Global Workplace Success Blog with Pat Tith

THE SLEEPING GIANT IS WIDE AWAKE

Well the big show is over in Beijing. Being a “China” person I was fascinated by it all.

My first encounter with China was from a vantage point in the New Territories of Hong Kong. In those days you could only look at China in the distance over a duck farm. I was told, “there is China” …all I could see were foothills. I remember feeling so frustrated. I told myself at that moment that I would get to China one day.

I made that pledge many years ago and am happy to report I have been to China 12 times both living and working there, as well as traveling all over the country by train. I experienced the sleeping giant while it was still asleep for the first time in 1979. That was a very special moment in time.

BUT those times have changed and the sleeping giant is no longer sleeping in case you hadn’t notice. All hosting nations to the Olympics are like coming out parties. This coming out party was unlike any the world has ever seen, or for that matter will ever see again. China was out to prove to the world that it was back BIG TIME. It was a major investment in its future.

One needs to view the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies as well as the frantic drive for gold metals from the Chinese perspective, not our perspective. They were out to prove something to the world.

Its size – 1.3 million people which is 1/5^th of the world’s population
Its organizational skills – ability to pull off such a major world event
Its technological skills
Its vast history which is very important to the Chinese giving them a great sense of pride

I think no one would disagree that the Chinese proved all four at these Olympics.

NOW FOR THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN……. All this was achieved at great cost - $40 billion – in a country where there are issues like poverty, environmental pollution, unequal income distribution and an underdeveloped infrastructure to be addressed. Of course, a totalitarian government can decide to do what it wants. It can redirect its ample financial and human resources to the Olympics. No doubt there has been a tremendous social cost to staging such an event that has impacted the lives of many Chinese in a negative way.

It takes time to turn a big battle ship. We are not talking about redirecting a sailboat. The changes in China have been tremendous since 1978. The Chinese people are so much better off than they were when I started going to China in 1979.

When I was living and working there in the early 1980’s, I went around wearing the same nondescript clothes as all the Chinese. To do otherwise would have been folly and drawn the attention of the political police!! Nowadays it is wonderful to see the range of choice in clothes and the high style that one sees everywhere. Never forget that the luxuries started in China – silk and porcelain for starters.

The Olympics reminds us and confirms the continuous productive relationship between East and West and the ongoing exchange of technology and goods. The exchange started with China – the compass, gunpowder, printing, and luxury goods like silk, jade and porcelain. Then, when the West industrialized, the exchange was reversed provided technology like the car, space age advancements, and computers to China. Now it may be the turn of China to continue this exchange in the other direction. This is yet to be seen ……stay tuned. We do live in exciting times!

By Patricia Zakian Tith | Posted on August 25th, 2008 | Posted in Uncategorized

Please leave a response, you can also trackback this post from your own blog. So far 4 people have commented on “THE SLEEPING GIANT IS WIDE AWAKE.”

Mariel says...

As someone who visited Beijing in March and determined that it was not ready for the Olympics, I was amazed to see the grandeur and showmanship that was exhibited in August. They really pulled off a grand feat, but as you mentioned, at great cost. The pollution, propoganda, human rights abuses and gross inequality doesn’t seem to have changed as a result of the games.

A fascinating indirect consequence of the patriotism spurred on by the games was a surge of affiliation towards China among citizens in Hong Kong. Whereas in 1997, only 20% of Hong Kong citizens considered themselves Chinese, in 2008, 39% do. Similarly, whereas in 1997 35% considered themselves a “Hong Konger”, now only 18% do.

We’ll have to keep watching to see if the slow merging of Hong Kong and China will change things in either/both places.

Brenda says...

Having lived and worked in China in the late 90s/early 2000 period of time, my husband and I were also quite surprised at how successful the Olympics were. Living there wasn’t quite the “technologically superior” and very organized experience that came through via the television… But, my hat is definitely off to the Chinese Olympics team. As a marketer, I know that perception is reality, and there has definitely been a positive shift in the perception of China as a result of the games. “Well done!” is what I say.

As for the money spent… $40 billion sounds like a lot of money, but when you have 1.3 billion people, that adds up to less than $40 per-person … not much more than a nice meal out for two in a mid-priced restaurant!

