Canadian Manchu looking for "soft power" of China in Kyrgyzstan

13:00, 23 апреля 2017, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Jazgul MASALIEVA

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25-year-old student of the Master’s program in International Relations of the of  came to  six months ago. He is a Manchu. This is indigenous population of Northeast China, living mainly in  and . He is conducting a research for his doctoral thesis «'s soft power policy in » in Bishkek. The young man is studying Kyrgyz-Chinese economic, social, cultural and political relations.

John chose from all Central Asian countries not without a reason. First, the country has a common border and close ties with . Secondly, is included in the list of 44 countries with which the had introduced visa-free regime in 2012. The simplified visa regime, as John noted, is one of the main advantages for the development of the tourism industry of the country.

— This is your first time in Bishkek. Did the capital meet your expectations?

— To be honest, my expectations were more pessimistic. I knew that this was a post-Soviet developing country. I read on the Internet only about the . I also knew that the city is located near Almaty. I once traveled to Almaty before. But when I saw Bishkek, I was surprised. It is a cozy city. According to my observations, a good pace has been taken compared to some developing countries.

— Do you already have favorite places in the city?

— Yes, I really like Duboviy (Oak) Park with a number of different sculptures. I am also delighted with some buildings, for example, the Philharmonic Hall and the Opera and Ballet Theater. I can say that you will not see such classical architectural structures like your theater in many developing countries of the world.

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— Do you like the local cuisine?

— Of course, because I’m Asian ethnically. I love meat, especially lamb. I eat only shashlyk, kuurdak and beshbarmak for six months already.

— Have you, probably, put on some weight during this time?

-No, I have not noticed it so far.

— What has fascinated or disappointed you in the local population?

-At first glance, people are cold, strict. But when you start talking to them, you immediately notice that it is the opposite: they are friendly, open and even straightforward. This mentality is close to my nature. For example, many people, seeing my hair, laugh loudly, especially guys. I do not pay attention to this, it is not an offense for me, because I understand that this is sincere amazement.

— And what is inconvenient for you in Bishkek?

— Being a sociable person, I can overcome the language barrier. But I can not get used to the most popular local public transport — minibuses. The minibuses were interesting for me only in the first three days. But now, this is a hard test every time. They are crowded; there are always a lot of people. It is especially bad to drive along rough roads. It is inconvenient not only to stand and hold on, but to sit also.

In , and in Almaty, a taxi can be called on the Internet, and a driver will find a client without a telephone call and will take to the place without asking too much. And here you need to call the taxi driver several times.

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— What in Bishkek reminds you of  and what do you miss?

-A lot of cafes and bars remind me of my city. And I miss, probably, picnics, gatherings in parks, outdoors.

— Would you return to Bishkek as opportunity offers?

— Yes, I’ll come back. I plan to finish my research in a month. In the future, I want to find a job closely connected with . I want to live here and learn more about this region.