Drastic changes

Like many, Quelch has been surprised by China's drastic economic changes over the past four decades. Compared to his initial visit, when poverty was apparent, the transformation in wealth creation is astonishing.

"China has achieved the most substantial and rapid transformation in human history by lifting nearly 800 million people out of poverty over the past four decades," he remarked.

In the 1980s, China was in the early stages of its reform and opening-up policy, characterized by an underdeveloped regulatory framework. Today, however, China boasts a structured, regulated and disciplined economic environment. It now has significantly more capacity in science, technology and innovation. There has also been a significant rise in Westerners seeking collaboration with Chinese business professionals, he said.

"I've always believed in lifelong learning. And that's pretty easy to do in China because there's so much to learn," he said.

Quelch also highlighted the remarkable increase in English proficiency among the Chinese population and the increase in Chinese tourists traveling worldwide. This not only brings economic benefits to the countries they visit but also allows people worldwide to meet and understand Chinese citizens, who are law-abiding and respectful visitors.

"This creates a very positive impression of China and is crucial in fostering international understanding," he said.

Quelch was born in the United Kingdom, grew up in Australia, and developed his career in the US and China while traveling extensively across many countries. At the age of six, his family relocated from the UK to Australia. That journey took two and a half days with nine stops for refueling, as jet engines were not yet in service then.

"I was very lucky," he recalled. "Without even realizing it, I traveled halfway around the world and visited nine countries when I was just six."

He said that young people should seek opportunities to travel internationally as early as possible. He highly appreciated President Xi Jinping's invitation last year for 50,000 US students to visit China in a five-year period.

"Youth always represents the future of every society, as innovation invariably stems from young minds," he said. "It is crucial for young people from China and the US to understand each other."

Over the past few years, tensions between China and the US have cast a shadow over the academic field and people-to-people exchanges. It is detrimental when national political tensions spill over into the lives of ordinary citizens, whose interactions primarily involve the exchange of ideas and knowledge, often in the pursuit of scientific discovery, he said.

While these tensions may occasionally address specific issues faced by individuals traveling between countries, they generally create unnecessary obstacles for those simply seeking to engage in cross-cultural and intellectual exchanges, he added.

Quelch believes that the key to overcoming geopolitical tensions lies not necessarily in grand gestures but in a constant flow of cultural exchanges across a wide range of fields. Every single person-to-person interaction counts.