Briefing with the First Secretary, U.S.Commercial Service, Embassy of the United States. Where we are? Where we are going? Were just a few of his slide titles, sounds like the State of the Chamber..... I have requested the full slide presentation to make available on the Chamber website. He talked about the good, the bad, and the ugly... His words.... The U.S. is the fastest growing exporter to China with exports at $91 B. There are 457 M Internet users in China with 395 M mobile users. Now I know what the young man that I met on the flight meant when he said that the Internet was were there is opportunity in China.
So some of the Bad... Inflation according the The Chinese Government is 5%, A TV news report that evening suggested that the Government recognized inflation as a concern for sustained economic growth. The U.S. Embassy First Secretary cited another report that estimated inflation at 9%. Disposable income has increased for the past few years and is projected to continue to increase. There is a big difference between rural and urban incomes. There are other areas of challenge in this fast paced growth. Health care is a big issue with 200 M uninsured. Education has it's bright spots. However, there are limitations in the educational system at both the primary, Secondary, and university levels that the were pointed out. The US system with it flaws is relatively good.
The ugly....Environmental controls /implementation, energy security, and intellectual Property rights were mentioned as big issues. Like any business environment there are risks and rewards. An interesting comment was the if you are going to do business in China do it as a part of a group. It is not wise to try to go it alone. The American Chambers of Commerce in each were cited as excellent and necessary resources.... Good to know that the Chambers of Commerce are relevant everywhere. There are additional resources for exploring business importing & exporting to China at www.buys.gov/china.
The day continued with a trip to Tiananman Square, the Forbidden City, and a few other sites in the morning. We were treated to lunch at the home of a local family for real Chinese home cooking. This was a real treat. The food was excellent but the character of those arranging the meal was unforgettable. The charm and humor are The thing that I will always remember. We were treated to a bit of an impromptu educational performance about the real people in the heart of Beijing. A young lady named (Americanized) Merry left us laughing with an appreciation for Beijing Hospitality.
We then visited the outlet for the largest pearl factory in China. I love a quality presentation with the art of sales. "I am the Man" we were told as we were educated on the differed qualities of Pearls. Our instructor looked at the faces of several if the ladies and suggested complimentary colors of pearls to accent their beauty. There was a distinct swoon among the ladies.... He had them.... I may need to practice my ChinEnglish"?
The outlet is one of the finest run retail (wholesale) operations that I have see. At least two dozen sharply trained experts ready to guide you thru your selection. There was no doubt that you were buying. With prices from below $100 to $56,000 and colors from luminescent white to anniversary gold made this a facinating experience.
We went onto dinner at the famous Chun Tu Da (phonetically spelled) for the traditional Peking Duck. A great experience. Actually, I think that duck must be the turkey of China. We had every variation of duck imaginable culminating in the grandest duck of them all Peking Duck.
Back to the hotel. It is now 1 AM Beijing time and 1 PM Culpeper time. My body is confused.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please email any Post to me for review at CulpeperChamber@gmail.com