Here is an Article from USA today that explains what Credit Card and ATM card to use to keep your feed the lowest.
Each card is different but the rule of thumb is to use a CC for big purchases and ATM for cash.
The best credit card is Capital One.... Not transaction fee, just the 1% from MC or Visa.
____________________________________________________
Ever since we started tracking foreign exchange fees, readers keep asking us to identify the "best" credit and debit cards to use when out of the country. A typical inquiry:
"Is there any way to avoid exchange fees when I travel in Europe?"
The short answer is, "Yes, at least in some countries," but for most travelers the question is a bit more complicated. Given all of the recent upheaval in the banking business, we decided that an update of our earlier compilations was in order.
"Best" qualification
Your ideal choice of a credit card depends on a wide range of factors—annual fee, APR, rewards, billing cycles, and such—as well as costs of foreign use. We can't begin to sort out all of those concerns: Our examinations of the "best" cards focus solely on foreign charges.
Overview
The general principles of using plastic in foreign countries haven't changed since our earlier Foreign Exchange 101 report. As a brief recap, when you use a MasterCard or Visa credit card overseas, the international MasterCard and Visa networks add a conversion fee of 1%, and most US banks add their own 2% fee, for a total of 3%. When you use a debit (ATM) card for cash outside the US, your bank adds some combination of a per-withdrawal fee up to $5, a conversion fee up to 3%, or maybe both. By contrast, when you use travelers checks or currency you generally lose anywhere from 5% to 10% in various conversion fees and charges.
Thus, we still recommend "credit cards for big purchases; debit cards for cash," and suggest you forget about travelers checks or exchanging US currency. However, we see some minor changes in specific credit and debit card specifics. Here is the latest information we have, as of early May 2009.
Credit card charges, foreign currency
When you use a credit card outside the US, your charge will normally be in the currency of the country you're visiting. When that charge goes through the system and reaches your bank, most US banks still tack their own surcharges onto the standard 1% charged by the international networks. This is essentially for doing nothing, because the charge is already in US dollars by the time your bank receives it: The bank adds the 2% because it can, out of pure greed.
Fortunately, a few banks do not add a surcharge. Here are current charges for some of the larger card issuers:
American Express: 2.7 percent Bank of America: 3 percent Barclaycard/Juniper: 2 to 3 percent Capital One: 0 percent Citibank/Diners: 3 percent Diners Club: 3 percent HSBC: 3% (most) JP Morgan Chase: 3% (most) US Bank: 3 percent USAA: 1 percent Wells Fargo: 3 percent
As far as I can tell, no other big card issuer is as generous as Capital One, although USAA comes close. HSBC and Chase offer reduced charges to a small number of "elite" customers; for the most part, their ordinary cards charge 3%.
Credit card charges, U.S. dollars
Occasionally, a foreign merchant charges you in U.S. dollars rather than in local currency. Banks are inconsistent in their treatment of such charges: Bank of America, Barclaycard/Juniper, Citibank/Diners, and USAA add the same conversion fee regardless of the currency, but American Express, JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo do not surcharge dollar billings.
Although dollar billings might seem a good idea—at least in some cases—you have to be aware of a possible scam: The merchant may use a lousy exchange rate when it converts your bill into US dollars, so you might wind up paying both a merchant's private currency markup in addition to a surcharge. The conclusion: Avoid any billing in dollars.
Debit (ATM) cards for cash
Until recently, the only extra charge you paid was a flat fee for each withdrawal from a foreign ATM, regardless of the amount of money you received. Lately, however, some big banks have added a conversion surcharge. Here are current costs per transaction and exchange surcharges for withdrawing cash from a foreign ATM:
Bank of America(a) : $0/0 percent Bank of America: $5/1 percent Citibank(b): $0/1 percent Citibank $1.50/1 percent JP Morgan Chase: $3/3 percent US Bank $2/1 percent USAA: $0/1 percent Wells Fargo: $5/0 percent
(a) At ATMs operated by members of Global ATM Alliance (b) At ATMs in overseas CITI branches (c) A Varies by type of account
This compilation shows three ways to avoid losing more than 1% on a foreign currency ATM withdrawal:
• If you have (or open) an account with Bank of America, you can withdraw foreign currencies from ATMs owned by member banks of the "Global ATM Alliance" with no transaction or conversion fee: Westpac in Australia and New Zealand, Scotia Bank in Canada, China Construction Bank in China, Paribas in France, Deutsche Bank in Germany, Santander Serfin in Mexico, and Barclays Bank in the UK. All seven banks have branches throughout their home countries (as well as a few foreign locations); you can locate them through the BofA website. In other countries, however, BofA charges more than most other banks.
• If you have (or open) an account with Citi you can withdraw foreign currencies from ATMs at Citi branches outside the US with no transaction fee. Citi has branches in dozens of foreign countries: In some, it has retail branches throughout the country; in others, it has only one or two offices in one or two major cities. You can easily find out whether a Citi account will work for your trip by checking the worldwide branch locator on the Citi website.
• Many smaller banks—or bigger banks with elite-status accounts for some favored customers—add no fee of their own and agree to refund any fees that other banks apply, usually with a limit on the number of withdrawals per month.
Obviously, the spread between the best and worst deals on debit-card withdrawals is wider than the spread among credit cards. The very best deals, such as Citi and the Global ATM Alliance, are as good as the best credit cards, while with the worst deals you lose more than when you exchange currency or travelers checks.
Whatever you do, use a debit card for local currency from an ATM, not a credit card. When you use a credit card to get cash, you're on the hook for a number of extra fees and charges.
Debit cards for purchases
Most debit cards are MasterCard or Visa branded, so you can use them to shop as well as for ATM cash. When you use your ATM card that way, most banks charge the same as on their credit card purchases. HSBC, however, adds only 1% on those charges rather than the usual 3%.
The U.S. banks I've contracted tell me that when you use a debit card with a PIN to purchase something in a foreign country, whether or not that transaction is considered a purchase or cash withdrawal depends on the "merchant code" on the transaction. Unless it's a financial institution, the charge is treated as a purchase. However the U.S. banks don't seem to be very sure of this point.
The PIN hassle
I've recently reported that European banks are generally switching from the stripe-plus-signature system we use in the U.S. to a smart chip-plus-PIN system for maintaining credit card security. Although international MasterCard and Visa rules require all participating merchants to continue to honor US cards, no matter where they are, travelers report problems in using their non-chip cards, especially in Scandinavia and in may automated vending systems. At this point, the international networks really have no solution to this problem.
Some U.S. holders of credit cards have obtained PINs so they can use their cards for cash withdrawal (not a good idea). I haven't been able to determine whether those PINS work in European situations that require PINS. Reader reports would be most welcome.
Buyers' guide
My overall recommendations remain the same as they've been for several years. To minimize your exchange losses:
• Put big charges on credit cards. If you travel outside the U.S. a lot, consider getting a Capital One card, with its zero surcharge (and a reasonably generous reward program). Otherwise, USAA and many smaller banks and credit unions charge only 1%. Even cards with a full 3% surcharge are still an efficient way to pay outside the U.S.
• Use your debit (ATM) card for whatever local currency you need. If your itineraries permit, use one of the limited no-fee systems. Otherwise, minimize your losses by withdrawing in fairly large amounts each time.
In short, use plastic, but make sure it's the right plastic.
Read previous columns
Showing posts with label George's Blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label George's Blogs. Show all posts
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
George Post 13 - Famine to Obesity
As China becomes more Westernize they are beginning to show some of the unhealthy characteristics that plague the U.S. I was very surprised that this change is occurring so rapidly. I think it will be up to Western Companies - Like McDonald's - to assist the government broadcast the need for healthy lifestyles. McDonald's is just a small part of the issue, a more seditary lifestyle is mostly to blame - Computer games versus outside play, car rides versus bike rides, watching TV versus working in the field.
Read and let me know what you think.
Obesity of China's kids stuns officialsUpdated 1/9/2007 9:15 AM ET
By Calum MacLeod, USA TODAY
BEIJING — China is super-sizing its children as fast as its economy, prompting fears of an American-style obesity crisis here.
New figures from the Health Ministry show that urban Chinese boys age 6 are 2.5 inches taller and 6.6 pounds heavier on average than Chinese city boys 30 years ago.
China "has entered the era of obesity," says Ji Chengye, a leading child-health researcher. "The speed of growth is shocking."
A generation of economic expansion has produced higher living standards and allowed Chinese families to put more food on the table; once-scarce meat, dairy products and vegetables now are widely available. Growing prosperity also has led to more sedentary lifestyles: less physical labor, fewer trips on foot and by bicycle, more travel by car, more Internet usage.
The average 6-year-old in Beijing or Shanghai weighs nearly 47 pounds and is 3 feet, 10.5 inches tall, ministry figures show. The average American of the same age weighs just over 50 pounds and also is 3 feet 10.5 inches tall, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Only 45 years ago, China was still in the grip of a massive famine. Disastrous government policies under Mao Zedong led to the starvation deaths of 30 million people. Malnutrition has been stamped out in cities, but UNICEF says it remains a problem among millions of rural poor, especially in western China.
Most of the growth spurt among Chinese children has taken place over the past decade. "The speed of the increase greatly exceeds the growth trends found in Western developed countries," said Yang Qing, director of the Health Ministry department that oversees child health issues.
Today, 8% of 10- to 12-year-olds in China's cities are considered obese and an additional 15% are overweight, according to Education Ministry data. The closest comparison, in a 2006 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, found that 18.8% of Americans between the ages of 6 and 11 are overweight. There was no separate breakout for obesity among American children.
Bigger children are a source of pride and proof of prosperity for many Chinese. "The old saying, 'A fat child is a healthy child,' is still too prevalent," Ji says.
The government is fighting juvenile flab, in part, by building more playgrounds and requiring students to exercise or play sports for an hour a day at school.
Chen Chunming, a nutritional expert at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, warned parents, "Don't take children to eat fast food like McDonald's and KFC." McDonald's and KFC have hundreds of outlets in China, as do other American fast-food companies.
McDonald's wants to promote "balanced, active lifestyles" and has sent corporate icon Ronald McDonald to schools throughout China to "get kids up and active," said Gary Rosen, chief marketing officer for McDonald's China.
Last week at a McDonald's in Beijing, salesman Liu Guojian beamed while his daughter Xinyi, 7, ate a hamburger.
"Our daughter will definitely be taller than us. She has eaten better than my wife and I," Liu said. "When I grew up, in winter all we had to eat was cabbage."
Read and let me know what you think.
Obesity of China's kids stuns officialsUpdated 1/9/2007 9:15 AM ET
By Calum MacLeod, USA TODAY
BEIJING — China is super-sizing its children as fast as its economy, prompting fears of an American-style obesity crisis here.
New figures from the Health Ministry show that urban Chinese boys age 6 are 2.5 inches taller and 6.6 pounds heavier on average than Chinese city boys 30 years ago.
China "has entered the era of obesity," says Ji Chengye, a leading child-health researcher. "The speed of growth is shocking."
A generation of economic expansion has produced higher living standards and allowed Chinese families to put more food on the table; once-scarce meat, dairy products and vegetables now are widely available. Growing prosperity also has led to more sedentary lifestyles: less physical labor, fewer trips on foot and by bicycle, more travel by car, more Internet usage.
The average 6-year-old in Beijing or Shanghai weighs nearly 47 pounds and is 3 feet, 10.5 inches tall, ministry figures show. The average American of the same age weighs just over 50 pounds and also is 3 feet 10.5 inches tall, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Only 45 years ago, China was still in the grip of a massive famine. Disastrous government policies under Mao Zedong led to the starvation deaths of 30 million people. Malnutrition has been stamped out in cities, but UNICEF says it remains a problem among millions of rural poor, especially in western China.
Most of the growth spurt among Chinese children has taken place over the past decade. "The speed of the increase greatly exceeds the growth trends found in Western developed countries," said Yang Qing, director of the Health Ministry department that oversees child health issues.
