

Currently released so far... 12404 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
ASEC
AE
AF
AM
AR
AJ
AU
AORC
AG
AEMR
AMGT
APER
AGMT
AL
AFIN
AO
AMED
ADCO
AS
ABUD
ABLD
ASUP
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
APECO
AID
AND
AMBASSADOR
AN
ARM
AY
AODE
AMG
ASCH
AMCHAMS
ARF
APCS
APEC
ASEAN
AGAO
ANET
ADPM
ACOA
ACABQ
AORL
AFFAIRS
ATRN
ACS
AFSI
AFSN
ADANA
ASIG
AA
AX
AUC
AC
AECL
AADP
AGRICULTURE
AMEX
ACAO
ACBAQ
AQ
AORG
ADM
AINF
AIT
ASEX
AGR
AROC
ATFN
AFGHANISTAN
AFU
AER
ALOW
AZ
AVERY
BA
BY
BU
BR
BE
BL
BO
BK
BM
BILAT
BH
BEXP
BF
BTIO
BC
BBSR
BMGT
BTIU
BG
BWC
BB
BD
BX
BP
BRUSSELS
BN
BIDEN
BT
CW
CH
CF
CD
CV
CVIS
CM
CE
CA
CJAN
CLINTON
CIA
CU
CASC
CI
CO
CACM
CDB
CN
CMGT
CS
CG
CBW
CIS
CR
CONDOLEEZZA
CPAS
CAN
CWC
CY
COUNTER
CDG
CL
CT
CIC
CIDA
CSW
CHR
CB
CODEL
COUNTERTERRORISM
CTR
COM
CICTE
CFED
CJUS
CKGR
CBSA
CEUDA
CARSON
CONS
CITEL
CLMT
CROS
CITT
CAC
CVR
CDC
CAPC
COPUOS
CBC
CBE
CARICOM
COE
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
CACS
CTM
CNARC
ECON
EFIN
ETRD
EUN
EFIS
EG
ETTC
EZ
EPET
EAID
EAGR
ENRG
ECUN
EU
ELAB
ECPS
EAIR
EINV
ELTN
EWWT
EIND
EMIN
EI
ECIN
ENVR
ELECTIONS
EINVEFIN
EN
ES
ER
EC
EUC
EINT
EINVETC
ENGR
ET
EK
ENIV
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ECONOMY
EAP
EFTA
EUR
EUMEM
EXIM
ERD
ENERG
EUREM
ESA
ERNG
EXTERNAL
EPA
EINVECONSENVCSJA
ECONOMICS
ELN
EINN
EFINECONCS
ENNP
EEPET
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ENVI
ETRO
ESENV
ECINECONCS
ECONOMIC
EAIDS
EDU
ETRA
ETRN
EFIM
EIAR
ETRC
EAIG
EXBS
EURN
ECIP
EREL
ECA
ENGY
ECONCS
ECONEFIN
ETC
ETRDECONWTOCS
EUNCH
EINDETRD
IR
IZ
IS
IAEA
INRB
IRAJ
IQ
IN
IT
IMO
INTERPOL
ICAO
IO
IC
ITALY
ITALIAN
IRAQI
ICTY
ID
IPR
IWC
ILC
INTELSAT
IL
IBRD
IMF
IA
IRC
ICRC
ILO
ITU
ITRA
IV
IDA
IAHRC
ICJ
ISRAELI
IRS
INMARSAT
ISRAEL
ISLAMISTS
INDO
IZPREL
ITPHUM
ITPGOV
ITF
IBET
IEFIN
INR
IACI
INTERNAL
IDP
IGAD
IEA
ICTR
IIP
INRA
INRO
IF
KJUS
KSCA
KNNP
KU
KCOR
KCRM
KDEM
KTFN
KHLS
KPAL
KWBG
KACT
KGHG
KPAO
KTIA
KIRF
KWMN
KS
KG
KZ
KN
KMDR
KISL
KSPR
KHIV
KPRP
KAWK
KR
KUNR
KDRG
KCIP
KGCC
KTIP
KSUM
KPKO
KVIR
KAWC
KPIN
KGIC
KRAD
KIPR
KOLY
KCFE
KMCA
KE
KV
KICC
KNPP
KBCT
KSEP
KFRD
KFLU
KVPR
KOCI
KBIO
KSTH
KMPI
KCRS
KOMC
KTBT
KPLS
KIRC
KREL
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KFLO
KBTS
KSTC
KTDB
KFSC
KX
KFTFN
KNEI
KIDE
KREC
KMRS
KICA
KPAONZ
KCGC
KSAF
KRGY
KCMR
KRVC
KVRP
KSEO
KCOM
KAID
KTEX
KNUC
KNAR
KNUP
KNNPMNUC
KLIG
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KCRCM
KHDP
KGIT
KNSD
KOMS
KWMM
KPAI
KHSA
KTLA
KO
KMFO
KRCM
KCSY
KSAC
KTRD
KPWR
KID
KWNM
KRIM
KPOA
KCHG
KOM
KSCI
KFIN
KMOC
KESS
KWAC
KMIG
KSEC
KIFR
KDEMAF
KPRV
KBTR
KERG
KTER
KDDG
KPAK
KRFD
KHUM
KDEV
KCFC
KWWMN
KWMNCS
KJUST
MARR
MOPS
MU
MTCRE
MNUC
MY
MASS
MCAP
MOPPS
MAR
MPOS
MO
ML
MR
MASC
MX
MD
MP
MA
MTRE
MIL
MCC
MZ
MK
MDC
MRCRE
MAPS
MV
MI
MEPN
MAPP
MEETINGS
MAS
MTS
MLS
MILI
MTCR
MG
MC
MARAD
MIK
MILITARY
MEDIA
MEPI
MUCN
MEPP
MT
MERCOSUR
MW
MASSMNUC
MQADHAFI
NZ
NATO
NG
NI
NO
NATIONAL
NU
NPT
NIPP
NL
NPG
NS
NA
NGO
NP
NSG
NDP
NAFTA
NR
NC
NH
NE
NSF
NPA
NK
NSSP
NRR
NATOPREL
NSC
NT
NW
NORAD
NEW
NV
NSFO
NAR
NASA
NZUS
OTRA
OVIP
OPRC
OPDC
OSCE
OAS
ODIP
OIIP
OFDP
OVP
OREP
