The following is an email that came from one of our brokers who is based here in the states but takes several trips overseas each year on our behalf. It’s an interesting glimpse into the culture and daily life in China that we thought we’d share.
“Back south in Goungdong and Ghuanzhou it was about 74 to 78 F, here in Shanghai it is about 70 F, gets to about 60 at night. This is Autumn, probably the best time to visit China, as summer is too hot and humid.
If you think SD has polution issues, come here – constant grey fog haze from polutiuon of thousands and thousands of factories. Have gone hundreds of miles all around here – 2 hours on 350kph bullet trains, followed by 1-2 hours driving to get to some factories, and everywhere I’ve been, more industry, more factories, more people. The economic growth rate is about 9% annually, down from 11% pre-recession. They need the growth to meet raising standards of living, and more people. They love American business – any and all business – European, India, Africa, Peru, Brazil, – the world is their market.
The factories can be small dingy holes in the wall with antiquated machinery, or large 5-10K worker plants where they live on site in dormatories. But if what they lack is technology, then they simply make up for it in hand labor. These workers ALL work 12 hour days, 7 days per week (even in our own offices here..). They all smile, are all happy, and they eat excellent food, big appetites, they live for eating with freinds. That is the highlight of their day, to eat lunch and dinner.”
