"Ever heard of the movie Ground Hog Day? Well that pretty much sums up how we feel." Those are the words of my good friend, Jenna, living in Xi'an, North West China with her husband and two girls, nine and thirteen. "With school closed until at least the 18th of February, it's get up, breakfast, exercise, play with toys, boardgames, cook, repeat," she says. Xi'an is in Shaanxi Province which shares a border to the south with Hubei Province, and its capital Wuhan, the epicentre of the Coronavirus outbreak. Currently over 20,000 people worldwide have developed the virus with over 400 confirmed deaths. While that figure is steadily rising, and has now overtaken the death toll from SARS, it's still only a two per cent fatality rate. But China's Communist Party is taking no chances. At least not at face value. The outbreak has prompted a response unlike any other in modern history, with Chinese authorities locking down many cities and towns around Wuhan, the city of 11 million where it's believed the virus originated in a market selling wild animals. That's tens of millions of people effectively shut off from the outside world. Anyone who's ever been to China will tell you, there's rarely a quiet moment in the nation with the world's largest population. The streets are at best, chaotic - humming with people, cars, busses, motorbikes, food carts, and street cleaners, day and night -- all fighting for their space amongst the pandemonium. The noise can be almost deafening. But not this month. "It feels very eery, like a ghost town, everything is closed down. The only places that are required to stay open are the supermarkets and hospitals. At our complex one gate is completely sealed off, with one left open for us to get out and go shopping. No one from outside the building is allowed in. No family, no friends." "The days are still and far too silent for this city of 9 million people." says Jenna, who having lived in China for 13 years, has seen it all. Her main concern though is the millions who sell fruit and veggies at the local wet markets or run local restaurants. "How are they going to get an income?" she wonders. "At least the big companies are looked after by the government." An Australian friend Robyn, who's been in China for nine years, and was due to return home to Australia any day now (flights depending) is feeling bereft that there will be no goodbyes in person, no last hot pot meals, just a quiet exit. "We are now very isolated in this crowded city," she says. She has a friend who lives in the south east of Henan, very close to the border of Hubei Province, just three hours drive from Wuhan. She tells her, all roads into my village are barricaded. "So instead of the normal flocks of people returning to celebrate Spring Festival, my village is very quiet. Everyone is bored and strangely no groups of people are milling around talking and no children are playing." Temperature taking is the new norm across the Middle Kingdom. Officials in full Hazmat-style body suits are taking temperatures at random, catching people when they go out, and when they return home, and everything is being recorded. Police and security guards are knocking on people's doors to check if anyone in the household's feeling unwell, is harbouring any visitors or has travelled anywhere in the past week. And in a nation that survives on Taobao deliveries with thousands of little Tuk Tuks weaving in and out of laneways delivering packages to one and all 24/7, now, all deliveries are left at the gates, making contact minimal. Messages come through on We Chat, the What's App equivalent, informing people there will be 'centralised spraying of medicinal drugs by aircraft." What drugs nobody is really sure. The communal areas in Jenna's apartment are regularly sprayed down with vinegar, while a friend's complex is doused in bleach. Public transport is down to a bare minimum. Didi the Uber equivalent has stopped and taxis are few and far between. If you do manage to hale a taxi and they stop, you need to show your passport; all details are recorded including where they picked you up and dropped you off. In Wuhan, naturally, things have reached another level with almost everything closed. Bibby, a Chinese local says, people are told not to go out unless it's an absolute emergency. "Supermarkets are open for a limited time from 10am to 6pm with meat and veggies the most difficult to buy, and always the first thing to run out." Face masks, which have usually only been an accessory for foreigners protecting themselves against the heavy