OFFICIALS
OSAC
OEXC
OPCW
OIE
OIC
OFDA
OSCI
OPIC
OBSP
OECD
ON
OCII
OHUM
OES
OCS
OMIG
OPAD
OTR
PGOV
PREL
PHUM
PINR
PTER
PSOE
PINS
PARM
PK
PBTS
PEPR
PM
POLITICAL
PARTIES
PREF
PBIO
PROP
PA
PSI
PINT
PO
PKFK
PL
PAK
PE
POLITICS
PINL
POL
PHSA
PU
PF
POV
PFOR
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PARMS
PRGOV
PNAT
POLINT
PRAM
PMAR
PG
PAO
PROG
PRELP
PPA
PCUL
PSEPC
PSA
PREO
PAHO
PGIV
PREFA
PALESTINIAN
PAIGH
POSTS
PTBS
PGOVLO
PORG
PGOVE
PLN
PINF
PAS
PUNE
POLICY
PDEM
PDOV
PCI
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PBT
PHUMPGOV
PMIL
PNG
PP
PS
PHUH
PECON
POGOV
PY
PHUMPREL
PHUS
PRL
PGOC
PNR
PGGV
PROV
PTERE
PGOF
PHUMBA
PEL
RS
RU
RW
REGION
RP
RICE
ROBERT
RSP
RUPREL
RM
RO
RCMP
RSO
RELATIONS
REACTION
REPORT
RIGHTS
ROOD
RF
RFE
RIGHTSPOLMIL
SP
SA
SY
SF
SYR
SENV
SCUL
SOCI
SNAR
SO
SU
SG
STEINBERG
SHUM
SW
SMIG
SR
SZ
SIPRS
SI
SAARC
SPCE
SARS
SN
SYRIA
SANC
SL
SCRS
SC
SENVKGHG
SAN
SNARCS
SHI
SWE
SNARIZ
SIPDIS
SEN
SNARN
SPCVIS
SEVN
SSA
SH
SOFA
SK
ST
TPHY
TU
TRGY
TI
TX
TS
TW
TC
TFIN
TD
TSPA
TH
TT
TIP
TBIO
TSPL
TZ
TERRORISM
TRSY
TN
THPY
TINT
TF
TL
TV
TK
TO
TP
TURKEY
TNGD
TBID
TAGS
TR
UP
US
UNSC
UK
UZ
UE
UNESCO
UV
UNGA
UN
UNMIK
UNO
UY
UAE
UNEP
UG
UNHCR
UNHRC
USUN
UNAUS
USTR
USNC
USOAS
UNCHR
UNCSD
UNDP
USEU
USPS
UNDC
UNDESCO
UNCHC
UNFICYP
UNC
UNODC
UNPUOS
UNCND
UNICEF
UNCHS
UNVIE
USAID
UNIDROIT
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 09BEIJING3160, THE NETWORKING PARTY: CAREER ADVANCEMENT,
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09BEIJING3160.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
09BEIJING3160 | 2009-11-23 11:11 | 2011-02-18 05:05 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Beijing |
Appears in these articles: http://www.letemps.ch/swiss_papers |
VZCZCXRO5689
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #3160/01 3271111
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 231111Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6923
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 003160
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2034
TAGS: CH PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI
SUBJECT: THE NETWORKING PARTY: CAREER ADVANCEMENT,
NOT IDEOLOGY, ATTRACTS YOUTH TO CCP
REF: A) BEIJING 905
Classified By: Acting Political Section Chief
Ben Moeling for Reasons 1.4 (b)(d)
SUMMARY
--------
¶1. (C) Chinese youth associated with Peking University pointed to career advancement and networking opportunities, rather than ideology, as primary reasons to join the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In addition to advantages in securing government positions, CCP membership now also helps recent graduates land private sector jobs, even at foreign firms operating in China. Young Party members were pragmatic, but all supported a more assertive Chinese foreign policy and expanded Chinese media presence abroad. One student in particular criticized the West for clinging to the Cold War notion that "communism is bad." Many felt China was unfairly maligned in the U.S. media and popular culture. Finally, most noted that studying overseas has lost much of its former allure among students of the post-Tiananmen generation, who are now able to find comparable or even superior career options at home. End summary.