Today, 8% of 10- to 12-year-olds in China's cities are considered obese and an additional 15% are overweight, according to Education Ministry data. The closest comparison, in a 2006 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, found that 18.8% of Americans between the ages of 6 and 11 are overweight. There was no separate breakout for obesity among American children.
Bigger children are a source of pride and proof of prosperity for many Chinese. "The old saying, 'A fat child is a healthy child,' is still too prevalent," Ji says.
The government is fighting juvenile flab, in part, by building more playgrounds and requiring students to exercise or play sports for an hour a day at school.
Chen Chunming, a nutritional expert at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, warned parents, "Don't take children to eat fast food like McDonald's and KFC." McDonald's and KFC have hundreds of outlets in China, as do other American fast-food companies.
McDonald's wants to promote "balanced, active lifestyles" and has sent corporate icon Ronald McDonald to schools throughout China to "get kids up and active," said Gary Rosen, chief marketing officer for McDonald's China.
Last week at a McDonald's in Beijing, salesman Liu Guojian beamed while his daughter Xinyi, 7, ate a hamburger.
"Our daughter will definitely be taller than us. She has eaten better than my wife and I," Liu said. "When I grew up, in winter all we had to eat was cabbage."
George Post 12 - Knockoff's - A New Level
Ok - knocking off a watch - a purse - a coat. I get that - but a Mall and the Typical Brands. Read this!
China mall opens fake Starbucks, McDonald's and Pizza Hut
by Jeremy Kressmann (RSS feed) on Jan 7th 2009 at 4:00PM
In addition to being a complex, beautiful and rapidly changing country, we've all heard that China is a copyright lawyer's worst nightmare. A place rife with pirated DVD's, software and all manner of luxury clothing and handbag knockoffs. It seems that pirated goods have become such a lucrative industry that the country is now dedicating an entire mall to the concept. According to recent news reports, a mall in Nanjing, China is set to open with all manner of "copycat" stores, sporting awnings with none-too-subtle reinterpretations of well-known Western brands. If you're looking for your morning pick-me-up, go no further than "Bucksstar" coffee, the place for all your $5 latte needs in Nanjing. When you get hungry, mall visitors can patronize the local "OMC McDnoald's" or even grab some "Pizza Huh." Perhaps the pizza chain name is in reference to the quality of the ingredients? When I first stumbled upon this article, I actually did a half-spit take. Could this be legit, I thought? Yet in a country with a rapidly emerging consumer class and growing lust for fancy French wine and gated communities, it starts to make more sense. For many individuals, owning and consuming brands legitimizes their place in the world, announcing their ascension to the modern global economy. The creators of this mall in Nanjing seem to have come to a similar conclusion - even a knockoff of the real thing, no matter how awkward and blatant to Western eyes, is better than no brands at all.
China mall opens fake Starbucks, McDonald's and Pizza Hut
by Jeremy Kressmann (RSS feed) on Jan 7th 2009 at 4:00PM
In addition to being a complex, beautiful and rapidly changing country, we've all heard that China is a copyright lawyer's worst nightmare. A place rife with pirated DVD's, software and all manner of luxury clothing and handbag knockoffs. It seems that pirated goods have become such a lucrative industry that the country is now dedicating an entire mall to the concept. According to recent news reports, a mall in Nanjing, China is set to open with all manner of "copycat" stores, sporting awnings with none-too-subtle reinterpretations of well-known Western brands. If you're looking for your morning pick-me-up, go no further than "Bucksstar" coffee, the place for all your $5 latte needs in Nanjing. When you get hungry, mall visitors can patronize the local "OMC McDnoald's" or even grab some "Pizza Huh." Perhaps the pizza chain name is in reference to the quality of the ingredients? When I first stumbled upon this article, I actually did a half-spit take. Could this be legit, I thought? Yet in a country with a rapidly emerging consumer class and growing lust for fancy French wine and gated communities, it starts to make more sense. For many individuals, owning and consuming brands legitimizes their place in the world, announcing their ascension to the modern global economy. The creators of this mall in Nanjing seem to have come to a similar conclusion - even a knockoff of the real thing, no matter how awkward and blatant to Western eyes, is better than no brands at all.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
George Post 11 - U.S. Pandas Off to China !
http://video.ap.org/?f=WASEA&PID=u_oC3hMQbyYbAuse2wIzzGiN_lLsL3L9
Superstar farewell for US-born, China-bound pandas
By BRETT ZONGKERASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
Senior Zoo Curator Brandie Smith feeds 4 and a half-year-old giant panda Tai Shan a piece of pear shortly before the panda left the National Zoo for China in a steel crate in Washington, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. "I wanted to feed him pear because it's his favorite," says Smith, "he's a great bear with a great personality and he did a great job today." On Thursday, 3-year-old Mei Lan of Atlanta and 4½-year-old Tai Shan of Washington will fly to new homes in Sichuan, China, to become part of a panda breeding program. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
WASHINGTON -- They were treated like pop idols - except for being stuck in travel crates.
Adoring crowds and television viewers watched Thursday as American-born giant pandas Mei Lan and Tai Shan were loaded onto a special cargo jet for a flight to their new homes in China for breeding.
Normally placid, 3-year-old Mei Lan from Zoo Atlanta whirled and paced in her crate as flashbulbs popped. Tai Shan, a 4 1/2-year-old born in Washington, hid at first but was drawn into view as his longtime keepers at the National Zoo knelt silently at his crate to say goodbye, hand-feeding him slices of apples and pears.
One zookeeper wiped away tears. Federal police officers escorted Tai Shan to the airport, and FedEx workers transporting the pair buzzed around in "Panda Team" jackets to go with the huge panda emblem painted on their jet. News networks provided live coverage of the plane waiting on the tarmac and taking off.
As the Boeing 777's giant engines rumbled to life, tears started to flow for panda lover Mara Strock of Burke, Va., who looked on with other invited guests.
"I love Tai Shan so much, I don't know how I'm going to handle it," she said, watching the plane pull away.
Clutching a stuffed black-and-white bear, 10-year-old Caleigh Davis of Springfield, Va., said she was sad to see Tai Shan go but glad he could go with his cousin.
"The thing I'm most afraid of is that he's going to eat too much food," she said, "and have a sick stomach."
Millions of people fell in love with the pandas as star attractions in zoo exhibits and by watching them grow up via online panda cams. And in Washington, the animals have a particularly long and symbolic history.
The first panda couple at the National Zoo, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, arrived in 1972 as a gift to the American people from China after President Richard Nixon's historic visit.
The pair lived more than 20 years at the zoo and produced five cubs - but none survived. That's partly why Tai Shan, the first cub to grow up in the nation's capital, is so adored.
Pandas may be China's most compelling ambassadors as the country clashes with the U.S. on many issues, including trade, human rights and Internet security. Tai Shan's departure gave diplomats a rare moment of harmony.
"He is a tangible, and furry, manifestation of cooperation between the United States and China," U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Thursday.
Xie Feng, minister of the Chinese Embassy, said Tai Shan "has grown up with the blessing, love and care of the American people."
"He has now grown into a handsome young man, and it's time for him to go home," he said.
China lent Tai Shan's and Mei Lan's parents to U.S. zoos for conservation, and now they will become part of a breeding program in their endangered species' native land. About 1,600 giant pandas live in the wild, and another 290 are in captive-breeding programs worldwide, mainly in China.
Mei Lan, the first cub born at Zoo Atlanta in 2006, could be seen pacing back and forth when her steel crate was driven out onto the Atlanta tarmac and past a row of television cameras.
Mei Lan's parents, Lun Lun and Yang Yang, had a second cub - Xi Lan, a male born in 2008. Zoo officials in Washington are hoping for another cub as well.
For animal keeper Nicole Meese, Tai Shan's departure is personal. He was a baby when she first held him, and she later spent late nights calling him down from trees. Now she's traveling with him to ease the transition, ready to teach his Chinese keepers the hand signals he uses.
"Every day, he makes me smile," she said.
Superstar farewell for US-born, China-bound pandas
By BRETT ZONGKERASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
Senior Zoo Curator Brandie Smith feeds 4 and a half-year-old giant panda Tai Shan a piece of pear shortly before the panda left the National Zoo for China in a steel crate in Washington, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. "I wanted to feed him pear because it's his favorite," says Smith, "he's a great bear with a great personality and he did a great job today." On Thursday, 3-year-old Mei Lan of Atlanta and 4½-year-old Tai Shan of Washington will fly to new homes in Sichuan, China, to become part of a panda breeding program. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
WASHINGTON -- They were treated like pop idols - except for being stuck in travel crates.
Adoring crowds and television viewers watched Thursday as American-born giant pandas Mei Lan and Tai Shan were loaded onto a special cargo jet for a flight to their new homes in China for breeding.
Normally placid, 3-year-old Mei Lan from Zoo Atlanta whirled and paced in her crate as flashbulbs popped. Tai Shan, a 4 1/2-year-old born in Washington, hid at first but was drawn into view as his longtime keepers at the National Zoo knelt silently at his crate to say goodbye, hand-feeding him slices of apples and pears.
One zookeeper wiped away tears. Federal police officers escorted Tai Shan to the airport, and FedEx workers transporting the pair buzzed around in "Panda Team" jackets to go with the huge panda emblem painted on their jet. News networks provided live coverage of the plane waiting on the tarmac and taking off.
As the Boeing 777's giant engines rumbled to life, tears started to flow for panda lover Mara Strock of Burke, Va., who looked on with other invited guests.
"I love Tai Shan so much, I don't know how I'm going to handle it," she said, watching the plane pull away.
Clutching a stuffed black-and-white bear, 10-year-old Caleigh Davis of Springfield, Va., said she was sad to see Tai Shan go but glad he could go with his cousin.
"The thing I'm most afraid of is that he's going to eat too much food," she said, "and have a sick stomach."
Millions of people fell in love with the pandas as star attractions in zoo exhibits and by watching them grow up via online panda cams. And in Washington, the animals have a particularly long and symbolic history.
The first panda couple at the National Zoo, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, arrived in 1972 as a gift to the American people from China after President Richard Nixon's historic visit.
The pair lived more than 20 years at the zoo and produced five cubs - but none survived. That's partly why Tai Shan, the first cub to grow up in the nation's capital, is so adored.
Pandas may be China's most compelling ambassadors as the country clashes with the U.S. on many issues, including trade, human rights and Internet security. Tai Shan's departure gave diplomats a rare moment of harmony.
"He is a tangible, and furry, manifestation of cooperation between the United States and China," U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Thursday.
Xie Feng, minister of the Chinese Embassy, said Tai Shan "has grown up with the blessing, love and care of the American people."
"He has now grown into a handsome young man, and it's time for him to go home," he said.
China lent Tai Shan's and Mei Lan's parents to U.S. zoos for conservation, and now they will become part of a breeding program in their endangered species' native land. About 1,600 giant pandas live in the wild, and another 290 are in captive-breeding programs worldwide, mainly in China.
Mei Lan, the first cub born at Zoo Atlanta in 2006, could be seen pacing back and forth when her steel crate was driven out onto the Atlanta tarmac and past a row of television cameras.
Mei Lan's parents, Lun Lun and Yang Yang, had a second cub - Xi Lan, a male born in 2008. Zoo officials in Washington are hoping for another cub as well.
For animal keeper Nicole Meese, Tai Shan's departure is personal. He was a baby when she first held him, and she later spent late nights calling him down from trees. Now she's traveling with him to ease the transition, ready to teach his Chinese keepers the hand signals he uses.
"Every day, he makes me smile," she said.
