Shei Shei-A Tribute To China

A recently published book on Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao is aptly titled Chinas Best Actor. It reflects the contradictions inherent in a man who appears to genuinely want a push for reform with his famous statement that the peoples wishes and needs for freedom and democracy are irresistible, while still remaining aligned with President Hu Jintao in his essential conservatism and preference to preserving the status quo. Occasional incidents such as the recent award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiabao, the jailed dissidenta development many believe might actually undermine the support for political reforms within the Communist Party and the country in the short termcause embarassment to the party.

Contradictions within the political firmament, which in China mean the top three hundred or so apex members of the vast Communist Party are restricted to the party itself, while in active democracies like India and the USA, it immediately spills into the streets and engages the teeming millions in every conflict and controversy. A recent visit to Shanghai where we inaugurated Zensars sixth Global Delivery Center with the usual visible support of the city and district government authorities demonstrated that the bustling cities are alive and well, full of the self-esteem and confidence that only several years of economic success by a country can bring to its people.

There are still contradictory views on how successful Chinas moves to compete with India in IT and business process outsourcing have been so far. It was amusing that the Press at our launch, who listened with rapt attention to the Indian fifty-billion-dollar success story, were curious to find what we thought of China and my estimate of a five-billion-dollar exports figure for China within an overall IT services figure approaching 20 bn was recorded unchallenged. Just in the Yangtze River delta, multiple facilities have come up in and around Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou, and Nanjing and our visit to some of the companies which have established their base there showed the progress that has undoubtedly been made in maturity of processes as well as the range of services and solutions from China.

One concern that used to be there a few years ago, that you always felt more comfortable with a Mandarin-speaking escort and staying in a Western brand hotel has also become irrelevant today. Our stay in the local Shanghai hotel, wandering around the streets of Wai Hai Lu and Xintendi and even a foray by train to neighbouring Suzhou with no knowledge of Mandarin except the obligatory Ni Hao and Shei Shei mutterings, show how global Chinese cities have become. The absence of petty crimes and the friendliness of the local population makes it more pleasurable to be there than in some of the smaller Western cities today. All the bigger firms are already in China and it would be inevitable that every Indian or global outsourcing firm worth its salt would have to add China to its delivery footprint in the near future!

Finally, a recent report on the American midterm elections where the fate of all 435 of the House of Representatives seats and 37 of the 100 Senators will be decided in November, shows a total apathy even from the young folks who voted with great enthusiasm two years ago to bring President Obama to the seat of power. With the worlds largest and most successful economyChina, and the most vocal leader of the past many decadesAmerica at crossroads in terms of politicseven as one economy roars on and the other splutterswe are certainly living in interesting times.