Surviving Beijing since 1980

I write again. More to test the blog, yesterday I updated the Rotary one without problems but then this blog blew up in my face. Latest WordPress but all busted.
So I write this to see how it works. Bit difficult on a blue Sunday morning to see my router becoming a flickering Christmas tree and then all lights out. No Internet. Oh well, back to emergency mode, trying to rediscover codes and passwords, looking with a total ignorance at panels of the iMAC talking about PPPoE and other geek talk. Finally, back to the Internet. And to the dead blog. With a hangover of the biggest lesbian party I ever saw in Beijing, thinking actually still worked (so many cute girls, all off-limits, asking me if I knew where I was and if I was gay, etc. etc. and many Tsingtaos…). Decided to look inside the server, cleaned up the suspect files (google sitemap generator) that turned out to be the unexpected culprit. The joys followed of being able to get to the Dashboard, activating most plugins. That google stuff is like a bomb, just put it on the server and kaboom, all is gone. No clue why.
So, yes, I did not write. Man, too busy following the US primaries, definitely more fun than that Super Ball (or is it Bowl?) that seems as exciting as counting pebbles in a river. We miss that campaigning here, just imagine Who running from province to province and talking to real people with real media showing real news. Never mind the guys here are nearly as boring & kinda zealots as Republicans over there (the actually share many ideologies), but overall the debate is there. Also too busy trying to put order in my life (failed), my office files (failed), my thousands of useless business cards (did 5%), read my backlog of IHT (I am reaching October 2006, going backwards). Now, don’t get me even more depressed by asking how my Chinese lessons are doing, how my books are taking shape.
I am a “Golden Rat” according to Chinese mythology. As 100 different versions of interpretations result in 100 contradictory statements about my Rat Year, I keep the copy at heart that says I will get laid a lot. Other forecasts are systematically trashed though I deeply believe this year WILL be s***. The puzzling clouds of the Games are coming nearer. Maybe I should run away in time. But to miss this Halloween Party would be a pity (Yeah, we talk about this “party” later). But with all the not-so-good rumblings here I will need to look for worse places around the world so I can feel relieved to be in this harmonious society of Beijing.
So, I’ll stop here as i will soon drop on the keyboard, still in pajamas since yesterday (after that party, OK!). Good night.

Yeah, no “New Year resolutions”.
Maybe one, just before that dreaded day of 31 (if you know me you’ll understand).
I am going to take a break from this blog. Is it the horrendous Beijing pollution (topping 500 these days), is it old age, is it nervous breakdown, is it demotivation, is it trying to stop my beloved cigars, etc. No comments, no pick.
This blog has become too big, too diverse. Bloated?
I have lots of stuff sitting ready to be edited, pics to be uploaded. They’ll remain there taking digital dust.
I do have some nice and interested readers (NOT those looking for the BIGGEST PENIS or for sexy massage Beijing).
I need desperately to clean up my computer files (doing it right now), sorting out my thousands of pictures, clean out my office of useless files and company introductions, clean up my head (tough). Wading through gigabytes of files I stumble on so much crap I had to deal with in the past years, a lot to do with the (dreaded) Olympics.
Any of you still interested in my views on Beijing, Chinese girls, pollution, etc.: I will take out more time for personal contacts. You know how to find me. Could be more fun.
Writing a book? Not yet convinced. Too much rubbish comes out every day, including intellectual waste about the importance of ying and yang, Confucianism, etc. People are even paid to blabber about it. They urgently need a visit to the Gongti Strip after 11 pm; the new Babyface is open.

To all the readers, the faithful, the occasional (looking for sexy stuff in Beijing), the known and unknown: Happy Holidays and a Happy 2008. And lots of excitement with the 2008 Olympics (with a tone of muted sarcasm and curiosity).
For me, a year filled with some good, some bad. Will keep it for myself except for close friends who can hear it whispered in their ears.
No Christmas cards, New Year cards, e-mails sent out to dozens of people. Don’t feel like it. Anyway, people already receive too much in their mail boxes.
No “New Year resolutions” either, I still have the last year’s ones.