pollution are now mandatory, or face a hefty fine. Hotel General Manager, Peter, in Shenzhen, China's far southwest, had just come through the border crossing from Hong Kong after evacuating his teenage daughter, when he messaged me. "It's unheard of but almost no-one is at immigration and everyone going through has to fill in a health declaration." He has 400 hotel staff due back from various provinces around China after Chinese New Year and is renting rooms to quarantine them. Meantime, in Hong Kong, thousands of medical workers have gone on strike, demanding the city’s government shut down all of its borders with mainland China, to keep out the spread of the virus they call WARS. Many foreigners have chosen to leave the city which is already reeling from months of pro-democracy protests, not to mention the 2003 SARS epidemic which still weighs heavily on the city. Hong Kong local, Mona, says back then, they all worked together to fight the disease but 2020 is very different. "We urged the government to close the borders as quickly as possible but they are not listening." "Because of no planning the supply of masks is extremely tight and people are queuing up for four to five hours to buy just one box of masks, with some stores selling them for HKD900 (US$115). Hong Kong infectious disease experts are urging the government to take 'draconian' measures, estimating as many as 44,000 people could be infected in Wuhan, a figure far higher than official numbers. Amongst the uncertainty, it's believed the epidemic could peak around the end of April, early May. This article from Well Women explains why, despite the risk, so many expats are still choosing to stay in China. For them, ground hog day or not, it's still home and in many instances, probably safer than travelling. Nicole Webb is a Sydney Journalist, Writer and Speaker who spent seven years in China. Her debut memoir 'China Blonde' will be out mid 2020. … [Read more...]
Views from Both Sides of the Border: Hong Kong and China, the People’s Voice.
My heart tightens when I think of Hong Kong. The place where my only baby was born, the enchanting land where we were embraced and emboldened by its people to call it our home for many years. I have yet to meet a nation of people who’re so humble, hardworking and harmonious. Truly. Open up any newspaper around the world today though, watch any news bulletin and you’ll read, see and hear of the violence and anger that has gripped the financial hub of 7.5 million for the past few months; you’ll hear of an economy plunging, a tourist haven in jeopardy and you’ll likely feel the fear, fear of the unknown. So, as I watch on with the rest of the world holding our breath, waiting for what comes next, after eleven consecutive weekends of protests that have involved many hundreds of thousands of people desperate to be heard, I can’t help but wonder where this will end. You see, I also know China, the real China. A city in the very heart of the mainland whose people also took us into their fold welcoming us with open arms, begging us to stay when we had to call it a day after 2.5 years.Sure, the constitution that surrounds and imbues China is poles apart from Hong Kong, but its people, essentially carry the same hallmarks of decency and kindness. This I know. But, despite the resonating, well-meaning civility that comes from both sides, there is clearly a great divide. After all that’s what started this whole mess isn't it? And now it seems the divide is spreading like wildfire amongst Hong Kong’s own people. Pro-Government versus anti-government, police versus the protesters, generations against each other, everyone’s cage is rattled. "I feel ashamed of our Chief Executive who ignores the voices of the Hong Kong people -- Carrie Lam is the one who has put the police force right upfront to fight against the citizens of Hong Kong while she hides behind them. She has turned us into enemies whilst we are all from the same root. Shame on her!" One impassioned local tells me. Another is preparing to leave his home of Hong Kong after 50 long years. A former member of the police force and then ICAC, he's furious and deeply saddened about what’s happened to the city’s police. Either way, the passion from most locals is evident and only continues to grow stronger with each new day. Mona Wong calls herself a proud Hong Kong citizen and has participated in the peaceful rallies. She says, while she doesn’t agree with any form of violence or abusive behaviour from the protestors or police officers, she can feel the protestor’s pain. “After weeks and weeks of peaceful protests our government hasn’t listened to our noise or demands, using excessive force to stop the protestors,” she says. In a move perhaps not seen before anywhere else in the world, there is no protest leader, and actions are decided on the spot. It seems the protestors have borrowed a strategy from a Bruce Lee movie, known as Be Water, My Friend. Instead of staging massive sit ins, they move in unexpected waves, rolling from one spot to another, a “formless” protest in Lee’s words – to sustain their momentum and secure the continued goodwill of the public. But that hasn’t always panned out so well. The city's international airport was in lockdown after anger spilled over and anti government protestors and police clashed, forcing hundreds of flights to be delayed or cancelled. Vivian* born and bred in Hong Kong says, “I one hundred per cent support the protesters. But when they act wrong, we will remind them. Like blocking people to get on a flight, that’s why the youngsters sent an apology letter yesterday.” “We make a mistake, we own, it we learn from it, we improve from it. We are very proud of this generation.” She says. And they did. A full-page apology for the airport fiasco was issued. Many in Hong Kong have taken to wearing black every day to show their support for the protestors and essentially show which side they're on. But it seems not everyone is prepared to follow suit. “My aunts and uncles are afraid of us in our black shirts, they think we are the ones to stir things up.” Vivian says. Another tells me, she’s witnessed many family fights erupt because of the protests. “It’s breaking families apart.”Some even say they’ve heard students are being paid to take things a step further. HK$500 per brick/per window broken – many reportedly doing it for petty cash. And for some, despite supporting the initial cause, their sympathy is fast running out. Businessman and long time resident of Hong Kong, Chris* believes, few have a realistic view of the outcome. “Most of those who are supporting the protesters don’t know China well and are of a younger population who're hoping to send Hong Kong back to a time that never was. They are also millennials who know nothing of the lives of their parents or their work ethics which built the foundation of Hong Kong. It was never open or democratic - under the British they complained of the British and proclaimed they were Chinese. And now? They had everything going for them as a key open and free city in an emerging China with the best legal system in Asia and they are squandering it all. They will never accept they are sowing the seeds of their own destruction and will always blame China for that.” While most expats in Hong Kong (and there are over 300,000) support the general ideals, saying they have no plans to leave at the moment, many are expressing concern with each week that passes. ‘The protesters whilst trying to be creative and fluid, will start to test the patience of otherwise sympathetic citizens,’ one expat says. But they freely admit, the Hong Kong government appears to be tone deaf when it comes to listening to the people, reeling out generic responses. ‘They do not seem to want (or are allowed) to listen.’ Another longtime expat, Aaron* says, “The police and Carrie Lam have shown themselves to hold the people of Hong Kong with contempt. I’m guessing she isn’t able to do anything without approval from Beijing and they won’t acquiese to the demands of the people. Imagine the implications of that!” With emotions running high, no matter which side of the fence you sit on, for most people living in Hong Kong it’s simple - let us keep our freedom, let us be. For the protestors and those supporting them, they want their five demands met -- until then, the fight to be heard continues. Those five demands are: A full withdrawal of a proposed bill that would allow Hong Kong people to be extradited to mainland China. A retraction of any characterization of the movement as a “riot.” A retraction of charges against anti-extradition protesters. An independent committee to investigate the Hong Kong police’s use of force. Universal suffrage in elections for the city’s chief executive officer and legislature by 2020. What about China though, is Beijing about to lose patience? With military troops stationed just over the border, there are grave fears, they’re just waiting for their cue to roll in. The Economist says, it’s unlikely. China’s understanding of its own power and influence has changed since, for