Jake Hushka Post 5- U.S.-China tension was the underaddressed theme of Davos
U.S.-China tension was the underaddressed theme of Davos
http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/02/02/u-s-china-tension-was-the-underaddressed-theme-of-davos/
I decided to address the article above because of the on going discussion of China becoming a world superpower. A superpower’s responsibilities include: maintaining world stability, intervening in any nation that threatens worldwide balance, and maintaining world order while insuring international stability. I believe that China does not hold these values, which can specifically be seen in the article by the heightened tension between the United States and China. The World Economic Forum gives nation’s the opportunities to address important issues at hand and in my opinion China is not taking their responsibilities seriously.
China’s economic sector has seen significant development over the last decade, specifically in their GDP growth. The United States concern is that it has seen a 10% increase in unemployment over the last year while the Chinese GDP has grown at the same rate. The U.S. feels that due to this growth it is the responsibility of the nation to revalue their currency and Chinese government has refused such suggestions. This situation is also coupled with the vow that China would increase its domestic consumption, which can be taken as China wanting to be less reliant on exports, particularly to the United States. I believe that China took a partnership with the United States knowing the opportunities that would be available to them and now they are going back to the attack on the cultural imperialism of the West. These actions will not go to any avail by the United States and may in fact result in trade barriers. I believe that both sides are taking measures that will be bad in the long term because they are politically popular in the short term and may result in irreparable consequences.
A side note on the article, the forum gave Google the opportunity to allow there concerns to be heard once again. As George stated in a prior post, the Chinese are strongly encouraging the Western journalists to address Google’s threat to abandon China over its disdain for censorship and its computers in China being hacked with help from the Chinese government. Google in fact has been working with the Chinese government to comply with the rules of their censorship, but still strongly believes that the Chinese government had orchestrated the crime of stealing intellectual property.
The main issues the article addresses are the currency dispute and Google’s corporate spying incident. I believe it just shows that as China becomes progressively more powerful, the country increasingly intends to confront the United States. I consider this to be a derelict of their responsibilities of a superpower and they need to start addressing some of the ongoing, worldwide issues at hand.
http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/02/02/u-s-china-tension-was-the-underaddressed-theme-of-davos/
I decided to address the article above because of the on going discussion of China becoming a world superpower. A superpower’s responsibilities include: maintaining world stability, intervening in any nation that threatens worldwide balance, and maintaining world order while insuring international stability. I believe that China does not hold these values, which can specifically be seen in the article by the heightened tension between the United States and China. The World Economic Forum gives nation’s the opportunities to address important issues at hand and in my opinion China is not taking their responsibilities seriously.
China’s economic sector has seen significant development over the last decade, specifically in their GDP growth. The United States concern is that it has seen a 10% increase in unemployment over the last year while the Chinese GDP has grown at the same rate. The U.S. feels that due to this growth it is the responsibility of the nation to revalue their currency and Chinese government has refused such suggestions. This situation is also coupled with the vow that China would increase its domestic consumption, which can be taken as China wanting to be less reliant on exports, particularly to the United States. I believe that China took a partnership with the United States knowing the opportunities that would be available to them and now they are going back to the attack on the cultural imperialism of the West. These actions will not go to any avail by the United States and may in fact result in trade barriers. I believe that both sides are taking measures that will be bad in the long term because they are politically popular in the short term and may result in irreparable consequences.
A side note on the article, the forum gave Google the opportunity to allow there concerns to be heard once again. As George stated in a prior post, the Chinese are strongly encouraging the Western journalists to address Google’s threat to abandon China over its disdain for censorship and its computers in China being hacked with help from the Chinese government. Google in fact has been working with the Chinese government to comply with the rules of their censorship, but still strongly believes that the Chinese government had orchestrated the crime of stealing intellectual property.
The main issues the article addresses are the currency dispute and Google’s corporate spying incident. I believe it just shows that as China becomes progressively more powerful, the country increasingly intends to confront the United States. I consider this to be a derelict of their responsibilities of a superpower and they need to start addressing some of the ongoing, worldwide issues at hand.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Kelly -Post 3- China warns on Meeting with Dalai Lama
China Warns U.S. on Meeting With Dalai Lama
By EDWARD WONG
Published: February 2, 2010
BEIJING — A senior Chinese official strongly warned President Obama on Tuesday against meeting with the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of the Tibetans, saying it would damage relations between China and the United States.
The official, Zhu Weiqun, said any country would suffer consequences if its leaders met with the Dalai Lama, whom China considers to be a dangerous separatist. Mr. Zhu did not elaborate on what actions China could take.
But a White House spokesman said the president’s plans were unchanged. “The president told China’s leaders during his trip last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama, and he intends to do so,” said the spokesman, Bill Burton, speaking aboard Air Force One as it flew Mr. Obama to New Hampshire for an event.
“To be clear,” he added, “the U.S. considers Tibet to be a part of China. We have human rights concerns about the treatment of Tibetans. We urge the government of China to protect the unique cultural and religious traditions of Tibet.”
Last autumn, when the Dalai Lama visited the United States, Mr. Obama declined to meet with him to avoid angering China before Mr. Obama’s trip to Beijing, in November.
Both Mr. Obama and the Dalai Lama are Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
Mr. Zhu, who is the executive vice director of the United Front Work Department, the arm of the Chinese Communist Party that oversees ethnic policy, made his remarks at a morning news conference, according to Xinhua, the state news agency. The purpose of the conference was to give details on recent negotiations between the Chinese government and envoys of the Dalai Lama, in which China rejected demands for greater Tibetan autonomy.
Any move by American leaders to meet the Dalai Lama will “harm others but bring no profit to itself, either,” Mr. Zhu said.
Despite Mr. Obama’s earlier overtures to Beijing, tensions between the United States and China have been on the rise.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently chastised China in a speech she gave in which she denounced Internet censorship. Last Friday, the United States announced sales of $6.4 billion of arms to Taiwan, the self-governing island that China says is a rebel province. In response, China said it would break off military-to-military ties with the United States and impose sanctions against the American companies that make the arms.
China usually criticizes any prominent figure who meets with the Dalai Lama.
In 2007, despite furious objections from China, President George W. Bush met privately with the Dalai Lama in Washington and was present at a ceremony at which Congress awarded the exiled Tibetan leader its highest civilian honor. China called the event a farce.
A decade earlier, President Bill Clinton informally greeted the Dalai Lama at the White House and said he would urge China to open talks with him, but the two leaders did not meet formally.
In 2008 China protested a meeting between the Dalai Lama and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France. It hinted that it would impose economic sanctions against France but never did.
China considers sovereignty issues like the status of Tibet and Taiwan to be what officials call the nation’s “core interests.” Few things anger the Chinese government more than the perceived intervention of foreign countries in these matters. Tibet, always a thorny foreign policy issue for the Communist Party, became even more so after an uprising exploded across Tibetan regions of western China in March 2008.
The Dalai Lama, 74, lives in India and says he wants only “genuine autonomy” for Tibet, not independence.
The latest meeting between his envoys and Chinese officials ended over the weekend. It was the ninth round of talks since 2002, and Chinese officials restated their rejection of the Dalai Lama’s call for greater autonomy for the Tibetans.
Mr. Zhu said Tuesday that the Dalai Lama was not a legal representative of the six million Tibetans in China and that China would discuss with the envoys only the status of the Dalai Lama, not the future of Tibet.
I chose this article from the New York Times, it was just published yesterday. I thought this was interesting because it clearly shows how adamant China is against President Obama meeting with the Dalai Lama. As I started reading the article I realized I was going to have to do a little research of my own and investigate the full story behind the Dalai Lama and why he is considered by China to be a "dangerous separatist."
By EDWARD WONG
Published: February 2, 2010
BEIJING — A senior Chinese official strongly warned President Obama on Tuesday against meeting with the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of the Tibetans, saying it would damage relations between China and the United States.
The official, Zhu Weiqun, said any country would suffer consequences if its leaders met with the Dalai Lama, whom China considers to be a dangerous separatist. Mr. Zhu did not elaborate on what actions China could take.
But a White House spokesman said the president’s plans were unchanged. “The president told China’s leaders during his trip last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama, and he intends to do so,” said the spokesman, Bill Burton, speaking aboard Air Force One as it flew Mr. Obama to New Hampshire for an event.
“To be clear,” he added, “the U.S. considers Tibet to be a part of China. We have human rights concerns about the treatment of Tibetans. We urge the government of China to protect the unique cultural and religious traditions of Tibet.”
Last autumn, when the Dalai Lama visited the United States, Mr. Obama declined to meet with him to avoid angering China before Mr. Obama’s trip to Beijing, in November.
Both Mr. Obama and the Dalai Lama are Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
Mr. Zhu, who is the executive vice director of the United Front Work Department, the arm of the Chinese Communist Party that oversees ethnic policy, made his remarks at a morning news conference, according to Xinhua, the state news agency. The purpose of the conference was to give details on recent negotiations between the Chinese government and envoys of the Dalai Lama, in which China rejected demands for greater Tibetan autonomy.
Any move by American leaders to meet the Dalai Lama will “harm others but bring no profit to itself, either,” Mr. Zhu said.
Despite Mr. Obama’s earlier overtures to Beijing, tensions between the United States and China have been on the rise.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently chastised China in a speech she gave in which she denounced Internet censorship. Last Friday, the United States announced sales of $6.4 billion of arms to Taiwan, the self-governing island that China says is a rebel province. In response, China said it would break off military-to-military ties with the United States and impose sanctions against the American companies that make the arms.
China usually criticizes any prominent figure who meets with the Dalai Lama.
In 2007, despite furious objections from China, President George W. Bush met privately with the Dalai Lama in Washington and was present at a ceremony at which Congress awarded the exiled Tibetan leader its highest civilian honor. China called the event a farce.
A decade earlier, President Bill Clinton informally greeted the Dalai Lama at the White House and said he would urge China to open talks with him, but the two leaders did not meet formally.
In 2008 China protested a meeting between the Dalai Lama and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France. It hinted that it would impose economic sanctions against France but never did.
China considers sovereignty issues like the status of Tibet and Taiwan to be what officials call the nation’s “core interests.” Few things anger the Chinese government more than the perceived intervention of foreign countries in these matters. Tibet, always a thorny foreign policy issue for the Communist Party, became even more so after an uprising exploded across Tibetan regions of western China in March 2008.
The Dalai Lama, 74, lives in India and says he wants only “genuine autonomy” for Tibet, not independence.
The latest meeting between his envoys and Chinese officials ended over the weekend. It was the ninth round of talks since 2002, and Chinese officials restated their rejection of the Dalai Lama’s call for greater autonomy for the Tibetans.
Mr. Zhu said Tuesday that the Dalai Lama was not a legal representative of the six million Tibetans in China and that China would discuss with the envoys only the status of the Dalai Lama, not the future of Tibet.
I chose this article from the New York Times, it was just published yesterday. I thought this was interesting because it clearly shows how adamant China is against President Obama meeting with the Dalai Lama. As I started reading the article I realized I was going to have to do a little research of my own and investigate the full story behind the Dalai Lama and why he is considered by China to be a "dangerous separatist."
Upon doing some research I found China being a communist country dislikes the Dalai Lama because he has such moral authority to convince many people that the Chinese version of history is not truthful. The Dalai Lama, along with millions of people inside and outside of Tibet believe that Tibet should be considered an autonomous country even though it was invaded by China. Due to his views, he has been exiled from China.
This view is now still a conflict of interest between the United States and China mostly because the opinions vary greatly. The United States believes the Dalai Lama to be as George Bush said, "a shepherd of the faithful" believing that the people of Tibet should celebrate their religious freedom and views. The Chinese however feel the Dalai Lama "splits the motherland."
Now according to the article, tensions are rising between the United States and China since President Obama has explained to China's leaders that he is going to meet with the Dalai Lama. This could prove to further damage the relationship between the U.S. and China especially since China is still recovering from Hillary Clinton's remark about interenet censorship in China.
