Press Officer Rick Purnell writes ….

Teignmouth Mens Probus Club’s speaker this month was Ms Grace Zhu, presently a resident hotelier in Torquay having originally come to UK to further her education. Her subject was 1st hand experiences of the recent transformation of China, particularly her home city of Nanjing in the Province of Jiangsu on the East Coast with a population of some 9.37m (similar to Scotland, Wales & N.I. combined).

China is one of the cradles of civilisation and is now only second to India by population (1.4bn), the third largest Country by square miles (3.7bn), simply a vast empire closed to the western world until quite recent times. In the past 20 years or so China’s economy has boomed with a latter day industrial revolution as the nation became the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter and among the fastest growing economies. This has promoted a marked transformation from a rural/agricultural society to the best the 21st Century can offer matching whatever ‘is in the West’. Huge strides have been made by connecting the nation with modern highways, railways and buildings, supporting infrastructure and communication. All wonders of modern engineering including the longest bridge and HSR 200+mph ‘bullet’ trains between major cities and Provinces. Since 2008, the railway has increased from 23,550 miles to 87,613 miles of track. With Government subsidy, electricity prices have not changed for 15 years.

Health Care is not dissimilar to the UK’s NHS but doctors surgeries are mostly no appointment ‘walk-ins’ dealing generally with chronic, elderly and the terminally ill with most medical issues being serviced by the local hospital rather than a GP. Health care users do contribute but remain ‘affordable’ on a drawdown credit system very different to UK. The education system has different age sets with primary education starting at age 7. In many larger cities, primary schools are vast ‘living towns’ of 5000+ pupils with boarding common place. The education system centres on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. In general parents ‘pay’ for their own family education and wellbeing rather than ‘free’ from the state.  A University education cost about £5000 tuition and £20,000 living costs over 4 years. The national ‘spend’ on research and development is vast approaching 3% of GDP.

The photo presentation showed example of before and ‘as now ‘pictures and the transformation was phenomenal.  As China is a Socialist Republic, the State (being the people) directs progress and priorities. An entirely different and unfamiliar system to that of the UK as are the difficulties presented by language and culture.  So may Chinese speak English and so few English know about China or speak its language.

The interest in the subject stimulated many questions running into ‘overtime’ including ‘green’ issues and how China can support an aging population with too few children, as we are experiencing here in UK too. 

The vote of thanks was given by Peter Lewis, a well-travelled member who hoped we could all live in harmony in a better world.