Politics in the Classroom
One of the great things about teaching in China (especially at the university level) is the range of perspectives you can get from your students on any range of topics. I have generally found my students to be well informed and intellectually curious in ways that fuel genuinely interesting (if often chaotic) discussions. For the most part, they will be interested in your perspectives and open with their own. That said, I have never been particularly successful at leading a discussion on any sort of political topic. More than with any other possible subject, these topics have always ended with the diplomatic critique; “maybe, this is a little bit too boring.”
Before coming to teach in China, I had some apprehension about introducing political discussion. My strong sense was that students would be unlikely to offer up their true feelings for fear of some type of public censure. What I found instead was that students felt uncomfortable talk on the issues not because of any sort of self-censorship, but simply because they were not interested in the issues.
This is not to say that your students will not be able to engage in substantive debate. They will. That said, I would caution others against a mistake I have made – assuming an active interest in politics. There really is very little culture of political debate in China, and while students are unlikely to be offended or uncomfortable, they will probably be bored. On November 4th, you may find yourself better off discussing the start of a new NBA season than the election of a new US president.