With China becoming a superpower, I just wonder what affect this damage will cause in the future.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
George Post 10- Heating Up - Arms to Taiwan
Heating Up With China – US to Sell Arms to Taiwan
The Obama administration has announced plans to go ahead with a $6.1 billion arms deal with Taiwan, including the sale of 60 Black Hawk helicopters and 114 Patriot missiles.
This action is consistent with the US treaty with Taiwan but it is seen as offensive to Beijing. US State Department spokeswoman Laura Tischler defending the US position said "Such sales contribute to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait" .
Chinese defense ministry spokesman Huang Xueping saw it differently saying that the measures reflected the "severe harm" posed by the deal. Another foreign ministry spokesman said the arms deal would have "repercussions that neither side wishes to see".
China has threatened sanctions on the US companies involved in the deal. Boeing would be the primary target but it could also affect Lockheed and General Electric. Also Beijing could withdraw its cooperation and take a tougher stance on a number of current issues such as North Korea, fair trade and climate impact. This also comes at a time when friction is already at a high point due to the Google situation.
Besides impacting our relationship with China it also impacts the relationship between the two Chinas. With Taiwan feeling more secure they may push Beijing harder on their point of view. China may view this as another setback to their ultimate goal of re-unification with Taiwan.
Click on the link to see a clip from an Australia newsource and additional commentary.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/china-retaliates-over-us-arms-deal-with-taiwan-20100131-n6n7.html
The Obama administration has announced plans to go ahead with a $6.1 billion arms deal with Taiwan, including the sale of 60 Black Hawk helicopters and 114 Patriot missiles.
This action is consistent with the US treaty with Taiwan but it is seen as offensive to Beijing. US State Department spokeswoman Laura Tischler defending the US position said "Such sales contribute to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait" .
Chinese defense ministry spokesman Huang Xueping saw it differently saying that the measures reflected the "severe harm" posed by the deal. Another foreign ministry spokesman said the arms deal would have "repercussions that neither side wishes to see".
China has threatened sanctions on the US companies involved in the deal. Boeing would be the primary target but it could also affect Lockheed and General Electric. Also Beijing could withdraw its cooperation and take a tougher stance on a number of current issues such as North Korea, fair trade and climate impact. This also comes at a time when friction is already at a high point due to the Google situation.
Besides impacting our relationship with China it also impacts the relationship between the two Chinas. With Taiwan feeling more secure they may push Beijing harder on their point of view. China may view this as another setback to their ultimate goal of re-unification with Taiwan.
Click on the link to see a clip from an Australia newsource and additional commentary.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/china-retaliates-over-us-arms-deal-with-taiwan-20100131-n6n7.html
George Post 9 - Google Principles or Business
By the Monitor's Editorial Board The Monitor's Editorial Board – Tue Jan 26, 11:30 am ET
The rift between the corporate giant Google and the giant country China, with 338 million people online, has revealed a disturbing fact.
Someone, perhaps the Chinese government itself, has been trying not only to read e-mail accounts on Google's Gmail but steal the company's corporate secrets through sophisticated online techniques.
Major corporations are confronting a new era of cybercrime, as The Christian Science Monitor's exclusive story on electronic spying in the oil and gas industry vividly shows. Yet many don't realize the full extent of the threat they face. Worldwide, $1 trillion in intellectual property was stolen online in 2008, according to one study.
The new cyberspies are among the elite of cybercrime, on the prowl for trade secrets and technical know-how. The identities of the attackers can be hard to trace, but many are likely to be governments or their surrogates. (The Chinese government strongly denies any involvement with the Google espionage.) The human spy on the scene is being replaced by cybersleuths at a computer terminal.
The oil and gas industry has seen "real, targeted attacks on our C-level [most senior] executives,” says one oil company official. “Industrial espionage has moved from the real world to the cyberworld,” says Greg Garcia, a cybersecurity expert in the Bush administration. “Any country that wants to support and develop an indigenous industry may very well use cyberespionage to help do that.”
Organized cybercriminals are beginning to operate much in the fashion of drug cartels, with elaborate international ties. One common attack is to send e-mails or instant messages that appear to be from a colleague to key personnel, such as technical managers, asking them to click on a link. Once that's done, the criminals exploit a flaw in the browser that lets them take over that computer and poke around the company's network for valuable information.
Another ploy involves scattering pocket USB sticks with the company logo in the parking lot of a corporation. Employees place them in their computers to see what's on them and inadvertently load hidden spy viruses, which spread elsewhere.
Corporations need to more fully acknowledge the threat and step up their defenses. And President Obama's new "cyber czar," Howard Schmidt, tasked with strengthening the nation's online security, now has fresh reasons to place industrial espionage high on his agenda, too.
As US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a speech on Internet freedom Jan. 21, "Countries or individuals that engage in cyberattacks should face consequences and international condemnation."
My Thoughts -
The China / Google incident is really not a Google issue but really an ethical issue. The corporate world, Google being the first, is starting to ask the question - Should we do business with a country who views relationships as a Win - Lose and who is willing to go to extraorinary measures to achieve their objectives on trade and censorship. A new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers claims China could overtake America as the largest economy as quickly as 2020. Their means aof doing so is new age stuff. The quest for world leadership through economic leadership versus military strength. The combatants don’t use bullets they use computers.
So whats wrong with a little hacking? Why is this dangerous to the U.S. ? Because the Chinese economy is growing at 10 % while the U.S ran negative in 2009. Research is expensive if China can compete on the world stage with us without spending on research, what an advantage!
The intrusions aren't limited to the internet companies. Other companies believed to be hacked into are Dow Chemical and Northrop Grumman. This is scary - The U.S. Pentagon is also believed to been hacked into by China.
It seems to me that Google is doing the right thing and standing by moral and patriotic principles in threatening to pull out of China while other U.S. companies are dismissing the incidents and calling for business as usual. Microsoft's Ballmer states that "People are always trying to break into other people's data. There's always somebody trying to break into Microsoft." “Bill Gates also downplayed the controversy and scoffed at Google's maneuvers, which attracted big and positive media coverage in China”.
While Google is also fighting China on censorship, Microsoft’s position is soft stating that they must abide by internet censorship on a country by country basis and that even in the U.S. there is censorship (child porn). Where is there backbone? Hasn't Mircosoft been victimized by Chinese fake copies of their software?
Motorola also threw Google under the bus. Motorola struck a deal with Google's rival Baidu. Motorola will let consumers choose Baidu or other search alternatives instead of Google as the default search option on Android-based phones in China. Google must find this hard to take since the Motorola turnaround has been built on Google powered phones.
I'm hoping that other European and US companies will take notice and start pushing back on China's business practices. Certainly the Obama administration is paying attention. Hillary rebuffed the Chinese and this from US Commerce Secretary Locke "China needs to continue making strides to be more transparent, predictable and committed to the rule of law," Locke said in a speech, according to a copy of his prepared remarks. "If there is backsliding on these issues, it will affect the appetite of U.S. companies to enter the Chinese market and ultimately that will be bad for both the people of China and the United States."
The rift between the corporate giant Google and the giant country China, with 338 million people online, has revealed a disturbing fact.
Someone, perhaps the Chinese government itself, has been trying not only to read e-mail accounts on Google's Gmail but steal the company's corporate secrets through sophisticated online techniques.
Major corporations are confronting a new era of cybercrime, as The Christian Science Monitor's exclusive story on electronic spying in the oil and gas industry vividly shows. Yet many don't realize the full extent of the threat they face. Worldwide, $1 trillion in intellectual property was stolen online in 2008, according to one study.
The new cyberspies are among the elite of cybercrime, on the prowl for trade secrets and technical know-how. The identities of the attackers can be hard to trace, but many are likely to be governments or their surrogates. (The Chinese government strongly denies any involvement with the Google espionage.) The human spy on the scene is being replaced by cybersleuths at a computer terminal.
The oil and gas industry has seen "real, targeted attacks on our C-level [most senior] executives,” says one oil company official. “Industrial espionage has moved from the real world to the cyberworld,” says Greg Garcia, a cybersecurity expert in the Bush administration. “Any country that wants to support and develop an indigenous industry may very well use cyberespionage to help do that.”
Organized cybercriminals are beginning to operate much in the fashion of drug cartels, with elaborate international ties. One common attack is to send e-mails or instant messages that appear to be from a colleague to key personnel, such as technical managers, asking them to click on a link. Once that's done, the criminals exploit a flaw in the browser that lets them take over that computer and poke around the company's network for valuable information.
Another ploy involves scattering pocket USB sticks with the company logo in the parking lot of a corporation. Employees place them in their computers to see what's on them and inadvertently load hidden spy viruses, which spread elsewhere.
Corporations need to more fully acknowledge the threat and step up their defenses. And President Obama's new "cyber czar," Howard Schmidt, tasked with strengthening the nation's online security, now has fresh reasons to place industrial espionage high on his agenda, too.
As US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a speech on Internet freedom Jan. 21, "Countries or individuals that engage in cyberattacks should face consequences and international condemnation."
My Thoughts -
The China / Google incident is really not a Google issue but really an ethical issue. The corporate world, Google being the first, is starting to ask the question - Should we do business with a country who views relationships as a Win - Lose and who is willing to go to extraorinary measures to achieve their objectives on trade and censorship. A new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers claims China could overtake America as the largest economy as quickly as 2020. Their means aof doing so is new age stuff. The quest for world leadership through economic leadership versus military strength. The combatants don’t use bullets they use computers.
So whats wrong with a little hacking? Why is this dangerous to the U.S. ? Because the Chinese economy is growing at 10 % while the U.S ran negative in 2009. Research is expensive if China can compete on the world stage with us without spending on research, what an advantage!
The intrusions aren't limited to the internet companies. Other companies believed to be hacked into are Dow Chemical and Northrop Grumman. This is scary - The U.S. Pentagon is also believed to been hacked into by China.
It seems to me that Google is doing the right thing and standing by moral and patriotic principles in threatening to pull out of China while other U.S. companies are dismissing the incidents and calling for business as usual. Microsoft's Ballmer states that "People are always trying to break into other people's data. There's always somebody trying to break into Microsoft." “Bill Gates also downplayed the controversy and scoffed at Google's maneuvers, which attracted big and positive media coverage in China”.
While Google is also fighting China on censorship, Microsoft’s position is soft stating that they must abide by internet censorship on a country by country basis and that even in the U.S. there is censorship (child porn). Where is there backbone? Hasn't Mircosoft been victimized by Chinese fake copies of their software?
Motorola also threw Google under the bus. Motorola struck a deal with Google's rival Baidu. Motorola will let consumers choose Baidu or other search alternatives instead of Google as the default search option on Android-based phones in China. Google must find this hard to take since the Motorola turnaround has been built on Google powered phones.
I'm hoping that other European and US companies will take notice and start pushing back on China's business practices. Certainly the Obama administration is paying attention. Hillary rebuffed the Chinese and this from US Commerce Secretary Locke "China needs to continue making strides to be more transparent, predictable and committed to the rule of law," Locke said in a speech, according to a copy of his prepared remarks. "If there is backsliding on these issues, it will affect the appetite of U.S. companies to enter the Chinese market and ultimately that will be bad for both the people of China and the United States."
George Post 8 - More Practical Stuff
Here is a combination of Practical Info I put together from various travel websites.
Everyday Chinese
Welcome - Huan Ying
How are you? - Ni Hao, Ni Hao Ma?
I am fine, thank you - Wo Hen Hao, Xie Xie Ni
Good morning - Zao Chen Hao, Wan
Good Bye - Zai Jian
I want to buy this - Wo Yao Mai Zhe Ge
How much is this all together? - Yi Gong Duo Shao Qian
I don’t understand - Wo Ting Bu Dong
Here’s to our friendship - Wei Wo Men De You Yi
Money
The official currency in China is the Renminbi (RMB or CNY) or in Chinese "Ren-min-bi". The basic unit is the yuan (also known as "kuai"), which equals 10 jiao (or "mao"), which is then divided into 10 fen. Paper currency comes in 1.2,5,10,50 and 100 yuan notes. Paper jiao come in denominations of 1, 2, and 5. There are also 1 and 2 fen notes, but these are rarely used as they have no purchasing power. 1 yuan, 1 and 5 jiao, and 1, 2, and 5 fen coins are even common used in larger cities.
