(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) The latest results of the International Student Assessment (PISA) show that middle school students from Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang in China rank first in the world in science and mathematics. The performance of German middle school students continued to decline, setting the worst record in history. "Business Daily" commented that due to the different political systems between China and Germany, the results of students from the two countries cannot be simply compared, but this does not negate the successful experience of the Chinese education system. This comment titled "Why Chinese People Are So Excellent in Mathematics" reads:
"This time we will not discuss the system dispute, Xi Jinping, and patriotic education in Chinese schools. Instead, let us first ask ourselves: How much time, money and care are we willing to invest in our children's education?
Many Germans have a stereotype about China. They believe that Chinese children’s learning methods are very mechanical, and Chinese parents require their children to strictly observe discipline and study hard. This statement seems reasonable, but it is biased.
Indeed, Chinese parents and teachers do put a lot of pressure on their children to achieve excellent results. Sometimes there are even tragic incidents where students are overwhelmed and choose to commit suicide. Severe sleep deprivation is a common phenomenon among Chinese students. The fundamental reason for this phenomenon is that in China, academic performance is often placed in a more important position than personality development. Under this system, even preschool prepares students for future career choices.
Correspondingly, there is also a strong learning atmosphere and an urgent desire to achieve class leaps in Chinese families, which is also closely related to China's long-standing imperial examination system. Spending all their time dealing with exams and ignoring other things is a matter of course for Chinese students. "
A comment in the Business Daily pointed out that in China, only by studying hard can you have the opportunity to enter a prestigious university and then find an ideal job. In order to ensure their children's future, parents will create a good learning environment for their children at all costs:
"Germans may find it ridiculous when faced with the Chinese people's almost paranoid hard work, because they believe that children should not be put under excessive pressure. But one fact that has to be acknowledged is that behind the hard work, a huge motivation is needed. The truth is both simple and thought-provoking: God rewards hard work, and if you put in the effort, you will always get something.
In large and medium-sized cities in China, teachers are required to receive continuous training, digital platforms are widely used, and teachers carefully prepare for each class. Performance thinking, which runs throughout China's economic and administrative systems, is also reflected in the education system, although this kind of thinking itself has both advantages and disadvantages.
More importantly, people generally attach great importance to learning, and families are willing to invest a lot of money and time in their children's learning. The consensus is that without dedication and effort, progress cannot be made. "
“Trump wants to sell weapons to China?”
U.S. Ambassador to China Pardue said that during the meeting between U.S. and Chinese leaders, Trump asked Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy U.S. weapons. Trump himself later denied the claim. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote about this:
"This raises a series of questions: If Trump had not said this, then Ambassador to China David Pang Why did Perdue say this? After all, he knew that such remarks would cause a huge stir. Pang Dewei was not an old acquaintance of Trump during his real estate period, but a veteran in politics. During Trump’s first presidential term, Pang Dewei was a member of the Congressional Armed Services Committee. Of course, it is not possible to rule out the possibility that he misunderstood. After all, it is not easy to talk to Trump. The president often only talks in half a sentence, and likes to think in leaps and bounds.
But it's equally possible that Trump did say that. As we all know, Trump is not willing to make appropriate preparations before meeting with foreign heads of state. Similarly, he will not abide by the negotiating positions prepared in advance. He firmly believes that he is a "master of transactions" and has always been dismissive of those "thinking before and after" in government departments. Trump believes that his instincts are most trustworthy. Because of this, he sometimes makes false claims, only to later deny them and call the reports “fake news.” "
