Space for Niels Peter

Almost one year... well, 10 months and two weeks... have passed since my last contribution to my weblog here. And a lot of things have happened in that span of time. Maybe I will return to some of it in later postings, but here I just want to tell, that I have left China - my home for 12 years! - and settled in Sweden, so future postings will not specifically be about "My life in China", but everything seen from the perspective of the wonderful Swedish countryside in Österlen/Skåne just outside the small town of Tomelilla. I feel I have arrived in Paradise. Although I know I am not dead yet. These last 10 days in "Paradise" have seen the most wonderful weather with the sun shining from the clear blue skies, nature awakening and blooming. From my garden terrasse I have an astonishing view over the yellow rapefields, the green trees around, the green grass and the red tulips in my garden... and then the very blue skies where no clouds dots the panorama, except the condense tracks after the airliners that soundlessly pass by up probably some 10 kilometers in the skies. Only the noise from the occasional car that pass by on the road outside my garden break the silence... well, silence a la Nature! Because there is a host of birds around. Rooks! And they are not silent of course. But what a contrast to Beijing! Here at Övrabyborg more airliners silently cross the sky above on their journeys from East to West or West to East than cars passing by on our local road! I hope you can visualize the scene. The stage is set for the next part of my life. And I will regularly tell you aout it here on my weblog. Have a wonderful Whitsun - tomorrow morning there should be plenty of opportunities to see and experience the sun "dance" as it raises on the horizon.

Ever since May 8... the day after the Chinese May 1st-holiday ended... there have been an inferno of drilling noise and hammering all around me here in my apartment from around 7.30 in the mornings till 19 in the evening . The neighbours seems to be tearing down everything in their apartment and rebuilding, remodelling, renovating or decorating. I don't like early mornings, and to be woken up at 7.30 of a non-stopping drillingnoise is not my cup of tea. And there was no diffrence on workdays, Saturdays and Sundays! Unbearable! But now finallly it seems to be coming to an end. But this is just a sign of the development of China, the higher incomes and for many wealth, that people can buy their apartments and shape them as they want. 10 years ago there opened a large Do-it-yourself building market just of Chaoyang Road in Beijing almost in Tongzhou, but it was probably premature for it closed down again after only one or one and a half year of operation. Others have taken over in the recent years, such as Ikea and B&Q, as the sale of houses and apartments have boomed... and the decoration and renovating business flourishes. Where most Chinese people until a few years ago had very limited living space... only space enough for some beds and a small dining table and of course a colour tv-set, apartments are now becoming attractive homes with modern bathrooms, well equipped kitchens, bedrooms enough for the whole family and a real living room with sofa and comfortable armchairs, carpets on the floors or wooden flooring, and instead of the white chalked walls with nothing on to liven up the room - or at most a poster of Mao Zhedong, Chou Enlai or Marx - people are now buying paintings, framed pictures and other decorations for their acrylic painted walls. And where the room before was lighted up with a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling, now there are lamps and chandeliers galore. And what was unusual 10 years ago: Inviting friends to your home has become common now. After former premier Zhu Rongji in 1997 and his government decreed that from then on Chinese people should be homeowners and disbanded the practice of the workplace providing accommodation, while banks introduced loans for buying homes, more and more luxurious apartment blocks have been built while the prices have skyrocketed. Yes, China is fast becoming a nation of homeowners, who take pride in their homes. But it seems that not all developers have had a sound financial foundation to build on.... after more than 8 years with a "skeleton" high-rise building on the corner of Gongti Bei Lu and San Li Tun Nan Lu, where nothing happened to finish the construction... it looked terrible all these years... the building was recently finished and will soon be occupied. What a relief. But In Liangma Qioa Lu next to the huge Kempinski Hotel a mammoth development was started some 5-6 years ago, and the buildings seemed to be finished 3-4 years ago, at least on the outside. But still there is no sign of life or activity in or around the enourmous buildings, that are decaying... probably there were no more money to finish the development for (as was the case with the above mentioned building until a new company took over). That is a stigma on the area, where also new Embassies (like US Embassy) are being built. Not all developers are as solid as Soho's mr. Pan Shiyi.

