In this book Peter Gill compares six different societies. Three European and three Asian countries with Mandarin-speaking populations are mirrored based on their size, regional influence, technological prowess, energy use and food production rankings, GDP, including a smattering of sporting achievements and cultural preferences. In this décor, the People’s Republic of China is paralleled to Germany, the Netherlands to Taiwan and Singapore to Denmark. One of Gill’s beliefs is that in our interconnected world, politicians and citizens alike are insufficiently aware of each other’s worlds. At our own peril, he adds. These countries face severe global challenges and pressures alike. And time is of the essence, he urges, to fix the planet’s woes. Together!
Gill has travelled extensively through the Far East, is a fluent Mandarin speaker and has experienced first-hand the culture gap that exists between Western and Eastern nationals. He finds the lack of knowledge and understanding of Western nations towards China both extraordinary and surprising but in any case, a huge disadvantage. Westerners do not read Chinese, cannot understand Chinese social media and are little in touch with topical sentiments. Chinese netizens he argues are better informed about Western goings on, despite the Great Firewall, and many read English. Strong negative sentiments between West and East indeed influence mutual willingness to ‘agree not to agree on different world orders’ and can thereby damage the forming of necessary coalitions to tackle the globe’s troubles. He is concerned that misunderstandings and wrong interpretations can and will only harm relationships further. With this book he hopes to give all actors the necessary impetus to seek common ground.
The book is chiefly dedicated to young people who must make their way in this world. Having spoken to Generation Y and Z youths in said countries, this book bears the fruit of his discussions with them. Young people are worried about issues different from their parents and grandparents Gill discovered. Millennials and Zoomers typically fret about their own futures and the shape of the planet, what the world will look like in the decades to come and how their lives will be shaped by events today and tomorrow. As he sees the world through their eyes, he can be forgiven some of the issues their older family members find important, e.g. human rights.
In the first chapter on people and culture, he rightly points out that it is impossible to understand the other without having an inkling of that person’s national history and civilization. However, by referring to recent historic happenings and developments only, his goal to foster this understanding shows a few flaws. By letting history start in approximately 1917, so many of China’s cultural, historic, and philosophical drivers remain unexplained. Especially in a country like the Netherlands, where history lessons in vocational schools have been marginalised, more information about China’s encounters with Western nations in the previous centuries would have been helpful in Gill’s otherwise worthy push to close the knowledge gap. Without further context however, the listings of important dates mean little, especially to Western readers without much knowledge about the East. It is worth mentioning that at the time of writing, only 200 plus American students study in China yearly. That is dangerously insufficient to generate widespread understanding of the country. Yet, China continues to send students to the US. In the academic year of 2022/2023 Chinese students numbered 289,526*. Also, in a book that puts China and Taiwan in the same mix, Sun Yatsen, the revolutionary statesman seen by both peoples of the Taiwan Strait as the founding father of the Chinese Republic, is left unmentioned and feels like an oversight.
The book’s chapters cover a host of subjects detailing the above-mentioned countries’ technological advancements and innovation goals, climate concerns and actions, aging populations and healthcare issues, energy strategies, and food security. In his comparisons, Gill delivers meticulously researched listings, educational rankings, names of private and governmental institutions, national policies, holidays, government agencies, industrial giants, and technological unicorns. The topics are illustrated with infographics and demonstrate where the six countries stand in any given sector. For instance, in the chapter on per capita energy consumption, the table reveals a huge disparity between the individual countries. In this table Chinese citizens consume 112 GJ per person set against Singaporeans who rack up 529 units per person. In terms of spending, in Chinathe top three technological giants, Huawei, Tencent and Alibaba drive R&D. In Germany the top three vehicle manufacturers VW, Mercedes Benz and BMW spearhead R&D expenditure. But, Gill argues, whilst Germany’s automotive sector in 2020 was the country’s most innovative industry sector accounting for no less than 34% of the country’s total R&D expenditure, China in 2022 accounted for 60% of all global electric car sales. So where will that leave Germany in due course?
