Life is not fair.   That’s an early lesson for most of us.  Everybody everywhere experiences injustice in varying forms and degrees during his/her lifetime.  The world, in general, is not a very fair place.  But a lot of us still hold out for situational fairness, like a line at the store or a promotion or an exam grade.  We've earned it and fair is fair…right? 

I’ve thought about fairness a lot during my time in China.  In lots of ways, life in China seems much less fair, on average, than life in America.   There is corruption,cheating and guanxi-induced opportunism. Simply being the best or working the hardest doesn’t usually take you that far in China unless other factors (your family, connections, etc) are there to secure advancement.   It is common knowledge, for example, that the doctor’s childis often the teacher’s favorite since that means she'll be able to cut to the front of the hospital line.  And honesty is also at a premium.   At a simple weekend non-profit “fun run” in Beijing yesterday there was lots of corner cutting,accusations of cheating and lying about finish times.

But, in spite of the fact that the life (and often the behavior) of the average Chinese is far from “fair,” I think it’s fascinating that so many Chinese people I’ve met still seem to have a firm concept of fairness.   And it’s pretty much the same as mine.  Like any westerner, that sense of fairness becomes especially offended when Chinese find themselves on the disadvantaged side of injustice.

Maybe humans, even living in an environment of consistent inequity, hold an innate since of justice?  I supposed that is the root of democratic ideals (Locke, French Revolution, etc). In a nation where the extreme gap between rich and poor continues to grow, there are daily reminders that fairness is a far off concept.  As a result, many people speculate that China is on the brink of revolution.  I don’t really know if that’s true.  But I do know there are a lot of frustrated, under-employed Chinese people who feel powerless to tap into the many opportunities here.

An Aside: At its heart, communism was supposed to represent the ultimate fairness: enforced equality. Now the old word for “Comrade” in Chinese, the word that was designated to replace titles and diminish distinction, used by everyone to address ateacher or waiter or a shopkeeper in the days of Mao, has evolved far from itsroots. Today it’s the word used to describe a gay or lesbian “partner.”  Times have changed.

This is a photo from the elevator in my apartment building which is shared by both by many westerners and Chinese.   4 is an unlucky number in Chinese because it's pronunciation sounds a lot like the word for "death" and, of course, 13 is the unlucky western number. So, in China, you can end up living on the 35th floor of a 30 floor building.

Yesterday, I rode the Tokyo subway during morning rush hour.  It was exactly as I imagined it would be:  a silent, orderly mass of salary men and women so tightly packed into a small space that they momentarily cease to be individuals, patiently absorbed into the mob.   As a westerner who appreciates the fairness and predictability of a queue, the Tokyo subway was a nice break from my daily Beijing subway madness, where it is truly every man for himself.  But it’s still a tight fit. When it was my turn at the front of the line, I helped a woman cram her bag into the subway car door so it could shut.   Silently. 

Japan, as obvious as it might sound, is extremely different from China.  It has been fascinating to compare these two eastern giants, one still a developing country and the other a highly developed nation, and to contrast the major distinctions: history, food, nationalism, cleanliness, customs, courtesy, diversity and, of course, democracy. It had not occurred to me until I arrived that I haven’t seen an election poster in months.

During my short time in Japan, what I’ve appreciated most is the attention to detail.  This comes through in everything from architecture to urban planning, package design and customer service.  Special, unique touches abound.  There have been many situations where I’ve thought “Wow.  That’s really cool.  They didn’t have to do that.” But they did.  For such a homogenous culture (and maybe because of it), many Japanese work very hard to be individuals.  I love the creativity that results, from spiky orange hair and pink striped socks to new art and music forms. 

One of many, many vending machines all over the country serving delicious hot and cold drinks:

Japan has also proven to be incredibly trusting.  Women leave their purses or mobile phones on the table at the coffee shop to reserve a seat.   On the subway, people place their bags on the luggage rack above their heads and then sit down to fall asleep. 

From the Tokyo station, I caught the 2-hour bullet train (Shinkansen) to Kyoto, a lovely city surrounded by mountains.  Since I quickly get tired of crowded, touristy temples and shrines, I ended up wandering away from the Kinkakuji Temple into hilly neighborhoods nearby with small, beautifully landscaped courtyards.  Late-spring and early-spring blossoms are meeting now: tulips, daffodils, cherry blossoms, rhododendron, pansies, irises, hydrangea, poppies.   I ended up going up and up a hill that eventually turned into a mountain pass with huge bamboo and wild cherry blossoms.  I only passed a few people along the way, and then after a few hours I came to a marker calling the location Kyomi Toge or Kyoto Pass. It quoted a famous Japanese war story “Taiheiki” written about six hundred years ago that describes this point as “where you could see over the city of Kyoto spread at your feet.” 

