Nearly fifteen years of sourcing in China opens up new worlds of business, experience and friendship for Julie Wing.
I first went to China in 1999 to visit a jewellery factory. At the time, I had neither experience in jewellery nor in China, which may have been for the best as I went without many preconceived ideas. And while over the years I've heard many stories about China, both good and bad, from my first visit in 1999 until now I've had only good experiences. I'm not sure whether that comes down to good judgement or good luck; it's probably a bit of both.
That first visit I few to Hong Kong, then changed planes for Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province. I was the only Western person on the fiight and we arrived late at night. Upon arrival, everyone dispersed in a matter of minutes as if they magically disappeared. A driver was to meet me ,but he was nowhere to be found and my international mobile phone did not work.
I looked around for a phone box and wondered what I'd do if he didn't turn up. The oor did not look good to sleep on. I peered out the window into the pitch black and felt a twinge of anxiety. About ten minutes later a Chinese man ran in the door holding a sign bearing my name, Julie Wing.
Relief washed over me as I followed him into the parking lot and the dark of night. No matter where I looked, I couldn't see a single car. He signalled for me to wait, and with that he ran o‑ into the dark; five minutes later he returned in a Mercedes. This was another welcome sight. To this day, he is the same driver who picks me up every time I return to Fuzhou.
Sound Advice
After all these years, what advice would I give someone travelling to China to do business? Listen carefully to the answers to your questions.
We sometimes hear what we want to hear, not what's actually being said. Chinese are very polite people and do not like to o‑ end so they will often avoid using the word 'no'. This sometimes leads us to think that, if they haven't said 'no', they must mean 'yes'. This kind of misunderstanding can lead to disappointment on both sides so it's very important to take time to clarify things. Besides work, ask Chinese people about themselves, their lives and their families. You will often learn more about a person through coming to understand their personal life.
Over the years I've made many good friends. One such person is Frank Lin, my business partner, and the brother I always wanted. When I met Frank on my first trip, he looked about 15 years-old, though he was already 21. I wouldn't learn this for many years to come, but Frank had actually endured many tough times growing up. His father had been very ill and Frank had helped support his family while also teaching himself English.
He has fantastic English, not just because of the way he speaks but because he's made a point of understanding many of our expressions. I've always been impressed by Frank's drive and determination to succeed in life and learn about Western culture. He's also taught me much about China, and I do my best to learn from him. I attended Frank's wedding to Mia, gave his children English names and I'm still watching them very grow up. Frank and I have mutual trust and respect for each other.
The Pace of Change
I'm amazed every time I go to China. So much change takes place and it happens so fast; new highways, new bridges and new buildings seem to sprout from the earth and grow overnight like Jack's magic beanstalk. They seem to have achieved so much in such a short space of time, far more than we have in the West. Anyone whose traveled on the M25 in London will bear witness to this fact. Progress on our roads in the UK feels like the movie Groundhog Day.
The pace of change is another factor to take into account in China. We see the speed at which China has developed and we expect all things to have changed at the same rate. But Chinese people are also trying to catch up. Customs and habits, the software, take longer to change than infrastructure, or hardware. Anyone who's visited
China has experienced times when Chinese people seem unaware of their surroundings; men may get into an elevator smoking cigarettes when there are signs saying NO SMOKING posted on the wall. We (in the Western world) need to understand this and be patient with people who are simply striving to catch up with the massive transformations that are rippling through their country.
Think back to London or New York twenty or thirty years ago and realize that we were, in fact, in a similar situation.
Over the years, I've made many more friends and given Chinese children Western names, like my friend Echo in Guangzhou, who has a son called Henry and is now expecting her second child.
Echo sometimes says she thinks I could be Chinese. Over the years, we've helped each other in so many ways; I've given her many contacts in the UK while she always helps me in China. They say you can count your good friends on one hand.
Lucky I kept one hand free for my Chinese friends. So what advice can I give people travelling to China? Research whomever you're going to visit as much as possible.
Always be polite and respectful, and listen more than you speak. Be patient in every situation.
Speaking louder does not mean people will understand you better.
I often hear people from the West say that the Chinese need their business, and that they can always go elsewhere if it doesn't work out. And though this maybe true in some cases, I believe we need the Chinese more then they need us. For a long time now, most things have been made in China.
Business is a two-way street, and both parties have to benefit for the road to remain open.