Monetary Value
The exchange rate is about 6.82 yuan per dollar. So a yuan is worth about 15 cents. We can expect to pay about 11 yuan for a Big Mac, a real bargain. This is because the yuan is about 49% undervalued to the dollar. The Chinese govnerment maintains this to ensure that the Chinese buy Chinese and not American.
Exchange Money
It is possible to exchange traveler's checks or cash at most banks, and hotels always have a money exchange counter. Cash advances are available on most common credit/debit cards e.g. American Express/Visa/MasterCard, but this facility is available only from the main branch of the Bank of China in most Chinese cities. A fee of 3%-4% will apply. The Bank of China has an ATM network that will allow cash advances from major credit / debit cards and ATM cards. Check you credit card provider for this information before leaving your home country. You are required to present your passport to change money/travelers checks etc. Hotels will usually only allow you to change money if you are guest at the hotel. The RMB is not easily convertible on the international market so it is only usable in China. It is advisable to change only the money that you need for you trip as it will cost an additional service charge to change back.
Credit Cards
Major credit cards such as Master Card, Visa and American Express are accepted in major hotels and department stores. Check on the acceptance of your credit card before you purchase. Credit cards cannot be used in most restaurants or small convenience stores. Air Travel could be purchased with credit cards. Credit cards can be used to get a cash advance in the main offices of the Bank of China
Bartering
Be ready to do a quick calculation of the cost—divide by 7 for an unofficahandy and a small calculator all the time. The airport is a good place to get the current exchange rate.)
If you are shopping in a public market, you will find that most merchants speak some English. When negotiating in China, here are a few simple things to remember.
1) Be polite, and friendly, but firm.
2) Almost everything is negotiable in Asia. Even retail stores will normally negotiate, if you buy enough stuff.
3) Start your negotiations at 50% of the list or spoken price. Keep the negotiations light, and remember to smile. I suggest starting the negotiations like this:
Merchant: "The price is 1000 Yuan."
You: "I will give you 500." (Smile).
Merchant: "No, no, no. 1000 Yuan."
You: "500." (Be pleasant).
Merchant: "OK, 900 Yuan.
You: "450 Yuan. (Smile).
Merchant: Shocked. "No, No. That’s wrong."
You: "OK. 400 Yuan."
Merchant: Pause.
At this point, the merchant will either begin to back down or get very frustrated. If the merchant wants to get the best of you, or if the product is already priced very, very low, you will know by what he/she does next.
Use some good judgment, and be sure you have gotten the price from other competitors before you start negotiations. Remember, if you agree on a price for something, you should buy it. It is very rude to agree on a price and then walk away. It is not rude to walk away from a bad negotiation or high price. In fact, you might find that when you walk away in the middle of a negotiation that is not going as planned you will get the price that you wanted for the product. Remember, be polite, and be fair. Everyone deserves to make a living.
PS - Carry your own toilet paper – Many places do not provide.
Everyday Chinese
Welcome - Huan Ying
How are you? - Ni Hao, Ni Hao Ma?
I am fine, thank you - Wo Hen Hao, Xie Xie Ni
Good morning - Zao Chen Hao, Wan
Good Bye - Zai Jian
I want to buy this - Wo Yao Mai Zhe Ge
How much is this all together? - Yi Gong Duo Shao Qian
I don’t understand - Wo Ting Bu Dong
Here’s to our friendship - Wei Wo Men De You Yi
Money
The official currency in China is the Renminbi (RMB or CNY) or in Chinese "Ren-min-bi". The basic unit is the yuan (also known as "kuai"), which equals 10 jiao (or "mao"), which is then divided into 10 fen. Paper currency comes in 1.2,5,10,50 and 100 yuan notes. Paper jiao come in denominations of 1, 2, and 5. There are also 1 and 2 fen notes, but these are rarely used as they have no purchasing power. 1 yuan, 1 and 5 jiao, and 1, 2, and 5 fen coins are even common used in larger cities.
Monetary Value
The exchange rate is about 6.82 yuan per dollar. So a yuan is worth about 15 cents. We can expect to pay about 11 yuan for a Big Mac, a real bargain. This is because the yuan is about 49% undervalued to the dollar. The Chinese govnerment maintains this to ensure that the Chinese buy Chinese and not American.
Exchange Money
It is possible to exchange traveler's checks or cash at most banks, and hotels always have a money exchange counter. Cash advances are available on most common credit/debit cards e.g. American Express/Visa/MasterCard, but this facility is available only from the main branch of the Bank of China in most Chinese cities. A fee of 3%-4% will apply. The Bank of China has an ATM network that will allow cash advances from major credit / debit cards and ATM cards. Check you credit card provider for this information before leaving your home country. You are required to present your passport to change money/travelers checks etc. Hotels will usually only allow you to change money if you are guest at the hotel. The RMB is not easily convertible on the international market so it is only usable in China. It is advisable to change only the money that you need for you trip as it will cost an additional service charge to change back.
Credit Cards
Major credit cards such as Master Card, Visa and American Express are accepted in major hotels and department stores. Check on the acceptance of your credit card before you purchase. Credit cards cannot be used in most restaurants or small convenience stores. Air Travel could be purchased with credit cards. Credit cards can be used to get a cash advance in the main offices of the Bank of China
Bartering
Be ready to do a quick calculation of the cost—divide by 7 for an unofficahandy and a small calculator all the time. The airport is a good place to get the current exchange rate.)
If you are shopping in a public market, you will find that most merchants speak some English. When negotiating in China, here are a few simple things to remember.
1) Be polite, and friendly, but firm.
2) Almost everything is negotiable in Asia. Even retail stores will normally negotiate, if you buy enough stuff.
3) Start your negotiations at 50% of the list or spoken price. Keep the negotiations light, and remember to smile. I suggest starting the negotiations like this:
Merchant: "The price is 1000 Yuan."
You: "I will give you 500." (Smile).
Merchant: "No, no, no. 1000 Yuan."
You: "500." (Be pleasant).
Merchant: "OK, 900 Yuan.
You: "450 Yuan. (Smile).
Merchant: Shocked. "No, No. That’s wrong."
You: "OK. 400 Yuan."
Merchant: Pause.
At this point, the merchant will either begin to back down or get very frustrated. If the merchant wants to get the best of you, or if the product is already priced very, very low, you will know by what he/she does next.
Use some good judgment, and be sure you have gotten the price from other competitors before you start negotiations. Remember, if you agree on a price for something, you should buy it. It is very rude to agree on a price and then walk away. It is not rude to walk away from a bad negotiation or high price. In fact, you might find that when you walk away in the middle of a negotiation that is not going as planned you will get the price that you wanted for the product. Remember, be polite, and be fair. Everyone deserves to make a living.
PS - Carry your own toilet paper – Many places do not provide.
George Post 7 - U.S. Policy Taiwan and Beijing
Foreign Policy - The People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China
We haven’t spoken of the Republic of China (ROC); also know as Taiwan, Formosa or Nationalist China. Although we are going to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), also known as Red China, Beijing and Mainland China, we need to understand the bigger picture of how the People Republic of China (PRC) U.S. Foreign policy related to the relationship between these entities.
In 1949, the Communists faction in China, led by Chairman Mao, revolted and took control of mainland China. Chiang Kai shek, the head of the disposed government, along with two million loyalists, retreated 1000 miles away from Beijing to a group of islands off the eastern coast of China. In 1950, the US provided military support to Taiwan due to the “threat” that Mao was going to take action. Although Chairman Mao spoke to the need for one China he didn’t take any action neither have the subsequent PRC leaders since Mao.
Apart from excitement in the 60’s caused by the arms race and Viet Nam not much changed in the three government relationship until 1971 when Ping Pong Diplomacy happened. In the first public sign of warming relations between Washington and PRC, China’s national Ping-Pong Team invited members of the U.S. team to China. The journalists accompanying the U.S. players are among the first Americans allowed to enter China since 1949.
In 1972, President Richard Nixon spent eight days in mainland China, where he met Chairman Mao and agrees to the Shanghai Communiqué. This set the stage for improved relations by allowing China and the United States to discuss Taiwan and ushered in the Two China Policy. This policy essentially recognized that the communist revolutionist government of mainland China wasn’t going to be replaced with the former government (ROC) and that it was counterproductive to continue to pretend that they weren’t the legitimate government of China. Also it allowed the U.S. to supporting PRC admission into the U.N. while still preserving Taiwan's membership in the General Assembly. However in 1979 our position changed. Seeking to improve relations with mainland China the U.S. denounced Taiwan as the official government and recognized the People’s Republic of China.
At near the same time, still concerned with the threat of Communism, Congress approved the Taiwan Relations Act, which describes attempts to determine the island’s future by anything other than “peaceful means” as a threat to security in the Western Pacific region. The act requires the U.S. to provide Taiwan with defensive arms but does not violate the One-China Policy.
So this is the point that our foreign policy gets real confusing and seems contradictory. The United States recognizes PRC as the one true government for the Chinese people, but the US policy hasn’t recognized the PRC's sovereignty over Taiwan. Neither has US policy recognized Taiwan as a sovereign country .
The Obama administration stands by this longstanding policy, at least for now. In an interview with Chinese students on November 16, 2009, President Obama reconfirmed that the United States supports the One China Policy.
In summary the U.S. agrees with the PRC that Taiwan is subject to China but we continue to back Taiwan as an "autonomous" entity which can govern itself. It is understood that if China moves on Taiwan, the United States will likely defend it, a situation nobody wants to be involved in. On the opposite side if Taiwan declares independence, China will likely invade Taiwan, and the United States could stay on the sidelines since a declaration of independence could be considered a provocative action by Taiwan.
The basic idea is that everybody's hands are tied, and we simply uphold the status quo as any other course of action would be disastrous.
We haven’t spoken of the Republic of China (ROC); also know as Taiwan, Formosa or Nationalist China. Although we are going to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), also known as Red China, Beijing and Mainland China, we need to understand the bigger picture of how the People Republic of China (PRC) U.S. Foreign policy related to the relationship between these entities.
In 1949, the Communists faction in China, led by Chairman Mao, revolted and took control of mainland China. Chiang Kai shek, the head of the disposed government, along with two million loyalists, retreated 1000 miles away from Beijing to a group of islands off the eastern coast of China. In 1950, the US provided military support to Taiwan due to the “threat” that Mao was going to take action. Although Chairman Mao spoke to the need for one China he didn’t take any action neither have the subsequent PRC leaders since Mao.
Apart from excitement in the 60’s caused by the arms race and Viet Nam not much changed in the three government relationship until 1971 when Ping Pong Diplomacy happened. In the first public sign of warming relations between Washington and PRC, China’s national Ping-Pong Team invited members of the U.S. team to China. The journalists accompanying the U.S. players are among the first Americans allowed to enter China since 1949.
In 1972, President Richard Nixon spent eight days in mainland China, where he met Chairman Mao and agrees to the Shanghai Communiqué. This set the stage for improved relations by allowing China and the United States to discuss Taiwan and ushered in the Two China Policy. This policy essentially recognized that the communist revolutionist government of mainland China wasn’t going to be replaced with the former government (ROC) and that it was counterproductive to continue to pretend that they weren’t the legitimate government of China. Also it allowed the U.S. to supporting PRC admission into the U.N. while still preserving Taiwan's membership in the General Assembly. However in 1979 our position changed. Seeking to improve relations with mainland China the U.S. denounced Taiwan as the official government and recognized the People’s Republic of China.
