China8687

The China8687 podcast, Episode 010 - "Meeting the Crew" is released. "...The Foreign Affairs Department oversaw foreign students in every school in China. They watched and controlled us, which was challenging for them. China was a hierarchical culture; leaders were used to being obeyed. We were American college students, not used to obeying authority. The rules in Chinese universities were different from the US. Chinese college students all lived in dorms, weren't supposed to date, couldn't drive cars… They seemed like high school kids to us. We were not interested in playing that role…"   Find the China8687 podcast on Apple Podcasts; https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china8687/id1651271492 and Spotify;  https://open.spotify.com/show/5JJZMY6G5xyzi4tgv3qgC8?si=276eb31e4ffa4b49   About the China8687 Podcast... An American student, teacher, traveler, and 15-year expat businessman describes China as she developed from the 1980s to now. "I am here to tell you the story of China's development from the 1980s to now. This is important to you because China is moving backwards in some areas, but fast forward in others. I went to China when everything was opening and hopeful, and I left when it was clear China was moving in a different direction after 2012. This is what I saw"   China8687 answers the question; "How did China get to where she is now?" If you like our content and think everyone should learn China better, then please support us on our Patreon page at; www.patreon.com/China8687   China Market Room professional seminars for Finance, Trade, Media, Government, and Education are available at ChinaMarketRoom.com. These can help you understand China, Chinese Companies and Business, Chinese Markets, and China's Worldwide Economic Effects. They can also help you speak with confidence and correct pronunciation about China as she gears up for cooperation, competition, and conflict with the world. For more info, go to; www.chinamarketroom.com

"...Shanxi Teacher's University (STU) had been founded as a three-year teacher institute. It was upgraded to a university in a big push to increase the quantity of college graduates dramatically in China. The Cultural Revolution in the 1960's and '70s closed all the schools, so they were playing catch up. Every province and almost every major city had a teacher's college. STU President Tao Benyi was from Shanghai; he was considered a progressive administrator. He welcomed us, though not everyone else seemed to. Schools like ours and almost every kind of organization I saw in China had a gate and tall walls all around them. Most universities in the US might have a ceremonial gate somewhere, but the campus was open all around to all kinds of traffic. Even large corporations were the same. In China you had to go through a guarded checkpoint and often show ID to get on campus…"   Find the China8687 podcast on Apple Podcasts; https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china8687/id1651271492 and Spotify;  https://open.spotify.com/show/5JJZMY6G5xyzi4tgv3qgC8?si=276eb31e4ffa4b49   About the China8687 podcast... An American student, teacher, traveler, and 15-year expat businessman describes China as she developed from the 1980s to now. "I am here to tell you the story of China's development from the 1980s to now. This is important to you because China is moving backwards in some areas, but fast forward in others. I went to China when everything was opening and hopeful, and I left when it was clear China was moving in a different direction after 2012. I went to China earlier, studied China deeper, traveled in China farther and worked in China longer than almost anyone. This is what I saw"   China8687 answers the question; "How did China get to where she is now?" If you like our content and think everyone should learn China better, then please support us on our Patreon page at; www.patreon.com/China8687   China Market Room professional seminars for Finance, Trade, Media, Government, and Education are available at ChinaMarketRoom.com. These can help you understand China, Chinese Companies and Business, Chinese Markets, and China's Worldwide Economic Effects. They can also help you speak with confidence and correct pronunciation about China as she gears up for cooperation, competition, and conflict with the world. For more info, go to; www.chinamarketroom.com