Throughout these chapters he ponders the prospects of what is in store for us. If we do not face what is ahead of us and we fail to make necessary alliances to counter the world’s woes together, what then? The underlying message urges: “Wake up and look at the facts and numbers, don’t be complacent, act now!” On future energy, it is a welcome discovery to read that cooperation between countries in the use of solar, wind, hydrogen power and nuclear reactors is already taking place. He mentions the Dutch Chinese partnership in the research of solar panel efficiency which stands to revolutionise the renewable energy landscape. Yet, the areas that may lead to energy deficiencies in European countries may still come about because of fierce Chinese competition in wind energy, a sector in which the country has already made huge strides. And China is making impressive steps in other energy sectors too: storage batteries, hydrogen power plants and nuclear reactors. This begs the question whether Europe is sufficiently equipped to manage its future energy needs.
Finally, with the world’s population increasing to an estimated 9.7 billion by 2050, ensuring food security has become a field of expertise that needs much broader attention. In this chapter Gill suggests seven key food technologies to solve some of the looming food shortages caused by soil degradation, overconsumption, draught, and floods, but also water spillage and the use of pesticides. Only by increasing vertical and circular farming, or by switching to the consumption of lab meat and adopting advanced irrigation systems, can these kind food technologies make a difference in whether we can avoid worldwide food shortages and famine or not. And let’s not forget, many of these technologies must also be aimed at teaching us to cope with rising temperatures. Gill contends that international cooperation in agriculture is central to boosting scientific breakthroughs in food technology, but these innovations also need to be commercially viable and must be carried out in a sustainable way if they are to make an impact.
Considering global efforts to plan for the future, it is a little surprising that no mention is made of China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI). This initiative was launched virtually in 2021 at the UN General Assembly by President Xi Jinping and targets 17 sustainable goals that should “steer global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth”, including eradicating extreme poverty. In October of 2022, 100 organizations and 68 countries had already expressed their support for this initiative. Even though many of the initiatives are aimed at the Global South, a table or graph outlining the GDI aims would help to demonstrate the speed with which China is addressing the world’s pressing matters.
Gill refers to over 300 sources that are easily accessible through the QR code in the back of the book. So, when he mentions China’s wish to eliminate low-quality and fraudulent patents in favour of accelerating truly innovative inventions, additional background information can be looked up by clicking on the source number in the QR-listings, in this case, to find the Notice of the China National Intellectual Property Administration Regulating Patents More Strictly. This way of working has helped the book retain a modest size and allows the reader to pick a topic of choice.
Two enjoyable subjects that jump out are Asian only listings and cover the mouth-watering and lengthy list and photographs of the widely differing Chinese cuisines throughout China, Taiwan, and Singapore. It is obvious that Gill has had great pleasure in sampling (most of) them and adds a few nice-to-know culinary success stories. The other great list is the one in which he lists female and male singers of popular hits in Mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore. Noteworthy here is that this delightful list is accessible through Spotify (West meets East).
As a book of reference, West meets East should be read by young people, business people, politicians and policy makers alike. Long term political strategies must be developed that are not subject to short-term knee-jerk reactions. Gill’s book is a welcome read amidst the ocean of sombre and pessimistic publications about our relationship with China. Too often have we become adversaries and untrustworthy partners in the eyes of the other. As we all face the same existential threats, failure to cooperate is not an option. We must create healthy relationships in which we acknowledge our differences. Mutual respect is non-negotiable. Even if mutual trust is at an all-time low, should political will on both sides not be shaped to serve mankind regardless of our differences? We can and must play our role to stop the dangerously hardened environment, on both sides! The wish to counter polarised relationships by creating more mutual understanding amidst the turbulent tides of geopolitics and national concerns seem almost too idealistic. So, is his wish naïve? Maybe, but do we have an option? Our shared humanity requires us to take the road of repair, of constructive discussion and of mutual empathy. West meets East contributes to that attempt and is therefore both laudable and courageous.
West meets East, Understanding Chinese Speaking Societies
by Peter Gill, Peter Gill and Peters Perspective BV. 2023
ISBN: 9789083314198
Lilian Kranenburg is a sinologist and intercultural trainer.
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