In France since 2002. Born in 1977.
Only child. Returned to China at the end of 2008. Mother: government employee (communist party) then worked for a business. Father: writer.

I obtained my journalism diploma in 2000… my generation lies between tradition and openness. I wanted to travel, break ties with my life in China, I was missing something… I thought I would change my life. I thought France would be like its cultural and romantic image. Reality is different. You always think that things are different abroad, that life will take a different course. You think that things foreign are always more beautiful but when you live in that foreing place… you find out that it is the same as being “here”… Pride is the first adjective that comes to mind to qualify being Chinese: pride of culture and history… proud of the tests my country has withstood. Today China can embark on what it seems good for it. The French have many stereotypes with regard to my country. They like to talk about the Maoist period. To us, it is the past… we never talk about that. The Chinese are very realistic, pragmatic. China is a great country, with its contradictions but it is far from being an elephant on a bike.

I´m doing a masters in cinema about Chinese cinema. I spend a lot of time studying. I imagined my life in France, country of cinema… I do not regret this trip full of rich experiences, this confrontation with another culture, even if some of my friends have a stable position in china and have built their home. If you want to have an easy life it’s not worth it to come to France… I’m talking about someone with diplomas… but you have other experiences here… that is the reason why I’m here and I say you have to seize the moment.

There is a problem of confidence between the government and its people… it seems this characteristic is very much present in our history. The government doesn’t have enough confidence in its people but one has to be alert to certain liberties that could put our country in danger…