"...Our first week in Beijing wound down quickly and soon it was time to board the steam train to Linfen City in Shanxi Province where we would study Chinese for a year. I had no idea what to expect, Beijing already seemed very foreign and undeveloped in some ways to me, what would Shanxi be like?... The Beijing Train Station was a door to another dimension of travel. We crowded through the main front portal with thousands of others pushing to get on the train like bodychecking in a hockey game. I wondered what all the fuss was about; I figured we all had assigned seats, so what was the rush?..."   Find the China8687 podcast on Apple Podcasts...Link https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china8687/id1651271492   and Spotify...Link https://open.spotify.com/show/5JJZMY6G5xyzi4tgv3qgC8?si=276eb31e4ffa4b49   About the China8687 podcast... An American student, teacher, traveler, and 15-year expat businessman describes China as she developed from the 1980s to now.   "I am here to tell you the story of China's development from the 1980s to now. This is important to you because China is moving backwards in some areas, but fast forward in others. I went to China when everything was opening and hopeful, and I left when it was clear China was moving in a different direction after 2012. I went to China earlier, studied China deeper, traveled in China farther and worked in China longer than almost anyone. This is what I saw"   China8687 answers the question; "How did China get to where she is now?" If you like our content and think everyone should learn China better, then please support us on our Patreon page at; www.patreon.com/China8687   Our China Market Room professional seminars for Finance, Trade, Media, Government, and Education are available at ChinaMarketRoom.com. These can help you understand China, Chinese Companies and Business, Chinese Markets, and China's Worldwide Economic Effects. They can also help you speak with confidence and correct pronunciation about China as she gears up for cooperation, competition, and conflict with the world. For more info, go to; www.chinamarketroom.com

The China8687 podcast, Episode 007 - "Capitalism Starts Again in China" is released. . "...Soon after I arrived in China I started hearing the word "geti hu". I thought it meant an individual or couple who made their own small stand for selling something. It was the most basic unit of capitalism starting up again in China. Though Mao Zedong really didn't like capitalism, Deng Xiaoping's policy was "Black cat, white cat, a cat that catches mice is a good cat." If micro-capitalism could employ people and stimulate the economy, then why worry about the name? He set the good times rolling... "   Find the China8687 podcast on Apple Podcasts... Link   and Spotify... Link   About the China8687 podcast... A China student, teacher, traveler, and 15-year expat businessman describes China as she developed from the 1980s to now. "I went to China when everything was opening and hopeful, and I left when it was clear China was moving in a different direction after 2012. I went to China earlier, studied China deeper, traveled in China farther and worked in China longer than almost anyone. We are here to tell you about China's development from the 1980s to now. This is important to you because China is moving backwards in many areas, but fast forward in others.   China8687 answers the question; "How did China get to where she is now?" If you like our content and think everyone should learn China better, then please support us on our Patreon page at; www.patreon.com/China8687   Our ChinaMarketRoom professional seminars for Finance, Trade, Media, Government, and Education are available at ChinaMarketRoom.com. These can help you learn how to think and talk with confidence about China as she gears up for competition and conflict with us. It also helps get up to speed on China's Worldwide Economic Effects and keep up with developments in China's rapidly evolving markets. For more info, go to; www.chinamarketroom.com

"...Before the mid-1980s photos in China were for weddings and family portraits, and government propaganda. They were carefully arranged and posed. In the late 1980s many people started to get more expendable income. A camera was an optional thing that few people owned, but some could afford one, and people who were really taken with photography started buying local equipment and learning how to use it. Very few had the money to buy foreign cameras. My Nikon was often admired but seldom matched... "   Find the China8687 podcast on Apple Podcasts... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china8687/id1651271492   and Spotify... https://open.spotify.com/show/5JJZMY6G5xyzi4tgv3qgC8?si=276eb31e4ffa4b49   About the China8687 podcast... A China student, teacher, traveler, and 15-year expat businessman describes China as she developed from the 1980s to now. "I went to China when everything was opening and hopeful, and I left when it was clear China was moving in a different direction after 2012. I went to China earlier, studied China deeper, traveled in China farther and worked in China longer than almost anyone. We are here to tell you about China's development from the 1980s to now. This is important to you because China is moving backwards in many areas, but fast forward in others.   China8687 answers the question; "How did China get to where she is now?" If you like our content and think everyone should learn China better, then please support us on our Patreon page at; www.patreon.com/China8687   Our ChinaMarketRoom professional seminars for Finance, Trade, Media, Government, and Education are available at ChinaMarketRoom.com. These can help you learn how to think and talk with confidence about China as she gears up for competition and conflict with us. It also helps get up to speed on China's Worldwide Economic Effects and keep up with developments in China's rapidly evolving markets. For more info, go to; www.chinamarketroom.com

