West, we hope to reduce and eliminate misunderstandings and misunderstandings of China from the outside world.
He currently has hundreds of thousands of "fans" on various platforms, and it is still growing.
The "net celebrity" name is Cyrus Janssen, and he also has a Chinese name called Wang Dezhong.
In this issue of "China Focus Face to Face", we invite Wang Dezhong to accept a video online interview to talk about his story and China in his eyes.
Excerpts from the interview are as follows:
China News Agency reporter: Thank you for accepting our interview today. This seems to be your first interview in Chinese, right?
Cyrus:
Yes, I am very happy to have this opportunity because I like speaking Chinese very much.
China News Service reporter: First of all, I would like to invite you to introduce yourself to friends from China News Service and China News Service.
Cyrus:
Okay, I was born in the United States. I moved to Shanghai at the age of 23 and worked there for 7 years. (Later) I moved to Hong Kong and worked there for 3 years.
So my total time in China is 10 years.
I met my wife there. My first house was also bought in China, we had a wedding in China, and our first child was also born in China.
So these 10 years have been a great time in China.
Now I come to Canada, and I live with my wife and three children in Vancouver.
China News Service: The highlight moments of your life are all in China.
Cyrus:
Yes, yes, when I went to China, I was a "child", and then I left China and I became an "adult".
China News Agency reporter: What kind of opportunity was your first visit to China, and why did you think of going to China?
Cyrus:
This is actually a job opportunity.
Because I played golf when I was in college, I can be a golf coach in China.
At that time, I was not so interested in the work of golf coaches, but I was interested in China.
It was 2006, and my university teacher said, "Cyrus, you are 23 years old and you are not married. You are still free. If I were you, I must go to China. I must go there and try it first."
China News Agency reporter: How much did you know about China before you went to China?
Cyrus:
I don't understand anything.
In the United States, we have been learning American culture and American history since we were young. Basically, we do not learn the history of other countries or the culture of other countries.
Wang Dezhong (Cyrus Janssen) took a photo in Beijing in early 2008.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee
Reporter from China News Service: After I went to China, did I find that I was in China very different from what I had imagined before?
Cyrus:
Because I don't understand it at all, I said I want to experience it myself and see what China is like.
You just watch it when you arrive in China, it's very lively.
Many people work very hard, and many people are very happy.
I am 23 years old and I just started my first job. It was a very happy time.
In 2008, we had the Olympics, and in another three years (should be two years) the World Expo will come to Shanghai again, so this time is really very lively in China.
I watch a lot of things every day and have fun every day.
China News Agency reporter: You have now named yourself Wang Dezhong in Chinese. I heard that this name seems to have something to do with your wife, right?
Cyrus:
Yes.
Because my English name is Cyrus, my first Chinese name is Cyrus.
I used this name for about 7 years, and then my wife married me.
She told me, "You must change your name, my surname is Wang, do you want to change it to my surname?" I said yes, and then I told my wife, I want a good name, and she said Wang Dezhong.
Because my mother is German, she said if she could have "virtue", and then said, "My husband, you love China very much, then (take) Chinese, so (called) Wang Dezhong." Wow, great!
Very Chinese, right?
The reason why I left China is exactly the same as the reason why I went to China, it is opportunity.
Because I have a chance to come to Canada (for work), another reason, but also very important, is that my parents still live in my hometown, in Orlando.
China News Agency reporter: When did you start trying to be a "net celebrity"?
Cyrus: After
I came to Canada, the first 6 months were very difficult because I have always missed China.
I really love China, and of course I love my country, the United States.
Later, almost 18 months ago, I saw that the relationship between the United States and China was getting worse and worse. I thought I had to make some videos to tell other Americans and other Westerners what China is like.
Because I think many Westerners don’t understand China, so I said that I made some English videos, and then I started putting them on YouTube. My goal is to let more Westerners understand China.
I started to do it, and the effect was (not) good in the first three months, but then, very suddenly, almost six months ago, a lot of people were watching, and then my YouTube platform went viral.
Many people say that Wang Dezhong (what he said) makes sense because he knows China and the United States very well.
My goal is simple. The United States is a good country and China is a good country. If we can find a way to (make) these two countries work together, then the world will win.
All my YouTube videos, I always say this, we must find a way, if there is always this contradiction, then the whole world will lose.
Reporter from China News Service: It’s very good, because you actually regard China as your second hometown, and the United States is your own hometown, your first hometown, so you hope that the first hometown and the second hometown can be one. Better connection, I think it's very good.
Cyrus:
Yes, because our economy (total) ranks first and second, in the world, if we can work together, then this is better.
Think about it, if the United States and China are best friends, then the whole world will definitely win.
I think it is very important.
