Sidney Rittenberg, the author of The Man Who Stayed Behind, arrived in China during the Second World War, eventually ending up at Yan’an and becoming the first American to join the Chinese Communist Party. For 35 years he worked alongside the likes of Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai as an official at the People’s Broadcast Administration. He was imprisoned twice for a total of 16 years before leaving China in 1979, returning to the US and setting up a consultancy firm with his wife. The sinologist sat down with TALK prior his lecture last month at Concordia International School to reflect back on his extraordinary life and read the tea leaves on China’s relationship with the US.

After being accused of spying and serving six years of solitary confinement under the orders of Joseph Stalin, why did you decide to stay in China after your release in 1955?

I was told I could go back to America and forget about China for the rest of my life or I could choose to stay and continue my studies. It never entered my head that this was a difficult choice, because for me it was not a viable option to leave. I felt that the party leadership had put a cloud on top of me and it was up to them to take it off. I was so deep into China and my studies that I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. The other reason was I was a wreck – physically and mentally. If I returned to the US it would have been hard to function in that situation, so I thought I had a better chance by staying.

What do you believe is the largest misconception the US has of China?

Well of course there are a great many, but I think maybe the biggest misconception is that China is a land of darkness. It is still thought of by many people as a country where everyone marches in step with everyone else and if you dare speak even slightly out of turn you’ll go to jail or worse. This is simply not the case; China is a very diverse country. You can say and do virtually anything in this country if you use the right tone of voice and you know how to do it. If you are skilful about what you ask for and are not a direct challenge, you usually will get it.

How can the US better assimilate this wisdom into their diplomacy with China?

If you saw former US Ambassador Jon Huntsman’s farewell address, he said one of the top necessities was for Chinese and Americans to spend more time in each others’ countries. I completely agree. As more Americans come to live in this atmosphere for even just a few weeks, their perception of China will begin to change. This is central to building trust. When I worked as a consultant to numerous American corporations, when talking with their Chinese counterparts, these business people often were so intent on trying to figure out the hidden agenda on the Chinese side, that they couldn’t focus on the non-hidden agenda. This paranoia needs to be broken down.

What do you hope to impart on Concordia’s students at your lecture?

The most important thing is that they take away an idea they may have already about understanding the critical importance of the US-China relationship, for us and the future of the whole world. Also in addressing this relationship, to examine the facts and think for yourself. Don’t follow anybody else’s piper, don’t follow anyone’s propaganda. Use your own head and examine the facts in front of you to draw your own conclusions.

You acted as an important cultural bridge between the US and China. Who do you see playing this role in the future?

There are many young students coming to China who are engaged at the primary level in NGOs, teaching at schools or working in business – I think some of them will be very hopeful. The many Chinese graduate students studying in the US will also play a key role. This responsibility will be spread across many people on both sides.