Slight Changes in “China”

Recently, I feel slight positive trends in China.

Resume from U.S.

3 years ago, if you’d asked me, “do you think it possible for foreign university graduates to apply jobs in Shanghai?” I would say “you are crazy”. But recently, I received many good resumes from top universities in U.S, like Stanford, or Chicago University, for jobs in Shanghai. On my blog, we also see the trends of more and more people coming to the country.

Also, people from China went aboard for study and even settled for years, and recently, they started to think to come back. I can easily write down a list of 10 of friends who came back to Shanghai in the last two years.

Quality of “Made in China”

I am not sure about this part. So I’d like to ask for your opinion. Some of my friends in the States told me, “Made in China” does not always mean cheap and low quality as before. Many goods from China means “high quality” and some means “not cheap” now. I read news that many OEM vendors in south China start to turn their huge manufacturing capacity to their own brands, instead of just manufacturing for orders.

Chinese Company’s Acquisition

This is also new. It starts with the Lenovo’s Acquisition of ThinkPad business from IBM. Recently, although the CNOOC’s acquisition attempt to Unocal Corp. was stopped by the U.S. congress, it is breaking news for me too.

It is the same. If you ask me “can you imagine these acquisition?” I would say, I believe it would happen, but didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.

I have More and More Foreign Goods in my Daily Life

We went to Carefour the other day, and bought many goods back home. After we are back, I found we bought the Florida’s Natural Orange Juice. They claimed it as 100% pure orange. We also got Australia milk. I didn’t notice it when we put them into our shopping cart.

I have been used to electronic goods from aboard, like TV, camera, and cars. But recently, I found more and more foods appear to be imported from outside.

Is it a sign of the entry of WTO? I am not an economist. I have no idea. It is just the small change I saw.

I Felt the Positive Trends

When I chatted with my friends who is younger than me (5 years or more younger), they are feel their future is promising and there is nothing to worry about. This is called “Confidence level”, right? It is also good.

This is a positive change. Changes happen slower than we expected. However, when it really happens, it seems faster than our anticipation.

It is too fast to draw the conclusion that the country is definitely going to the positive direction, but at least it shows some trends.

Disclaimer: When I talked with my friends in middle China, especially in villages, they showed completely negative expectation for the future. Some felt hopeless about future. The gap within the same country is big and obvious.

23 thoughts on “Slight Changes in “China”

  1. I am a college student in HeBei University.

    I saw your bolg several days ago.

    Now I let me see it everyday,because it gives me lots of experience.

    you are right.wo have confidence in our life because we are young….

  2. Agree with jianshuo. I do feel the trends and further more, I can feel that ordinary chinese people are getting more confident than ever.

    The most significant symbol of the ‘confidence’ i mentioned above is that people are more indifferent about what foreingers are saying. I am not saying ‘arrogance’, but independence instead. We can recall that there was a period of time when Chinese people are really sensitive about what westerners think about us, however, nowadays it is common view that we are living in our own way and will keep our own pace forward.

    ——————–

    Log on my blog http://www.calvin.sh.cn for rich content related to relocation to shanghai.

  3. Although there is a high uncertainty in China, the trend is still positive in both political and economical reforms.

  4. sorry but I still consider a lot of the stuff with MADE IN CHINA on it of poor quality and junk. An example of this was the brand new wireless mouse I purchased about two (2) weeks ago and it went dead on me.

  5. I borned in Jinan, Shandong Province, and I’m having collegiate life in Tianjin.

    It surprised me that the last paragraph shows that “Some felt hopeless about future” in villages in middle China.

    The difference of the attitude about future between cities and villages maybe a big problem. But, is it really so hopeless in villages? I doubt about it.

  6. Right! “Made in China” seems better and better, even OEM product like adidas. You can only got those OEM product labeled “Made in Malaysia” instand of “made in China”. Cuz the better quality goods is for US and Euro market.

  7. I was born in Shanghai. Went to US at age 11. I am 29 now. The changes in China are beyond one’s dream. I am proud of what China has done for its cities and its people. Highways, better railways, airports, etc…. all the new infrastructures in all the cities, and China has provided many opportunities to its young generation! No where in the world has so much being built in so little time! wow…

    The changes that really shoke me:

    – There are villages where water is so polluted, people can’t even use it to water their plants. The cleaning up of cities has polluted the rural land. Shanghai’s SuZhou river was pitch black and smelled like an open sewer when i left. Now, along its banks are the prime real estates. All the black filth and sewers are NOT gone, but just moved to somewhere else.

    – the value of human life hasn’t changed. There are many migrant workers in Shanghai. Many of them get taken advantage of by the construction companies. You have coal workers that dig the mines at 1900s conditions, while the coal mine bosses are reaping the rewards at the cost of their worker’s lives. We can’t call ourselves a civilized nation until we value life equally: ours and others.

