Chapter 56 Outpost of Western Development——Chengdu

When I visited China in 2005, I took the issue of the role China must play in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.In addition to this task, there is another thing, which is to find our stage in the huge Chinese market and find a way to enter, and the location I chose for this is Chengdu. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province with a population of 87 million.When mentioning Sichuan, the first thing Chinese people think of is Sichuan cuisine, because Sichuan cuisine is spicy and refreshing, which suits the taste buds of Koreans.In addition, Sichuan is also the hometown of Zhuge Liang and Mr. Deng Xiaoping in "Three Kingdoms".

There is a huge gap between China's coastal and inland development.Focus on coastal cities such as Shanghai, Qingdao, Tianjin and Yantai.There is even a saying that says, "People in coastal areas spend as much as 100,000 to 200,000 won on a meal, and the population of such consumption is as high as more than 100 million; in contrast, people in inland areas who cannot afford ten yuan of bread a day It also accounts for more than 100 million." Such a large gap will pose considerable difficulties for national integration, and the goal of developing towards a "moderately prosperous society", that is, creating a society with a stable middle class, will also be difficult to achieve.Therefore, the Chinese government began to implement the "Western Development" and "New Countryside Construction" policies on a large scale.

The Great Western Development is not only a huge plan for China, but also a rare opportunity for South Korea.With the expansion of infrastructure, it is believed that many high-rise buildings will be built, and a lot of heavy equipment will be required on the construction site. The IT industry will also open up a new world, build factories, introduce needed equipment parts, and create new consumer markets.In terms of geographical location, China is located in the very center of Asia and can become a springboard for our country to communicate with Eurasia.If we say that in the 1970s, a good opportunity to enter the Middle East was created, then in the 21st century, China's western development will bring many new opportunities for our country.

I want to confirm these possibilities with my own eyes, and hear about the difficulties encountered by companies that have developed in China's inland areas. I also want to exchange some views and opinions with the leaders of Sichuan Province who are actively promoting this policy. I think all of this is necessary. After I arrived in Chengdu, I first had lunch with Chinese entrepreneurs and talked about a lot of things, which I copied carefully in my notebook as usual.Although there are many issues concerning investment in mainland China that need to be resolved at the Korean institutional level, most of them must be resolved by the Chinese authorities.That evening, I made an appointment for dinner with the Secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee. It would be a great opportunity to think of ways to solve the difficulties that Chinese enterprises are facing.Of course, that was one of my missions when I flew here.At the dinner meeting with Mr. Zhang Xuezhong, Secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee, I relayed to him the troubles of Chinese enterprises in my notes.

"Many Koreans gather in the south of Chengdu, but the children don't have Korean classrooms, and they are currently taking classes at the teacher's home. In order to allow our children and grandchildren to continue to receive Korean education, please help our nationals to borrow Chinese students' classrooms for classes at least on weekends." ” Zhang Xuezhong ordered the accompanying persons in charge to immediately do so, and promised to discuss other matters carefully, for which I am deeply grateful.

The dinner was held in a very pleasant and warm atmosphere. I said in Chinese: "I hope Secretary Zhang Xuezhong is in good health, and I hope that there will be more achievements in the future, and the friendship between South Korea and China will be deeper." After I finished speaking in Chinese, the Chinese leaders applauded and cheered for me. Secretary Zhang Xuezhong asked me: "Can you sing Chinese songs?" I replied that I could sing "Evening Fragrance" and "Sweet Honey", and they said they wanted to hear me sing a song immediately.I also wanted to sing a song with great interest, but because I caught a bad cold during my visit to China, I couldn't get my voice out at all.Later, I found a reason and said: "I must have a band to accompany me to sing." Unexpectedly, Secretary Zhang Xuezhong responded: "Then I will sing a song for you." He happily got up and sang "Kangding Love Song" ", relevant people in Sichuan Province also stood up and sang together in unison.

Of course, we have to respond to the Chinese side and send a thank you song, so all the members stood up and began to discuss what song to sing back, and the Chinese side invited us to sing "Arirang".So we all sang "Arirang". I didn't expect that everyone sang this song so loudly. This is the first time I heard such a vigorous "Arirang". In that land full of infinite possibilities Today, the night of friendship between South Korea and China is gradually deepening.

---

Notes: