Life and Travel in China

Do you remember the concept of "barefoot doctors" from China? In the 1960s in the Middle Kingdom, selected farmers underwent medical courses lasting several months. The aim of these courses was to create medical points in every village. China is a large country, and after the war, access to medical care was very limited, in fact only in cities and towns there was any real health care. The rural population was treated by local healers or with home remedies; of course, the mortality rate was high (another reason was, of course, hunger and experiments with agriculture). The authorities decided to train more people to help ordinary farmers and workers. Of course, it ended differently, although in some cases some help was better than no help at all. The system of "barefoot doctors" ceased to exist only in the 1980s. Although in many villages there are still doctors or better educated doctors who continue the traditions of their parents or grandparents. I had the opportunity to visit such a doctor myself and I am still alive ;-). Looking at the current situation with the coronavirus in Poland, I am afraid that our authorities will soon introduce medical courses. There is already a shortage of doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, people to operate respirators and rescuers. They are forced to work, they are looking for medical students, and soon maybe they will introduce courses for "barefoot doctors"?! I hope not... but it looks bad. Our government lacks consistent action and a proper plan. It's all catch-up, we are always a few steps behind the coronavirus - and we should be ahead of it. In China, it is easier because there is no discussion with the authorities, no refusals or protests are allowed. This is a topic for a longer column.

In Poland, we have a partial lockdown and walks wearing masks, and at the same time, a marathon with thousands of participants was organized in Guangzhou. Of course, without any obligation to wear masks. Either the Middle Kingdom is really doing great with this virus, or we don't know something?!

Looking at the situation in Hong Kong, media information, but also some news from friends - it's hard to believe that the takeover of Hong Kong by China happened so accidentally. All this had been planned for many years, and the Chinese government violated the arrangements of 1997, because for 50 years, until 2047, Hong Kong was to be independent from the government in Beijing: "one country, two systems". When I think about all the infrastructure in Shenzhen, the way the subway is set up, the border crossings with Hong Kong, the roads, the tunnels, the new bridges - you can come to the conclusion that all this was created to connect with Hong Kong. In the years 2010-2015, the border was more liberal, many people from mainland China (especially from Shenzhen) increasingly lived in Hong Kong, stayed in hotels, went shopping, set up companies/branches/offices, bought many branded goods: watches, gold, clothing, handbags, perfumes, and sent their children to international schools and kindergartens in Hong Kong. Hong Kong residents even organized protests against the Chinese from Shenzhen, who were simply behaving loudly and not very politely in Hong Kong. They needed their money, but they were irritated by the way their "neighbors" behaved. Later, protests in Hong Kong, restrictions on freedoms, changes in law, a new police chief, etc. Very quickly, Hong Kong was transformed by the communist authorities... it's a pity. Many people will emigrate and Hong Kong will lose its charm, a city of freedom, democracy, a city of many cultures. It certainly wasn't a perfect city-state, but it still seemed like justice mattered there. It will be different now. I wonder how this will affect trade, exports and international cooperation?

I observe how much China has changed in just 17 years. Shenzhen is practically unrecognizable, I even regret not taking more photos, because many new skyscrapers have been built since then. In the provinces - where I used to ride a scooter on dirt roads, there are now wide streets, modern hotels, shops and factories. People have also changed. In the past, girls in China did not use cosmetics at all or used very poor and cheap products that even damaged their skin. The Chinese bought at stalls and in small shops - unbranded belts, watches, fake handbags. For most people, the logo, name and brand didn't matter, it was supposed to be cheap. I remember when, while traveling, on planes or trains, the Chinese used some old bags (like from the market), packed things into some damaged luggage or bags. Now many people stand out with branded handbags and bags. Many men now buy decent belts, really expensive watches, jade jewelry, etc. Not only global companies are playing a role, but also many Chinese brands have emerged that are appreciated and expensive. I remember when these brands used to have small shops in Dongmen Square in Shenzhen. There was a company store of the shirt manufacturer Youngor in Ningbo, I bought beautiful shirts there for about 80-120 RMB, and now it is an exclusive brand offering elegant men's clothing. In the past, white people in Chinese cities were an attraction in itself, people took photos with me, talked to me, smiled, today you can see foreigners from Europe, the USA and Africa everywhere. The Chinese (before the pandemic) traveled a lot and bought exclusive goods all over Europe and America. Their worldview has changed, they can afford more and more pleasure. Many people not only work to provide for themselves, but can increasingly afford holidays, travel with the whole family or some unusual hobby. The Internet is also playing an increasingly important role - even farmers sell their vegetables on various online platforms using smartphones. Of course, the whole world has changed over these two decades, but the pace of change in the Middle Kingdom is shocking. Just look at my photos from 2004-2006 to understand this.

Can you imagine a situation where there is a civil war, e.g. in Somalia (of course, I don't wish wars on anyone, but there have been various situations in the history of the world) and China sends its army there, Chinese airfields enter the waters surrounding Somalia, Chinese helicopters fly over the cities... Or a more abstract situation - Alaska is an independent country and the US plans to take over and absorb it, at which point China says STOP, we will not allow it. Another example - the US attacks Mexico, and the Chinese military sends its agents, soldiers, mercenaries to support Mexico. What if China established military bases in Germany? Would this bother anyone? After all, economically and business-wise, the Middle Kingdom gets along very well with Germany. Are these scenarios annoying? Of course, because we are used to the fact that the United States interferes in almost all conflicts in the world, and also starts many of them (officially and unofficially). What if China did this? They usually don't do that, and they still have a bad reputation in the world and "poor press". Believe me, the Middle Kingdom, with its population, military power, and modern technologies, could wage many wars in the world (and in a dozen or so years probably also in space), but it is simply a more peaceful nation. They are not a perfect country, many people are harmed there, but the vast majority of Chinese people live simply well. It's probably important that the country cares about its citizens. We are like that too, right? 500+ ha ha ha. One party bought itself power for life.