The "Change in China" project

Marc van der Chijs

At the China Speakers Bureau we have last week started a book project, called "Change in China". It was based on a discussion we had on what combines all those different and often conflicting messages our speakers send into the world about China.
What brings together many of the requests for our speakers is an ongoing lack of understanding how fast and profoundly China is changing. Sometimes the event organizers know very well what is happening in China, but they also mostly have to deal with audiences that know the impressive view of the skyscrapers in China's cities, but have to clue how people, companies, organizations and the different sections of China's government are also changing.
As the Western media are cutting down on funding for foreign correspondents - although they might still increase in numbers - the understanding of what is happening in China has severely fallen short. The increased speed of change of the Middle Kingdom is additionally getting grip on what is really happening in China harder.
So, we concluded, "change in China" is what us brings together and we have asked some of our speakers to contribute a personal story on how they have experienced change in China. No boring analysis of figures and charts, but a down-to-earth illustration on how the country they know best has changed in their eyes.
We got right away a large number of enthusiastic reactions, including some of the leading voices like Marc van der Chijs, de co-founder of Tudou, IMD's Bill Fischer and internet guru Sam Flemming.
Stay tuned for more. We expect the book to launch shortly after Springfestival in 2009.

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