China certainly makes it into the headlines. Take two recent examples that showcase some key trends. What’s especially important is that these trends have a direct impact on Europe and the United States.
I was recently reading “Only in America” by BBC correspondent Matt Frei – incidentally, a great book – and happened upon the following passage. It stuck. While describing his years living and working in Washington D.C., he writes, “Next to the Israeli Embassy is the new Chinese Embassy compound, carved into a hillside and built entirely by Chinese labour flown in from the Middle Kingdom. The workers in their blue uniforms are housed across the road in their makeshift compound, complete with proletarian banners extolling the virtues of the People’s Republic in a language that the host country can’t read. And so right at the end of our little road we get a fleeting glimpse of the face-off taking place between two global giants: the incumbent superpower and the emerging one.”
This was about five years ago. Now it already seems that if China has not yet emerged as a superpower, it is certainly close to doing it. The prefix “super” can be applied to many things to do with China, because lots of developments both in the economy and in Chinese society are making themselves visible in a way that is hard to miss.
China certainly makes it into the headlines. Take two recent examples that showcase some key trends. What’s especially important is that these trends have a direct impact on Europe and the United States.
Recently Deutsche Welle, Germany’s leading international broadcaster, reported that numbers of Chinese tourists in Germany grew by 30 percent in 2011. This isn’t just a consequence of Chinese population growth, it’s connected to China’s middle class becoming stronger. Taking a trip to Germany is considered prestigious and the Chinese are prepared to spend money on it. For them Germany is a country that they foremost associate with excellent quality in terms of service and brands. The article reports that the average Chinese tourist spends 320 euros a day in Germany. Which is how much some local students have at their disposal for monthly food costs.
There are research centres in Germany specializing in studying habits and preferences of Chinese tourists. Based on their findings, hotels might consider some changes for Chinese customers, which are then implemented in places that are popular among tourists from China. For example, it is not uncommon for a hotel to employ Chinese-speaking staff.
Usually Chinese tourists visiting Germany are business people who are stopping by on their way to another city. According to the Deutsche Welle article, on average they spend 48 hours in Germany before possibly moving on to another country in Europe. That kind of trip is not a vacation. It’s about squeezing in as much sightseeing as possible in a very short time, and in places that are considered important to visit. It’s about prestige and showing that you’ve achieved something.
This is usually the case with older travellers, though. The younger generation is somewhat different. First of all, they are more acquainted with international events and are very eager to see Europe. A lot of them also make an effort to learn a foreign language and be more fluent in English – the lingua franca anywhere in the world. The article cites the most popular German cities among Chinese tourists: Berlin, Heidelberg, Munich, Trier. So the prestige or the factors in favour of choosing these cities are clearly visible here. Berlin is the capital of Germany, Heidelberg has the oldest university in Germany, Munich is known for the Oktoberfest and the Neuschwanstein Castle, Trier is one of the oldest cities in Germany.
China’s total population in 2011 stood at more than 1.3 billion. It’s not just the economy in itself that is about to burst out as a superpower – the people are out to conquer and discover the world. The younger generation especially wants to join the international throngs of young people moving around the globe.
Spiegel International, the English-speaking version of Germany’s leading news magazine, Spiegel, reported on another interesting trend taking place among the Chinese. Statistics about China confirm extremely impressive economic growth that is making the rest of the world hold its breath to see what will happen next. That much is clear. But despite this prosperity, successful Chinese businessmen view their children’s chances as better in the West, namely in the United States and in Canada. They see these countries as having a freer environment, compared of course to the more restricted one in the controlling Chinese government. The Spiegel article describes a workshop presentation for people interested emigrating to the United States or Canada. The author notes, “Though the room is already overcrowded, more listeners keep squeezing in, making it necessary to bring in additional chairs for the stragglers.” This observation can actually extend to describing China in general. There are just a lot and a lot of people. And most of them have wishes and goals for a different life.
The presentation was organized by a representative of an emigration agency in China. The particular agency mentioned in the Spiegel report focuses on helping business people and entrepreneurs from China move. As of 2010, China was in fourth place among the world’s largest emigration countries, with more than eight million people moving abroad, behind Russia. But the numbers could soon get bigger. The Chinese population is fanning out over the world. This has been happening for a while, but it’s taken on a new note of intensity nowadays. The key difference being that well-to-do people are considering emigration.
The Spiegel article describes this type of emigration as a business project, an arrangement. The presentation was aimed at people who own large amounts of real estate property in China, or head up their own company. They don’t want to give up what they have and what they worked for, they are just looking to expand and make what they see as a better life for their children. The article says, “These people long to live in a constitutional state that would protect them from the party's whims. And they want to enjoy their wealth in countries where it's possible to lead a healthier life than in China, which often resembles one giant factory, with the stench and dust to match.” The agency selects long-term business projects that would be a good investment for the Chinese and would enable them to get long-term visas, which is important if they want to bring their families with them. Mostly people keep quiet about these kind of plans, though, especially since they intend to keep on earning money in China. Times are, after all, uncertain.
The irony is, as the author notes, “Even many Communist Party functionaries send their children to study abroad. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, for example, who is tapped to become the country's next leader and visited Washington last week, has a daughter studying at Harvard University.” Despite possible negative reactions to the idea of anyone leaving China.
Cool blog - statistical yearbook with news about China