Chapter 31 "Central America": Cultural Fusion

Now comes the last issue in China, which is as important as economic structural transformation, but it is more difficult to quantify, and that is culture. "Sino-American" is not only the integration of the two economies, but also the integration of the cultures of the two countries. In 2002, I flew to Shanghai for the first time.Measured by the standards of a "China hand", I am just a beginner.I don't speak Chinese (and still don't).Although I have learned about China's long history from books, whether it is compared with those academic colleagues who have studied China for decades, or with those who have not read many books but can understand the relationship between China and the United States Compared with other entrepreneurs who come and go, I know very little about China.Walking alone in the street one rainy night, I felt as ignorant of the country as I was of the future of the investment fund I was about to build.

I have been to many countries before, but no country is as vibrant as China.The traffic on the road, the boats decorated with neon lights lined up in the river, the lights of the pier left by the former colonists are now flickering, and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is looming on the side of Pudong. All these make me feel like I am in the scene of a movie.In the following five years, I went to many factories in China, and also visited many old and new urban areas.My first impression of China has been deepened with the increase of my journey.It may sound incredible, but sensory impressions can be very effective in predicting what is about to happen.More than a century ago, when Europeans came to New York, they also intuitively felt something different, something different from their living environment.They were shocked by the noise and hustle and bustle before them, and those feelings were confirmed when they started interacting with the locals.Back in the 19th century, a young Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville made a similar point to "American Impressions."But in his age of war, the nation's primary concern was the conquest of more territory.At the end of the 19th century, a large area of ​​land was divided into the territory of the ruler, and the city gradually prospered with the development of industrialization.

Then the United States stepped onto the stage of history. In this country, anything can happen, and Americans value the future instead of dwelling on the past. In the late 19th century, after devoting much time to studying the United States, Lord James Bryce completed a book called The American Commonwealth.In this definitive work, he writes that he willingly fell for the trap, even though he knew it was a trap. "America has always won the admiration of others, and when you experience life in the United States, you will understand why. Americans are all hopeful, they will actively communicate with those who integrate into their lives, and they will let these people Acknowledging the fact that if political mistakes were made in both the United States and Europe, and even worse in the United States, Americans would be far less affected than Europeans. Countless times in writing this book, I I lost confidence in the facts I described, but at the same time, whenever I wavered, I would feel the strong spiritual power of the United States, and my turbulent mood would return to calm again."

There are many similarities between China today and America once.In China, too, everything is possible. China has huge potential for development, and China also faces contemporary issues with enthusiasm.But China has also suffered setbacks due to corruption, and the Chinese also have human weaknesses.This is especially true in cities.The development of Chinese cities is characterized by rapidity and chaos, but in general, the development changes are obvious. I still remember the first time I went to Shanghai, I had to meet with some lawyer friends in a newly completed office building in the business district of Nanjing Road, Shanghai.I'm not familiar with it, so I went to the wrong floor.The office building is ordinary, like any office building in any part of the world.But looking back now, I should have stood in front of a metal sign with the word "Huawei" printed on it.The name doesn't mean anything to me, but it means a lot to China's next phase of economic development and "Central America".That night I went to the street for a stroll, and the commercial street was lined with huge billboards with Yao Ming's smiling face on it.The 2.26-meter giant had just entered the NBA at that time, playing center for the Houston Rockets.And, at the time, he had just signed an endorsement deal with the world's largest sneaker maker.The Rockets hope to get a good player, and Nike is even more ambitious. It hopes that Yao Ming can help Nike develop new areas in the Chinese consumer market.Huawei and Nike, the former is a powerful high-tech company, and the latter is a well-known sports shoe manufacturer.Building on the reforms of Deng Xiaoping and his successors, China gradually became integrated into the new global business system.At the same time, many American companies are opening their arms there, preparing to welcome China into the world system.