At near the same time, still concerned with the threat of Communism, Congress approved the Taiwan Relations Act, which describes attempts to determine the island’s future by anything other than “peaceful means” as a threat to security in the Western Pacific region. The act requires the U.S. to provide Taiwan with defensive arms but does not violate the One-China Policy.
So this is the point that our foreign policy gets real confusing and seems contradictory. The United States recognizes PRC as the one true government for the Chinese people, but the US policy hasn’t recognized the PRC's sovereignty over Taiwan. Neither has US policy recognized Taiwan as a sovereign country .
The Obama administration stands by this longstanding policy, at least for now. In an interview with Chinese students on November 16, 2009, President Obama reconfirmed that the United States supports the One China Policy.
In summary the U.S. agrees with the PRC that Taiwan is subject to China but we continue to back Taiwan as an "autonomous" entity which can govern itself. It is understood that if China moves on Taiwan, the United States will likely defend it, a situation nobody wants to be involved in. On the opposite side if Taiwan declares independence, China will likely invade Taiwan, and the United States could stay on the sidelines since a declaration of independence could be considered a provocative action by Taiwan.
The basic idea is that everybody's hands are tied, and we simply uphold the status quo as any other course of action would be disastrous.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Jake Hushka Post 4- Google Discussion
Discussion Questions
1. The article states that no country has ever before made a better run at climbing every step of economic development at once. Specifically, the number of internet users in China is growing at such an exponential rate that from a business perspective any company should jump at the chance to develop with the country. This growth rate also brings along the opportunity to acquire great amounts of advertising revenues, while providing services needed and wanted by the country.
Pros
-Public Access- in less than a decade Internet users soared to over 103 million
-The opportunity of advertising revenues- 58% of the Chinese public said they use search engines to find information. Google could use this alone to increase revenues.
Cons
-Quality of the product available in China will be lower than the rest of the world do to there censorship.
2. Business ethics provide guidelines for acceptable behavior by organizations in both their strategy formulation and day-to-day operations. Specifically, business ethics can be defined as a system of moral principles applied in the commercial world.
Pros
-The opportunity to provide a nation with a source of information
Cons
-Forced Censorship
------Firewall devices at the border
------Government-mandated self-censorship by Internet service and content providers
------Required self-discipline exercised by individual users
-Use of the Internet to repress dissent
------Chinese Government uses the Internet to collect information about dissidents and to prosecute them
-Government Favored Competition
3. Obviously Google decided to enter the Chinese market, which any intelligently ran company would have decided to do at the time. I do not think that Google would have been able to mitigate the ethical adverse impacts. I think as a company, Google decided that they could increase revenues while at the same time allowing some information to flow across the borders. Google defines itself as “a global technology leader focused on improving the ways people connect with information.” This statement alone could be used as justification to enter the market. Ethically the company believes that they are not breaking any of their standards they have set for themselves, and represented the responsibility they held to shareholders intelligently. Could there be backlash amongst the public? I believe they knew the answer would be yes, but they were still willing to take this risk. Google’s mission statement discussed their responsibility as company was “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” From an ethics standpoint this statement does not state which and what information would be accessible to who, but that their mission to locate information and provide it to users. Unfortunately Google would not be able to avoid the ethical repercussions that come with the Chinese government, which was using the internet to repress dissidents. Once the company entered the Chinese market, they would be legally obligated to comply with the requirements of Chinese law enforcement. I believe the Google knew it had to make a decision one way or the other. The company decided to enter the market, which I believe gave them strength. They acted on an opportunity and stood by the decision for the time being.
4. If I were in charge of Google I would have made the same decision to enter the Chinese market as well. The business possibilities and revenue opportunities that followed the Chinese market were great. The one difference I would have made is limited the exposure of the company. I would have installed the search engine solely and left the other portions of Google’s business model alone. As George stated in his blog, Google recognized they were wrong to have ever expanded into China and they have taken steps “pull out”. The mentioned cyber attacks were the catalyst. These attacks weren’t your garden variety they were attacks against the Internet, finance, technology, and media. Had the company hedged their investment to start off slow within the foreign economy, they may have been able to slow the attacks or possibly prevent them all together. At the time of the case I agree with Google’s decision and would have stood bye them as well.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
George Post 6 - China Striving to Become What It Has Not Yet Become
“A smart American who lived in China for years puts it this way: "China is striving to become what it has not yet become”.
I came across this quote as I was surfing the web to find out what China is doing right. Since there has been so much criticism of the China government over Google, I wanted to see if I could balance my own viewpoint. Here are four things that the Chinese are doing right in my opinion. As you read this blog think of what we can learn from them.
Thinking Big - Growth is everywhere in China. The big cities are becoming international cities overnight and hundreds of former villages are becoming medium size cities. China may not be doing everything correctly but they are moving forward. The government doesn’t stop progress they encourage and support it. New super highways are built in two years – concept to cars. In the U.S. planning, studies and permitting would take that long or longer.
According to James McGregor, former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China: “China is setting goals, making plans and focusing on moving the country ahead as a nation.". "These guys have taken the old five-year plans and stood them on their head. Instead of deciding which factory gets which raw materials, which products are made, how they are priced and where they are sold, their planning now consists of 'How do we build a world-class silicon-chip industry in five years? How do we become a global player in car-manufacturing'”?
Education – Education is an obsession in China. This may not be perfect…but it sure beats the opposite. This focus has turned a backwards country around. China’s literacy rate is now better than the U.S; 90% versus 86%. Math and science are seen as important subjects and apples to apples their students are ahead of ours. That’s because the kids are working harder. Homework averages 20 hours per week. As Jim R pointed out the family is anxious to make the sacrifices necessary so that the kids have what they need to be successful.
Nick Reilly, a top executive at General Motors in Shanghai says “Whether its line workers or engineers, we're finding the candlepower of our employees here as good as or better than anywhere in the world. It all starts with the emphasis families put on the importance of education. That puts pressure on the government to deliver a decent system."
Caring For Parents - In China, it's a great shame to put a parent into a nursing home. Historically the social contract has been straightforward for centuries: parents raise children; then the children care for the parents as they reach their dotage. These considerations are woven into the decision making for younger Chinese for example, when they are buying a new apartment they buy bigger to have a room for Mom and Dad. In China, senior-care costs are, for the most part, borne by families. For middle-class and rich Chinese, these costs are a manageable responsibility. There are benefits that balance the financial hardship: grandparents tutor young children while Mom and Dad work; they acculturate the youngest generation to the values of family and nation; they provide a sense of cultural continuity that helps bind the society
Personal Savings - In China, the household-savings rate exceeds 20%. China is a society that has valued personal financial responsibility for centuries. “There is no chance that will change anytime soon, even if the government creates a better social safety net and successfully encourages greater consumer spending”.
Savings helps China continue to grow with the funds contributing to the capital requirement of a growing economy. Savings turn into Investments which impacts productivity gains, innovation and job growth. Personal savings forms the foundation a good economy.
The Chinese are motivated to achieve, they have left the farms and they don’t intend to go back, not the next generation or the generation after that. They are willing to sacrifice today so that their descendants can benefit tomorrow. “China is striving to become what it has not yet become”.
I came across this quote as I was surfing the web to find out what China is doing right. Since there has been so much criticism of the China government over Google, I wanted to see if I could balance my own viewpoint. Here are four things that the Chinese are doing right in my opinion. As you read this blog think of what we can learn from them.
Thinking Big - Growth is everywhere in China. The big cities are becoming international cities overnight and hundreds of former villages are becoming medium size cities. China may not be doing everything correctly but they are moving forward. The government doesn’t stop progress they encourage and support it. New super highways are built in two years – concept to cars. In the U.S. planning, studies and permitting would take that long or longer.
According to James McGregor, former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China: “China is setting goals, making plans and focusing on moving the country ahead as a nation.". "These guys have taken the old five-year plans and stood them on their head. Instead of deciding which factory gets which raw materials, which products are made, how they are priced and where they are sold, their planning now consists of 'How do we build a world-class silicon-chip industry in five years? How do we become a global player in car-manufacturing'”?
Education – Education is an obsession in China. This may not be perfect…but it sure beats the opposite. This focus has turned a backwards country around. China’s literacy rate is now better than the U.S; 90% versus 86%. Math and science are seen as important subjects and apples to apples their students are ahead of ours. That’s because the kids are working harder. Homework averages 20 hours per week. As Jim R pointed out the family is anxious to make the sacrifices necessary so that the kids have what they need to be successful.
Nick Reilly, a top executive at General Motors in Shanghai says “Whether its line workers or engineers, we're finding the candlepower of our employees here as good as or better than anywhere in the world. It all starts with the emphasis families put on the importance of education. That puts pressure on the government to deliver a decent system."
Caring For Parents - In China, it's a great shame to put a parent into a nursing home. Historically the social contract has been straightforward for centuries: parents raise children; then the children care for the parents as they reach their dotage. These considerations are woven into the decision making for younger Chinese for example, when they are buying a new apartment they buy bigger to have a room for Mom and Dad. In China, senior-care costs are, for the most part, borne by families. For middle-class and rich Chinese, these costs are a manageable responsibility. There are benefits that balance the financial hardship: grandparents tutor young children while Mom and Dad work; they acculturate the youngest generation to the values of family and nation; they provide a sense of cultural continuity that helps bind the society
Personal Savings - In China, the household-savings rate exceeds 20%. China is a society that has valued personal financial responsibility for centuries. “There is no chance that will change anytime soon, even if the government creates a better social safety net and successfully encourages greater consumer spending”.
Savings helps China continue to grow with the funds contributing to the capital requirement of a growing economy. Savings turn into Investments which impacts productivity gains, innovation and job growth. Personal savings forms the foundation a good economy.
The Chinese are motivated to achieve, they have left the farms and they don’t intend to go back, not the next generation or the generation after that. They are willing to sacrifice today so that their descendants can benefit tomorrow. “China is striving to become what it has not yet become”.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
George Landon Post 5 - Thanks- China Hacker Browser Fix
Microsoft's "China" IE browser emergency patch: Get it now
Posted by Brier Dudley
Here's a link to the emergency patch for Internet Explorer that Microsoft issued today.
It fixes the vulnerability that China apparently used to sneak into the networks of Google and other U.S. companies, prompting the brouhaha that Secretary of State Clinton addressed today.
Now that word's out about the Explorer flaw it's critical to update your browser, whether or not you're likely to get cyberattacked by China.
Posted by Brier Dudley
Here's a link to the emergency patch for Internet Explorer that Microsoft issued today.
It fixes the vulnerability that China apparently used to sneak into the networks of Google and other U.S. companies, prompting the brouhaha that Secretary of State Clinton addressed today.
Now that word's out about the Explorer flaw it's critical to update your browser, whether or not you're likely to get cyberattacked by China.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
George Post 4 - Google Hacked
By George
I have been hearing the “noise” that Google had some issues in China and that it had something to do with being hacked into. What with full time work, two classes and playoff football going on I had a hard time focusing in on exactly what was going on.
When Anjali told us about the post on Google - I thought that it was a chance to catch up on the news. Well, not the case. The article is primarily a background piece on Google itself and their struggles in China. Recognizing that this couldn’t be the story that I had been seeing all the headlines I dug a little deeper and got the story – and it is plenty serious with far reaching implications. Rather than focusing on the discussion questions which aren’t as pertinent after the cyber attacks I will provide some perspective on the current story.
When Google entered the China Market in 2006 they knew that they were compromising their motto and mission of “do no evil”. The two founders debated over entering the market for several essential reasons:
- Forced Censorship, being forced to filter their search results
- Erosion of the quality of their product in China
- Government Favored Competitors
- Being used as a China government pawn to uncover dissidents
In the end they moved forward because they thought they could make money without necessarily hurting anyone and at the same time allow “some” information to flow across borders.