AN ELITE GROUP
--------------
¶2. (C) PolOffs met November 12 with six university students and recent graduates, mostly from Peking University. The members of the group discussed their views about the United States and President Obama, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and China's place in the world. Chen Guang (protect), a CCP member and recent graduate of Peking University's international affairs program, organized the meeting. As Secretary of the Communist Youth League (CYL) Information Management Department Committee at Peking University's student counseling office, Chen is responsible for grooming future Party leaders. Chen said he expected to receive an entry-level position in a county or city government soon. (Comment: Although the students, who were selected by Chen, were sometimes critical of China's government and leaders, most expressed interest in joining the CCP or had already joined. The group was disposed to be more "pro-Party" than the general Peking University student body. End comment.)
STRONG ON SUPPORT, WEAK ON DOCTRINE
-----------------------------------
¶3. (C) Gong Ting (protect), a senior at Peking University's School of International Studies who said she hoped to join the Foreign Ministry after graduation, was the most avid CCP supporter in the group. Gong pointed to the Party's track record of driving China's economic success as a major factor in her decision to join the Party. Furthermore, Gong argued, there was currently no viable alternative to the one-party system and she criticized foreign pressure to democratize China rapidly. A "more open society" could materialize in due course, but at present there was no better political model for China, given that the country still had a long way to go in terms of economic development, she said.
¶4. (C) Chen characterized the CCP as "no longer communist" in the sense that it was no longer a party of peasants and workers since the Party agreed to admit urban business elites, technocrats, and intellectuals. (Note: This decision was publicized as a grand political theory called "the Three Represents." Asked about this, Yuan Yichan (protect), who graduated from the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing, confessed she was completely mystified by "Three Represents" theory, which she dismissed "as meaningless." End Note.) Yuan recalled that, as an undergraduate, she had passed up the opportunity to join the CCP because of the "tons of paperwork" and endless meetings required to join. However, Yuan noted that she has been impressed by the CCP's ability to implement a large stimulus package in response to the global financial crisis, implying that the ability to move quickly to address the economic downturn was an advantage of China's political system. Yuan concluded that, were she invited to join the CCP now, she would accept.