China News Agency reporter: You are trying to tell Western netizens what the real face of China is, right? You have lived in China for 10 years. Do you think the situation in China is as bad as described by the Western media?
Cyrus:
You can see clearly that China has made such great progress in the past 50 years.
Fifty years ago, China was a very poor country. Fifty years ago, many Chinese people could not eat meat. They could only eat rice or vegetables. My (madam) father kept telling me: "You know when I was young, I I don’t have shoes to wear, I am so poor."
You see many Chinese people, now they must be very proud, because "my country has made so much progress", especially from about 1980 to the present, these 40 years.
China is developing very strongly, and then we can see clearly that China is getting better and better every year.
Moreover, there is a big cultural difference between Americans and Chinese.
Because the Chinese will trust their government.
They said: "You must be isolated, you must wear a mask, and you cannot go out." The Chinese said: "OK, okay, we respect, because we believe in you. If you tell us that we must do this, then we will Do this."
But in the United States, for example, the simplest way to wear a mask is, "No, I don't want to wear a mask. You can't tell me that I don't wear a mask because we must have'freedom'".
(But) I think there is no personal choice for this, it is for the health of the society.
I think it is a big cultural difference.
China News Agency reporter: You have also made a lot of Chinese friends during your 10 years of living in China. Judging from the Chinese people you have met, do you think that the Chinese people are generally satisfied with their lives?
Cyrus:
I have lived there for 10 years and have met many Chinese people, most of whom are very satisfied.
It can be seen that the quality of their lives is getting better and better in China.
The last time I went to Shanghai was in 2019, and I called a taxi from the hotel.
I like the drivers in Shanghai and Beijing very much. I keep discussing with them because it is fun to talk to them.
There was a driver from Shanghai that day. He told me that the hotel I was staying in was on the Bund in Shanghai.
Then I said, "Master, how is your quality of life now?" He said, "You know when I was young, I lived on the Bund and I was very poor. At that time, we didn't have shoes to wear. There are not so many things to eat. But look, now Shanghai, look at Pudong, it’s very beautiful.” He said, “I’m an ordinary person, but the quality of my life is getting better and better. Years ago, it was much better, much better than when I was a kid. And most importantly, I believe my children, their quality of life will definitely be better. Because I look at my country, we are There has been progress, and we have done better every year."
Data map: On the evening of September 30, 2020, the National Day Pujiang Light and Shadow Show was staged on both banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Yin Liqin
China News Service: The leaders of some Western countries and the media believe that China is a threat to the world. What do you think of it yourself?
Cyrus:
I have many friends in the United States. He said, "Cyrus, now we have fewer and fewer opportunities to work in the United States. Do you know why? Because of China." I said why?
He said, "You see now that we have many factories in China. If these factories are in the United States, then we will have more opportunities to work."
But I told them, don’t forget, who made the decision to set up this factory in China?
It’s not China, but the big bosses in the United States. They said, “It’s too expensive for us to run a factory in the United States. We must go to China, right? We can go to China to make the product cheaper, and then make this product (and then ) After importing to the United States, the cost price will be very low and the income will be high. We can make a lot of money. "This is the big boss of the United States.
The best example is the American Apple mobile phone.
Apple’s mobile phone is almost 1200 dollars, why does Apple make a lot of money?
Because their factory is in China, this phone is made in China.
I don’t know what the price is, but it’s definitely much cheaper than made in the United States.
Many Americans said, "We will move Apple's factory to the United States, giving many Americans a lot of job opportunities." If this mobile phone will cost 3000 or 4000 dollars, which is three to four times more expensive, would you buy it? ?
It definitely won't work, right?
So I said, our current quality of life in the United States depends on a good relationship with China.
Including our ordinary things, this headset, this microphone, computers, and mobile phones are made in China, so the price is a little cheaper for us Americans.
So I don’t agree. If someone tells me that China is really a threat, I don’t believe it, it’s really not.
I am an American and I love my country. I want to tell everyone that you might hear this interview and think that this American loves China too much.
No, I also love America.
My heart is very painful, because I look at my country, the United States, and I think we have been regressing.
So I said, if we want to make progress, we must look at ourselves. Don’t keep looking at how other countries are doing. We are a little better to be the United States. Don’t always criticize China or other countries. We just pay attention to the United States.
Wang Dezhong (Cyrus Janssen) took a photo in Hong Kong in 2007.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee
China News Agency reporter: In your opinion, are the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party exporting values to the outside world?
Cyrus:
I want to tell you a story.
Let's think about it, there is a factory with two employees.
The first employee pays attention to his own business and works hard every day. Then you can see that his job is getting better and better, and he improves every year.
