In the history of Sino-US exchanges, Nobel Prize-winner Pearl S Buck, a writer from the United States also known as Sai Zhenzhu, stands prominently as "the most influential Westerner to write about China since the 13th century's Marco Polo", as described by late US historian James C Thomson Jr.

Buck's true significance lies in her approach to cross-cultural understanding, says Guo Yingjian, a specially appointed professor at Renmin University of China, one of the earliest Chinese scholars to research Buck.

"She shows us that effective cultural exchange doesn't start with labels, ideological judgments, or demonization. Instead, it begins with understanding people's lives: their suffering, dignity, and shared emotions," he says.

Through reading her popular and sympathetic novels, particularly The Good Earth, Americans' perceptions of China changed significantly in the 1930s and 40s.

"The majority of Chinese were seen for the first time in literature as honest, kindhearted, frugal-living, hard-working, deity-fearing farmers who are much the same as American farmers," wrote Chinese scholar Liao Kang in 1997.

Buck's empathy went beyond pity, reflecting an understanding of others' circumstances, says Guo.