example, the crackdown on Tiananmen Square 30 years ago. It is more powerful, more confident and has an understanding of the role that prosperity plays in its stability….and of the role that Hong Kong plays in its prosperity. Still, China views all protests and pro-democracy political voices as potential challenges to its one-party rule. It perceives Hong Kong’s calls for democracy as particularly threatening because of the city’s international prominence and it sets a dangerous precedent that any compromise on political reform could flow on to China’s other regions, including Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Macau, and Taiwan. What about average citizens on the ground in China, what do they think about the protests, that have now largely become a case of Hong Kong versus China, and have fast gained world-wide attention? For them it’s generally a lot simpler, many to this day, because of the way China’s history is recorded, are still very much unaware of the Tiananmen Square massacre.They support the police because in their eyes, 'In Mainland China, the police stand for stability and peace.' I messaged a few people to gage their opinions; many didn’t want to speak about it on We Chat, the What’s App/Facebook equivalent, fearful of being watched, and none wanted their names mentioned. Several of my emails simply didn’t make it. One that did was to local Chinese hotel manager in Sanya, Mr Ma. ‘Hong Kong is a rich brother we lost to Britain for many years, the students do not understand the real situation - they are Chinese, any other country does not sincerely care about Hong Kong people,’ he said. In what could be labelled a case of irony, there is a definite sense that Hong Kong protestors are being manipulated. ‘Young students are being used by powerful people who hate China,’ Mr Ma says. Weibo, the Twitter equivalent, is in overdrive with comments reporting users are sad for Hong Kong and the continuing protests must have had support from hostile forces to disturb the Chinese and Hong Kong economy. Mr Ma agrees though, that they should maintain the ‘One country, two systems,’ approach, and in a line borrowed from another old Hollywood movie, he quotes, ‘Hong Kongers need to understand the difference between citizens and being civic-minded - Someone who has a sense of responsibility towards the community as a whole.’ And in testament to his views, (among many) this video by British scholar Martin Jacques appears to be circulating amongst the masses in China. Professor Jacques says, "There is a view that Hong Kong did well before 1997, it was smart, clever, and free, because it was tied to Britain. This is a serious misinterpretation of history, he says. Hong Kong did well in the late 70’s and the handover, because it got lucky. China in 1978 started to open up, step by step, not fully until after the World Trade Organisation agreement in 2001; So while it was opening up in a piecemeal fashion, Hong Kong could take on some of the functions China would’ve done, as a front office, and it was the beneficiary." Many Chinese nationals are of the belief, Hong Kongers look down on them. ‘If I go to Hong Kong, I don’t dare to speak Chinese to them, just English,' a friend tells me. For more on the China-Hong Kong relationship, this is an earlier post I wrote. Other Chinese citizens who simply fight to exist in the still largely poverty-stricken population of 1.4 billion, believe Hong Kong is part of China and that’s that! Despite the majority having never been to Hong Kong, they believe the two sides are firmly entrenched together. ‘We are one, we are always together!’ While the snippets of news generally show Hong Kong in peril, in reality, away from any protests, many are keen to make it known, its mostly business as usual and there is genuine hope the city’s long held reputation for peace and prosperity will not be tarnished in the long term. To all of you, I say, ‘Jia You’ or ‘Add Oil’ - the Hong Kong/English expression to offer encouragement and support - a 'hang in there' if you like, during this turbulent time of unbridled uncertainty and fear. *** *Some names have been changed. *For a rundown on what's happened in Hong Kong, thus far, watch this video made by Hong Kongers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsjiZD2E6h0&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3T4AAaT1A2mFy4IRKc_VU5ddQeIn9wOpEH2VKq9tEYA8DAXzVobIfMHx8 And for more on the background story between China and Hong Kong here's a good piece from the Council on Foreign Relations. … [Read more...]
