That Guy From China

So, today I’m checking out the Globe and Mail online, and find an article titled, “The entrepreneurs who see opportunity in crisis“.  I’ve been almost preaching to Canadian businesspeople the need to be aggressive in this recession, that there are plenty of opportunities available to those with vision and guts.  So I want to read about other Canadian entrepreneurs who share this idea.

The first paragraph quickly sets me straight:

YIWU, China — Zhou Xiaoguang knows a thing or two about surviving hard times. As a girl of 17, she left her poor Chinese village to make a living as a peddler. She sold embroidery hoops, needles and patterns, hefting a 100-kilogram sack as she moved by train from town to town.

It goes on to detail how this penniless peasant went on to build a multi-million dollar enterprise.  And it profiles other successful Chinese businesspeople as well.  The message they all have in common — yes, the economic recession is going to hurt a lot of people.  Even put a lot of people out of business.  But for those who survive, they’ll come out stronger on the other side, not only more experienced, but with a lot of their competition out of the way.

While Canadians are cutting back on spending, closing down facilities, etc., they are doing the opposite.  They’re buying up other companies (at bargain basement prices), expanding their facilities, etc.  So when this is all done, they’ll be in a far stronger position, and ready to dominate.

Folks, China’s rapid growth, and their increasing domination on the world market, isn’t because of the government.  Its because of the people.  The Chinese are the New Capitalists, and they’re out-competing us in every way possible.  Its not just about “cheap labor”; it is about businesspeople with both the vision and the guts to excel.

While there are some entrepreneurs here in Canada, by far the majority of businesspeople I talk to seem to be stuck in the “I’m doing well enough, I don’t need to do more” mode.  That, or “Now is not a good time to be taking risks.”  In the short term, that may work.  But over the longer term, those companies that are taking a passive stance, or that are afraid to take risks, are simply going to be out-competed and rendered obsolete by other companies that are aggressive, and that take risks.

I’ve been thinking about writing this post for awhile, and a discussion with a friend of mine, Dionne Chingkoe (you can check out her blog here), who is involved in an activity to raise money and awareness of homeless issues by living outside for five days, inspired me to write this post.

Humanism is about human rights, equality, personal liberty, and social responsibility.  In the U.S., the American Humanist Association is active in a lot of different areas, such as getting involved on university campuses, and in social issues.  The International Humanist and Ethical Union is politically active in highlighting human rights abuses around the world; and also actively involved in the United Nations.

But even though Canada has a Humanist association of its own, Humanism in Canada is virtually irrelevant.  Most people don’t even know what it is.  Humanist organizations on university campuses are invisible or non-existent.  They seem to have no voice in important political and social issues.

I was talking with some people a few weeks ago who were criticizing Christian efforts to deliberately target international students coming to Canada.  They know these students are isolated, and invite them to church by offering a variety of social activities.  The comments from others was that this was obviously exploitative behavior, taking advantage of people when they’re weak in order to indoctrinate them into their religion.

I disagreed.

I don’t see how one can be criticized for seeking to reach out to others.  It isn’t the fault of Christian organizations for doing this.  It is the fault of Humanists for not getting similarly involved, and offering those students an alternative.

Right now, Humanism in Canada seems to be commited primarly to navel-gazing…to discussing what Humanism is, and refining the core philosophy.  But all of that is pointless and useless if it isn’t translated into action.

I am in the process now of contacting various Humanist organizations and individuals in Canada, as well as the AHA and IHEU, to try to start an initiative to challenge Humanists to start getting more involved, and making themselves more relevant to society as a whole.

Hope to keep people updated on my progress.

This title (and content) is likely to draw some ire.

I’ve just recently returned to live in Canada, after 15 years in China.  And the return has been something of a shock.  At first, I was shocked at how much Canada had changed; then I realized that it wasn’t Canada that had changed, it was me.

