canb888

Bullish on China After My Recent Visit

Jeff, Five stars for your short article. I am recommending your article to many of my friends. You started it on the right note: "My favorite part of the trip was most definitely the people". I am a Canadian having been sent to China initially for three months by a Canadian government program followed by a two-year assignment by my employer. The experience was so positive that I later quit my job in Toronto and uprooted my family to come to China and have been here for almost 20 years. For the critics, I speak fairly fluent Mandarin and a little bit of Cantonese and other dialects. I have travelled to almost every corner of the country and covered all areas including the very poor and the very rich places because of my various jobs. Some of the critics seem so biased that even if I write ten more pages, it will not change their mind. One food-for-thought: In China today, the common people make fun of the government and criticize the state leaders with almost no fear, much less fear than in a democratic Singapore. Freedom is relative. As you correctly onserved, people are happy. They are happier than in 5, 10 or 20 years ago. (Regarding Tibet, it seems to be politically incorrect in the Western press to say anything good about Tibet. One statistics though: while there may be 50,000 Tibetans that are worst off today most of whom had fled China, the majority of the 2 million Tibetans are much better off today. The temples are also in better shape than any time in history as Tibet was always poor in the past with a handfull of rich serf owners similar to slavery times in the US.) I guess people in the US are also happier than 5, 10 or 20 years ago as humans are progressing and life is getting better everyday - materially (think of $$$), culturally and spiritually. Sometimes I joke with my Chinese staff/friends when having meals that we are enjoying better food than the rulers had in the palaces of yesteryears. Physically and materially it is true due to modernisation and science.

Think of the impact of tourism: 40 million Chinese went abroad as tourists in 2007 - this was unthinkable politically or financially even a few years ago. There are probably more Chinese that have been to all of Thailand/Malaysia/Sing... than there are US citizens that have been to all of those countries. Very soon, there will be more Chinese that have visited Europe than there are US citizens that did it bacause Europe is open to Chinese citizens and is a most favourite spot now. That 40 million will be surpassed this year, add to that domestic tourism in the billions of person days. Now you should start to understand why China bought more planes from Boeing and Airbus than any other country. Give China another 20 years then history could judge whether the current government is doing the right things. In my observation, they are mostly doing the right things. They do need to do much more in polution controls, energy management and medical care, and they do need to improve the checks and balances in the financial system (most people won't know what I am talking about here and I won't go into details) and construction system that critics are quick to point out correctly as exposed by the earthquake. The existence of problems do not nullify the achievements. Let's all be factual. A properous and peaceful China is in the best interest of humankind today. That's what they have - prosperity and peace. Hope it continues.

Jeff, your observation that: "Most of the wealth in China is in hands of 45 year and younger age bracket" is very real. That's one reason why "Swiss bank account" is not an issue here, the money people make is being re-invested in sharp contrast to some other corrupted countries.

Come and see China, it will be healthy for your health, mind and finance. And it will be good for peace and prosperity for all.