Back to China: The Place Where Anything is Possible
And just like that …. I was back, in China. My China Southern flight landed with a bump and we rolled along the runway. Out of the tiny oval window, I could see that familiar muddy grey haze stretching out, almost touching the maze of concrete highways in the distance. I grimaced. I’d forgotten just how gloomy it can look after basking in Australia, with its high definition backdrop for 15 months. Yes it’s been that long since we left Xi’an, so the opportunity to come back and co host the Cross Border Summit in Shenzhen was too good to pass up. I wanted to soak up everything ‘China’ … my writing mentor excitedly urged me to take notes, on everything, thus I was armed and ready! Stepping into the airport, oddly I felt nervous. I definitely wasn’t as gung ho or nonchalant as I had been by the time we left China after 2.5 years, living it. Cautiously I eyed up the police in buggies and the military guys with their guns, watching from every corner. I stood in line in customs wondering if my Chinese would come back to me. The minute I was through with my luggage, strangers approached me from every direction… “Taxi? Taxi? You need taxi?” “Bu yong xie!” i found myself automatically saying. “No need.” Phew, I still had some Chinese up my sleeve. I was getting picked up, or so i thought. After standing conspicuously in the middle of the airport for about twenty minutes, twenty ‘bu long xies' later I realised I did need a taxi after all. I knew better than to take up one of the random strangers hovering close to me and headed to the rank. At least they’d put the metre on. Stepping outside, I inhaled….ahhh that smell. Each country has it’s own unique smell, doesn’t it? Just what was China’s? Describing it has always perplexed me, but in the name of book research, I was determined to nail it. Stale cigarettes mixed with a hint of steamed noodles? Someone mentioned that, yes, that mixed with a whiff of decomposing food that sits outside restaurants. And definitely a dash of unwashed arm pits. Hmmm..still, something else? The drive was erratic, the horns constant and the buildings looming. Everything covered in a fine coat of dust, even the cars, I mused. I was busy taking it all in… until it appeared my driver was lost in his quest to find the Day Hello hotel. Suddenly I was back in Xi’an, with a driver who couldn’t speak English and no Sat Nav. I’d given him the address in Chinese, but it wasn’t enough. Construction and a wall along the main street meant we were going in circles. He started speaking quickly in Mandarin to me. Ugh… nope I don’t understand. “Ni zhi dao ma?” Do you know, I asked? Hopefully. Then I got something. He wanted me to call someone.”Ah Dui, Keyi.” (Maybe I should keep up those weekly lessons.) Meantime, he stopped the car in the middle of the road and got out to ‘take a look’…. I called one of the conference volunteers and handed my phone to the driver. Phew! Turns out we were just around the corner. I handed him 100 kuai — even the cash was dusty. The Day Hello hotel was impressive. Luxurious even… but English was limited, which surprised me a little. Shenzhen is one of China’s first tier cities, just across the border from Hong Kong. Until recently it was the fastest growing city in the world, an IT hub, filled with ideas, creativity and money! The front desk sent me to the first floor, lugging my own bags….even though my room was actually on the 9th floor. As I soon as I entered my room, the door bell rang. There stood a lady with a trolley full of loose oranges. "Ni Yao ma?" Fruits! Sure! The epitome of luxury in China. Bags dumped and it was on for young and old. I had the VIP dinner to attend, in an effort to get to know my fellow conference goers. From that moment on, for three days, I didn’t stop. Walking to the conference venue, I remembered the friendliness of the street cleaners and security guards. They all gave me that silent nod and a smile as I walked by. The Chinese music bellowing out of restaurants and shops and this nation of people that can sleep anywhere, any which way. At the summit, I met people from all corners of the globe…and admittedly whilst at the beginning I knew nothing about ECommerce or cross border selling…. by the end, regardless, I was enlightened and most definitely inspired. We were a mixed bag, but everyone carried that common thread - a lust for life. And I realised, I'd missed the diversity. There were the expats who’d come to China on a wing and a prayer for a different way of life, a chance to pursue their passions. I could see the same sense of adventure in their eyes as they told me their stories. That unmistakeable urge to step out of your comfort zone and really live. The thirst for Asia and it’s unparalleled energy. I felt it, and I remembered it. Oh the addictiveness of Asia. There were the speakers. At least forty of them (including me) talking on everything from international branding to Amazon selling, marketing, manufacturing, technology and the media (me), even cultural differences. China’s biggest YouTuber…from South Africa, Winston Sterzel, otherwise known as SerpantZA told us how he’d ridden the length of China on a motorbike. His stories were beyond your wildest dreams, his one million followers, among the most dedicated. Look him up! The young ‘dude’ from Minnesota who’s obsession with UFC boxing now sees him run a squillion dollar business selling boxing paraphernalia on Amazon and makes him an FBA Mastermind. The entrepreneurial skills of this 24 year old were mind boggling. The former UK DJ, now podcast and Amazon guru Danny McMillan, broadening our horizons with all guns blazing; the young and gorgeous Russian girl who blew everyone away with her enthusiasm and knowledge of China’s social media. Watch out for her! She's going places. The Chinese lady who runs a shipping company, alone; the Aussie guy importing much sought after western food into China. (By the way, thanks for keeping me going for three days on your muesli bars)! The serial entrepreneur from Poland and the Israeli with ten years in China wowing us with his inside knowledge. It was like a United Nations meeting of business gurus. The dedication of these people was palpable. By the end of it, people were buzzing and so was I - not just on the cheap 'bai pu tao jiu' (white wine) at the after party either! Oh and while it’s no secret China moves at a rate of knots, I wasn’t quite ready for the fact that cash is barely used anymore. I’ve even written a post on the possibility of China becoming the first cashless society and it seems to be well and truly on the way! The bar staff were dumbfounded when I handed them cash, and then disappeared out the back for ten minutes, scrounging for my change. We celebrated on a rooftop balcony overlooking Shenzhen and I knew I’d met friends for life. Taking an Uber back to the airport the next day, I was on a high….and when the driver opened the door and spat on the road at the toll gates, I didn’t even flinch. I was back. China, still a land of many contradictions, but a place where anything is possible. This is China. … [Read more...]