Now they recognize they were wrong to have ever expanded into China and they have taken steps “pull out”. The mentioned cyber attacks were the catalyst. These attacks weren’t your garden variety they were attacks against the Internet, finance, technology and media. Google believes the primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts (don;t we have gmail?) of Chinese human rights activists and that the effort is being directed by the individuals in the Chinese government. Understanding what the consequences are for individuals captured “in the web” is far too much evil involvement for Google.
“The broader pictures speaks to the new world of international information espionage, where states and their agents use the techniques and tools of the hacking world to gain information from and advantage over enemies and rivals, both state and commercial.
China has been suspected as the source of numerous cyber attacks, not only in the United States but in Europe and else where..In fact, India's national security adviser, M.K. Narayanan, was quoted in the Times of India as saying that his office and other Indian government departments were also targeted on Dec 15, the same day that Google and other American organisations were targeted.A confidential FBI report, recently leaked, alleged that China has 30,000 military cyberspies, plus more than 150,000 private-sector computer experts.
The report, cited by an article in the Daily Beast, an American news reporting and opinion website, likened the potential destructive power of cyber attacks to weapons of mass destruction”.
(source - http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/18frankching2101/Article/index_htm)l
I haven’t thought about the cold war days in quite some time but the information in the articles I have read sound all to familiar to the KGB stories . We might want to check our hotel rooms real closely!
I have been hearing the “noise” that Google had some issues in China and that it had something to do with being hacked into. What with full time work, two classes and playoff football going on I had a hard time focusing in on exactly what was going on.
When Anjali told us about the post on Google - I thought that it was a chance to catch up on the news. Well, not the case. The article is primarily a background piece on Google itself and their struggles in China. Recognizing that this couldn’t be the story that I had been seeing all the headlines I dug a little deeper and got the story – and it is plenty serious with far reaching implications. Rather than focusing on the discussion questions which aren’t as pertinent after the cyber attacks I will provide some perspective on the current story.
When Google entered the China Market in 2006 they knew that they were compromising their motto and mission of “do no evil”. The two founders debated over entering the market for several essential reasons:
- Forced Censorship, being forced to filter their search results
- Erosion of the quality of their product in China
- Government Favored Competitors
- Being used as a China government pawn to uncover dissidents
In the end they moved forward because they thought they could make money without necessarily hurting anyone and at the same time allow “some” information to flow across borders.
Now they recognize they were wrong to have ever expanded into China and they have taken steps “pull out”. The mentioned cyber attacks were the catalyst. These attacks weren’t your garden variety they were attacks against the Internet, finance, technology and media. Google believes the primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts (don;t we have gmail?) of Chinese human rights activists and that the effort is being directed by the individuals in the Chinese government. Understanding what the consequences are for individuals captured “in the web” is far too much evil involvement for Google.
“The broader pictures speaks to the new world of international information espionage, where states and their agents use the techniques and tools of the hacking world to gain information from and advantage over enemies and rivals, both state and commercial.
China has been suspected as the source of numerous cyber attacks, not only in the United States but in Europe and else where..In fact, India's national security adviser, M.K. Narayanan, was quoted in the Times of India as saying that his office and other Indian government departments were also targeted on Dec 15, the same day that Google and other American organisations were targeted.A confidential FBI report, recently leaked, alleged that China has 30,000 military cyberspies, plus more than 150,000 private-sector computer experts.
The report, cited by an article in the Daily Beast, an American news reporting and opinion website, likened the potential destructive power of cyber attacks to weapons of mass destruction”.
(source - http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/18frankching2101/Article/index_htm)l
I haven’t thought about the cold war days in quite some time but the information in the articles I have read sound all to familiar to the KGB stories . We might want to check our hotel rooms real closely!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
George Post 3 Immunization or Not?
During class we heard conflicting points on the need to get (undefined) vaccinations before departing to China. Jim’s implied that it wasn’t necessary, since he didn’t get sick on his trip. Colleen pointed out that although not required (meaning China won’t force you to provide an immunization card upon entry) it is prudent to visit a Travel Clinic before departure.
I have been immunized before for travel but since it’s been a number of years I was concerned my immunizations were outdated so I researched the topic.
I am sharing my findings and thoughts in the hope that it helps your decision process.
What Shots Do I Need
This website - http://travel.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Vaccines_Needed_for_Travel_to_China states the following
The following vaccinations are necessary in preparation for travel to China:
Tetanus this is necessary as you acquire Tetanus via a simple cut or scratch.
Hepatitis A and typhoid – these infections can be easily contracted through poor food and water hygiene. Countries such as China can have primitive hygiene practices, particularly in remote dwellings.
Diphtheria – spread through water droplets. Close contact with local residents in poverty-stricken areas, can pose a risk of infection.
The site goes on to say that these shots are considered adequate if you aren’t going to rural areas.
This information is consistent with what the nurse at an Occupational Health Center “unofficially” told me. In addition she knew that I had just gotten the H1N1 shot.
Where Do I Go?
I received the H1N1 shot at the SXU Health Center and it was free, with no waiting. Unfortunately they don’t have the other ones. Not all of the mentioned immunizations may be available at your family doctor either. Usually you need to go to a Travel Doctor or Travel Clinic and they typically charge you for a consultation and an additional fee for each immunization.
Colleen had previously provided me the following information.
“The SXU Health Clinic does not carry the typhoid vaccination (likely because this is not a routine vaccination for US residents). This can be obtained at a travel clinic: http://www.istm.org/
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health Travelers Health and Immunization Service also carries the recommended vaccinations: http://www.uic.edu/sph/glakes/occupational/occu_travel.htm if this is convenient” for you. (Apparently they offer a student discount). "
__________________________________________________________
I made an appointment at the Advocate Occupational Health Center Travel Center, that’s where I get my annual physical. They quoted me $40 for my consultation. From a cost standpoint I will get reimbursed from my FSA account for any costs (consultation and immunization) that my insurance doesn’t cover.
Here is the information from their website;
Using the Advocate Travel Centers is easy and efficient.We are open to individuals and their families traveling to any destination.
When traveling abroad, Advocate Occupational Health can play a vital role in planning for your trip. Travelers to foreign destinations may encounter a variety of illnesses not commonly found in the United States. In some cases, health risks may change within different regions of the same country. Our medical staff will research each of your destinations for active diseases and develop a specific plan for your trip. A personalized plan will provide recommendations that include health precautions and vaccinations based on your health history, age, and itinerary.
Make an appointment at one of our conveniently located centers:
Barrington/Fox River Grove - 847.462.2500 Downers Grove - 630.275.2900 Elk Grove Village - 847.228.0515 Hazel Crest - 708.799.8245
Schedule your appointment at least 4 - 6 weeks prior to your trip (we also can accommodate the last minute traveler).
Provide a list of your travel destinations and a record of previous vaccinations.
Arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment to register and complete a short health history.
Vaccinations available:
Yellow Fever
Chicken Pox
Diptheria/Tetanus/Pertussis
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Flu
Japanese Encephalitis
Measles/Mumps/Rubella
Meningitis
Polio
Rabies
Typhoid
*Documentation will be provided for vaccinations given at our center.
We also provide information and medication to help prevent:
Altitude Sickness
Excessive Sun Exposure
Jet Lag
Malaria and Insect Bites
Motion Sickness
Traveler's Diarrhea
Payment:Please note that we do not accept insurance for these services. We require payment via check, cash or credit card at the time of service. We will provide a receipt that you may submit to your health insurer for possible reimbursement. We also offer corporate accounts for business travelers.
Decide ASAP
You shouldn’t procrastinate if you are going to get immunizations. You may need to make several visits to get all the shots and the immunizations need some time to become effective.
I decided to be safe versus being sorry later on. Everything I have heard and read is that the water will get you sick for sure. In most cases this is referenced as Traveler's Diarrhea, but it doesn’t preclude the potential for something more serious such as Typhoid which also comes from unsanitary water. What with the cost of the entire trip I consider this a relatively minor expense, especially if my health insurance picks up a portion.
Additional References
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/
I have been immunized before for travel but since it’s been a number of years I was concerned my immunizations were outdated so I researched the topic.
I am sharing my findings and thoughts in the hope that it helps your decision process.
What Shots Do I Need
This website - http://travel.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Vaccines_Needed_for_Travel_to_China states the following
The following vaccinations are necessary in preparation for travel to China:
Tetanus this is necessary as you acquire Tetanus via a simple cut or scratch.
Hepatitis A and typhoid – these infections can be easily contracted through poor food and water hygiene. Countries such as China can have primitive hygiene practices, particularly in remote dwellings.
Diphtheria – spread through water droplets. Close contact with local residents in poverty-stricken areas, can pose a risk of infection.
The site goes on to say that these shots are considered adequate if you aren’t going to rural areas.
This information is consistent with what the nurse at an Occupational Health Center “unofficially” told me. In addition she knew that I had just gotten the H1N1 shot.
Where Do I Go?
I received the H1N1 shot at the SXU Health Center and it was free, with no waiting. Unfortunately they don’t have the other ones. Not all of the mentioned immunizations may be available at your family doctor either. Usually you need to go to a Travel Doctor or Travel Clinic and they typically charge you for a consultation and an additional fee for each immunization.
Colleen had previously provided me the following information.
“The SXU Health Clinic does not carry the typhoid vaccination (likely because this is not a routine vaccination for US residents). This can be obtained at a travel clinic: http://www.istm.org/
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health Travelers Health and Immunization Service also carries the recommended vaccinations: http://www.uic.edu/sph/glakes/occupational/occu_travel.htm if this is convenient” for you. (Apparently they offer a student discount). "
__________________________________________________________
I made an appointment at the Advocate Occupational Health Center Travel Center, that’s where I get my annual physical. They quoted me $40 for my consultation. From a cost standpoint I will get reimbursed from my FSA account for any costs (consultation and immunization) that my insurance doesn’t cover.
Here is the information from their website;
Using the Advocate Travel Centers is easy and efficient.We are open to individuals and their families traveling to any destination.
When traveling abroad, Advocate Occupational Health can play a vital role in planning for your trip. Travelers to foreign destinations may encounter a variety of illnesses not commonly found in the United States. In some cases, health risks may change within different regions of the same country. Our medical staff will research each of your destinations for active diseases and develop a specific plan for your trip. A personalized plan will provide recommendations that include health precautions and vaccinations based on your health history, age, and itinerary.
Make an appointment at one of our conveniently located centers:
Barrington/Fox River Grove - 847.462.2500 Downers Grove - 630.275.2900 Elk Grove Village - 847.228.0515 Hazel Crest - 708.799.8245
Schedule your appointment at least 4 - 6 weeks prior to your trip (we also can accommodate the last minute traveler).
Provide a list of your travel destinations and a record of previous vaccinations.
Arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment to register and complete a short health history.
Vaccinations available:
Yellow Fever
Chicken Pox
Diptheria/Tetanus/Pertussis
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Flu
Japanese Encephalitis
Measles/Mumps/Rubella
Meningitis
Polio
Rabies
Typhoid
*Documentation will be provided for vaccinations given at our center.
We also provide information and medication to help prevent:
Altitude Sickness
Excessive Sun Exposure
Jet Lag
Malaria and Insect Bites
Motion Sickness
Traveler's Diarrhea
Payment:Please note that we do not accept insurance for these services. We require payment via check, cash or credit card at the time of service. We will provide a receipt that you may submit to your health insurer for possible reimbursement. We also offer corporate accounts for business travelers.
Decide ASAP
You shouldn’t procrastinate if you are going to get immunizations. You may need to make several visits to get all the shots and the immunizations need some time to become effective.
I decided to be safe versus being sorry later on. Everything I have heard and read is that the water will get you sick for sure. In most cases this is referenced as Traveler's Diarrhea, but it doesn’t preclude the potential for something more serious such as Typhoid which also comes from unsanitary water. What with the cost of the entire trip I consider this a relatively minor expense, especially if my health insurance picks up a portion.