In my first installment here on this Blog, I mentioned, that learning to speak English had almost become a "religion" for many Beijingers here prior to the Olympic Summer Games next year. I find that praiseworthy, that so many people want to be able to communicate with us foreigners, who does not speak Chinese. Of course it is. Although the Chinese language is the language in the World that is native to the largest number of people, Spanish the second native language and English only the third... English is of course the most spoken language in the world, because so many people, who have other native languages - as myself - can speak English as their second language. Chinese business people have to be able to communicate properly with foreign business people, taxidrivers have to be able to communicate with their foreign passengers, staff at hotels and restaurants, tourist attractions, shops that cater for tourists or other foreigners have to be able to communicate with their customers. Police and other authorities also have a need of communicating with the foreigners who come to China... and the expected massive flow of visitors to Beijing during the Olympic Summer Games will find that very helpful and convenient, that so many can speak English. But I am worried for all the children, who are forced by their parents to take all these extra classes in English. According to a recent survey in eight cities of China, including Beijing, more than half of all children between 4 and 12 years attend extra-curricular classes, and most of them in English classes. The survey shows that 39,8 % of the 4 to 6 year old attend extra classes, 51,9% of the 7 to 9 year old and 61,9 % of the 10-12 year old ones have to attend extra-curricular classes. Chinese schoolchildren even without extra classes do not have time to play with other children or for relaxation or hobbies. So for more than every second child in the urban areas of China there is even less time for play, hobbies or relaxation. In my opinion that is a catastrophe for the healthy development of the children. Yes, children of course have to learn, but as it is already, schoolwork for Chinese children is a heavier burden than for children in almost all other countries. While adults - parents - have free time and weekends, children have very little. And that is not healthy. I think it will backfire, when the children have grown up without a real "childhood". China of course needs well educated people, but China also need creative, imaginative, self-thinking and individualistic people, who are able to socialize and cooperate. Childrens play and hobbies (of their own choice) in reciprocality with other children foster creativity, imagination and individuality, but also the ability to socialize (get along with others) and cooperate. One thing is that China's one-child policy since 1973 fosters the "Little Emperor's/Empresses" (the one-child policy have been good, not only for China but for the whole World!), but that parents rob their children of their natural childhood and thus never becomes "whole persons" is unforgivable! I honestly doubt if any 4 to 8-9 year old one by herself or himself are so interested in English language, that they voluntarily will take extra-curricular classes in English. And I know for a fact, that this is not the case for the 9 to 12 year old ones! I love children (I am the real Santa Claus of Beijing - see the photo!) and have been persuaded to teach some extra-curricular English classes. And for me it is fun. But I know from the reaction and remarks from the children, that this is not the way they want to spend their weekends! And in my opinion - I am a father of two children and grandfather to four, so don't tell me, that I don't know what I am talking about! - neither should they spend their weekend filled with extra classes. No matter how great ambitions the parents have on behalf of their children. Lost childhood!

I am ashamed of myself! I have lived in China for 11 years, but still do not master the Chinese language. Many friends I meet of course say, when they hear I have been here so long time: "Oh, you must speak Mandarin very well!?" - but alas, not. Not that I don't want to, I really want. But there have been many obstacles in the way: First of all, my ex-wife (yes, Chinese) did not want me to speak Chinese. She wanted to be my translator and thus also control who I spoke to and what I said. But then how about the last 8 years after my divorce? Well, one of the first things I did was to enroll in a language class. But my job as a journ alist required me to travel a lot out of Beijing, so I missed too many classes and had to drop out. I tried three times to start again in a new language class, but to no avail. Then I hired a private tutor, who were willing to teach me, when I had time and that went well for a few months, but then my tutor got a scholarship to go to Europe, and of course that was more important, than teaching me Chinese. Then I sort of gave up and settled for study a bit myself and what I coluld pick up from friends and acquaintances. But that is also difficult, as most Chinese, especially after that memorable day, July 13, 2001, when Beijing was announced as host of the Olympic Summer Games in 2008, wants to practice their English. So they wanted to speak English with me and I did not gain much knowledge of the Chinese language. Of course in my daily life I do pick up some Mandarin, and I do understand more than I can speak. But I manage with friends, who don't speak English, with taxi drivers, in shops, restaurants and so on. But I know, after 11 years in Beijing, I should be able to speak fluently, and yes, I am ashamed, that I cannot. It is not that languages are that difficult for me... apart from my mother tongue of Danish, I do speak Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, German and of course English. And I do understand a little French... and as I said above some Chinese. When I do manage to speak some Chinese outside of Beijing - in Kunming, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Harbin or other places in this vast country - apart from being ashamed of my limited ability, I am though proud of my accent! People say: "Oh, you live in Beijing?" My accent is definitely local Beijing accent!

