Visiting Walmart’s Super Center in Shenzhen in 2005 and meeting the company’s Asia chief Joe Hatfield remains a reporting highlight. I arrived a short time before the store’s 7 a.m. opening and found Hatfield waiting for me with two associates. Rail thin, chain smoking, he wore a shirt and tie but no jacket. The name tag on his shirt pocket said simply, “Joe.” We sat … Continue reading Joe Hatfield Built Walmart into a Powerhouse in China
In the summer of 1967 two friends and I visited the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. We were graduate students in a US-funded program on east-west relations and eager to get a Chinese perspective. Received with awkward formality, we were escorted to a reception room and told to wait while our host excused himself, returning a few minutes later with three English-language editions of the … Continue reading Chaos to Prosperity, Encounters with a Changing China
Shenzhen, 2019 In 1980 Shenzhen was an unimportant fishing village adjacent to Hong Kong’s new territories. Its population was 30,000. Today Shenzhen on a per capita basis is China’s richest city. Its population is 13 million, having become the world’s fastest growing city ever. Shenzhen is a technology center–headquarters for Huawei and Tencent. It has the world’s 4th biggest container port and China’s 5th busiest airport. During … Continue reading Shenzhen–Where China’s Economic Miracle Began
WASHINGTON: People in mainland China don’t have a clue as to what is really happening in Hong Kong. State television lacks any semblance of balance. Its reporting emphasizes violence while downplaying the magnitude of what until recently were non-violent demonstrations against the steady erosion of democratic freedoms. CCTV gives huge play to the defacing of the government insignia on a prominent building. As is well … Continue reading Two Chinas: Hong Kong and Shanghai
SHANGHAI: As long as your visa is in order, it’s a fast passage through immigrations and customs in Shanghai. This sprawling city of 23 million has a modern, efficient international airport and it’s only a short walk to the world’s fastest train. The Siemens built maglev costs only $7 for the eight-minute, 200 mph journey to Shanghai’s outskirts. Connected to hotel Wifi, your laptop’s home … Continue reading Letter from Shanghai: A Reflection on China Rising
Barry D. Wood 