Changes in China That You Can See
09/20/2007
It used to be that when Chinese students went abroad to study, they did not return. That seems to be changing. More and more Chinese born students are returning to China to live permanently. I can think of ten of my classmates who have returned home after prolonged study in the U.S. and Western Europe.
Eight years ago, when I left China to study in the United States, if you’d asked me, “do you think its a good idea for foreigners to live or work in China?” I would reply that “you are crazy”. After returning to China last month the changes on the streets of Guangzhou were so pronounced it seemed I was in a western country. Only the Chinese characters on the signs assured me I was really in China!
Food from every country and nationality is now available and is said to be authentically prepared. I saw many American, Australian, Middle Eastern, African, Korean and Malaysian restaurants. You can easily find Florida Orange Juice, Washington apples, Japanese imported salmon and Australian milk in the supermarkets. Tourists and expats who don’t care for Chinese food can now easily survive in China.
Before I left, I had to carry cash in RMB to go shopping, watch a movie, or to eat at a restaurant. That is no longer the case. More and more shops take credit cards. In fact you don’t need to pay cash when you take a taxi in Shanghai.
The streets in the main cities in China are becoming more and more crowded and more people drive their own cars to work or for personal trips. The only place I saw people riding bicycles was in Guangzhou.
When I chatted with my nieces and nephews who are much younger than me, they all feel their future is promising and there is nothing to worry about. My relatives speak about a “positive confidence level” which didn’t exist when I left China.
