Holiday Travel Hampered

Holiday travel has already begun for the Chinese New Year celebration, which officially begins February 7 and ends on February 15, 2008. It is estimated that over 18 million people will travel over the holiday during what has been labeled "the biggest mass migration on the planet". Holiday celebrations may last for several weeks around the actual dates.

Unusual large amounts of snow and cold temperatures have hampered travel leaving as many as 100,000 people stranded. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has ordered Chinese officials to go into “Anti-Disaster” mode and help with snow removal as seen in this Getty Images from an article from the BBC entitled “Snow hampers China New Year plans”.

The climate of China is very similar to that of North Carolina. Their seasons coincide with ours as well as their temperatures.

The holiday affects factory production for up to three weeks under normal conditions. It will be interesting to see how the added weather obstacles affect their schedule.

(Information from ABC Nightly News, January 28, 2008)

The Mao of Today

As I have mentioned before, the company my husband works for imports it products from China. Their original business centered around office chairs.

My husband was hired in 2005 by the company to develop a line of case goods which consist of desk, bookshelves, credenzas, conference tables, etc. His first trip to China followed shortly after he was hired.

His trip was orchestrated by "Grant", a Chinese business liaison. He could be considered the modern day "the Cohong merchant". He made all the hotel reservation and planned all the meetings with the potential factories.

The first factory he went to was run by "Ricky", whose wife's name ironically is "Lucy". These are the American names the factory owner and his wife had chosen to use when doing business with people from the West.

"Ricky" presented my husband with this statue of Mao, a not so subtle means of showing his political loyalty. "Ricky" also owns a restaurant called "Chairman Mao". The legend of Mao is obviously alive and well in the China of today.

Unit 1: Lesson 2

Could the Cultural Revolution happen again in China? Possible, but let’s hope not!

It is my hope that with the unusual development of a “middle class” in China may help prevent that possibility. Prior to current day, it seems China was comprised of the have and the have not, a scenario that did lot provide for a middle class.

It seems that the developing middle class of China, comprised of homeowners and young professional, are starting to become more vocal in their disapproval through a “quiet, meticulous revolt” (“Shanghai's Middle Class Launches Quiet, Meticulous Revolt”, published in the Washington Post) of some of the plans of the Communist Party. They have resisted the expansion of a high-speed train in Shanghai due to the noise impact it would have on the area in which they live.

A group residents in Xiamen preceded the Shanghai middle class in their actions. The Xiamen middle class rejected the development of a chemical plant based on the environmental impact the plant would have.

Both groups have won small victories in disrupting the Party’s Plan throught educate research and pleading their case. As long as the people of China, namely the middle class, are willing to challenge the government on a foundation of knowledge and peaceful demonstrations, history should not repeat itself. Let's only hope that these revolts remain quiet, but affective and do not follow the violent path of the Cultural Revolution as designed by Mao.

Unit 1: Lesson 1

It appears to me that the 19th and 20th mind state of China was all about China being self-sufficient. There was no need for the Western way of life (or any other outside influence) to affect any part of Chinese life. That appears to hold true today in an article I found on Independent.co.uk.

In the article entitled “China’s growth hits 11.4% but price rises cause alarm” it appear that China continues to have no regard for the West. Their growth is predicted to go unaffected by looming threat of a recession in our country. Jonathan Anderson, a market economist, goes so far as to say “China will still be well insulated at home in a US recession scenario”.

Holding true to the their old beliefs, I feel China is a bit delusional on the impact the American economy will have on their own. The overwhelming number of exports from their country to ours (should we truly end up in a recession) will be greatly affected and in turn affect China. Although still defiant at the need to rely on others, in our current world they may have no choice.

Not so New

Well, maybe Wu Ping's resistance concept is not such a new idea in China. In reading this week's lesson, from The Changing Face of China, Gittings mentions a group of peasants that resisted an airfield development.  With a barrier of children, women, and young men the peasants forced the hand of the developers.  Instead of simply being asked to leave, they were relocated.  This sounds similar to Ping's neighbors being given new homes or compensation.  

Mao described this a "win" for the peasants although in the end they were still displaced and the airfield built.  It seems that Mao attempted to turn any situation into a positive for the Party regardless of the truth.

At least Ping remains defiant and by so doing has prompted change.  The "hold-out" concept may be the same, but the end results are drastically different...marking the slow but positive change.

Defying Developers

Wu Ping is defying the developers.  She has refused to sell her property to a developer.  Her property is located in Chongqing.

Her battle has been ongoing since 2004. The other  280 owners in the area received either a new home or money for their property.  She is the last holdout.

Chinese media refers to her at "the stubborn nail".  She has become a national celebrity through her defiance.

Her defiance has brought to light the unjust mean which developers implement to acquire property.  It has prompted Chinese parliament reform.

I find the picture (from BBC News) to be entertaining and awe inspiring.

My Name

The image I have posted is my name "Angie" in Chinese. My husband brought this to me after one of his trips. It is amazing to me how beautiful the Chinese written word is...artwork in itself.

Welcome

Hi All! I'm new to "blogging" as if you can't tell. I am also new to the MALS program and online classes. Please forgive any "newbie" mistakes I may make.

My interest in this course came about largely due to my husband's business. He works for an importer of office furniture. He makes frequent trips to China.

My goal is to better understand his business as well as hopefully teach him a thing or two in the process.