The Wright Show A Journey Into the New Cold War (Connor Echols & Neysun Mahboubi)
Jul 12, 2025
Neysun Mahboubi, Director of the Penn Project on the Future of U.S.-China Relations, discusses the vital role of educational exchanges amid rising geopolitical tensions. He shares insights from trips bringing American students to China, revealing the fears and challenges they face, especially regarding human rights dialogues. Neysun emphasizes cognitive empathy as crucial for understanding differing political views while navigating U.S. concerns about Chinese student espionage. He also reflects on past presidential approaches to U.S.-China relations and the impact on academic collaboration.
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Student Pushes Human Rights Talk
- A student raised human rights concerns directly during a meeting at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Officials pushed back, leading to a robust, contentious dialogue that the organizer valued deeply.
Value of Cognitive Empathy
- Cognitive empathy means understanding another's position without agreeing with it.
- It helps clarify divergent views, fostering wiser policy decisions despite fundamental disagreements.
Chinese Interest in U.S. Politics
- Chinese interlocutors are highly interested in U.S. politics, often more than Americans understand Chinese politics.
- This mutual interest advances cognitive empathy about complex political contexts on both sides.