We have much to learn from China
April 27th, 2008, 6:10 pm Teen Hobbies
I havejust spent five weeks working and experiencing life in China, with fellow dairy farmer Peter Ferguson. While it was good to return on Easter Monday to good, green Southland grass, there was a lot about China and the Chinese that impressed us.
Our first stop was on the outskirts of Tianjin, Chinas fourth largest city with a population of 10 million.
From there we moved to a rural area and observed a very different scene. The land was just thawing after the winter which, at its worst, had been permanently frozen down 25cm. The area is a huge plain with land-holdings of less than 1ha, which were once rice fields but are now too dry so corn and cotton are grown.
The farmers were clearing the dry remains of last seasons crop and carting it home for fuel. There were donkeys, people with loads on their backs, three-wheel tricycles with a small box attached, tuk tuks, a one-cylinder belt-driven small truck, a few small tractors and even a couple of mules. Farmers lived in the villages; the one closest to where we were working had 3000 people, with no sewerage system, dirt streets and solid, but basic housing.
However, the children going to school were just as clean and well dressed as in New Zealand.
Rubbish and sewage are a part of rural China that cant be avoided.
The people are paid refunds for plastic bottles and cardboard, but plastic bags lie on the edges of canals and roadsides.
To make it worse, the farmers lay a thick plastic between the rows of crops and it doesnt get picked up.
Every house or group of houses has an outside toilet, on the edge of canals or open drains.
Travelling to and from work was never dull. The traffic was a mixture of every powered and pedalled bike imaginable; three-wheeled tuk tuks, a huge range of cars and trucks carrying weights that would be well over the limit in New Zealand.
Everyone toots to warn they are coming. The first one at intersections has the right of way. We were told China has the best road laws in the world, but no one enforces them, so no one wore seat belts and drivers did whatever speed they liked, which on these rural roads wasnt fast writes %26mdash; it just seemed like it.
Peter and I worked closely with about 10 local Chinese and we became friends. There was a translator available sometimes, so we got to know them well, but otherwise there was sign language and they learnt some English words and we some Chinese.
A local woman brought us a cooked lunch every day. We were told beforehand we would get sick but it didnt happen. I think it was because we didnt drink tap water, always washed our hands before eating and ate only cooked food, which usually included garlic and chillis. Most evenings I imbibed a little of the 60 percent proof local alcohol, which I think would purify anything.
We were rather humbled by an invitation into one of the poorer homes where we were treated as honoured guests by a family who had nothing, but insisted we dine with them. Three weeks later, when we returned in daylight, we saw that although the house had no running water, the house next door was being modernised and furnished by this couple for their son who is marrying next year. We were told many Chinese couples sacrifice everything for their child. People we talked to spoke of the one-child policy; and most were in support because they believe China has too many people and too much pollution.
Because of the cultural preference for boys, there is a 70:30 imbalance between teenage boys and girls in some areas. We were told the policy enforcement has been eased in some areas so if the first child is a girl, couples are allowed a second.
Beijing is an impressive modern city, with 14 million people, six ring roads and amazing modern architecture.
There were three unforgettable things for me about Beijing %26mdash; the Great Wall (90 minutes north of the city), the most amazing acrobatic show imaginable and a dinner we were hosted to in a hotel. The hotels foyer was incredible, complete with grand piano, accompanied by a string quartet, surrounded by outstanding artworks. Our host was a gracious, articulate man who generously paid for our entire meal and bought us gifts. We accepted his hospitality on condition we can return the favour when he visits Southland.
There was another spell of work, then three nights in Shanghai, Chinas largest city, with 19 million people. Shanghai deserves to be known as one of the worlds leading cities. There was so much to see and do.
China, as we know, is a vast country with 1.4 billion people and a booming economy. There are enormous opportunities for an agricultural country like ours to trade and become involved in food-related business. For the size of the population, there are limited areas of arable land and the climate is not suitable for grassland animal production in most of the country.
I believe it is important to learn about the Chinese culture and gain an understanding of how their society operates. I think it is a mistake to go there with the attitude we know more than they do. Their civilisation has been around a very long time and there are areas in which we could learn from them. Human rights issues and particularly Tibet, of which we heard very little that wasnt propaganda while we were there, are an obvious concern, but I believe it is better to be engaging in dialogue to encourage change, rather than being left on the sideline.
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