Received the following greetings from a friend in Beijing, he gets the first prize for the most unusual e-mail Holiday Greetings. Typical of his sarcasm, something we regularly share. Identity not revealed!

No snow, no reindeer, no politically incorrect ho-ho-ho’s, no teddy bears called Jesus, no “with-very-best-wishes-to-all-the-family-for-Christmas -and-the-New-Year”, no jaw-dropping family yawnletters, for this year I am sending out only Gandhi-cards… to provoke a smile, a shudder, a momentary insight, while achieving a substantial saving on cards and postage stamps, which I will not, not, not be giving to charity.
For I am and remain,
Mahatma Grinch.
(although you will all know “Be the change you want to see in the world”, you may not be so familiar with some of these. MG)
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ”
“God has no religion”
“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind”
“I believe in equality for everyone except reporters and photographers”
“I object to violence because when it appears to do good. The good is only temporary, the evil it does is permanent”
“There is more to life than increasing its speed”
“There is no path to Peace. Peace is the path”
“Live simply so that others may simply live”
“What do I think of Western civilization? I think it would be a very good idea.”
But now please go and deck the halls with boughs of holly…… Fa-la-la-la-la …..fa la-la-la-la!
Mahatma Grinch.

I met the commercial counsellors of all 27 EU countries to discuss about doing business in China, plus some other top business people in private meetings.
The overall feeling is of concern for the near future. Both the EU and the USA are raising their voices and getting impatient.
Local Chinese government officials I recently met do seem clueless and feel all is well. Agreed, they cannot read the real story in their local newspaper.
On the other hand some figures and comments explain a lot.
The EU now is a total of 27 countries with a population of close to 480 million and a combined GNP exceeding 10 trillion euros.
According to Mofcom:

EU is now China’s largest trading partner according: in 2006 total trade stood at US$ 272.29 billion. Trade surplus for China was US$ 91.7 billion and in the first ten months of 2007 it climbed to US$ 102.8 billion. In 2006, the value of sales by EU companies with investment in China was US$ 206.6 billion “helping offset the disparity in the trade figures”.

But here is another version, of the EU Delegation in Beijing, ambassador Serge Abou:

“The EU trade deficit with China could reach 150 to 160 billion euro in 2007. The EU deficit growth of 30 to 35 billion euro per year is unsustainable.”

The visit of EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson in late 2007 brought more EU comments:

The EU deficit is increasing at a pace of 15 million euro per hour.
Beijing is now the largest source of manufactured imports for Europe.
EU exports to China are less than to Switzerland.
EU companies lose 20 billion euro per year due to China’s non-tariff barriers and regulatory discrimination.

For the USA, much the same. During the China - USA talks in December 2007 - US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. and US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez:

“Talks left the USA unfulfilled. Lingering concerns that China is increasingly using arcane regulations to keep out American products and wants to promote its own domestic economic “champions”. “In China there is an increasingly powerful domestic industry that is a strong lobby.” (IHT)”

Vice-Premier Wu Yi: “Some unharmonious notes” in the Sino-US trade ties this year: “It is marked by a sharp rise in the number of congressional legislation against China, evident politicization of economic and trade issues, strengthened control on exports to China and the purposeful exaggeration of China’s food and product safety.”
Then look at China Foreign Trade so far:

In the first eleven months of 2007: nearly US$ 2 trillion up 23.6% YoY.
Exports: US$ 1.1 trillion, up 26.1% - imports: US$ 865.5 billion, up 20.5% (no comments needed)
Trade surplus: US$ 238.1 billion up 52.2%

Now, that does not look so sustainable. I keep hearing from seasoned business people business is tough, less market access, rigged bidding, large-scale industrial IPR infringements. Yeah, yeah, read the wonderful success stories. Just talk frankly with people on the ground.
What the USA and EU need is not renminbi revaluation. They need reasonable market access, the consensus during a stiff drinking session in Centro, when the truth comes out. Not the one-way flow of goods and services. And the EU does want to export high-tech to China, businesses complain they can’t or don’t get paid (fairly).

