Beijing

I have come back from spending a few days in Beijing. It was very interesting to see the contrast between Lanzhou and Beijing; it’s like a different country. Some of the obvious differences are the higher proportion of private cars on the streets and the presence of Western brands. I must confess that one of the first things I did when I arrived in Beijing was go to Starbucks. I’m not proud of it but that hot chocolate tasted so good! It was also the first time I have had milk in two months. Another thing that I noted straight away was the higher number of foreigners; I was no longer drawing quizzical stares (well no more than I do back home). A lot of people speak English here so it is a lot easier to communicate although I did use my Chinese as much as possible.

When in Beijing I met with a number of people and that really helped expand my knowledge of China. In particular my meetings with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and the China British Business Council (CBBC) helped to develop my understanding of the business environment in China. It seems clear after speaking to them that China has to be considered a global region in it’s own right as there is such a vast difference between different parts of the country (none more so than Lanzhou and Beijing). The CBBC works very closely with UKTI and they have a network of offices through-out the country that can offer support to British businesses thinking about the Chinese market.

Beijing also has a rich cultural heritage and it is easy to see why there are so many tourists. The Forbidden City is the ultimate symbol of power, a city within a city only to be enjoyed by the privileged few (and their servants). Tiananmen Square, the largest of its kind in the world, has an interesting history. There is a large number of tourist and shopping spots in Beijing however after spending 2 months in Gansu I feel it’s million miles away from the lives of the vast majority of Chinese. I think people who come to China and only see Beijing or Shanghai don’t even scratch the surface of a country as vast and diverse as China.