“The difference, then, is that I no longer see China as intimidating or unknowable.”
Kelly Bokoum, 2025 internship Program Participant
November 11, 2025
When I first arrived in China, my impression was one of fear and caution. Despite four semesters and one summer of intensive Chinese study, I had only encountered China in an academic context, through topics like 老龄化, Nine-Dash Line, or the Belt and Road Initiative. I imagined a place where I would need to guard every word and action. I knew the theories, but not the people.
That impression quickly changed. Living in Shanghai and traveling to Suzhou, Xi’an, Hangzhou, Zhangjiajie, and Beijing, I discovered a country marked by convenience, safety, and diversity. From fast, affordable taxis to spotless metro systems to rapid food delivery, everyday life felt easier than I had expected. I was struck by the sheer size and variety of China: regional cuisines, cultural differences, and the presence of Muslim and other ethnic communities all gave me a sense of richness and complexity. What surprised me most was how safe and welcomed I felt wherever I went.
Professionally, my internship exposed me to China’s ambitious investments in clean energy, specifically zero-carbon infrastructure, Shanghai’s impressive urban planning, and various Chinese cities’ 5-year plans. I saw how state-owned enterprises were building urban projects on a scale unmatched globally. This shifted my view of China from a distant policy case study into a dynamic actor experimenting with solutions to global challenges. It was extremely rewarding to go from the classroom to working on related cases.
Most of all, it was the people who changed my impression. Small questions—好吃吗？你吃得惯吗?—reminded me, a foreigner, that difference can invite curiosity and kindness rather than hostility.
The difference, then, is that I no longer see China as intimidating or unknowable. I see it as a rapidly developing, deeply complex society, one that faces challenges like any other country but cannot be reduced to fear or stereotypes. Like everything in life, China is nuanced and complicated – not black or white.
To learn more about the Harvard China Fund Internship program, click here.