    – corruption is everywhere! my god! business in China is about jumping hoops through the agencies. Each one is waiting for a “hong pao”. Even the doctors at hospitals. That’s just sad. If you don’t have money for bribes, you can’t get things done. And shame to the doctors and hospitals who refuse to operate b/c they haven’t got paid by the patient. US health care sucks(cost is high), but if you have no money at ALL, and need surgery to save your life, you WILL get treated.

    In the end, I feel great about what China has achieved in the past 20 some years. At the sametime, I feel with everything that is wrong with US (George Bush and all.. haha.. ), China still has a long way to go in the areas that are intangible. I love China and US.

    By the way… regarding to “Made in China”. I don’t think of it much. Made in US can also be crap, e.g. US made cars (cheap looking on the outside and inside). Chinese made electronics are decent for the price you pay. I think its Made In China means value.

  8. i agree with Alex. Also, from my experience or from what I’ve heard, going back to China is one of the best things young oversea Chinese can do to themselves. Life is too short, while we can, let’s get some opportunities and challenges, let’s get to the next level of our lives.

  9. The thing that will not change is called G-R-E-E-D. No one should be surprised to see all big GOP donors end up in Beijing or Shanghai happily patroning cheap ChiCom chicks.

    Shanghai is home to the ugliest Americans and Europeans. They cut lines, jaywalk on streets, and spit in your face. Something they will never do in their home country. That speaks a lot how they view the so called ‘middle class’ such as wangjianshuo. They are rude, because they are eager to ‘blend in’, to get even with Wangjianshuo’s ‘changed China’ at least.

    If all you want in your life is money and high-octane sex and nothing about value, China IS one of the best choices.

  10. Alex:

    quote:

    “US health care sucks(cost is high), but if you have no money at ALL, and need surgery to save your life, you WILL get treated.”

    i admit the bride issue in hospital, this is very true fact. But the big hospital still do the surgery for the poor people who have no money.

    As you leave China at early age, you may not see your home country. growth/development in a proper way. What you most read/know is mainly from western media. Even your Tanqian trip to China usually only know the “appearance” of china.

    China has a lot of problems but its good than you think. If you left after graduating from College, your thought on China will change. ( when you live in place for long time, you will graduatually have more intimate and good feelings about it).

  11. That’s great! However, there is a tendancy for people to see trends more than reality. Positive trends are even more attractive. Whether it is a habit is to be determined.

    I am just curious about Florida pure orange and Australia milk. What percentage of Chinese people can afford to consume them? This can only be a fact instead of opinion.

  12. aLIenJ, you said

    “i admit the bride issue in hospital, this is very true fact. But the big hospital still do the surgery for the poor people who have no money.”

    What I read between your line is that small hospitals usually refuse to do surgery for poor people,and you think that’s not a big deal when there are some big hospitals doing it.

    According to my experience, biggger the hospital is, higher the cost is. If big hospital do give free surgery, they will get it back from “红包” and “回扣” soon.

  13. quote:

    I am just curious about Florida pure orange and Australia milk. What percentage of Chinese people can afford to consume them? This can only be a fact instead of opinion.

    Posted by: SSC on July 5, 2006 01:13 AM

    —–Wang Jianshuo is so-called middle class, so he consumes Florida pure orange and Australia milk. Most of Chinese just watch him consuming. Wang jianshuo just ignore their watch and enjoy them.

  14. Hello world:

    Please dont assume every doctor and hosptial is evil. i describle the fact that is what i know from trustful doctor friend.

    How can a patient (rural immgrant workers) who don’t have family here cant afford Red pocket. And the patient family usually pay Red pocket who wish the doctor could give special care and do a successul surgery. So if it was a sudden accident, the surgery would be done in advance. In this case, Red pocket doesnt work.

    As i said before, China is not better than you think. it has a lot social problems. And it is also not worse than you think. Every country has its own problems.

    Taking bride is a issue that take places in Asian countries like S.Korea, Japan, Thailand.etc. Do u know the reason? This root cause is the CULTURE. its hard to describle in short essay,so

    I’d recommend you a book “My country and my people” by Lin Yutang.

    From his book, you have a idea of China’s nation spirit ( both merit and demerit).

    Also i wrote to Alex “when you live in place for long time, you will graduatually have more intimate and good feelings about it”—–it does mean someone is patriotic. As to me, i love China, and i am pround of Chinese. And if i was born in a small country in Africa, i would love it.

    I believe that someone can’t forget the place where you are from.

    Eg: Someone cann’t complain their parent giving him bad looking appreace. Because they are ur parents, who give you life.