One of the things that has really struck me is just how fragile Canadians seem to be.  We live in one of the most developed nations on the planet, with one of the highest standards of living, yet all I hear about is how difficult it is for Canadians to cope with their lives.  People are constantly talking about being stressed out, and the Great Canadian Dream today seems to be to find every way possible to decrease any kind of inconvenience, no matter how trivial.

I saw an ad for a washing machine, in which it showed first a washing machine with eight different buttons to push, and a woman pulling out her hair in frustration as she tried to figure out how to make it work.  Then they showed the new machine, which had only two buttons.  The woman’s problems were solved, and she was happy.

Seriously, people…if having to figure out eight buttons on a washing machine causes you that much stress (or even a little stress, for that matter)…you’ve got bigger issues than the washing machine.

Oh, I know.  Today’s high-paced technological world places stresses on us that our predecessors never had to face.  Or whatever other excuse you want to offer as to why this is entirely reasonable.

Nonsense.

I have run two companies.  I run a non-profit organization.  I’ve just recently had to upset and re-arrange my entire life as I left China after 15 years, to return to Canada (leaving behind friends, having to establish myself here, etc.).  I’ll guarantee that I’ve faced greater challenges and difficulties, and had greater potential sources of stress, than the majority of Canadians that I know.  Yet I’m nowhere near as stressed out or emotionally conflicted as many of the people I talk to.

Here’s my theory.  Just as you need to subject your muscles to stress (exercise) to make them stronger, so you need to subject your mind to stress (difficulties) to make it stronger.  And Canadians now live in an environment that is so convenient and comfortable that they are not developing that ability to deal with stress.  The result?  Problems that for other people would be small and easy to deal with become huge sources of stress and discomfort.

I consider myself fortunate in this regard.  In China, I got to live life on both extremes.  In Beijing, I was CEO of my own company, hanging out with other corporate executives and government officials, and all the ease and comfort that lifestyle entails.  I also established a non-profit organization working with a Chinese minority group, the Mosuo, who live in one of the most remote areas of China, high in the Himalayan mountains.  Many of these people are living the same way they did 100 years ago…with no electricity, no running water, etc.  I spend several weeks every year living with them in their local communities.

And that gives me an incredibly valuable perspective.  The “problems” that I had to face as a corporate executive would have seemed like incredible blessings to the vast majority of Mosuo.  They have to watch their children suffer from entirely treatable medical conditions, because they don’t have access to adequate medical care; while I have to deal with a downturn in profits that means I won’t be able to go to as many expensive restaurants next month.

Now, I’m not one to complain, without offering suggestions or alternatives.  I think that we should be encouraging Canadians — particularly our youth — to actively seek out sources of stress and difficulty.  We’re not doing them any favors by trying to make their lives as easy as possible.  In particular, encourage them to travel internationally, particularly to less developed nations, so that they can get a better perspective on their own lives.  Or, even more simply, encourage them to build friendships with recent immigrants, and understand the environments and difficulties those people come from…and that they have to face now that they’re in Canada.

Canadians are becoming wimps.  A nation that was once noted for its strength on the international scene is now almost irrelevant.  And we need to change that.

I’m gonna’ kick this blog off with what I know will be a fairly controversial stance.  I will preface this by explaining that I have lived and worked in China for 15 years, from 1993-2008.  I have established two successful companies there, as well as a non-profit organization working with one of China’s ethnic minority groups.  I’ve had my life seriously impacted by Chinese gov’t policies; and have many Chinese friends who’ve suffered (some greatly) at the hands of the Chinese government.

I do not in any way deny that there are abuses there.  Nor do I feel that we should turn a blind eye to those abuses.

But I think that we need some perspective.

