Youth exchanges mooted for mutual understanding

Former Harvard school professor hails China's transformation over last 40 years

Editor's note: As the People's Republic of China celebrates the 75th anniversary of its founding this year, China Daily asked prominent international figures to reflect on their relationship with the country and to talk of the direction in which they see it going.

John Quelch's brush with China started in 1981 when he took a few hours from an Asian trip to visit the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. Quelch, then a Harvard Business School professor, tried to send a postcard to his family in the United States, only to discover that many Chinese didn't understand what a "postcard" was.

"China was economically poor, with few cars on the road, and Chinese people were very friendly and curious to talk to us," said Quelch, recalling his initial impression of the country.