The sky is high, and the Emperor is far away.
This is an old Chinese proverb that tells us about the vastness of China and its unique system of government.
Our guest speaker last evening was Paul Wah, a prominent member of the Chinese community in Wellington. He is a fourth generation migrant, former Principal at Taita College, teacher of President Euon, and long-time friend of Michael Parker.
It seems you can’t take China out of the Chinese. Paul has vigorously kept up his connections with China, visiting often and teaching English there for a year. His talk ranged over the China-NZ relationship and how he sees it developing.
He is ambivalent about modern China. Its growth has been spectacular, and is now of critical importance to us for trade and investment. It will be the world’s biggest economy by 2030.
China’s resurgence has caused friction with the USA, which complains, rightly, about product dumping and intellectual property theft. However, some of the blame lies with American corporates, who outsourced manufacturing and made joint venture deals which went sour.
The USA wants to slow down China’s growth and believes China’s system should incline towards the West, in terms of openness and democracy.
So now there is a trade war, which threatens our own position. Paul believes the NZ government’s neutral stance is correct, although we may become the meat in the sandwich. Our values and traditions are firmly with the west, but we should respect and learn from China. To do this we must know what makes China tick.
Paul gave us some useful insights into this. China is not a ‘nation state’ in the western sense, but a ‘civilisation state’ with a strong sense of unity and respect for its long history. These feelings stay alive in migrants, no matter how long ago they left their homeland.
The state in China is seen as the protector of the Han civilisation, and the power of the state has been in the hands of many dynasties over thousands of years, of which the Communist party is merely the latest example. As long as the Chinese government continues to raise living standards, there will be no real challenge to the power of the state and it will not be threatened by democratic pressures.
This all may seem rather odd to us, but our grandchildren should look north as well as west. If only the language was not so difficult….
Six tips for improving security around your home
1) Improve outdoor lighting
Ensure that streets, driveways, and front yards are well-lit. Motion-sensor lights around homes deter trespassers by reducing hiding spots and illuminating their movements.
2) Trim your trees
Overgrown shrubs and trees provide cover for intruders. Keeping them well-trimmed around windows and doors improves visibility and reduces potential hiding spots.
3) Secure Entry Points
Ensure doors, windows, and gates are always closed when you are away from the house. Upgrade to more secure locks, deadbolts, or even smart locks for added protection.
4) Add a security camera
Place security cameras in the main entry points to your home. Doorbell cameras are also relatively cheap and a great way to keep track of who is visiting your home when you aren't there.
5) Start a Neighborhood Watch Program
You could reach out to members on Neighbourly to form a group of neighbors who can regularly keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it. You could also check with Neighbourhood Support to see what is existing in your area.
6) Introduce yourself to your neighbours
The closer you are to your neighbors, the more likely they’ll notice when something unusual or suspicious is happening around your property
Feel free to share anything that you do around your area to deter crime.
Today’s riddle: For all the curious minds next door!
My thunder comes before the lightning.
My lightning comes before the clouds.
My rain dries all the land it touches.
What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
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Poll: Is dumping an issue in your neighbourhood?
There's nothing worse than strolling around the streets in your neighbourhood and seeing dumped rubbish.
Have you noticed this in your area? What could we do to combat this around the country?
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43.3% Yes, I've seen some illegal dumping
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56% No, our neighbourhood is pretty good
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0.6% Other - I'll share below
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