The Wonder of Shopping on Taobao: China’s Secret Weapon.
It’s 7:30pm…. on Halloween night. A little three-wheeler Tuk Tuk, loaded up precariously with brown cardboard packages, of all shapes and sizes, darts up the alleyway, screeching to a halt, directly outside our friend’s house. As I wrestle to open the glass door, the driver practically throws the parcel at me! Considering I am dressed as Bat Girl, it’s clearly no object for me and my bat cape to grab that sucker. Laughter erupts in the house! My friend is averaging about a parcel a day at this point. Who knows what lurks beneath the plain brown wrapping, but it’s sure to be akin to a 'treasure' for an expat in this part of the world. Aptly so, given it’s from ‘Taobao’ - which translated means: “Searching for treasure.” Admittedly, it’s taken me awhile to cotton on to the beast that is Taobao. When I first arrived in China and we’d ask where we could get something from, the response was hardly ever, “Oh that little shop called xx just over the road will have it.” Nope, it was always, “Try Taobao!” Initially, I just assumed it was the lazy man’s way of accessing something, and mostly I just refused to believe you could get much on it other than Halloween costumes, silly props or secondhand stuff! More fool me. Having just signed up for an account, it seems I’m definitely ‘late’ to the Taobao party! My Chinese friends say it’s saved their lives and pretty much changed the face of the nation…. ahhh so that’s what all those Tuk Tuks I see racing around town, piled high with packages are up to! I wrote a post when we first arrived about the perils of everything being ‘made in China’ but not ‘found in China.’ While I was on the money — the shops here are devoid of many of the things we come to expect in the West, and/or cost a great deal more given the hefty import tax, I was wrong in saying you can’t get it in China. Turns out, Taobao’s where it’s at! Let me indulge you. Founded in 2003 by the Alibaba Group, headed by China’s richest man, Jack Ma — the idea behind it was to provide a platform for small businesses and individual entrepreneurs to open online stores. Cut to the chase, 13 years later, Taobao marketplace is one of the world’s top ten most visited websites with a combined market gross merchandise volume of 1-trillion yuan! Similar to eBay but seemingly better, in a bid to counter their initial expansion, Taobao offered free listings to sellers and introduced website features designed to act in the local consumer’s best interests. Things like: instant messaging for facilitating buyer-seller communication and escrow-based payment tool, Alipay - where payment is only released to the seller once the buyer has received his or her goods and deemed them in satisfactory condition. Prior to purchase, the buyer and seller can interact with an instant chat program. It's not unusual for Chinese online shoppers to inquire about products and bargain before purchasing them! Buyers can assess seller backgrounds by information available on the site that includes ratings, comments and complaints. The better the reviews, the higher the buyer's ranking is. Consequently, the market giant became mainland China's undisputed market leader within two years; eBay shut down its China site in 2006. There are now 500-million registered users. Today, Taobao has two major platforms - the TMall, where established brand owners sell directly to customers, and the Taobao Market place, where smaller companies and budding entrepreneurs set up shop. This year it will extend to Hong Kong and Taiwan, with the plan to eventually go global. Fittingly so, Taobao’s mascot is an ant, which represents their corporate culture. When Ma introduced Taobao to the outside world he said, "We are the ant army." There are even “Taobao Villages” popping up right across China. Currently over 1000, to be precise. In struggling rural areas, farmers have been encouraged to swap their tractors for a sewing machine. Former argricultural warehouses now house rows upon rows of sewing machines, humming to Alibaba’s beat! One rural backwater has emerged as a booming hub in making dress up costumes, with more than 90 per cent of the villagers taking up the role. Hundreds of busy shops are churning out princess dresses, and super hero outfits (so that’s where my batgirl costume came from). It’s given the once crumbling village a new