In the last instalment on my blog I was occupied with the traffic chaos, as you can read below. Today I would like to dwell for a moment on the amazing rise in the number of private owned cars in China. Exactly how many their are today all over China, I don't know, but in the capitol, Beijing, out of the 2,9 million sedans apprx. 2,2 million are - according to the Beijing government - private owned. More and more people prefer to have their own car, and can afford it, instead of relying on their employers vehicles. Already now China has become the third largest producer of cars - and that has happened in less than 25 years. The first car to come to China was a Benz... around 1900! It was a gift from the German Emperor to the Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi... the car can actually be seen at a museum in the Summer Palace on the outskirts of Beijing. Of course many cars were imported to China in the first half of the 1900's, but that was almost entirely foreigners and a few wealthy Chinese business people, as well as government leaders, who imported cars. In 1958, nine years after the Communists took over and proclaimed the People's Republic of China, the government established the first factory to produce a Chinese limousine. That was in Changchun of Jilin Provinse, where First Automotive Works started production of the Hong Qi - Red Flag - limousine for state leaders. But there was only built 10 (yes, ten!) of the first generation of Red Flag, all hand built. Later the same year saw the birth of Shanghai Car Factory, who started production of Phoenix sedans for the masses, but the masses had no money to buy. In 1960 the factory changed it's name to Shanghai Sedan, but has disappeared into oblivion long ago. But today Shanghai has one of the most successful car producers, Shanhai Automotive Industries Company. Red Flag was produced in Changchun until 1983, when the government ordered the production halted, the cars were to expensive and energy consuming. But already in 1989 FAW again produced Red Flag limousines, now not hand-built, but mass produced based on the German Audi technology and production lines. With late state leader Deng Xiao Ping's opening up policy from 1979, when private business again was allowed and when foreign investments in China was welcomed, the government also had a desire to ressurect the Chinese automobile industry with foreign investment and partnerships. The first western car factory was actually established in 1983 as a joint venture between a Chinese car factory in Beijing and Chrysler, who started production of the Jeep Cherokee in 1984. And in 1985 German Volkswagen established carproduction at two factories. One in Shanghai in joint venture with SAIC and another with the above mentioned FAW in Changchun. First the production of VW was based on a old German Passat-model, who's name in China became Santana, and became the most sold sedan, still produced but now in a upþtoþdate version as Santana 3000... but later all the range of modern and high techonology VW's have been produced in China, including the limousines from the VW-owned Audi. For many years VW dominated the Chinese car market with few foreign cotestants coming in to China... of course many cars was imported, but not produced in China. But eventually they came. In mid-1990's VW still had a 40 % marketshare in China. Today it's down in around 17-18%... but of course with a much larger number of produced and sold cars, than in the 1990's. French Peugeot tried their early luck in a joint venture, but brought no new technology, and the Chinese did not want outdated cars! But after Peugeot was united with Citroën in PSA, they had a boom in production and sales of their Citroën ZL/ZX-cars, that aquired the Chinese name Fukang. Until recently hundred of thousands of Fukangs produced in Wuhan of Hubei Province were running the streets of China as taxi's and a very popular family car - only beaten by VW's bestseller, Jetta! But in the latter part of 1990's the Japanese producers came into China in joint ventures - Toyota, Mazda, Daihatsu, Suzuki, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and in 1999 General Motors beat Ford in the race to establish a carfactory in Shanghai for luxury cars, as the government would only allow one of the kind. Since then General Motors - after an investment of 2,1 billion US$ - have produced Buicks, Cadillacs, Chevrolet and other famous American GM-brands on their factories in and around Shanghai, and now not only luxury cars, but also compact family cars, and today hold around 10 % of the Chinese market. Ford finally also came in, but through the backdoor in a joint venture with Chinese Chang'An Car factory in Chongqing (On the Yangtze River in Central China a city of 32 million people!), where they now produce a full range of Ford-cars - f. ex. Mondeo, to mention just one of the brands. I am actually invited to visit one of their factories in oned weeks time... I have already been to FAW, Brilliance, Geely and GM- plants and seen their production. And today almost all multinational car-producers are present with production in China - including Mercedes-Benz, MG/Rover, Volvo, Fiat, Skoda, Kia and others not mentioned above - with only a few exceptions. Jaguar, Ferrari, Maserati, Maybach, Rolls-Royce, SAAB probably never will be produced in China, but you can see them on the roads of China anyway. Notably no Russian cars are built in China, who based their first car production on Russian technology in the 1950's! Now China has developed it's own technology thanks to all the cooperation with foreign partners. Brilliance in Shenyang, who also produce BMW's, have developed their own brand, Zhongguo (China or Middle Kingdom), Chery, now the most sold family compact car, is already exporting it's products to other Asian countries, Africa, South America and even Europe, Geely (who was originally a private owned motor cycle producer turned first private car producer in 1999) have a large following in China, where they last year sold 200.000 cars thanks to low prices beginning at 4.160 US$, and have now turned their eyes on the export markets. Several of the foreign brands, produced in China, is also now aimed for export. Last year Chinese automakers exported some 350.000 cars. And within very few years China will overtake both Japan and US in total car production. China have already passed Germany! And of course, China has joined the F1-league with it's own racecourse in Shanghai. China has over the last 10 years become car crazy!