I’m Canadian…and proud of being Canadian.  I was born two days before Canada’s centennial birthday, so Canada is almost exactly 100 years older than me.  Which makes Canada 141 years old at the time I’m writing this.   141 years ago, Canada was founded as a nation, based on principles of democracy and equality.  Yet women were not allowed to vote until 1918.  And non-white immigrant groups, especially Chinese, were not only not allowed to vote, but actively discriminated against (in 1885 implemented the head tax, and in 1923 outlawed most Chinese immigration).  And if you want to argue that those are ancient history…what about WW II, when more than 22,000 Japanese Canadians were rounded up and put in internment camps, and all their property seized (stolen) by the government?

And this doesn’t even get into the shameful manner in which we treated Canada’s indigenous peoples throughout most of our history.

My point…a country that was founded on the principles of democracy and equality has taken 141 years to reach the point we are at today.  During that time, we’ve committed terrible abuses of our own.  But we did — slowly — change, evolve, and improve.  So that today, we live in a country that, while it still has problems, nevertheless is an excellent example to the world of both democracy and equality.

Now, let us consider China.

China is 5000 years old.  In all that time, it has never had the principles of democracy or equality.  Yes, there have been terrible abuses, both past and present.

But the fact is, the Chinese people today enjoy greater freedom than at any other time in China’s history.  And those freedoms are continuing to increase.  When I went to China in 1993, I had to get permission from the police to visit a Chinese person’s home; today, Chinese and foreigners mix freely, and frequently.  In 1993, almost no Chinese were allowed to leave China, and those who did were accompanied by political monitors; today, Chinese the majority of Chinese citizens are free to travel internationally as they please, so long as they have enough money (in fact, the main barrier to Chinese travel today is not the Chinese gov’t, but rather foreign gov’ts who refuse to grant visas to many of those potential travellers).  In 1993, discussion of any political issues would get you in serious trouble; today, politics are discussed everywhere (albeit there’s still a line you can’t cross).  In 1993, the Chinese gov’t had an iron grip on information, and the people had little or no opportunity to get any other perspectives or news; today, with the internet and the frequent interaction with foreigners, Chinese have access to tons of information that can no longer be controlled by the government (their efforts to block certain portions of the internet has really only resulted in teaching Chinese how to hack around those blocks).

No, China is not perfect; and yes, there are still plenty of abuses.

But look how far China has come in only fifteen years!!! It has taken us 141 years, in a nation founded on principles of democracy and equality, to reach the point we are at today!  It is ludicrous to expect that another nation — particularly one that has never had those principles as the basis of its government — to accomplish the same changes in only ten or fifteen years!

So yes…we should push China to continue changing; and no, we should never turn a blind eye to the abuses, or a deaf ear to cries for help.  But we should also recognize that China is moving in the right direction.  And instead of simply reviling them with blanket condemnation, we should also be recognizing the positive changes that have taken place, and seeking to build cooperative ties with them in order to encourage continued positive development in the future.

Canada has, in fact, been instrumental in some of China’s changes.  We have had exchanges of lawyers, for example; where Chinese lawyers came to Canada to learn about the Canadian legal system, and Canadian lawyers went to China to learn about their legal system.  Some of the changes taking place in Chinese law today are a result of those exchanges.

It is very easy to simply sit back in the comfort of our Canadian homes, and condemn the Chinese government.  Not only is it easy…it makes us feel good, too.  It shows how much better we are.  It is not so easy to take the time to really understand the full situation in China, and just how complex it is.  Nor is it easy to examine our own history, and our own abuses.

And it takes time, and effort, and risk to build ties between Canada and China.

Yet, if you are truly concerned about freedom and equality for the Chinese people — and not just using it as an excuse to play the holier-than-thou game — then I’d suggest that this is exactly what we need to do.  To let the Chinese government know that we absolutely condemn the abuses within their system; but that we also are willing to work with them, as equal partners, to continue the process of positive change within that country.  And to offer them the experience that we ourselves have had, in evolving from a nation that killed its native peoples and had blatantly racist policies, to a nation where we enjoy one of the highest standards of freedom and equality in the world.

