The more things change…

On a personal level I really enjoy working and living with the Chinese. They are interesting, interested, and very kind. But environmentally, I’m not all that pleased with living in China.On Thursday, as I was coming into Shenzhen from Hong Kong, I was robbed at the boarder. It happened right in the middle of the metro station with video cameras, police and security all around. I was glad to have two young ladies report the theft to the security guards and try to help me identify the robbers. But ultimately the security guards and the video surveillance operators all said “it’s not really my responsibility. You should be more careful.” The police came 45 minutes later and said the same thing and added “you’ve lived here a long time; you should know what it’s like.”In addition to this bad experience, the fourth time in 3 years that I’ve been robbed here, there were four news articles in the last week identify separate issues that ultimately will and currently do now limit China’s potential and influence. The four issues are increasing pollution, a new bird flu outbreak (reported in HK but not in China), limited housing options for the middle class and limited civil and human rights for those opposed to or even reporting on the government.Now, despite the pollution and the theft I’m obviously in China because of the opportunities. But with each theft, each new disease outbreak, each new scare, I plan ways to leave. And despite the head-long lemming-like plunge of foreign money and companies into China, I’m not alone. Chinese people would love to be able to leave, if only for a visit to somewhere else (as evidenced by the rapidly increase numbers of Chinese tourists abroad). Even though people want to leave, I’m not predicting a brain drain any time soon. China’s economy is too robust for that. But I am claiming that the Chinese people are China’s greatest resource. And the lack of government enforcement of environmental and social regulations combined with the increasing corruption (as defined by the World Bank) to me means that the bureaucratic infrastructure is what is sucking a healthy % out of the economy and the spirit of individuals.While every conceivable degree of growth is monitored and ostensibly controlled by the government, more influential is the lack of security, both moral and physical, that people fell and fear in China. With an increase in corruption, pollution, disease (and subsequent lack of reporting) and a glass ceiling for the new middle class means that more and more Chinese are becoming disenfranchised with “just” economic growth. Chinese are much better off, especially in the urban centers, than ever before, but at what price? Economic growth has served as a brilliant distraction from the host of problems that accompany rapid and uneven economic growth for many Chinese.Another equally effective and must less costly distraction has been the arrival of the World Cup. China didn’t make it into the World Cup (and it looks the US will soon be out too) but that hasn’t limited the Chinese from participating. There were/are fears that Chinese gambling syndicates will try to influence some of the matches. Everyday in the office buildings in Shenzhen I see people coming to work wearing shirts of their favorite teams (Brazil and England mostly). You can’t help but hear the cheers and groans of people staying up all night to watch the matches live (matches are from about 9pm to about 5am each night). The World Cup has generally given everyone in China something else to talk about, drink about and enjoy together. Chinese I know were even disappointed to see the way that Japan lost their first match to the Socceroos. Empathy for the Japanese is a major achievement!Maybe the Chinese government should get out of the environment and crime control business and into football more. It’s working on a personal level already.DD