By Makoto Hase

　　　September 29, 2002 is the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. Diplomatic relations between Japan and China have changed in various ways; for example, in October, Japanese musicians held a concert on the mainland of China. I didnﾕt know about this anniversary until I read the newspaper. I interviewed Ms. Yang Liu, who belongs to the Business Management Department of this university and is a foreign student from China, because I want to learn about China from her.

　　　When I met and talked with her for the first time, I was surprised at her Japanese speaking skills. I also felt strongly that she thinks about her future seriously and lives towards her goals.

　　　She was enrolled in a public foreign language school from the first grade of junior high school to the third grade of high school. There are about 10 public foreign language schools in all of China and they each have their own specialty. Though there are many foreign language schools, only about 5 percent of them teach Japanese. Zhengzhou Foreign Language School, where she studied, has Japanese, English and Russian departments.

　　　The reason she chose the Japanese department was that she could study Japanese in small classes compared to English classes in the English department. Her father advised her that the best way to learn a foreign language is in a small class. Thanks to being in small classes, her Japanese progressed quickly. The more her Japanese progressed, the stronger her thoughts of going to Japan became, because Japan is considered an economic power, and she thinks that is useful for her future after graduation. That is her motive.

　　　After graduating from Zhengzhou Foreign Language School, she entered the Japanese department of Guangdong Foreign Language University. This department is popular among students. But the classes of this university werenﾕt different from the foreign language schoolﾕs classes. She was disappointed in the classes at university and lost her interest because she expected to learn a higher level of Japanese. At the time she became bored with her classes, she learned of the opportunity to study abroad at Sapporo University, and took the examination and moved to study in Japan. Her dream to come to Japan some day came true.

　　　Now she belongs to the Business Management Department of Sapporo University and is a sophomore. She is registered for four years as a regular foreign student. She takes basic subjects like Bookkeeping, Computer, Introduction to Business Management and technical subjects related to computers, such as computer programming, because she seriously thinks about her future job. She also takes the basic subjects such as P.E. and music, too. She said both classes are really interesting.

　　　She has a grant from the Ministry of Education and Science, which is 30 percent of her four-year tuition fee. She also has a housing subsidy of 300,000 yen per year, 200 meal tickets (which are limited to 500 yen per lunch), the use of tickets for the co-op (40,000 yen per year) and free bicycle rental. She greatly appreciates this support.

　　　When I asked her what she wants to do after graduation, she said, ﾒI want to enter graduate school. A national graduate school is better because national graduate schools might have a tuition fee exemption. After that I might work in Japan if I find the right job.ﾓ She is concerned about jobs in Japan, especially the cheap starting salaries and the weakness of womenﾕs position in society. I keenly realized that the job problem is the same everywhere regardless of race or nationality. We hope she can realize her dream, and we support her and other foreign students and we want to learn many things from them.