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Business, man

Beijing, April 08

There is an expression zai4 shang1 hai3 zhong1, you2 yong3, swim in the sea of business, and since my last entry, that's exactly what I've decided to do. After a year of feeling restless at my last job in the headhunting company, I decided to try my hand at products from China. Things have started slowly, but I comfort myself in the knowledge that there isn't a business in the world that is instantly successful. Otherwise we would all be doing it ;-)

My most recent project involves manufacturing tai4 yang2 neng2, solar energy, products in China and exporting them to Africa. Last month, I attended a solar energy zhan3 lan3, exhibition, in Shanghai. As a result, I have realised just how much China is embracing the renewable energy revolution; and was impressed with how many solar powered traffic and street lights I've started seeing around the country. Even in Tiananmen Square, the heart of Beijing, solar energy is starting to dominate. Many new apartments have solar powered water heating units installed on their roofs. Seems there is indeed some hope for a greener, cleaner future.

Olympian build-up

For as long as I have been in China, the 2008 ao4 yun4 hui4, Olympic games, has been a media obsession. Watch any Chinese dian4 shi4 jie2 mu4, TV programme, and after 10 minutes there is guaranteed to be an Olympic commercial or xin1 wen2, news, update. And it's been like this for the last four years. What is interesting is that many of my Beijing friends haven't been openly excited about it. Housing prices in Beijing have quadrupled, and the cost of living here has increased exponentially.

Only last week, my landlady told me that, my rent would increase by 500rmb for the next contract renewal which is due before the Olympics. I told her that this was unacceptable. She answered that she had expected this, and had arranged for someone to come and view the apartment that very evening and I could leave in a month! So with 'shotgun' to head, I agreed to the increase.

Trouble in the West

My Beijing friends tell me that in their eyes, the Olympics are finally a chance for China to prove to the world that it has arrived on the world stage. So as you can imagine, the recent situation in xi1 zang4, Tibet, and its reaction have been cause for much venting.Most Chinese people here are pretty unified in their opinions. Namely that China is being treated harshly by the West who with one-hand wages an immoral war in Iraq and on the other-hand accuses China over Tibet. As far as the national mei2 ti3, media, is concerned the da2 lai4 la3 ma, Dalai Lama, is at best a trouble-maker and at worst a kong3 bu4 fen4 zi3, terrorist. The Tibetan protestors were dubbed the "Dalai Lama clique".

Opinions

I spoke to some of my closest Chinese friends here about the issue, this is what they said.Ping ping, my friend in Shanghai, 24 year old, female was philosophical. She said: "This is a very complicated political and social problem, all I can say is that I am also a person who loves their country!"Joan Li, my friend from Beijing, whom I've known for about 3 years told me: "We are boycotting foreign media which makes false reports about China about Tibet. The West has never really understood China, and still doesn't!"Anthony Yang, an old student of mine from the North-East of China and a close friend, now studying in Singapore, says: "The news about Tibet is really bad, and some foreign media have distorted the news, they are reporting fake news to cheat foreigners."Since the chaos with the Olympic torch, the local media has been particularly critical of France. Jade Wen, a 23 year old studying in the UK told me: "I was going to go shopping in France but now I don't think I feel like going."I think that Chinese people working and studying abroad have been most affected by this situation. Recently on msn, there was a very colourful demonstration where in front of nearly all of my Chinese contacts "love China" was displayed - using a red-heart. As for me I have found that despite the political tensions people here have been even more friendly and keen to show that whatever happens on a political scale friendship will not be affected.

Editor's note: Chris is writing Chinese words in 'Pinyin', Latin script, using numbers that indicate the tone of the word. Find out more with our course Real Chinese.

Sent by: Chris

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