In 1995 I first entered the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square. It was an awesome experience as part of the UK Government Trade Delegation to China. I had been to China in the early 1980s and knew that it was a nation on the move, a nation that would eventually spearhead the new commercial world of the 21st Century.
Today 5,000 Political delegates descended upon Beijing and into the Great Hall for their National Party Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. The range of topics discussed are from the economy to the falling birth rate, from the enhancement of Military to the pursuit of 6% GDP. From the question of retirement and provision of basic pension for all by 2027 to the address of 5.5% unemployment and the creation of 11 million new jobs. Their big and I mean big banks want to increase lending to small business by 30% and become an advanced manufacturing powerhouse. Everything is BIG in China including the 220 billion face masks and 2.36 billion items of protective clothing produced to defeat Covid 19.
Fresh from its so called trade wars with the youngest world civilisation of America the oldest world civilisation of China has been through challenges. The Chinese highly respect all that is America and they have paid the highest compliment by creating Gateway cities in pursuit of the Capitalist dream. Both nations need each other and the pursuit of balance not the tilt of scales should be the priority. China is a proud nation with proud people who by name believe they are at the centre of the world ‘ Zhonguo ‘ or Middle Kingdom is Mandarin for China. The mix of America is in fact its success whilst China beats the ethnic drum with over 7 times more people and by sheer numbers and buying power can create the new world.
The other Kingdom , United Kingdom I think should focus on improving their relationship with China and post Brexit increase trade. We are too small to stand alone principled but made poor. Surely to work together despite our differences is a good goal. There are for example more Christians in China ( 50 million ) than in the UK ( 33 million ) and the spirit is there. Why can’t we accept that we have new markets open to us and times have surely changed. Our Universities have so much to offer and we too can learn so much in looking at their ways of business. Recently the Chairman of a large China Bank in London told me that ‘ if I care for you, you will care for me ‘. That makes sense.
The Chinese pinyin for I know is the title of this blog Wo Zhidao and I know that China is going to be a World leader but also that America is a conglomerate of mixed cultures that has the good and benefit of all from across the world to match. UK with it’s relatively minuscule population can trade and make good relationships with both. Let’s not be afraid or believe all that we read on a daily basis but let’s impose the best from all cultures and rid ourselves of the bad. To manage over 1.4 billion people takes some doing and the rules need to be different. Their ways may not be our ways always but Maslow hierarchy of needs apply to most and if we allow the pursuit of these we will see the playing fields level. Trust is the most important ingredient in any transaction and when we trust and build on that we all can win a world that’s a better place.
Wo Zhidao , I’ve been there I’ve seen for myself.
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