Draft of SW

When people are enjoying trips to foreign countries, they might not even think about a critical requirement for them to be able to visit other countries: having good international relations between your country and other countries in the world. International relations are very important. For governments to take advantage of the business opportunities, they need to know about foreign countries. For individuals to live a more plentiful life, they need to know more about the culture and life of other parts in the world. Additionally, healthy international relations give our nation a better position in the global community, and give us a better life in our own country. As an international student, I deeply understand that both common people and governments can contribute to and get benefit from a good connection between two countries. International relations are very important to our country and our daily life, and there are two major ways to build international understanding, peace, and cooperation through “bottom-up” programs involving ordinary people and “top-down” efforts by governments.

International relations are important aspect of a nation’s power. “The real causes of the nation’s changing position in world politics are multipolarity and interdependence” (Toma 12). The multipolarity and interdependence of a nation usually refers to the economic relations between one country and other countries, involving both competition and cooperation. We all know that the modern world is like a big market where the country that is good at international trade will earn more money. As a Chinese, I am profoundly moved by the miracle that created the Chinese government’s business policy “reform and opening-up,” a policy that supports international trade. China has become stronger and stronger in the world today because international trade earns a lot of money for our country. Furthermore, money can help a country to develop their national defense and science, which will build up a strong, powerful image of the country to other countries. So, the better the international relations of a country, the richer the country is, and the more power it will have when facing a global issue.

International relations are also deeply relevant in our daily life. “People should know the truth about other countries”, my friend, Shelly, said this when she described her experience at the U of A’s Center for English as Second Language. Shelly is an English instructor at the U of A. She is teaching English 101 this semester, and got a chance to take her class to meet the international students studying at CESL last month. She said she was shamed when one of her student asked an international student from Yugoslavia, “Why do people in your country hate American so much?” If only the student knew more about Yugoslavia and Yugoslavians, he would not ask this embarrassing question. When making friends with people from other countries, we can know more about their culture, their country, and not be impolitely to them because we all want to give a good impression.

When talking about how to build up a good relationship between different countries, we should consider the efforts by governments first. Governments are very powerful and obviously have a very important role to play in international relations. “The effect [of increasing government power] on foreign relations is to expand government’s constitutional mandate to intervene in transactions and activities extending overseas” (Toma 176). Before common people and groups can do anything helpful about the relationship between countries, governments should take a first step. A good example of this is the relationship between America and China. Twenty years ago, people would not have believed there are almost 50 percentage of consumer products in America today are labeled “Made in China.” The growing relationship between America and China has developed very quickly since the former president of United States, Richard Nixon, met Chairman Mao in 1971. Apparently, governments provided the precondition for people and groups in China and America to connect with each other, and now, I, as a Chinese, can study in an American college just as other American students.