Eventually, I became pretty lost and found a nice old man living in a bright, airy lodge with lots of cats.  He thought it was hysterical that I had somehow showed up there, and brought out his map in Japanese, which we compared with my map in English to show me where I was.  He communicated that the trek down the mountain would take at least 2 hours.  So I started walking.  Luckily, when I reached the main road again I ran into a young guy who had pulled over his motorcycle to buy a vending-machine coffee and smoke a cigarette. He handed me a helmet and offered to take me down to Kyoto so I could catch my bus back to the hotel.  It was a beautiful ride down the mountain.

Last night, I stayed in a “capsule” in a very cool western-convenience-meets-eastern-simplicity place called the “Ryokan Capsule Hotel”. Very comfortable and clean.  My capsule #106:

 Now back to Tokyo…

Having just returned from visiting a friend in Singapore, I read an editorial in The Straits Times which discusses the “Politics of Democracy”, outlining a point of view common in Asia regarding a Western-style capitalism.  The points he makes about the PAP in Singapore are similar to the arguments made about the Communist, one-party system in China. An excerpt:

Confrontational model not ideal for Singapore

While a Western-style democracy model may work in some countries, it does not mean it is the best and only model for (Singapore).  In the West, individualism is supreme.  But at what price?

In the United States, something as basic and fundamental as health-care reform has taken years to push through because of bipartisan politics.  Students continue to be shot at in schools because the right to bear arms is more important that the lives and safety of children. Politicians do what is necessary to be elected instead of doing what is right.  

Nearer home, look at what is happening in Thailand.  Once a peaceful country, it is now torn apart because of the confrontations between two main parties. 

Singapore is a young country with a multiracial population.  While we have enjoyed peace for many years now, our society remains fragile.  Harmony is key to our survival and our future.  In this scenario, political contests by rival parties based on a confrontational approach are not the best model.

The West may not view this as democracy.  But so what?  What is more important is that it works for Singapore and Singaporeans.

There are policies of the People’s Action Party (PAP) government I disagree with. And there are many areas it can improve on. But it has to be admitted that the PAP has transformed itself over the years.  More and more, the focus is on bottom-up participation.

Also, under the PAP government over the years, Singapore has continued to achieve progress and prosperity.  The little red dot is now the envy of people around the world.

To quote Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping: “It doesn’t matter if the cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice.”

The criterion should be what works and what does not, to enable Singapore to achieve its best potential.

It does not matter if we have a full Western-style democracy, partial democracy or socialism that works the Singapore way.  What is important is that we continue to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress based on justice and equality.

The opposition parties can and do have a role to play. That is, if they are willing to be constructive… rather than destructive.

- Patrick Tan

Admiring Mao in Wuhan:

He stressed again and again that the financial crisis in the United States was not a repudiation of markets.  “I believe when the Chinese economy grows it benefits both the Chinese and theAmerican people."    He talked about a strategic relationship between the two countries that are “moving closer together” and listed all of the mutual interests including the economy, terrorism and the environment.  He said that economic reform in China “is working” and the Chinese people should be proud of that.  He then said that the US financial crisis came about because of an outmoded, outdated regulatory system that lacked the authority to regulate non-bank financial institutions. He said “There was too much innovation and complexity in the system.” (That one caused a murmur in the audience.) But, he said, the good part about the US is that when there are problems “we shine a light on them and fix them.” 

Finally he had some advice for the students. He said “All of the students in this room are smart and work hard or you wouldn’t be here, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be effective leaders.”

 He then listed 5 things that define strong leaders:

 1)  Continued learning and a willingness to recognize and talk about weaknesses so that they can grow from them

2)    2) Define their job expansively –asking “how does my job fit in the bigger picture?” thinking creatively and running to problems instead of away from them

3)    3) Work well with others and genuinely care about people

4)    4) Show integrity.  Do not only what is legal, but what i sright.  He said “Why do good peopledo bad things? Because they follow the crowd.”

5)    5) Always ask: what is the public good?

Finally, he stressed that work life balance is critical.

What do you think? That’s my favorite question to ask a Chinese person.  The question itself frequently startles him/her and the resulting answer is often fascinating due to the honesty that comes with lack of rehearsal.

