JIM KLUSMAN introduced fellow Rotarian TOM PEARSON whose topic was “China's New Assertiveness”. 
During TOM’S career as a professor in RHIT at Purdue, he consulted with companies and governments all around the world, but often in the Pacific Rim countries. He learned early on that Sunday breakfasts with the ex-pat western world would tell him where the English bench was at central city parks. There the young people would practice English with him and he would learn about their families and lives.
Three broad themes can be used to describe the Chinese way of thinking and approaching problems.
1. Success comes within a strong central governmental system. The Chinese are used to a Dynastic imperial government. Add to that Confucianism thought that focuses on history and order and Buddhism which advocates more order and central government and the result is that the needs of the greater good are more important than the needs of the individual.
2. The Chinese have collective living systems with advanced infrastructure. They were the first to develop latitude and longitude. The maps used by European explorers to discover the world were made by Chinese. They had large libraries before Greece or Rome. They sent large numbers of ships and men to explore the world in search of trade and education. There were no international friends or protectors. After recent world wars, the British, Japanese and U.S. created deep humiliation by separating Hong Kong and Taiwan from the Chinese.
3. The Chinese have a very pragmatic approach to planning. They think long term and are responsible for 1.3 billion people. Examples of this are: Shortage of raw materials – make deals with Indonesia, Australia and Canada. Shortage of arable land and water to grow crops - make huge investments in Africa and take over the Tibetan Plateau for water. Shortage of oil – create a series of ports from Africa to Burma.
4. Build on the diaspora of Chinese living in Southeast Asia. They want all Chinese to feel part of China – not Philippines or U.S.A. The Chinese model is to take over areas based on trade, not war and to protect itself from neighbors.
There were several good questions following TOM’S very informative presentation.
GUESTS:
Cara Giese, guest of ELAS JANLE; Tyler Smith RYE Student.