That’s “China International Real Estate & Arch-tech Fair”, held in the China International Exhibition Center, an exhibition to show real estate projects and new technology for energy conservation and environment-friendly construction.
As usual famous Lao Fan (aka Gilbert) had to brighten up the row of dignitaries to cut the opening ribbon, showing off his new 2007 EU tie from the Portuguese presidency plus his gray hair. Took the opportunity to drag along some other laowais who (still) feel thrilled to be on stage, Hirio Ottino and Daniel Petrich. (does not look like it but both speaking français, vraiment).
Got to chat with Wu Zhongze, vice minister of the Ministry of Science & Technology, who was the VVIP.

Never saw so many journalists who pushed and shoved to make pictures and shoot film. A bit puzzling.
The exhibition showed some of the advanced products like real good isolating windows, Canadian wood, etc. Leaves me always skeptic as Chinese construction still lags behind to make buildings really energy friendly.
The waste of energy is enormous and few seem to care. All this blabla about saving energy and green buildings makes me tired. A good start would be better temperature control - overall non-existent. Don’t be fooled by the high-tech looking thermostats, they serve no purpose but for the vendors to do business. Central heating systems have no control at all and just pump hot water to the point the only way is to open the windows, what is the mostly used high-tech approach. Don’t try to close down the radiator, you might end up with a flooded room and a piece of rusted iron in your hands.
Same for the air ducts who spew out hot, dry and polluted air. Forget “control”. Example: PowerHouse Gym.
Just taking care of the above could save 20 to 40% of energy consumption in Beijing. And bring clear skies.

Every year I join the conference to feel the pulse of the finance, investment and banking world in China. Usually many people turn up, like 1,000, as well as throngs of journalists. There are always some of the biggest shots in the industry to give a speech.
This year it took place in the Westin Hotel (Finance Street) under the title “Financing and Investing for Sustainable growth”.
Key speeches and presentations are mostly bland and say little or nothing that is worth mentioning. The Conference is mostly for me to hear what is NOT being said.
Some of my friends bankers get upset by the “empty talk, the B***S###”. Like when the Chinese bank officials talk about the need for innovation, the lack of expertise, etc. “Well, we foreign banks can do a lot but they just don’t let us”. Grumble grumble.
This year there was one remarkable message from nearly all Chinese key speakers: there is a serious risk for financial markets to drop considerably. “Markets do not always go up so we need to be prepared”. Not exactly an optimistic message. The subprime loan crisis is one of the factors mentioned. Not to talk about the totally crazy stock market in China. No more need to go to Macao, more and better here.
Some of the key speakers:
+ Zhou Xiaochuan, governor, PBOC
+ Lou Jiwei, chairman of the board, China Investment Corporation
+ NDRC vice chairman Zhang Xiaoqiang. In my opinion the best speaker:

- Switch from quantity to quality in foreign investment; new catalogue for investment; reduce export oriented and polluting industries for FDI; more focus on inland regions
- Chinese investments abroad going more global but still in its infancy; companies should be most involved, government to facilitate and lead the way; improve policies of forex and type of ownership abroad;. participation of large firms & SME.

+ Jiang Jianqing, chairman ICBC
+ Mike Moore, former PM of New Zealand (not exactly the highlight of the day)
+ Tianjin representative: Tianjin is an area of 11,000 km2 with over 11 million people. New Binhai Region covers 650 km2. New project of 10 million ton oil refining project.