Traditional Chinese education does not encourage critical thinking.  The teacher is right; the student is wrong.  There is one right answer to each question; every other answer is incorrect.  One of my Chinese professors told me that when she first got to college in the US in the late 90’s, she felt baffled and frustrated with “open ended” exam questions.  She would approach the professor and explain that the question did not provide enough information to be properly answered; there were many possible answers.  The professor would explain that this was the point: he wanted her to write out the possible answers discussing the merits/drawbacks of each.  She said it took her and her fellow Chinese students a long time to come around to this, but that it has changed her entire way of thinking and teaching.   Asking a Chinese student “What do you think?” in any environment, but especially a classroom environment, is an entirely new concept.  It is a more western, individualist notion.   And it will continue to expose and accelerate the extreme differences between generations. 

Chinese high school students spend hours and hours each day outside of the classroom studying for the gaokao, the national college entry exam.  Everyone is welcome to take the four-day exam (and ten million do each year). In this way, China gives everybody a chance; it is the golden ticket, the glass slipper, the Chinese version of the American dream. The outcome decides their future and the future of their family.   Schools in Beijing and Shanghai accept only a certain number of students each year from each province, based entirely on exam scores.  The pressure is immense and students are exhausted.  One 16-year-old student I spoke with in Wuhan explained that his typical weekday starts with a special class exam prep class starting at 6am, then traditional school from 9 until 4, followed by 6 more hours of studying at night. The exam prep is expensive, and his parents spend a lot of their money in the hope that he will do well. The studying is focused on memorization – of math, history, English, Chinese. He said his teacher told him he just needs to fill his head with as much data as possible right now and that once the exam is over it doesn’t matter if he retains any of it.  His older cousin, who was listening to our conversation, said “That is the problem in China.  Americans have so many good ideas – like Apple – but we spend our time remembering things.  It is not good for inventing.”

A great article in the NY Times last year describes the mania around this exam: China's College Entry Test Is an Obsession

Tsinghua University is a school where only the very top performers on the national exam are accepted.   Many graduates from Tsinghua go onto become China’s powerful business leaders and leading Communist party officials (the current President and Prime Minister of China are both Tsinghua graduates).  But as I’ve come to know more people in China, both Western and Chinese, I’ve learned that the reputation of Tsinghua graduates is mixed.  The personality-type and sacrifices required to outperform their peers on the national exam may diverge with the creativity, vision and people skills required of a dynamic leader.  Some people I've spoken with believe that China's new business leadership may come from the people who didn't "follow the rules" along the way; they will depend on their own skills and creativity, rather than an exam, to determine their fate.

In the business school here, I watch the Chinese professors who have been educated in the West incorporate a more Socratic method in their teaching.  This is new to most of the undergrad students.  From a Western perspective, the delivery sometimes seems awkward, but the intent is well understood and (I think) largely appreciated.  Last night, I attended a Beijing Energy Network roundtable with panelists from Applied Materials, Novazymes China and Duke Energy.  Each of the panelists agreed that it has been difficult to find/develop employees in China that “think outside the box.”  Thus, they each have huge incentive programs which either recruit Chinese who have gone to the west for their education to return to China, or invest in existing Chinese employees to spend time learning in the west.  A lot is changing in China right now - continued economic reform and growth, massive urbanization, a growing wealthy class, changing international influence – but I think the thing that will truly change this country’s role in the world’s future is this:  Chinese students are (gradually) learning to have their own opinion.

Last week saw another important annual Chinese festival.  The holiday has many English translations: the Day of Clear Brightness/Tomb Sweeping Day/Grave SweepingDay/Festival for Tending Graves.  And there are just as many interpretations and variations in the way different Chinese people celebrate the holiday throughout Asia.

In general, it is a celebration which marks the middle of spring and a sacred day for worshipping and honoring one’s ancestors. The Chinese people who I know say they focus on honoring their more recent ancestors – like grandparents and great grandparents – by visiting and tending their graves and leaving libations.  Because so many young Chinese have moved to big cities for work/opportunity, returning to ancestors’ grave sites requires time, travel and money and results in a lot of traffic.

I happened to be visiting Hubei province (in the middle of China) during the holiday and was fortunate to be invited by my Chinese friend to drive out to the countryside with her father where his parents are buried.  We stopped and bought decorations, fireworks, fruit and fake paper money (to burn at the gravesite) along the way.  The idea behind the fake money is that is recognized as real currency in the afterlife, and thus you are passing wealth to your dead ancestors.  In recent years, this has grown into a cottage industry in which all sorts of things have been shaped into paper for burning on graves: computers, cars, cell phones, microwaves.. My understanding, however, is that the Chinese government has tried to discourage this outwardly material-focused interpretation of the holiday, so their manufacture has been discouraged.