CHINA'S BAD RAP
----------------
¶5. (C) The students voiced support for Chinese government efforts to expand the PRC's media influence abroad (reftel). Gong said that such a program was needed to "counter the Falun Gong," which she characterized as having strong influence in the Western press. Gong said she had seen Falun
BEIJING 00003160 002 OF 003
Gong members demonstrating in Switzerland and Australia and believed they presented Westerners with a skewed view of the PRC. China must also counter the Dalai Lama's overseas influence, she said. Chen agreed, stating that the Falun Gong "did not represent Chinese culture." Gong also commented on unfavorable portrayals of China, such as jokes involving Chinese authoritarianism and human rights problems, in popular U.S. television shows and films.
¶6. (C) Gong had recently participated in an exchange program bringing together delegates of provincial-level National People's Congresses in China and state legislatures from the United States. She said that participants from the U.S. had seemed to criticize China for what she thought were mostly cultural differences. Gong urged Westerners, Americans in particular, to reexamine their Cold War assessment that "communism is bad," noting that China was essentially a capitalist country in most respects. She claimed that many CCP members encounter difficulty obtaining visas to the United States, asserting this was a form of discrimination.
MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS PRIVILEGES
-----------------------------
¶7. (C) The students described the CCP application process as grueling but worthwhile, given the benefits and connections Party membership brings. Application forms and supporting documents must be filled out by hand to prove one's "sincerity," and there was a strict cap on the number of nominees from each university and program. Peer support was crucial to secure a nomination, they said, especially at a competitive institution like Peking University. It was also better to join at a young age since the full application process often took two years to complete. The group estimated student CCP membership rates at Peking University to be about 20 percent, though membership rates varied between departments. Roughly 70 percent of the faculty in social science departments were members, according to Chen. Sun Qiming (protect), a recent Peking University mathematics graduate and CCP member, said that, in contrast to the liberal arts and social sciences, fewer natural science students or professors pursue Party membership. "Science types are not so political," Sun said, noting he was one of only a handful of mathematics undergrads to join. Sun, however, said he had grown to dislike math and science and hoped to pursue a master's degree in international relations.
"Private Employers Prefer Party Members"
----------------------------------------
¶8. (C) Chen readily admitted that few young CCP members were driven by ideology and most joined the Party mainly to advance their careers. Private sector employers saw CCP Youth League members as hard-working, clean-cut, and obedient employees who would easily assimilate into corporate culture, participants said. Yuan claimed even foreign firms like Nestle now preferred to hire CCP members due to the belief that, in addition to being good workers, Party members enjoyed insider connections that could help the company. The students uniformly agreed that Party connections were advantageous when seeking a job in nearly any field. They also believed this represented a change from a few years ago when many graduates thought CCP membership might hinder their chances of landing a good private sector job.
¶9. (C) The students stressed that joining the Party had always provided an advantage in securing government positions or jobs at state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The students estimated that approximately half of government employees were Party members. The networking opportunities provided by the Party also improved Party members' chances for promotion.
ALLURE OF STUDYING ABROAD FADING
--------------------------------
¶10. (C) The group also expressed changing attitudes about studying abroad, which was no longer viewed as the only path to success. Not long ago, Gong said, studying in the United States was a "glorious path," and those who stayed behind in China were considered unlucky. Gong explained that the generation born in the 1970s placed great emphasis on going abroad as college students largely because of the Tiananmen massacre. While that generation had generally sought to stay in the United States permanently, students born in the 1980's were less affected by Tiananmen and believed there were more opportunities in China than in the United States. Gong herself had considered applying to U.S. schools for her master's program, but in the end opted to stay in Beijing. Two or more years spent in the United States, she said, would
BEIJING 00003160 003 OF 003
have been detrimental to her career in China "where all the action is." The group agreed that for students aspiring to government or business careers, graduate programs in China offered more useful networking opportunities. Yuan said this was especially true of MBA programs. While an MBA from the United States might be better from a purely academic point of view, MBA classes at top-tier graduate schools in China were filled with high-level cadres, entrepreneurs, and other well-connected people, thus adding to the synergy among elites. This was even truer now, she said, given the current economic downturn and dismal job market in the United States.
HUNTSMAN \