The More Things Change

    A famous French characterization puts it succinctly: “The more things change, the more they remain the same.” Just as famously, in China that does not seem to be the case. Since the beginning of China’s reforms 30 years ago, the country has changed dramatically, both in terms of its infrastructure, and more importanly its people.

    “I first time came to China in 1986, and back then Beijing was a city without skyscrapers. Bicycles were everywhere on the streets, and even official vehicles were few and far between. The pace of life was slow — people did not seem to work very hard,” one friend said. When I arrived in China in 1994, the situation had not yet changed a great deal. However, there were plenty of taxis, and construction cranes were a common sight. Highrises were mushrooming everywhere in a concerted attempt to improve people’s living conditions. At the time, the majority of Chinese people still lived in cramped flats.

    State-owned enterprises were also on the hot seat, because their operations were in need of a transition to a market economy. It was a time of trial and error.

    The situation changed with the new millenium. Coupled with globalization, which saw the increased introduction of foreign enterprises and brands into the Chinese market, and the integration of China into the WTO in 2001, commercialism became the driving force for a new class of entrepreneurs. China boomed as a consumer society took hold. Ultramodern shopping malls replaced time-honored stores, and restaurants stopped closing early to welcome customers who were dining later and later. Beijing became an international metropolis where, like everywhere in the world, evenings are not spent necessarily at home in front of a television set.

    It is a development that strikes any foreigner who has lived in China for some time. “Eleven years ago, when I arrived in China,” a friend said, “the sight from my hotel window was rather dull. On the highways, I could only see navy blue or dark red Volkswagen Santanas. Today, cars are accessible to the Chinese middle-class, and customers have a choice between almost all brands available in the world, and even the most recent models. It is the same for architecture. Ten years ago, construction was quite dynamic, but the majority of buildings were very stereotypical. Today, China’s big cities invite the world’s most renowned architects to rebuild themselves.”

    If one is initially impressed by the positive aspects of this development, nobody can ignore the problems generated by the high-speed development, by the pollution, the congestion and the income discrepancy. However, it cannot be denied that millions have been lifted out of poverty.

    The last 30 years have engendered far more than material change. “My wages rose, but my status also changed. Before the reform, intellectual workers were not highly regarded. Afterward, I really became a fully qualified worker,” a former colleague once said. Indeed, in many areas, the values, mentality and customs of the Chinese people have changed dramatically. The Western world is no longer a source of mystery. The step was important judging by the statement of a Chinese now living abroad: “Thirty years ago, I discovered a magazine on my father’s desk. It was titled Shijie Zhichuang (Window on the World). The black and white pictures showed landscapes of other continents and people whose eyes and hair were not the same color as ours, and in the articles I learned they did not eat rice at each meal, nor jiaozi for the New Year. In short, it was a world far away from us.” Whereas some 10 years ago, people would stare at Westerners on the street, they can now walk unnoticed in most big cities.

    In spite of the influence of Western styles, the Chinese people have also rediscovered their national traditions. Confucianism, for example, is now just as popular as English, and younger generations of Chinese have been learning where they came from.

    And finally, China has claimed a stake on the global scene. Once the object of international intrigue, China has emerged as a significant player throughout the world.