ij ing ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁Ber tr am ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁then ▁Pe ip ing ▁( P ek ing / Be ij ing ) ▁with ▁comm issions ▁from ▁several ▁British ▁publications ▁including ▁The ▁Times , ▁the ▁Manchester ▁Guardian ▁and ▁the ▁New ▁States man ▁to ▁write ▁fre el ance ▁articles ▁on ▁Asian ▁issues . ▁ ▁In ▁Be ij ing ▁Ber tr am ▁studied ▁Chinese ▁including ▁at ▁Y en ch ing ▁University ▁where ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁men ▁he ▁shared ▁a ▁room ▁with ▁was ▁Wang ▁Ju - me i ▁who ▁was ▁later ▁to ▁be ▁better ▁known ▁under ▁his ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁name ▁of ▁Hu ang ▁H ua ▁as ▁the ▁longest - ser ving ▁foreign ▁minister ▁of ▁the ▁P RC ▁after ▁Z hou ▁En la i . ▁Ber tr am ' s ▁other ▁ro omm ate ▁was ▁Z hang ▁Z ha olin ▁( Ch ang ▁Ch ao - lin ) ▁who ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁editor ▁of ▁a ▁X i ' an ▁( S ian ) ▁daily ▁newspaper ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁' The ▁Young ▁Marsh al ' ▁Z hang ▁X uel i ang . ▁ ▁In ▁Be ij ing ▁Ber tr am ▁also ▁met ▁American ▁correspond ent ▁Ed gar ▁Snow , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁teaching ▁journal ism ▁at ▁Y en ch ing ▁University , ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Peg ▁Snow . ▁Ber tr am ▁later ▁wrote ▁that ▁" Me eting ▁the ▁Sn ows ▁was ▁for ▁me ▁the ▁real ▁turning ▁point ▁in ▁my ▁discovery ▁of ▁modern ▁China ". ▁So on ▁after ▁Ber tr am