FOREWARD (pending book . . . “Losing China”)
“In a sharp escalation of tensions between the two superpowers, China announced on Tuesday that it would expel American journalists working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.” This was the beginning of an article in the New York Times in March of 2020 and described one of many low points in the relationship between China and the USA.
The Author was “Hooked on China” beginning his seven week teaching gig in 2000, and this is the story of the fun, quirky and eye opening experience of a truly cross-cultural experience. Appreciation and understanding of alternative cultures is a survival skill in this complex world.
Twenty years after a the inital seven week visit, the author was determined to continue reporting what was happening in China as the COVID pandemic unfolded. He took advantage of a rare opportunity . . . scooping the NY Times, Washington Journal, and the Wall Street Journal. The www.tourguizhou.com website kept reporting through the Pandemic, even though the major news media in the west had lost their “boots on the ground”. The interesting and fun reporting on China was documented by blog entries from October 2012 through October of 2025.
Crossing cultures is nothing new. Conflict is nothing new between cultures and building relationships is a key survival skill for we humans. The West has been mingling in Chinese lands for hundreds of years and the reverse is true. This is one man’s story.
The West’s colonies in China started with Portugal in Macau, leading to a lot of trading and wealth accumulation. The relationship goes back to Marco Polo in 1271. Later, in the 1800s China’s Taiping Rebellion had a lasting effect on China and it’s relationship with the West.
The seven week trip of the American Author to China in 2000 was an eye opener into the respective cultures of China and the West. Hooked in the first chapter, the Author’s study of China and Chinese informed not only his seven-week experience, but also the next 25 years of his life.
Making money, spirituality, and the world’s changing technology all have a place in our respective histories. This book is the Author’s effort at helping us understand each other, and the forces that drive both our loves and hates.
Now, more than ever (April of 2026), the educated countries of the world need to find a way forward. In fact, “Education knows no boundaries” is a famous expression. The USA is in it’s 250th year. One would have to be a “Village Idiot” to not recognize the need for civilizations of the world to again learn how to be civilized.
The book “Losing China” describes the Author’s discovery of China and his loss. That loss was culminated by his escape from Shanghai in October of 2020. The COVID pandemic changed the multi-ethnic fraternity of educated people both in China and the world as described herein.
Both the book “Losing China” and the companion website “Tourguizhou.com” detail the social conditions from 2000 to 2020, a personal view as the world changed in China and the USA.