lease on life - there’s even a Taobao business hotel and Taobao Town Kindergarten! Truth is, you can get virtually anything on Taobao! And you can get it quickly. Sure there are the clothes, cheap designer handbags, shoes and jewellery, toys, food, milk, baby nappies, cleaning products etc, but it goes so much further. A friend’s mum needed a blood pressure monitor - Voila! Look no further than Taobao! Need vacuum parts, car parts? Taobao’s your answer. Then there are the live scorpions, breastmilk soap, drones and boyfriends for hire, even a trip to space. (Yes! I really did just say all that.) The Westin Hotel even sells room nights on Taobao…and international brands are reaching China more than ever before. And did I mention the best part? For the most part, it's much, much cheaper! My American friend is a diehard “Cubs” fan and just ordered baseball jerseys - retailing at US$54.99, she got them delivered to her door a few days later at 88RMB each (that’s US$12.95)! November 11th is when the real party starts! 11/11 is officially Chinese Singles Day and that means the biggest sale of the year! Thousands of international and local brands offer big discounts on Taobao. Being single might be tough for some but apparently it can easily be fixed with some serious retail therapy! (Who am I to disagree!) Larger than Cyber Monday in America - in 2011, it took Taobao eight minutes to reach 100 million RMB (US$15million). This year it’s expected to break all records, cracking US$15-billion. Alibaba has been hyping consumers up with a pre-sale extravaganza, featuring celebrities like US Pop star Katy Perry and pop band One Direction! There’s even been a live-streamed fashion show in Shanghai allowing viewers to pre order items as they appear on the catwalk! Apple, Guerlain, Maserati and Target will be available for the first time, along with Costco, Macy’s, Starbucks and Zara. So, if you’re looking for me… I may be a little late to the party, but hey I made it!!! See you in cyberspace! This is China! … [Read more...]
The China Dream: A Small Target of $15 Million!
Here in China, forget about Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! They’re all banned! What you have in its place though is We Chat and Weibo. We Chat is a cross between What’s App and Facebook, not to mention a mini wallet! (And just quietly, gives both a run for their money!) Similar to Twitter, translated, 'Weibo' translates as ‘micro-blog’ and is exclusively in Chinese. (Which is a small problem for yours truly, who can’t read a thing!) China has one of the world’s most active social media audience with 600 million people registered on Weibo since it started seven years ago. It’s fair to say, in China, Weibo is the new black! Like it’s western counterpart, Twitter, Weibo has a limit of 140 characters, but Chinese characters! Which of course say a lot more than one letter. Given the internet censorship situation in China, Weibo is controlled by various methods from the ‘powers that be’ and there’s actually a list of blacklisted keywords that will have your posts automatically deleted and/or your account blocked should you breach them! With China now the world’s second largest economy, it’s become a global force to be reckoned with. Given outsiders weren’t really allowed in to China until the 80’s, China and its 1.4 billion people are still an enigma to much of the rest of the world. With netizens having a damn good go at expressing how they’re feeling on Weibo, it's one way to gain an interesting insight into what the people of China are thinking today. So, I thought it might be a good idea to keep you in the loop with what topics are trending on Chinese social media. Think of it as a window into China’s young soul. 8-O My good friend and Chinese local, Chao, is going to keep us updated with regular posts on what’s going down here in the Middle Kingdom. By Chao Huang In China when it comes to Weibo, we’re like moths to a flame! One topic that recently had Weibo in a frenzy was a quote from China’s richest man! His name’s Wang Jianlin and he’s a multi-billionaire who makes 900 million a day. Famous for owning Wanda…. China’s largest real estate developer and a company that is taking over the world in leaps and bounds; if you haven’t heard of them already, you soon will! He’s also the world's largest movie theatre operator and owns 20 per cent of the Spanish football club Atlético Madrid. Last week he went on a celebrity television show and bamboozled viewers around the country when he was asked to give advice on start ups. His answer: “There’s no problem if you want to be on the fortune list, but first you should set an achievable small target, let’s say, for example, you earn 100 million RMB ($15.2 million USD).” Yep you read that right…. 