Flowers for gravesites.

Hubei Countryside:

Last week I went to a speech in a large, crowded auditorium at Tsinghua University. The speaker was a Brit: Stephen Green, former CEO and current Chairman of HSBC Bank.  He talked about his new Book: “Good Value: Reflections on Money, Morality and an Uncertain World.”  Much of his speech was dedicated to the idea that personal and business fulfillment does not come strictly through money.   In essence: Money Doesn’t Make You Happy.  As he spoke and his words were translated, I looked around at the faces of the Chinese audience and wondered what they were thinking. How do the late-life ideals of a wealthy foreigner, who has come from a place where economic opportunity has long been a basic human right, come across to people often just one generation removed from poverty?

 Money is the number one hot topic in China. It is very common (and not considered impolite) to ask someone how much he/she paid for something – shoes, car, computer.  I’m not really sure what happens with this data, but I’ve learned it is often used to expose how I unwittingly overpay for things.  “You paid 500 Kuai!?  That is too much. I pay only 200!”  Two Chinese nationals who recently returned to China from the States told me they were surprised at how much the mealtime conversations have changed across the country.  Long meals used to be filled with personal stories and gossip, but now “Everything is about money.  Who has it?  How did they get it? How can we get it?” Capitalism with Chinese characteristics is alive and well in China. There is a Gold Rush going on here, and no one seems to be very worried about whether personal fulfillment is part of the mother lode.

Over the last 10 years, China has grown from the 4^th largest economy to the 2nd largest economy in the world. For the average American, I assume this explosive growth is made most apparent by 1) lost manufacturing/high-tech jobs 2) daily front page news coverage of Chinese events/issues and 3) apparel (i.e. the ubiquitous “Made in China” tag).

In my MBA classes here at Tsinghua University, my classmates hail from China, Korea, Cambodia, Norway, Sweden, Brazil, Israel, Canada, Japan, France, Germany and many other countries.  If the same diverse group was pulled together twenty years ago, we would have all looked very different – like a Coke commercial from the 80’s – with distinct clothing styles, haircuts, jewelry.. but that is no longer true, especially with the more urban, educated crowd. In my classroom, and on the streets of Beijing, Shanghai, Guanzhou and Shenzhen, everybody is dressed a lot alike.  We are all wearing clothing styles inspired in the West (America and Europe) and manufactured in China: jeans, sweatshirts, button-downs, “sports-inspired” footwear, leggings with boots and skirts.  Most notably, casual sports apparel has become the universal standard for street wear. There are slight differences in preference and size based on individual and culture (Asian women, for example, tend to like more glitter and “bling” on their clothes than western women), but we are all essentially wearing the same thing.

Brands are powerful in China.  In streetwear, Nike and Adidas are still the preferred and more expensive brands, but Chinese brands like Erke and Li Ning are not far behind. In Beijing, you can buy a pretty good Gucci purse knock-off in a back room at the silk market, but many wealthy Chinese are willing to pay retail for the real thing.  Brands matter and many Chinese can now afford to buy the goods they used to only export.  These foreign-branded goods are not cheap: due to Chinese taxes, clothing at H&M or Guess costs just as much in Shanghai as it doesin Des Moines, but I wonder if the retail stores in Iowa are as packed as they are here?

So, China clothes the world (including China) and makes fashion affordable.  As a result, the average individual owns more clothes than ever in history and only keeps them for a short time.   But what does all this really mean?  What is the true cost of all of our throw-away fashion? A 2006 article in the Seattle Times talks about the environmental impact of China’s growing apparel industry (a fascinating read).  Once a luxury item, the cashmere sweater is now affordable to the masses worldwide:

“Every minute of every day last year, America gobbled up $463,200 worthof Chinese goods, including millions of cashmere sweaters made from the hair of goats (in China). In less than a decade, a deluge of cheap cashmere from China has transformed a centuries-old industry, stripping the plush fabric of its pricey pedigree and making it available in big-box America. Chinese-made cashmere sweaters now go for as little as $19.99. The country’s enormous herds ofcashmere-producing goats have slashed the price of sweaters. But they also have helped graze Chinese grasslands down to a moonscape, unleashing some of the worst dust storms on record. This fuels a plume of pollution heavy enough to reach the skies over North America, including Washington state.”