A public debate featuring the Linfield debate team and university debaters from China will be held Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. in the lobby of Ford Hall at Linfield College.
The debate, sponsored by the Linfield College Communication Arts and Forensics Programs, will be in English and follow British Parliamentary Debate style. The resolution, “China should place an arms embargo on the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea,” will serve as the focus of the debate.
The students’ visit to Linfield is part of the annual Northwest Debate Tour coordinated by the International Debate Education Association (IDEA). The three students, Zeng Qingxi from Sichuan University, Zhang Xinyi from Xi’an International Studies University and Tang Xiaojiao from Fudan University, have toured colleges and universities in Oregon and Washington since mid-January. Yang Ge from Dalian Nationalities University again serves as the team’s sponsor. The tour provides the Chinese students with opportunities to engage in democratic free speech by discussing topics that are often censored in their home country. Over the years, throughout non-democratic societies, IDEA has learned how to help students debate censored topics safely. The tour also provides opportunities for U.S. students to debate with and learn from their international counterparts.