Additional References
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/
Saturday, January 16, 2010
George Post 2 - Get to know me
Hi Class
Hey class, my name is George. In case you would like to put a face with the name – I am the old guy who was sitting behind our professor in class today.
I’ve attended SXU since late 2007. This is my last class in the MBA program. My concentration is Management; so International Management seemed liked a good fit as my elective.
As you heard from Jim, our guest speaker, I work for McDonald’s, at the Home Office in Oak Brook. I am with the U.S. Operations group. Prior to Home Office I worked for the McDonald’s Rocky Mountain Region, as a Field Service Manager, assisting Owner Operators and Company stores improve their overall business results. In my current job I utilize my field experience to assist our engineers and suppliers create new equipment to improve our current products as well as offer new products. An example is the automatic espresso machine that we developed enabling us to offer our new McCafe beverages.
So why am I taking this class. Well first of all I had to make a difficult choice, foregoing a class I had been looking forward to taking; for the last two years; “Managing High Performance Teams” with Bruce Lipman as the instructor. If you haven’t taken a class from Bruce I highly recommend you do before you finish up at SXU. Is focus is on practical application of learning in an interactive, stress free environment. The following points should explain why I decided to take our class.
1) Although I am approaching retirement, I’m not sure I am the retiring type. Earning an MBA is preparing me for an Encore career. Since I’m not sure what that career could be, I consider this class an exploration exercise into what seems to be a very interesting possibility, International Business.
2) As part of my McDonald’s twenty year career I worked outside the U.S. I lived in Puerto Rico for three years, experiencing the Caribbean countries and Central America. I enjoyed the diversity of the Latin cultures. I believe that we are now entrenched in a global economy. Understanding other cultures is essential in this environment. This class will provide me the incentive and opportunity to better understand and appreciate Asian culture, history as well as the future of China and how it will impact all of Asia.
3) The world has changed. From an economic and cultural perspective the U.S. ruled the 20th Century. I am hoping an outcome of our studies is to gain insight of what the 21st Century will hold for the U.S. as it is impacted by the changes in China.
4) The center of the political climate of my life has been the Cold War - Capitalism Vs Communism. I clearly remember the Cuban Missile Crisis and how the uncertainty of global destruction affected my family and friends. This is my first opportunity to meet people who lived on the other side, under communism. I hope to better understand what that actually means from their perspective. Also to understand how their life differs from ours.
5) Can a communist government rule a capitalistic economy? This will certainly be a read between the lines exercise.
6) I took a Finance class with Jim and over ten weeks he sold me on what a great experience he had taking this class and making the trip to China. Jim’s and Shawn’s presentation today only reinforced my decision.
7) Best of all McDonald’s is paying for my trip!
On the personal side my wife’s name is Susan; we met in high school and have been married almost forty years. We have three sons as well as five grand children all of whom I am anxious to share my China experience with, once they are at the appropriate age.
I am looking forward to getting to know all of you, while we share a fantastic experience.
PS – I am adventuresome enough to make the trip to China but I don’t know about eating the food!! I am a meat and potatoes guy. Since I don’t even care for “good” American gourmet meals I can’t imagine that I can deal with bugs and eels. I will either need your support or understanding as well as a map to the local McDonald’s.
Hey class, my name is George. In case you would like to put a face with the name – I am the old guy who was sitting behind our professor in class today.
I’ve attended SXU since late 2007. This is my last class in the MBA program. My concentration is Management; so International Management seemed liked a good fit as my elective.
As you heard from Jim, our guest speaker, I work for McDonald’s, at the Home Office in Oak Brook. I am with the U.S. Operations group. Prior to Home Office I worked for the McDonald’s Rocky Mountain Region, as a Field Service Manager, assisting Owner Operators and Company stores improve their overall business results. In my current job I utilize my field experience to assist our engineers and suppliers create new equipment to improve our current products as well as offer new products. An example is the automatic espresso machine that we developed enabling us to offer our new McCafe beverages.
So why am I taking this class. Well first of all I had to make a difficult choice, foregoing a class I had been looking forward to taking; for the last two years; “Managing High Performance Teams” with Bruce Lipman as the instructor. If you haven’t taken a class from Bruce I highly recommend you do before you finish up at SXU. Is focus is on practical application of learning in an interactive, stress free environment. The following points should explain why I decided to take our class.
1) Although I am approaching retirement, I’m not sure I am the retiring type. Earning an MBA is preparing me for an Encore career. Since I’m not sure what that career could be, I consider this class an exploration exercise into what seems to be a very interesting possibility, International Business.
2) As part of my McDonald’s twenty year career I worked outside the U.S. I lived in Puerto Rico for three years, experiencing the Caribbean countries and Central America. I enjoyed the diversity of the Latin cultures. I believe that we are now entrenched in a global economy. Understanding other cultures is essential in this environment. This class will provide me the incentive and opportunity to better understand and appreciate Asian culture, history as well as the future of China and how it will impact all of Asia.
3) The world has changed. From an economic and cultural perspective the U.S. ruled the 20th Century. I am hoping an outcome of our studies is to gain insight of what the 21st Century will hold for the U.S. as it is impacted by the changes in China.
4) The center of the political climate of my life has been the Cold War - Capitalism Vs Communism. I clearly remember the Cuban Missile Crisis and how the uncertainty of global destruction affected my family and friends. This is my first opportunity to meet people who lived on the other side, under communism. I hope to better understand what that actually means from their perspective. Also to understand how their life differs from ours.
5) Can a communist government rule a capitalistic economy? This will certainly be a read between the lines exercise.
6) I took a Finance class with Jim and over ten weeks he sold me on what a great experience he had taking this class and making the trip to China. Jim’s and Shawn’s presentation today only reinforced my decision.
7) Best of all McDonald’s is paying for my trip!
On the personal side my wife’s name is Susan; we met in high school and have been married almost forty years. We have three sons as well as five grand children all of whom I am anxious to share my China experience with, once they are at the appropriate age.
I am looking forward to getting to know all of you, while we share a fantastic experience.
PS – I am adventuresome enough to make the trip to China but I don’t know about eating the food!! I am a meat and potatoes guy. Since I don’t even care for “good” American gourmet meals I can’t imagine that I can deal with bugs and eels. I will either need your support or understanding as well as a map to the local McDonald’s.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
George Post 1 Does the 21st Century Belong to China?
01/10/2010
China today is a place like no other. Three decades after lifting restrictions to it entrepreneurs it is close to becoming the number two world economic power. Business opportunities seem endless in China as it continues to create new cities to support new factories. Seemingly overnight a rural based economy has transformed into a world class economy. Business opportunities are not just found in China’s ability to become the largest exporter the world has ever seen; it also has the largest consumer market with a population of 1.3 billion people.
This new frontier attracts businessmen from all over the world and drives them to unreasonable lengths to “Get Rich” quick.
Like the “Wild West” this isn’t a “controlled environment”. The video speaks to Chinese business entrepreneurs studying war strategy in preparation to conduct business with foreigners. My take from the video is that doing business in China is akin to going to war. Business ethics or establishing creditability does not appear to be high on the priority list for the Chinese entrepreneur.
It seems to me that the odds of a foreigner succeeding in business in China are slight; the advantage is clearly to the Chinese. Although the storyline begins to point to a successful ending for the three entrepreneurs, it also implies that most foreigners fail than succeed. For example, Vance’s success in the Kitchen parts business was largely built on the failure of other foreigners as he was able to purchase manufacturing equipment for pennies on the dollar; equipment abandoned by others who had failed.
Influence is more powerful than contracts in China, even for large multinational corporations. In 1994, McDonald’s was told by the city government to move its two year old flagship restaurant in Beijing to another location. It didn’t matter that McDonalds had a twenty year lease and had invested heavily into this location. The city wanted to give the location to a developer that had more “guanxi” (influence / connections) than McDonald’s had. Not unlike the British business men in the video, McDonald’s learned that personal power and connections govern business in China not contractual law as in the West.
To have a chance of success in the Chinese business world a Westerner must submit to totally different way of doing business from what they are familiar with. It’s a world where one must be willing to take a leap of faith by accepting a Chinese business partner to help sort through overwhelming complexities. In this relationship the Westerner has no way of protecting against corruption, such as theft of products or designs. Many times the Western must cope with nepotism, low performance standards and a work force skill sets that aren’t up to western expectations. To survive one must be shrewd, strong, hands on and street smart. These are the qualities that Vance exhibited in the video that enabled him to succeed.
As a country, China’s long-term economic success will be dependent upon its ability to adapt to change on all fronts. On the foreign front, given time, the world community will not accept China’s political position on the trade imbalance with the West and their undervalued currency. China also has the responsibility to address its pollution issues as it impacts the global environment. Linfen and Beijing are considered by some as the most polluted cities in the world.
On the home front China has many issues starting with ensuring safe food and water sources for its population and addressing human rights issues. The Chinese people have left a rural life and are gaining an understanding of the world. They have a growing appetite for anything Western. Eventually the Communist government will not be able to suppress its people’s desire for more freedom and a higher standard of living.
The 20th Century belonged to the U.S. On March 20th we will be better prepared to answer the question – Does the 21st Century Belong to China?
China today is a place like no other. Three decades after lifting restrictions to it entrepreneurs it is close to becoming the number two world economic power. Business opportunities seem endless in China as it continues to create new cities to support new factories. Seemingly overnight a rural based economy has transformed into a world class economy. Business opportunities are not just found in China’s ability to become the largest exporter the world has ever seen; it also has the largest consumer market with a population of 1.3 billion people.
This new frontier attracts businessmen from all over the world and drives them to unreasonable lengths to “Get Rich” quick.
Like the “Wild West” this isn’t a “controlled environment”. The video speaks to Chinese business entrepreneurs studying war strategy in preparation to conduct business with foreigners. My take from the video is that doing business in China is akin to going to war. Business ethics or establishing creditability does not appear to be high on the priority list for the Chinese entrepreneur.
It seems to me that the odds of a foreigner succeeding in business in China are slight; the advantage is clearly to the Chinese. Although the storyline begins to point to a successful ending for the three entrepreneurs, it also implies that most foreigners fail than succeed. For example, Vance’s success in the Kitchen parts business was largely built on the failure of other foreigners as he was able to purchase manufacturing equipment for pennies on the dollar; equipment abandoned by others who had failed.
Influence is more powerful than contracts in China, even for large multinational corporations. In 1994, McDonald’s was told by the city government to move its two year old flagship restaurant in Beijing to another location. It didn’t matter that McDonalds had a twenty year lease and had invested heavily into this location. The city wanted to give the location to a developer that had more “guanxi” (influence / connections) than McDonald’s had. Not unlike the British business men in the video, McDonald’s learned that personal power and connections govern business in China not contractual law as in the West.
To have a chance of success in the Chinese business world a Westerner must submit to totally different way of doing business from what they are familiar with. It’s a world where one must be willing to take a leap of faith by accepting a Chinese business partner to help sort through overwhelming complexities. In this relationship the Westerner has no way of protecting against corruption, such as theft of products or designs. Many times the Western must cope with nepotism, low performance standards and a work force skill sets that aren’t up to western expectations. To survive one must be shrewd, strong, hands on and street smart. These are the qualities that Vance exhibited in the video that enabled him to succeed.
As a country, China’s long-term economic success will be dependent upon its ability to adapt to change on all fronts. On the foreign front, given time, the world community will not accept China’s political position on the trade imbalance with the West and their undervalued currency. China also has the responsibility to address its pollution issues as it impacts the global environment. Linfen and Beijing are considered by some as the most polluted cities in the world.
On the home front China has many issues starting with ensuring safe food and water sources for its population and addressing human rights issues. The Chinese people have left a rural life and are gaining an understanding of the world. They have a growing appetite for anything Western. Eventually the Communist government will not be able to suppress its people’s desire for more freedom and a higher standard of living.
The 20th Century belonged to the U.S. On March 20th we will be better prepared to answer the question – Does the 21st Century Belong to China?
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