Just read an interesting Commentary in the BusinessWeek bylined Robert Lawrence Kuhn, author of Then Man Who Changed China: The Life and Legacy of Jiang Zemin. He argued that China and the US at times has difficulty communicating with each other, not because “the two nations are half world apart, geographically, historically and politically”. It could lie in something less obvious: the strikingly different academic training of their leaders.

   Kuhn pointed out that almost all the Chinese top officials were trained as engineers while the American counterparts were schooled as lawyers. He said that as Engineers, the Chinese leaders always strive for “better”, while lawyers at the US congress prepare for “the worst”.

  This is some interesting observation. But I think the author missed the point why it is the case. That is to say, one would wonder why China elects (or selects) all the engineers while the US prefer lawyers. One quick answer is that it is exactly the difference of two nations, historically, culturally and politically.

  Also I am delighted to hear that the author argued that most Americans believe the 1999 US-led NATO bombing of Chinese Embassy in Belgrade was a mistake caused by using old map, but Chinese do not buy it because “the Chinese have an idealized picture of US as so technologically advanced that it would have been impossible for it to make such a stupid mistake. Americans, on the other hand, are quite used to their government’s stupid mistakes”.

  Really? I do not want to be super-critical, but even it holds true that “Americans are used to their government’s stupid mistakes,” they still choose different ways of “getting used to”. If such a stupid mistake caused the lives of their beloved ones, they would fight to get rid of the stupid government. If it happened to those poor Chinese, well, maybe the stupid government is a good one to those who are anti-China deep in their hearts.

  So why aren’t China and the U.S. on the same page? For me, the simple answer is “China is a developing country, and the U.S. is a developed country,” as Chinese President Hu pointed out during his latest visit to Washington.