Experience China
Last
month I had the pleasure of joining
dozens of other Chamber CEO’s on a trade
and cultural mission to China, hosted by
the American Chamber of Commerce. In
addition to St. Petersburg and Sarasota
in Florida, we joined with the CEO’s of
Charlotte, Oklahoma City, Honolulu, Los
Angeles, El Paso, Green Bay, Topeka,
Asheville and many more. Our visit
lasted nine days and eight nights and
included business, diplomatic and
government meetings in Beijing,
Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou. In
every instance we were greeted by bands,
drummers, dancers, dignitaries,
newspapers and TV stations.
The purpose of the trip was two-fold: to increase our understanding of the global business issues facing China, and, to experience China culturally for a future tourism trip, now scheduled for Nov 6-14, 2009. The cultural portion of the trip included Tian’anmen Square, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tiger Hill, Yu Garden and many other sites and sounds. If you are interested in joining us or learning more about this incredible trip for you or your family please visit www.daytonachamber.com/china for all the details.
To understand the business issues and possibilities for American companies you’ll need to know a few compelling facts. For 18 years straight, China’s economy has grown at a double digit pace. In America we are quite content with 3-4 percent growth rate. Even facing a worldwide recession, Premier Wen Jiabao has expressed a commitment to grow their GDP by 8%! How is this possible? There are many answers not the least of which is the fact that China has between 1.3 and 1.5 billion people living in the same physical area as the United States. Even the two smallest cities we visited, Hangzhou and Suzhou, house more than 11 million people each. I found it amusing they consider Miami, Orlando, Atlanta as “second or third-tier cities”. Of course if these Chinese are to enjoy a higher standard of living they must be employed and they must enjoy the things we take for granted, e.g. housing, transportation, food healthcare, infrastructure, higher education. That’s where opportunities for American ingenuity can thrive. In our conversations with government officials and business leaders, it was quite apparent that China seeks more than trade, and more than American companies outsourcing their manufacturing. China wants companies, institutions and health care providers to market goods and services directly to 1.5 billion people.
Of
course that comes with risks. It’s a
different culture. The elite are living
in the 21st century while the
“middle class” and poor are reminiscent
of the 1960’s era. The government of
course is communist and run by men (and
women), but not “rule of law” as
Americans would fully expect. As our
English speaking tour guides explained
tongue in cheek, “When former leader
Deng Xiaoping came to a fork in the road
with communism to the left and
capitalism to the right, he was stumped
until a bright young aide pointed out
that, ‘It’s simple. Proclaim that you
are going left, then take a right’.” We
were pleasantly surprised often by the
frankness of our tour guides and all our
speakers. At the conclusion of a formal
dinner hosted by the China Council for
the Promotion of International Trade,
Mr. Wang Jinzhen, Vice Chairman
remarked, “We are China. We are big in
population. Our economy is growing. In
time we will match the power of the
United States; you need to decide if you
want to be our partner and grow with us,
or not.” Seems rather clear to me but
it is obvious they are determined to
match our economic clout and standard of
living. Early in the 21st
century this has to be one of our most
compelling issues.
Our
side trip to Shanghai was similar to a
visit to New York. Fast paced,
bustling, construction cranes
everywhere. One of the American
companies we met with told us the pace
of change in Shanghai is rapid. One
year is the equivalent of four years in
the US. Aside from the obvious, they
are in desperate need of environmental
technology and infrastructure.
As I landed back in the good old USA, I was reminded how fortunate I am, and we are, to live here. We are exponentially better off than 99% of the Chinese. However, we should not ignore the reality that our wealth and standard of living is coveted by the Chinese and others. The Chinese, at least, intend to compete vigorously to match our clout.
I wish I had more time or space to share more thoughts but I do hope this has piqued your interest in witnessing these things first hand in November. The costs will be identical to mine at $1899 and is all inclusive of round trip airfare from US to Beijing and Beijing to Shanghai, 4 and 5 star hotels every night, three meals a day and all taxes. In addition to our website link, you can also attend our May 27 informational meeting, 5:30 PM at the Chamber. Sheshi.
Experience China with other members of the Daytona Beach/Halifax Area Chamber of Commerce, their employees and their families.
The trip includes memorable sites, both ancient and modern, and the opportunity to enjoy a multitude of first-hand unforgettable cultural experiences. If interested, you will also learn about the Chinese business system and have the opportunity to meet with Chinese business leaders. We can arrange meetings with Embassy personnel, the Foreign Trade Service, and American companies already doing business in China.
For more information, download the
Information and Application Forms below.
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Click Here to Download China Experience Information Sheet |
Click Here to Download The China Experience Application Form |