Change in China

Ever since coming to China in 2004, I was amazed at the rate of change throughout the country. Highways, railways, and building complexes appear as if by magic. This was especially apparent during the few years before the Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing, during which subway lines appeared as if they were drawn by an etch-a-sketch.

From our office window, we could literally see the transformation by watching the intersection below.

As you can see, things move fast.

Change however is not always pleasant. More than a few times, I would head out to my favorite restaurant or bar only to find that not only was it closed, but the building was also gone! Then sure enough a new building, bigger and better would soon replace it. Sometimes, when coming back from a long trip, I would notice entire areas of Beijing that had been completed renovated to the point where I felt I was in a different city!

Though challenging, it is always exciting to keep up with such a fast paced city and country. One would really need to make an effort to research, read the latest news, and speak to those in the know in order to keep up-to-date. If a resident has to make such an effort to keep up, imagine what its like for someone living abroad. This is another reason, why our customers appreciate our presence in China. We make sure we know what’s going on, so we can prepare our clients for the changes that we see.

I invite you to visit the larger cities of China and see the transformation first hand!

-David De Clercq, CPG Development Manager