It was from a Japanese magazine that I learned about a grievance against the authorities that led to a riot in China. Living inside China doesn't let you see part of its domestic affairs. Under such circumstances, it is inevitable that workers, which is what most of the nation's population is made up of, are not aware of the absurdities and inconveniences in their lives. They do see price hikes and feel the gap between the rich and the poor grow day by day. That being said, I have never come across anyone who would point a finger of blame at the government. They have given up, either believing "I'm uncultured" or being satisfied with the status quo, since "the quality of life has improved dramatically compared with the old days." Still others are obsessed with money and are busily amassing personal fortunes.

Although some pundits in the Japanese media have expressed concern over "China after the Olympic Games," things look different to someone who has been dealing with China for a long time and is actually living in the country, like I am. There is no way that ordinary citizens can resolve all the various problems they face in Chinese society, even if they stand up and tackle them. They know it is wiser to remain silent, since they are not sure how much influence they can exercise against the authorities or whether there is anybody with power on their side. A clear-cut attitude seems more beneficial than inviting trouble and strife.

I also read an article titled "Chinese bubble bursts." However, China is earnestly pursuing an industrial transformation, holding up slogans such as "tenglonghuanniao (to transform low-value added industries into highly-efficient, high-value added industries)" and "zhuchaoyinfeng (to build a nest to summon a phoenix)." The requirements for residency in China are becoming stricter and a number of foreigners were forced to leave the country since they were unable to obtain visas. Under such circumstances, the number of requests for information is increasing at JETRO Guanzhou from Japanese companies considering alternative locations such as Vietnam. Following a series of news reports on the Vietnamese economy ceasing to function smoothly, however, investment appetite for Vietnam is weakening. It seems that few companies will move out of China altogether.

Now that the Beijing Olympics are over, the patriotic feelings of the Chinese people are at their highest. Everybody is satisfied. Ahead of this fierce momentum, foreign-affiliated companies will have to adjust their restructuring plans toward the direction that China is heading, even though the business environment may become increasingly severe. If we do not face this fact now, the day that China simply ignores us is not far off.

*(photo at the top) The Olympic torch relay ignites Chinese patriotism. / (photo at the right) Migrant workers / (photo at the left) A slogan reading "Value and protect environmental hygiene. Let's compete to become civilized citizens."