See here the picture gallery with some pics of the key speakers - click on this link:
http://homepage.mac.com/bjprc/PhotoAlbum13.html

Et bien les absents ont eu tort.
Le Bal de la Rentrée de l’Association des Francophones de Pékin a été un beau succès, déjà que beaucoup d’autres activités avaient lieu le même soir. Est-ce l’excuse de l’absence de certains? Tant pis, la Francophonie ce n’est pas la France, ce n’est pas le fait d’être parfait en français - c’est l’amour ou au moins la sympathie pour la langue. Et la culture.
On était bien plus q’à 150 au Novotel Peace Beijing, une grande variété de nationalités et d’enthousiastes.
Tous membres du Bureau étaient au poste pour saluer les participants - je n’ai serré autant de mains que ce jour-là.
On attend rapidement la brochure de l’AFP (non, pas de l’Agence France Presse!).
Je n’oserai pas citer la liste complète des promoteurs et autres, je pense seulement aux suivants pour leur activisme:
Jacqueline Nizet, Chargée de Communication près l’Ambassade de Côte d’Ivoire; Francis Nizet, Assemblée des Français à l’étranger; Patrick CLEC’H, secrétaire général adjoint de l’Association des Francophones de Pékin; notre ami Jacques Jobard (dans l’ombre mais…). Et toute une autre foulée de gens VIP mais je laisse cela pour la brochure.
Et oui, Gilbert est membre du bureau et son français n’est pas parfait - mais ce n’est pas ça qui compte!
Voici quelques photos, cliquez sur le lien:
http://homepage.mac.com/bjprc/PhotoAlbum14.html

As reported by Xinhua, “Good Luck Beijing” international boxing invitation tournament was held in Beijing’s Worker’s Indoor Arena (BWIA) from 17 to 22 November. It’s among a series of test events for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, featuring 76 boxers from 18 countries and regions, including 12 from China.
BWIA, renovated in 2006, will be the venue of the invitation tourney as well as the Olympic boxing and Paralympic judo competitions in 2008.
The six-day event expected 23 medical workers from eight hospitals and 450 student volunteers from 11 universities, according to the organizers.
As the venue is next door to where I live (and work), I wanted to see how it was now after repair. Not too bad, simple but certainly fits the bill. Some improvements in signage are due (try to find the toilets - you circle around clueless) and hopefully security screening will be beefed up to avoid long waiting lines. This time, no problem as the gymnasium was maybe filled for 10% only. We bought 3 tickets of RMB 20 each and spend part of the afternoon of 18 November.
See here the picture gallery (and all others) - click on this link:
http://homepage.mac.com/bjprc/PhotoAlbum12.html

Charles Dukes, editorial consultant, photographer, friend and good company for a conversation invited us for the party in the Landmark Hotel, so we left Tianjin that day in a rush to be there on time.
Beijing This Month has published a series of good maps and guidebooks about Beijing and also has a couple of monthly magazines I like.
A big crowd - mainly Chinese - turned up, including some VIPs from BOCOG and the Municipal Government. One was Ms. Wang Hui, Director of Beijing Municipal Information Office and also BOCOG vice director for Media & Communications.
The performances were great and I was particularly impressed with the large screen and the visuals. OK, the lighting was a weak point and it seemed they all wanted us to concentrate on the legs rather than the faces (there were some nice legs, fortunately).
We even got some passionate Latino dancing and the participants (see pics) passed the sensuality test. And lots of conversation with Charles.
Click here the link for the photo gallery (and all others):
http://homepage.mac.com/bjprc/PhotoAlbum11.html

Our friend from Wenzhou, Hu Shijun is also Board Chairman of Maigou (Tianjin) Group Company, building a very large shopping mall to host suppliers of electrical, electronic and mechanical equipment.
Situated in the renovated central area of Tianjin the building is now taking shape, the last time I was there I attended the ground-breaking ceremony and gave a speech.
On 7 December I attended a signing ceremony for several of the new partners in the project.

All part of the daily and colorful life in China… Chinese event organizers often try to have some foreign faces in the VIP line. Looks good. Having gray hair and many titles is even better, so I perfectly fit the bill.