The second employee, he did a good job, but his biggest problem was that he kept looking at other employees. He kept saying, "Oh, buddy, you can see that the method you are doing is wrong, you Just learn from me, and you can do better by learning from me; alas, another person, you don’t want to do this, you must learn from me."
Think about it, which employee represents China and which employee represents the United States?
I think the first one to represent China, 100% of China is to pay attention to China's affairs.
Every five years, don't they have a new plan?
They said, "Look at what new goals do we have in this five-year period, how do we do it, how do we improve the quality of life of the Chinese people, educate us to do better, and the opportunity to work must be Do a little more, our economy should do a little better, we have to do more subways, and some new airports have to be built. Let me see where the poorest is, then we will invest there." It is for the quality of life of the Chinese.
But I have never seen China go to another country and say, "Now you are doing very well, but you must learn our methods. You see, if you were the Communist Party, you would do better." The Chinese are not like this.
But the second employee, this is the United States.
We Americans can also be said to be very successful.
But there are some people in the United States who say, "If China wants to make progress, it must learn our methods, and they must be exactly like us."
So I think China respects the choice of the United States.
But the United States (also) must respect China's choice.
Data map: Chinese people travel with masks.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Han Haidan
China News Agency reporter: What you said reminds me of an example. It’s like I love Chinese food because I think Chinese food is delicious. You or other friends think Western food is delicious, but I can’t say that the standard of food is just The standard of Chinese food. Only the standard of Chinese food in the world is called gourmet. Your food is not tasty, right?
Cyrus:
Yes, yes, yes.
This is a very good example.
Both are good, because I like it, I like to eat, both of them.
Both Western and Chinese food are delicious, right?
China News Agency reporter: You now have a "Chinese stomach".
Cyrus:
Definitely.
I have lived there for a long time, and I especially like Chinese food.
China News Agency reporter: I see you often bluntly point out in the video that there are many misunderstandings, prejudices, or wrong perceptions of China and the Communist Party in the West. How do you feel about this?
Cyrus:
I just started to work on my YouTube platform. I have a video on the topic "Is there freedom in China?" Then I tell everyone that freedom is a different thing for (different) people.
For example, we can have a gun in the United States, but not in China. No one can have a gun.
Many Americans say, do you know why we have guns?
It is for our safety.
So I think this freedom is a cultural difference.
Because many people in the United States say, "We have guns, we have freedom."
But in China, we say, “We don’t have guns, and we also have freedom. Because we are safe, and safety is free for us.”
Therefore, we must look at the difference in culture.
Wang Dezhong (Cyrus Janssen) took a photo in Shanghai in September 2019.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee
China News Agency reporter: How do you think we can do better in this regard so that Westerners can learn more about the truth about China and the real China?
Cyrus:
I think the best way is that China must have a good relationship with Western countries.
Where did this relationship start?
It may start with a job opportunity.
For example, I am from Florida, my hometown is Orlando, and Orlando has Disney.
Disney opened a big "Disney" in Shanghai, so this is a very important relationship, because Disney understands that China is a very good market, I think this represents a very good relationship between the United States and China.
The second method is that there are many foreigners living in China now, so I started to build this YouTube platform. In fact, I think it is also my responsibility. Why?
Because 99.9% of Americans have never been to China, they know nothing about China.
But I went to China, I have lived there for ten years, I have studied Chinese history, I have been learning Chinese language, I can say that I know some Chinese culture.
So I also want to tell you that many Chinese people, if they say that China is a good place, Westerners say, "You (are) brainwashed."; but if it is a white person, sometimes people will hear it. of.
I think this is unfair.
So I must be this YouTube platform, and I must start telling others what China really is like.
In the last 12 months, many foreigners have started to build YouTube platforms. There are more and more YouTube platforms about China. We now have many foreigners, and our fans are increasing.
why?
Because many people want to know more about China.
I have an American fan. He is a white man like me. He said, "Cyrus, do you know how I discovered your YouTube platform? I watch TV every day. The American media say that China is not good and the Communist Party does not Okay, nothing is good. Then I thought, how could there be a country that is so bad, but their economy is getting better and better?"
He said: "This is a bit weird. Every day I watch TV, it says that China is very bad, but I see China getting better and better, and I see that Chinese people are getting richer and richer. progress."
He said, "So I went to YouTube. I had to see if there are any foreigners in China, and then I discovered your platform. Now I know a little bit better. Because I think you have to watch it. You have to watch it in two ways. It depends on the US and China."
But the simplest and best is that the United States and China can find ways to work together. This is too important.
For example, climate change (climate change), the most important of the two countries are China and the United States.
If we can solve this problem, we must have China and the United States work together to solve this problem.
Many problems in the world, if they are to be solved, we must rely on China and the United States to find solutions and cooperate together.
(Finish)