In the long civilization of humankind, 40 years is like a snap. But in the past 40 years, what the new China and her people have envisioned, realized and created could be called a stunning footprint.

-China's per capita GDP ranked 61st globally in 2017, moving up 65 slots compared with 1980.

-Disposable Personal Income of China reached an all-time-high of 36,396 yuan ($5,435)in 2017 compared with a record low of 343.40 yuan in 1978.

-China’s outbound direct investment reached $120 billion in 2017, covering 174 countries and regions.

-The total number of Chinese outbound tourists witnessed a historic high of 1.2 billion, ranking No.1 in the world.

-China has become one of the leading hubs worldwide for artificial intelligence development.

It was 40 years ago that the reform and opening-up policy was advocated and implemented, setting the nation on the path toward fast development and modernization and opening its door again to goods, services, people and information, thus enormously elevating Chinese citizen’s satisfaction toward life. Most importantly, it not only benefits the country economically, but also provides the younger generations with more choices for life and increasing exposure to the outside, equipping the backbones for future China with a better understanding of the global village and empowering them to contribute more to the village affairs.

Feng Lin, Liu Qianli and four friends are young Chinese born in the late 1980s, who have enjoyed the openness and opportunities that the reform and opening-up ushered in. All based in Shanghai and with a strong sense of “global villager identity”, they were invited by David Gosset, founder of Europe-China Forum, to share their own stories over a Young Leader Panel in Shanghai last month.

More education and more possibilities

The reform-related policies have dramatically changed most of the facets of the Chinese society, from politics to economy, from culture to education. And for young people from modest family

backgrounds, better and higher education tends to be the code that could help realizing their ambitions and changing their fates.

Feng Lin, a 32 year’s old project manager at an international charitable organization called Save The Children, emotionally recalled the time when her parents, both born before the 1960s and both physically disadvantaged, would not able to climb up the social ladder through knowledge and qualifications due to the halt of Chinese college entrance examinations, a nation-wide selection mechanism which awards students with the precious ticket to the "palace" of higher education.

However, the reform of Chinese education system around 1980 blessed Lin and her peers with a chance to go to college, and possibly to choose a major they like. Given her family condition and life experience, Lin chose nursing as her major in university, which paved the way for her later career at the China branch of the NGO which is dedicated to helping children in obtaining better healthcare and education.

Liu Yating, 29, from Jiangxi province, works at a data-driven technology company. This young MBA graduate from CEIBS is fascinated by the opportunities brought by the ever-changing business world. “Entrepreneurship is something I see in myself.” Different than her parents who were restricted by the policy environment less favorable for small and medium-sized enterprises, Yating was provided with more freedom to choose her career paths.

From a marketer in a real estate company, to an operation director in a blockchain technology start-up, Yating never stops trying new roles and continues to pose herself with challenges. During the MBA program, she opened a WeChat account introducing fine wine to Chinese consumers; upon graduation, she successfully kicked off her career in fintech as expected. As she puts it, “To be one of this generation is great luck, and not to waste luck, I want to fill my life with different colors”.

More exposure and more chances

Before 1978, overseas study seemed to be a luxury that ordinary citizens could barely dream of, on account of both affordability limitation and policy hurdles. In mid-1980, people were permitted to study abroad at their own expense. Then there came a tide of Chinese students from China venturing into American and European universities which were equipped with

more advanced facilities and methodologies. At the end of 2017, the sum of Chinese students going abroad to further their study reached 5.19 million, equal to the population of Slovakia.

Liu Qianli and Yang Shasha are among these college graduates who chose to further their study in the UK. With a passion for language learning and cross cross-cultural communication, the young women from Hunan and Guizhou provinces, both delved into language-related majors and careers.

Qianli, 29, works as an English-Chinese interpreter and has travelled to 33 countries in five continents with her study and job. She felt lucky to be a post-80’s. “Compared to my mom, who had little access to international information and overseas travel, I was blessed with more exposure to the world outside China.”

She smiled with confidence and modesty; “Without good English proficiency, I wouldn’t be able to enroll in the demanding translation program offered by Newcastle University and later win an internship at the UN office. Watching how UN officials debate vital issues was eye-opening, but observing how the interpreters render those brave yet diplomatic statements was even more inspiring.” Three years after graduation, she was granted a chance to interpret for former UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon during an event in Shanghai.

Shasha, 31, acts as director of studies at an international school in China. With a passion for teaching, she did her master of Pedagogy in University College London. In an amiable and professional manner, she openly talked about both the advantages and shortcomings of a Chinese classroom. “Most of my schooling experience in China is very positive, and I have met wonderful teachers along the way. That makes me want to share more what I have learnt aboard with home students and what I know about China with foreign students, and I see much more synergy to be created by traditional Chinese methods and western ones.”

In 1978, Chinese students returning from abroad (often called “sea turtles”) was 248, accounting for 28.8 percent of the total of outbound students. In 2016, returnee numbers hit 432,500, occupying 79.4 percent of the total outbound students. Chen Kaicheng, 28, a male freelance interpreter with a Master of Interpreting from the UK, acknowledged that the massive opportunities available in the Chinese market are great attractions to him and his Chinese classmates in the UK who even discussed their ideas of coming back to China to work before the postgraduate program commenced.

As the panel discussion coming to an end, Shasha being the most senior speaker in the panel and Daniel being the youngest, were posed with a question: if there is one suggestion that you want to tell foreign friends who never came to China, what would you say? Making a quotation from a book by Jim Rogers, Kaicheng responded, “Do not rely on books. Go and see,’’ believing your second-hand information would get you lost in China. Shasha echoed his views. “China is changing rapidly. And if you want to get to know about the real China, learn Chinese, eat out and live in China for a while.”

Kelly Liu is a translator based in Shanghai and has been actively engaged in cross-cultural studies and activities. The author contributed this article to China Watch exclusively. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of China Watch.

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