100-million - just a small “achievable” target. Given much of China’s people still live below the poverty line ….it was a slap in the face! Of course, this “friendly advice” together with screen shots of him, instantly went viral on social media. The jokes came thick and fast, one netizen quoting Neil Armstrong, "One small step for Wang, but a giant leap for mankind.” Coincidentally, Jack Ma, the second richest guy in China (Founder and Chairman of e-commerce giant, Alibaba) also sent the internet crazy, saying "The happiest Chinese are the ones that earn only 20,000 to 40,000 Chinese yuan, can afford a little house and car and start a good family!” He went on to say “When (you earn) more than 10 million, the trouble will come; when it’s more than 100 million, the trouble becomes big.” Netizens fired back saying, “I am not afraid of having the trouble, I will start with a “small target” - earn 100 million, and see how much the trouble is!” The average annual salary in China is 5780 RMB a month; Only five per cent of the working class earn more than 8000 RMB a month. You see, that’s how ironic this whole thing is. The gap between the rich and poor is only widening in China. A survey in 2013 found China to be the most unequal society in the world. The top elites often forgot how most people (and I am not even talking about the underdogs or beggars on the street) are striving for money, for being rich, for having “the trouble” of being too rich. In a country that has worked from the ground up, starting all over again from scratch in 1949 (encompassing a time when most people were too poor to eat more than scraps) for the first time ever, China now has a middle class. Albeit a small one. According to Goldman Sachs, less that two per cent of China’s 770 million workers earn enough to pay tax. Both Wang and Ma, are business savvy, hard working, progressive and building mighty business empires through sheer perseverance, but there’s no denying they got lucky! Aged 51 and 61, they both hopped on the speed train after China opened up to the world in 1980 and became heroes. While their cases might be extreme, it’s still the “China Dream” we are all living for after the economy’s reform. The term has became hugely popular under now President Xi. (According to the Communist Party's theoretical journal the Chinese Dream is about Chinese prosperity, collective effort, socialism, and national glory.) When Jack Ma was an English teacher, there was barely a Westerner in China; when he first went to America as a translator on business back in 1995 and discovered the new world of the internet and how people do business on the internet, few people even knew what it was. When he quit his golden job teaching college and loaned money to start up the first e-commerce company in China, people around him said he was a “liar who talks nonsense”. Yet he was on the money. There is no place in the world that has developed as fast as China. Yet while much of the innocent, impoverished and tumultuous country of China was torn up and rebuilt, it has also made way for a different kind of turbulence. So here is what I am talking about: the world's eyes are on China and the rise and rise of the rich Chinese and their taste for luxury goods, including everything from designer labels to over-sized yachts and extravagant parties! But the truth is there are millions of Chinese out there, struggling for a dime to buy food and to find shelter. While statistics show Beijing recently trumped New York as the Billionaire capital of the world, half the population earns around US$2000 a year! Some argue against the amazingly fast paced development, debating if it’s worth the environment being destroyed. Are too many citizens being left behind in China’s wake? Will China slow down to wait for its average citizens to catch up? After all, for the majority living in this country, their small target is definitely not making $15-millon. … [Read more...]
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