William Brown was born in the USA in 1956. A professor at Xiamen University's School of Management, he was also the first foreigner in Fujian Province to receive a Chinese green card. When he arrived in Xiamen in 1988 friends called him crazy — he has stayed 30+ years.
His Chinese name Weilian means "upholding integrity". He loves China and writes books introducing it: letters to Americans from 1988, and in 2018 the book I Am Not an Outsider: Old Pan's Letters from China, documenting three decades of change.
In 2019 he sent the book to President Xi Jinping. Xi replied: "For 30 years you have tirelessly introduced China to the world — I give you a thumbs-up." The reply made "Old Pan" famous nationwide. He was named one of China's "Most Moving People of 2019".
He often says, "I'm not a laowai, I'm a laonei (insider)." His students span the globe, and he has become a symbol of Xiamen. From "are you crazy?" to "not an outsider" — one American professor turned himself into a Chinese in 30 years.
William N. Brown (1956- ), American scholar and Xiamen University professor, has lived in China over 30 years, author of I Am Not an Outsider, and is affectionately called the "foreigner who is not an outsider".
Arrival: he came to Xiamen University in 1988, teaching management first, then English. He witnessed China changes since reform and opening - from a small fishing town to an international city.
Origin of "not an outsider": his favourite phrase is "I am not an outsider" - meaning he does not treat himself as a stranger. He calls Xiamen home and his students friends. In 2019 he published I Am Not an Outsider, recording 30 years in China.
Contributions: he has taught thousands of students, many now entrepreneurs and diplomats. An "honorary citizen" of Fujian, he has long introduced Fujian and China real development to the world and received the Chinese Friendship Medal.
Family: he and his wife Susan raised two children in China, who grew up and started families there. His story has been widely covered by CCTV and others - a model of foreign integration into China.
Lesson for learners: his "not an outsider" is not a slogan but action - learn the language, make friends, join local life. His experience proves that if you treat a foreign land as home, it will treat you as one of its own.
In 2019 he wrote to President Xi Jinping reporting his 30 years in China, and Xi replied, praising his "not an outsider" spirit. That detail shows a foreigner sincerity can be seen by a nation and its leader. His story has become a warm chapter in China opening-up narrative.
He has published several English books introducing Fujian and China, helping foreign readers see the real country. He says: "the best decision of my life was coming to Xiamen in 1988." One choice decades ago made him a bridge between East and West.
In one sentence: sincerity is a language that needs no translation. His Chinese may not be the most standard, but his "not an outsider" moves more than any rhetoric. In cross-cultural exchange, the most powerful tool is always a sincere heart.
