Cal Poly MBA Trip Final Reflections

Prior to our China trip, we attended meetings and information sessions with businesspeople familiar with doing business in China. Through discussions and readings, we all learned a little more about China to prepare us for our journey. Yet, none of it could have prepared us completely for what we experienced. Our trip from June 15, 2006 through July 2, 2006 was an eye-opening experience that has changed me in so many ways. The juxtaposition of wealth and poverty in China is so difficult to understand, especially having had the opportunity to grow up in Novato, CA. The countless number of foreign multinational companies investing in China has turned the skyline into something more fit for a futuristic movie, yet within the alleyways and backstreets, there are Chinese citizens living in appalling conditions. Despite the unprecedented economic growth China has experienced in the last twenty years, it is evident that there is a long way to go before the disparity between the rich and the poor is reduced.

What had the largest impact on me during the trip was our stop at English Corner in Tsinghua University. Once there, we learned that citizens gathered to discuss everything – only they did so in English. One gentleman I spoke to, named Andy, was a computer engineer, and he was curious about how I spoke English and Mandarin, so we began our discussion on my background. However, the interesting parts of our conversation focused on his desire to learn more English, as well as the restrictions he faces daily from the Chinese government. Without going into specifics, Andy gave me the impression that many of the Chinese citizens live in a society where knowledge is controlled such that they can only learn what the government wants them to learn. While this was to be expected after our pre-departure discussions on media control and information restrictions, it was a little surprising that Andy had asked me how I would deal with the situation and what I think needs to be done so that China is not left behind the rest of the world in the information age, as it once was when China closed its doors to foreign countries. Before our conversation, I did not think of the possibility that despite China’s economic growth, it could be potentially catastrophic to have a country of 1.3 billion citizens grow up and be educated, and have the scope of their education and knowledge base limited such that it becomes a liability. What good would a country of 1.3 billion bright citizens be if they lacked the creativity to think outside of the box? Anytime our discussion tended toward deeper government issues, Andy smiled and politely changed the topic.

Andy and I also spoke about his current job, and what he wants to do in the (near)-future. English is the undeclared language of the world, and Andy feels that he lacks the command of the language to become a manager. Yet, Andy works on his English skills on his own, without the help of books (many of which are censored and unavailable as I learned through a conversation with two students), and with minimal time outside of work to devote to his studies. If I had one experience during our China trip that changed the way I think, it was my conversation with Andy. His dedication and thirst for not only knowledge but self-betterment has made me feel like I did not deserve the privilege to grow up in the United States.

Another experience that made a significant impact was our trip to the two factories, with assembly lines composed of human labor. While the wealth gap is growing larger in China, we forget to take into account the rest of the population in the western part of China that live in conditions incomprehensible to someone who has never experienced it. The question is not how will the poor react to the success of the wealthy, but how the government plans on integrating the western part of the country into the economy? It seems that two China’s are emerging, one in which the way of life has been the same for thousands of years, and the other in which the way of life resembles that of a large metropolitan city in the United States. Being able to integrate the traditional Chinese culture into the new culture will define China’s sustainability as a country. China’s economic sustainability will depend on the government’s ability to narrow the gap between the poor and the rich, as it is almost certain that the level of growth China has been experienced cannot be perpetual.

To me, this trip meant more than learning about the Chinese economy and business practices. I feel that this trip helped me mature as a young adult, and has taught me to look for solutions to problems from different perspectives. Yet, I still sometimes think about what Andy asked me, and try to pose the question in different ways in an effort to find a solution. To me, China is all about juxtaposition – whether between the rich and poor, traditional and modern cultural values, skyscrapers and villages, or thirst for knowledge and information restrictions. Being able to see things from both sides is what I take away from this trip, and I cannot wait for the opportunity to visit China again.