George Simons says...

I was particularly struck by the English language news reporting of the Olympic events and context. Aways critical and delving into the negative side of each public manifestation of Chinese effort.

Alan (Robert Alan Black, Ph.D., CSP) says...

Pat

I enjoyed reading your message.

I was all set to speak and tour Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong in 2003.

Prior to China I spent two weeks in Japan, a week in Korea, a week in Taiwan. During that time SARS hit and hit big in the “damn” media and scared too many people around the globe all the way to Canada. At the last minute I cancelled 10 days that probably would have changed my life and career because countries like Singapore, Thailand, ex-eastern block countries had become paranoid about SARS requiring quarantine if you might be suffering from SARS having traveled to China or simply were not allowing visas if you had.

Bummer.

My plan is still to experience China, hopefully many, many times.

I was invited since to present at a conference on Creativity but I was able to financially at the time.

Bummer.

Touring the history museum outside Teipei clearly showed me the creativity of China.

Only through television, videos, movies and a couple “changing plane” stops in Hong Kong have I seen any of modern China.

You were critical about some of the problems in China, yet we westerners need to think about the tremendous changes they have made to modernize China in the past 30 years. Part of the result being how well they have improved living conditions of vast numbers of their citizens in such a very short time. Or simply what they are doing right now and what they did for the victims of the earthquake last year

Post your comment below

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories

Blog Tools

Global Workplace Success Blog with Pat Tith

THE SLEEPING GIANT IS WIDE AWAKE

Post your comment below

	Mariel says... As someone who visited Beijing in March and determined that it was not ready for the Olympics, I was amazed to see the grandeur and showmanship that was exhibited in August. They really pulled off a grand feat, but as you mentioned, at great cost. The pollution, propoganda, human rights abuses and gross inequality doesn’t seem to have changed as a result of the games. A fascinating indirect consequence of the patriotism spurred on by the games was a surge of affiliation towards China among citizens in Hong Kong. Whereas in 1997, only 20% of Hong Kong citizens considered themselves Chinese, in 2008, 39% do. Similarly, whereas in 1997 35% considered themselves a “Hong Konger”, now only 18% do. We’ll have to keep watching to see if the slow merging of Hong Kong and China will change things in either/both places.
	Brenda says... Having lived and worked in China in the late 90s/early 2000 period of time, my husband and I were also quite surprised at how successful the Olympics were. Living there wasn’t quite the “technologically superior” and very organized experience that came through via the television… But, my hat is definitely off to the Chinese Olympics team. As a marketer, I know that perception is reality, and there has definitely been a positive shift in the perception of China as a result of the games. “Well done!” is what I say. As for the money spent… $40 billion sounds like a lot of money, but when you have 1.3 billion people, that adds up to less than $40 per-person … not much more than a nice meal out for two in a mid-priced restaurant!
	George Simons says... I was particularly struck by the English language news reporting of the Olympic events and context. Aways critical and delving into the negative side of each public manifestation of Chinese effort.
	Alan (Robert Alan Black, Ph.D., CSP) says... Pat I enjoyed reading your message. I was all set to speak and tour Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong in 2003. Prior to China I spent two weeks in Japan, a week in Korea, a week in Taiwan. During that time SARS hit and hit big in the “damn” media and scared too many people around the globe all the way to Canada. At the last minute I cancelled 10 days that probably would have changed my life and career because countries like Singapore, Thailand, ex-eastern block countries had become paranoid about SARS requiring quarantine if you might be suffering from SARS having traveled to China or simply were not allowing visas if you had. Bummer. My plan is still to experience China, hopefully many, many times. I was invited since to present at a conference on Creativity but I was able to financially at the time. Bummer. Touring the history museum outside Teipei clearly showed me the creativity of China. Only through television, videos, movies and a couple “changing plane” stops in Hong Kong have I seen any of modern China. You were critical about some of the problems in China, yet we westerners need to think about the tremendous changes they have made to modernize China in the past 30 years. Part of the result being how well they have improved living conditions of vast numbers of their citizens in such a very short time. Or simply what they are doing right now and what they did for the victims of the earthquake last year