I hate to say it…but it seems that an awful lot of Canadians just don’t have balls any more.  American, Australian, and European companies are aggressively pursuing the Chinese market, but Canadians are almost invisible.  At a recent industrial trade show in Shanghai that had over 2000 international exhibitors, not one single Canadian company was present.

It can’t be because the culture is too different…Americans, Australians, and Europeans are doing fine.  It can’t be the distance…we are closer in Vancouver than the vast majority of American companies who are in China.  It can’t be that we don’t have anything to offer…we’re one of the most advanced countries on the planet, with huge natural resources and a thriving technological sector.

In fact, the only possible excuse that I can come up with is that Canadians are simply too complacent.  They rely primarily on the Canadian and American markets, and just can’t be bothered to go any further than that.

Of course, now that the financial crisis has crippled the U.S. economy, and Canadian companies who relied on that market for their profits are facing serious problems, perhaps it will inspire them to get off their butts, and actually be a little adventurous.

Don’t get me wrong…I’m proud of being Canadian.  I’m proud of my country, and everything it stands for.  Which is why I am so embarassed and dismayed by this Canadian apathy.  We could be a major world player.  We’ve got the people, the tools, the talent, and the resources.

All we lack is the drive and determination.

Perhaps the current economic situation will shake people out of their apathy, and get them thinking more internationally.  I sure hope so.  We have so much to offer, and so much that we could do.  Its a shame to see it all squandered.

“The China Challenge” is a monthly seminar that I am running, at which I explain to participants some of the most frequent problems that Canadians will face in doing business in China; what the root causes are; and how best they can prepare themselves for those situations.  It is very practical, with role plays and case studies based on real situations. The purpose is not just to give you head knowledge, but to develop practical skills — to both be able to identify the causes of cultural conflict, and to find effective solutions.

The seminar is a half day seminar, usually from 1:00-5:30.  The location may vary, but usually is held at UBC Robson Square in downtown Vancouver.  The seminar is followed by an optional Chinese dinner, at which I will explain many of the intricacies of eating and drinking at a Chinese business banquet.  This portion is very lively and fun for everyone involved, as well as being very important (since the odds are that a great deal of your business dealings with Chinese will take place around the dinner table).

If you think you might be interested to check it out…be sure to let me know!

For the past 15 years — from 1993-2008 — I have been living and working in China.  During that time, I’ve established two successful businesses, and a non-profit organization.  Probably 75% of my work in China focused on cross-cultural issues: helping foreign companies/organizations understand how to do business in China; and helping Chinese companies/organizations understand how to do business with the West.  The core of my focus was on cultural differences, and helping both sides understand each other better.

I was, however, rather embarassed at times to be a Canadian.  While American, Australian, and European companies were expanding aggressively into China, Canadian companies were doing almost nothing.  In fact, the vast majority of Canadian professionals in China are working for American or European companies.

Now that I’m back in Canada, I’ve decided to focus my attentions specifically on Canadian businesses, and encourage/push them to be more proactive and aggressive in getting into the Chinese market.  This blog has been set up to comment on some of the issues that are relevant to Canadians doing business in China.

In addition, I’m going to be hosting a monthly seminar called The China Challenge, which will provide very practical and useful advice for those who are interested in China.

Unfortunately, while I personally enjoy debates, and dislike censorship, the practical reality is that I need to be very cautious about my reputation in China.  If this blog were to have a lot of strongly anti-China posts, it not only could cause problems for me to renew my Chinese visa, but could also cause problems for my non-profit organization, and the Chinese who are associated with it.  Therefore, I’ve decided that all posts will require approval before they appear; and if I feel that the post would cause problems, I may either edit the content, or not post it at all.

My apologies in advance to those who I know will be upset or offended by this; but I’d point out that this in no manner, shape, or form stifles your own freedom of speech.  There are tons of places available to you where you can say whatever you like, and let your own sentiments and beliefs be known.  And I’d encourage you to use them.

That being said, I do hope that people will find this blog interesting and useful; and I do look forward to peoples comments and opinions.