"...When we first arrived in Beijing in 1986 the reviewing stands were undergoing a big renovation. Bamboo scaffolding contained the stands, and Mao Zedong's portrait stared solemnly down on the masses walking below. Mao's image and the wake of his passing were a strong presence in China, recent enough to make people think they might go back to the horrible Cultural Revolution, but far enough back for people to feel hopeful of change. The economy was under renovation, too, as Deng Xiaoping introduced policies to allow Chinese people and private companies to make money... "   Find the China8687 podcast on Apple Podcasts... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china8687/id1651271492 and Spotify... https://open.spotify.com/show/5JJZMY6G5xyzi4tgv3qgC8?si=276eb31e4ffa4b49   About the China8687 podcast... A 15+ year China student, teacher, traveler, and expat businessman describes China as she developed from the 1980s to now. "I went to China when everything was opening and hopeful, and I left when it was clear China was moving in a different direction after 2012. I went to China earlier, studied China deeper, traveled in China farther and worked in China longer than almost anyone. I am here to tell you what I saw as China developed from the 1980s to now. This is important to you because China is moving back in many areas now, and fast forward in others."   China8687 answers the question; "How did China get to where she is now?" If you like our content and think everyone should learn China better, then please support us on our Patreon page at; www.patreon.com/China8687   Our ChinaMarketRoom professional seminars for Finance, Trade, Media, Government, and Education are available at ChinaMarketRoom.com. These can help you learn how to think and talk with confidence about China as she gears up for competition and conflict with us. It also helps get up to speed on China's Worldwide Economic Effects and keep up with developments in China's rapidly evolving markets. For more info, go to; www.chinamarketroom.com

"... All around Beijing we saw hints of how old China was. There was a 300-year-old building here, and an 800-year-old temple there. All over Beijing there were buildings and even some restaurants much older than my country! .. "   Find the China8687 podcast on Apple Podcasts... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china8687/id1651271492   and Spotify... https://open.spotify.com/show/5JJZMY6G5xyzi4tgv3qgC8?si=276eb31e4ffa4b49   About the China8687 podcast... A 15+ year China student, teacher, traveler, and expat businessman describes China as she developed from the 1980s to now. This is important to you because everything is changing now as China moves back toward that time. I went to China earlier, studied China deeper, traveled in China farther, and worked in China longer than almost anyone. I went to China when everything was opening and hopeful, and I left when it was clear China was moving in a different direction after 2012.   China8687 answers the questions; "What is China?" and "How did China get here?" This is important to you because China is moving back in many areas now. If you like our content and think everyone should learn China better, then please support us on our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/China8687   Our ChinaMarketRoom professional seminars for Finance, Trade, Media, Government, and Education are available at ChinaMarketRoom.com. These can help you learn how to think and talk with confidence about China as she gears up for competition and conflict with us, get up to speed on China's Worldwide Economic Effects, and keep up with new developments in China's markets. www.chinamarketroom.com

I was stunned by how many people Beijing had, and it was just one city. In America you couldn't see so many people in any one place, and the ones you saw on the street looked like they were going somewhere. Going to school, going to work, on an errand… doing something. I remember my impression of Beijing was that there were so many people just milling about.   Find the China8687 podcast on Apple Podcasts... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china8687/id1651271492   and on Spotify... https://open.spotify.com/show/5JJZMY6G5xyzi4tgv3qgC8?si=276eb31e4ffa4b49   About the China8687 podcast... A 15+ year China student, teacher, traveler, and expat businessman describes China as she developed from the 1980s to now. This is important to you because China is now moving back toward that time. I went to China earlier, studied China deeper, traveled in China farther, and stayed in China longer than almost anyone. I went to China when everything was opening and hopeful, and I left when it was clear China was moving in a different direction after 2012. This is the story of China as she developed fast forward in every area of human activity from the 1980s, and now starts to shut it down and close it off.

When we arrived in Beijing, we stayed at the Friendship Hotel. It was one of the few hotels authorized to accept international guests in Beijing. Right away we found out that many parts of China were off limits or restricted to foreigners. We couldn't go to this place; we couldn't stay in that hotel. Whole cities were off limits to us, with no hotels authorized to host foreigners. Most importantly, we shouldn't criticize the leaders in China. Criticizing leaders is a national pastime in the US. I was not used to holding my tongue when I saw something I didn't like.

In 1986 Hong Kong and Europe were well known to Americans, but few outsiders had been to China when I first arrived. It was as mysterious as 100 or 200 years before. People knew it was there, but China had been closed to foreigners for 30 years. Few knew much about what had gone on during that time. That's when I arrived, at the start of China's story of growth and change.