China, India, and Chindia
December 8th, 2009
China and India have a lot in common; they both have long and great histories. Today, there is no doubt that China and India are becoming major players in the world. As an overseas Chinese student, I hear lots of interesting things about how Americans perceive these two countries. Today let me share my view points about China and India.
Considering the 5,000 year journey of Chinese civilization, what is the core concept of the traditional Chinese culture? To answer this question, we need to consider the extensive and profound contributions of three pillars of traditional Chinese culture - the Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. The thought process is called the “he wei gui” (和为贵) thought. “贵(gui)” translates to ‘more precious’. This Chinese character includes the quintessence of traditional Chinese culture. When trying to translate into English, I found that it is difficult to translate because，the words have so much meaning. “和(he)” when translated into English means harmony, peace, amalgamation, friendship, kindness, and harmonization… It is about finding the common ground. That’s seeking the harmony between people and people, the harmony of people and the society, harmonization of people and nature. The culture of India has been shaped by its long history, unique geography, diverse demographics and the absorption of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbors as well as by preserving its ancient heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley Civilization and evolved further during the Vedic age, followed by the rise and decline of Buddhism, Golden age, Muslim conquests and European colonization. India’s great diversity of religious practices, languages, customs, and traditions are examples of this unique co-mingling over the past five millennia. The various religions and traditions of India that were created by these amalgamations have influenced other parts of the world too.
Due to better educational programs and many more overseas graduates, more Indians speak English than do Chinese, giving them a distinct advantage in the international marketplace, particularly in the rapidly emerging informational sciences and service industries. It also augurs well in the business meetings, where the ability to communicate with planners and delegates in what has emerged as the international language of business confers a big advantage.
There are also major differences in the respective business environments of these two countries. Selling to the Chinese, particularly in our own market, remains a real challenge for most foreigners. The rules are unique, and in many respects the norms or ethics expected by those more familiar with other western economies go out of the window. In addition, to be successful in China a local Chinese partner is necessary, and this adds another layer of complexity. Once you get past this initial obstacle however, the paybacks are exceptional – but it takes a lot of experience and expertise to get it right.
When I did some research for this paper, I found an interesting new word—Chindia. Chindia is a portmanteau word that refers to China and India together in general and their economies in particular. The credit of coining the now popular term goes to Jairam Ramesh, the Environment minister of India. China and India are geographically proximate; are both regarded as growing countries; and are both among the fastest growing major economies in the world. Together, they have about one-third of the world’s population, and have been named as countries with the highest potential for growth in the next 50 years according to a BRIC report.
The economic strengths of these two countries are widely considered complementary - China is perceived to be strong in manufacturing and infrastructure, while India is perceived to be strong in services and information technology. China is stronger in hardware while India is stronger in software. China is stronger in physical markets while India is stronger in financial markets. In fact, the strengths of India are very often the weaknesses of China and the strengths of China are the weaknesses of India.
The countries also share certain historical interactions - the spread of Buddhism from India to China, and trade through the Silk route are the prime examples of such interactions. As I described above, there are too many connections between these two countries; and I am looking forward to see what exactly India looks like next summer.
-Yuxiang Gao
Entry Filed under: 2010 Student Blogs, China, India, Misc.
6 Comments Add your own
1. Kirk Story | December 10th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Yuxiang Gao,
Nice essay. The concept that, “the strengths of India are very often the weaknesses of China and the strengths of China are the weaknesses of India,” is completely new. You also inspired the search for the meaning of “portmanteau,” and yes, we have confirmed it is a word. Portmanteau, or if you prefer the plural, portmanteaus/portmanteaux, is defined as, “a large suitcase,” according to Merriam-Webster. It is also defined as (and I kind of think this is where you were going with this one), “a word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms.” Hence, China-India—Chindia.
It is also impressive to imagine living amid a 5000 year old civilization. The mere complexity of “he wei gui” places this in perspective. It’s difficult to imagine an English term, phrase, or concept that carries so much intricacy and weight. How about this: you say “和为贵,” I say, “American Idol??”
2. Alex | December 10th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Yuxiang,
I agree with Kirk that the concept that “the strengths of India are very often the weaknesses of China and the strengths of China are the weaknesses of India” is a very interesting. What particular strengths and weaknesses did you have in mind though? I’m not quite sure where you are going with that.
Also, I assume that to find “portmanteau” you first came up with the word in Chinese. Is “portmanteau” a more common word/concept in China? I did not know about the word, and I doubt I would ever have thought to look for it.
3. Kirk Story | December 11th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Alex,
I’m pretty sure, where Gao was going with the ‘complimentary strengths and weaknesses’ concept is directly conveyed in the sentences preceding the quoted remark. The paragraph reads, “The economic strengths of these two countries are widely considered complementary - China is perceived to be strong in manufacturing and infrastructure, while India is perceived to be strong in services and information technology. China is stronger in hardware while India is stronger in software. China is stronger in physical markets while India is stronger in financial markets. In fact, the strengths of India are very often the weaknesses of China and the strengths of China are the weaknesses of India.”
4. Michael Harroch | December 11th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Yuxiang,
Ii think it is very interesting to look at how China and India’s relationship has evolved. The way they are complementing each other in terms of economic strengths and weaknesses is very important. I believe that this might foster peace and cooperation between the two giants, hopefully strengthening stability in the region. Considering my background I cannot help but make a parallel between what is going on in Asia and the European Union. India, China, but also Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan could one day form their own economic entity.
Finally I would like to straighten out the record. In modern English, portmanteau does signify the blending of two words into a new one that contains the meaning of both words. Originally, this word comes from portemanteau, which is French for coat-holder.
5. William Ary | February 11th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
It makes sense that these two countries should be aligned in their goals due to complimentary strengths, but that would completely disregard years of political tension and other obstacles. I am forced to ask how huge a mutual incentive for cooperation would have to be in order to actually get the countries themselves to play ball. Nothing fixes bad blood like cold hard cash, but there had better be a lot of it. I certainly would appreciate some international cooperation between China and India -It would make my fantasy trip to the Himalayas more feasible.
6. Frederick Peemoeller | March 11th, 2010 at 10:42 am
I am very interested in finding out how you enjoy this trip, Yuxiang. You bring a good point that even though they are in close proximity to each other, these countries seem so different culturally but have so much in common. They both play such a huge part in the world economy, and if they became allies they would most definitely be a major force. It seems that both cultures need to praise the other for changes that have molded them in the last 5000 years. Although I can continue to harp on their similarities and differences, I really just look forward to seeing your reactions when we travel through India.
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