In recent times there have been several attempts to publish a magazine about China. None, but one of those attempts was long lasting. We are rightly proud that our VNC magazine ChinaNu has been around for almost 50 years. This is due to the great efforts of the editors-in-chief and editorial staff that ChinaNu has had over the years. Thanks to their creativity and perseverance, a high-quality, attractive magazine about China could be published over the course of many years. A great achievement, especially since it was mainly volunteers who achieved this every time.
In the run-up to the 50th anniversary, Jaap Post provides an overview on the history of ChinaNu in ten parts. In this issue we continue with volumes 26 to 30, the period 2001 – 2006.
Jaap Post has been a long time active member of VNC ; as chair from 2001 to 2008, currently advisor to the board and member of the Committee of Recommendation
Water Issues in China
In 2002, VNC celebrates its 25th anniversary. The anniversary is celebrated with numerous highly diverse activities in Rotterdam, Amsterdam and at the Floriade in Hoofddorp. In Delft, at the Technical University, a symposium on water management in China is held. China NU reports extensively on the introductions by six experts, including a Chinese professor, and the ensuing discussion. The extremes are enormous, major water shortages in northern and eastern China but also major floods. With the growth of the economy and the increasing size of the population, the demand for water for agriculture, industry and households is rising sharply. As a result, groundwater levels in the north are increasingly falling, causing salinization. But frequent flooding is also an increasing problem as the levees prove unable to protect the growing population and increasing economic interests. One of the causes is that the dikes were built too close to the rivers. In detail, possible solutions to the many problems and the role of governments are discussed. Naturally, the relationship with the Netherlands is also discussed.
A Birthday Calls for a Party
ChinaNu also covers another event marking VNC’s 25th anniversary. During a special China Week at the Floriade in Hoofddorp, organized by the VNC, various aspects of Chinese culture are presented. China also showcases itself as a travel destination. VNC works closely with John Reinhard, director of the Floriade and former director of the Hortus Haren botanical gardens in Groningen. – In that previous role, in close cooperation with the VNC, he brought the exhibition “Ice in Image: Frozen Art from China” to the Hortus in Haren, an exhibition that later toured several locations in the Netherlands. – Back to the Floriade: several performance groups travel from China to take part in China Week. From Henan Province, the Luoyang Classical Music Orchestra gives three performances daily. A troupe of about twenty dancers from Sichuan Province performs traditional dances. Two acrobats from the Beijing Opera School present excerpts from classical Beijing operas. In addition, traditional crafts are demonstrated continuously, along with a variety of ongoing shows and other activities. Many Floriade visitors were able to become acquainted with both China and VNC in this way.
The Chinese Embassy and ChinaNu
In the spring issue of 2002, the editorial board reports having been invited by the Chinese Embassy to exchange views on the content of ChinaNu. The word “friendship” is still commonly used in relations with China. The embassy spokesperson expressed the view that the editorial team, through its choice of topics and tone, contributes to this friendly bond with the People’s Republic. The editorial board responded by stating that China NOW is the independent journal of VNC. ChinaNu is critical, attentive to detail, and highlights the complexity of China, not shying away from controversial topics.
However, ChinaNu now pays considerably less attention to the Communist Party and political policy than in the past. As a quarterly publication, it focuses less on current political news, which is already widely covered by mainstream media, and aims instead to offer its readers a varied, informed, and critical perspective on the backgrounds and developments in China.
Metamorphosis
The editorial team felt things could and should be improved. Reading habits were changing, and the editors wanted to respond to that shift. In 2004, a meeting was held with experts in journalistic reporting on China. Many ideas were evaluated, and decisions were made. These took shape in the first issue of 2005. The editor-in-chief wrote enthusiastically in his foreword about the new format: “Grab it firmly, flip through it, smell it, look, read, and enjoy.” Both the design and the content were modernized. The magazine’s size was considerably reduced, and the layout of the articles significantly improved, with a prominent role for vibrant visuals.
TGV or Transrapid?
That was the title of an article in the spring 2001 issue of ChinaNu. At that time, China had no high-speed trains yet. However, construction had begun on the Maglev line, a magnetic levitation train, between Shanghai and the new Pudong Airport. It was an expensive project, largely financed by the German government and German businesses. Big stakes were involved: not only access to China’s vast market, but also an opportunity for Germany to showcase its technological prowess. There was strong international interest in building a high-speed rail network in China, starting with the line between Beijing and Shanghai. The Germans – Siemens, ICE – interested, as were the French with the TGV, and the Japanese with the Shinkansen.
Things would turn out quite differently. China ultimately chose Chinese technology. In 2008, the first high-speed rail line between Beijing and Tianjin was opened, followed not long after by the Beijing–Shanghai line. Today, less than twenty years later, China’s high-speed rail network spans over 48,000 km; a remarkable achievement, and one realized without TGV or Transrapid.
Alone in the World
ChinaNu has always included many reviews and discussions of books and films. The autumn 2003 issue was no exception. Two articles even covered a then-upcoming book titled “The Taste of Noodle Soup.” The book focuses on Chinese ama’s; unaccompanied minor asylum seekers. Especially in the 1990s, thousands of underage Chinese youths arrived in the Netherlands, usually due to poor socio-economic conditions at home. Human smugglers, known as snakeheads, arranged for them – after a steep payment and a harrowing journey – to reach the Netherlands with false passports.
The book delves into the lived experiences of these young people. Unclear regulations and constantly changing living conditions made their lives even more difficult and uncertain. Initially, education in the Netherlands focused on integration into Dutch society. Around the year 2000, the focus shifted: the aim became to equip them with vocational skills for a future in China.
The author concluded his article with a poignant remark: “It is above all the responsibility of politics and international institutions to create a situation in which people no longer feel the need to flee their own country in search of a dignified existence elsewhere.”
Growth Is a Must
“Growth is a must,” wrote China NOW in 2005. Year after year, China’s economy showed breathtaking growth. While in 1995 its economy was roughly the size of Germany’s, by 2005 it was already twice as large. This growth was primarily driven by 500 million Chinese living in cities and coastal provinces. Foreign investment also played a significant role.
By 2005, foreign investments had surpassed $600 billion — an amount greater than the entire Dutch economy that year (approximately $570 billion).
Due to liberalization measures and foreign investment, private sector employment grew explosively until 2005 but still insufficient to absorb the growing labor supply resulting in continued downward pressure on wages. Economic growth must continue given demographic and labor market trends. There are 800 million Chinese living in rural areas, of whom about 6 million migrate to the cities every year. Given the hidden unemployment in rural areas, this process will continue for years to come. But the autonomous growth of the labor force is also still large, estimated at about 10 to 12 million annually until 2010. China’s economy will have to grow at least eight to nine percent annually to absorb this high labor supply alone. Growth must, an immense task for the Chinese government.