    I wish my words are not too radical and what i write is just trying to say the truth.

  15. Thanks to aLIenJ for his/her truthful words. (I mean it.) No, they are not radical. Here, I would like to make a few comments.

    1. Patriotism must be guarded by righteousness and rational thoughts. Ordinary Germans in the Nazi era used to have plenty of patriotism.

    2. A single doctor’s statement does not mean anything at all, neither on the positive or negative side. One does not wait every doctor turning evil to admit a problem.

    3. This statement, “China is not better than you think. … And it is also not worse than you think.”, is almost a compliment to “Hello World”. Logically, this is to admit that the other’s view is an exact reflection of facts.

    4. Corruption (e.g., taking bribe) is by no means limited to Asian nations, and hence, in my opinion, is more related to human nature rather than cultural factors. Asian nations seem more vulnerable to corruption since they inherit a type of traditional social system, in which, in simple words, things tend to be kept secret.

  16. ssc:

    thank you very much for the feedback on my comment. i hope i am not over-patrioted and i reviewed the words and tones before posting. I am attempting to be open minded. Well, but i know i can’t make it in some circumstances. (eg: patriotism )sorry about that.

    1. back to Red Pocket issue in local hospitals, i have to admit i erase one paragraph about the root cause.

    2. my statment “China is not better than you think. … And it is also not worse than you think” is to tell the other readers to see a world in a fair and objective way. Comparision across bordiers is required to consider the geographic/ climate/language/culture difference.

    3. “tradition social system” to me is a part of culture. It’s okay that we use different words to convey same meaning.

    thanks Wangjianshuo to offer this flatform to the readers to dicuss, and as he mentioned his mission is to build to a bridge between west and east and we all know that its a hard process. Jianshuo had built such a beautiful place and i wanna keep it pure and peaceful.

    so further discussion, SSC,please email me at iskydahai@126.com.

    Best Regards,

    AlienJ

  17. ssc:

    thank you very much for the feedback on my comment. i hope i am not over-patrioted and i reviewed the words and tones before posting. I am attempting to be open minded. Well, but i know i can’t make it in some circumstances. (eg: patriotism )sorry about that.

    1. back to Red Pocket issue in local hospitals, i have to admit i erase one paragraph about the root cause.

    2. my statment “China is not better than you think. … And it is also not worse than you think” is to tell the other readers to see a world in a fair and objective way. Comparision across bordiers is required to consider the geographic/ climate/language/culture difference.

    3. “tradition social system” to me is a part of culture. It’s okay that we use different words to convey same meaning.

    thanks Wangjianshuo to offer this flatform to the readers to dicuss, and as he mentioned his mission is to build to a bridge between west and east and we all know that its a hard process. Jianshuo had built such a beautiful place and i wanna keep it pure and peaceful.

    so further discussion, SSC,please email me at iskydahai@126.com.

    Best Regards,

    AlienJ

  18. Different people see different things; people with different focus see different things. Just look at Stephen, he probably is a journalist, so he would like to draw people’s attention to a different angle of view (with an intention perhaps). But anyway, it is good to know different views on a single subject.

  19. Hi, I want to know how do you schedule your everyday time? It seems that you shall spend much time on writing BLOG.

  20. “Taking bride is a issue that take places in Asian countries like S.Korea, Japan, Thailand.etc. Do u know the reason? This root cause is the CULTURE. its hard to describle in short essay,so I’d recommend you a book “My country and my people” by Lin Yutang.

    From his book, you have a idea of China’s nation spirit ( both merit and demerit).

    —-aLIenJ, to be honest, I think Lin Yutang is no more than a popular writer. What he write about in his popular book is not the Chinese living in China, but the Chinese living in his brain.

    Talking about culture, you should not forget Taiwan and Hongkong, they are much closer to China mainland than Thailand. and you have to admit that Red Packet are not popular in Hongkong, and becoming less popular in Taiwan either.

    In China, culture is a huge basket, we put everything into it. So culture is everything, and therefor culture is nothing.

  21. ” – Talking about culture, you should not forget Taiwan and Hongkong, they are much closer to China mainland than Thailand. and you have to admit that Red Packet are not popular in Hongkong, and becoming less popular in Taiwan either. -”

    Regarding Taiwan, becoming less still means a lot. Just look at the first family.

    And in terms of Hong Kong; the ICAC is some thing to be very proud of for Hong Kong ppl. But remember it’d been a colony for 100 years under the british. Even then when they set up the ICAC to deal with the rampant corruption in HK society by the early 70’s, all hell broke loose when the HK POLICE went on strike and riots against it! And don’t forget this was accomplished with a dictatorial foreign government, who did not concern itself with chinese ‘culture’.

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