My perception of China has been a mixture of admiration, envy, and respect. Admiration—here are people constituting 17.2 percent of the world’s population, living in peace and tranquillity and assiduously working to conquer the world’s economy and friendship. Envy – a high level of discipline, orderliness, hard work, and societal regimentation have made China an envious society for progressive minds. Respect – a big country like China has the potential power to alter the earth’s gyration along its orbit with dire consequences to the world’s habitats. Assuming the disciplinarian population of China, which stands at about 1.4 billion and is asked to jump up and down for a high of 30 cm simultaneously, won’t the earth be shaken from its orbital path? Will there not be tsunamis, earthquakes, and the like with catastrophic sequences to all and sundry? As big as China is, it is not a bullying country and deserves respect. It will not do anything to change the orbital path of the Earth. Instead, it will make Earth a lovely place to live.
At the beginning of this year, this perception was reinforced by my ten-day visit to China, during which I traveled over 2,000 km on the road, crisscrossing many towns and meeting many people in the company of our host and some of his family members.
I was amazed to observe the high level of infrastructural development as we moved from one town to another. A suspended highway covering thousands of kilometers connected the cities without a single pothole or parked vehicles at the side of the roads. There were countless skyscrapers, between 30 and 50 stories high, in every town or village (do they have a village?). The environment was immaculate. It was just a beautiful country. People make a country. During our stay, I meticulously studied the Chinese people to know what makes them tick.
Chinese have strong family values. Their ancient saying, “The family is essential under heaven,” The Chinese family values include respect for the elderly and love for the young. A virtuous woman brings her husband good, and a kind mother brings up children dutiful to the family: the young respect the elder. Family plays an integral role in Chinese culture. People are generally very close to their family members and often show respect and support for one another. This sense of family can extend to close friends, fostering a supportive, caring environment. Our interpreter, our host’s son, always consulted his father for “no objection” at the beginning of every step of our sojourn despite the availability of a well-planned visit schedule.
Hospitality is another virtue of the Chinese people, who are well known for hospitality. They treat guests respectfully and ensure that others feel comfortable and well-cared for, especially in social or home settings. On our arrival, our host and his assistants warmly received us at the airport. The program of activities sent to us earlier was given to us as we were transported from the airport. We commenced activities from the airport to a medium manufacturing company in Chengdu. After sumptuous Chinese dishes of uncountable courses in a restaurant nearby, we retired to the hotel. We were to leave by 6:30 am to catch our 9:00 am flight to Changsha. The fatigue and stress of the previous day delayed one of us from coming out for twenty minutes and made us miss our flight, resulting in the annulment of the day’s program in Changsha. We were all concerned about the enormous cost of the delay; our hosts were courteously smiling to put us at ease as if nothing had happened. They smiled throughout; Chinese people rarely show emotions as they are emotionally intelligent. I can imagine the rancor this kind of scene can cause elsewhere.
Generosity to guests or people they meet is a rich culture of Chinese. We were all lavishly presented with gifts and dinner in all the places we visited. I recall receiving Chinese visitors as CEO of a government agency. After our interaction, they brought a fanciful package as a gift and said, “Prof, we know you rarely accept gifts, but you should accept this one, which came from China.” Looking at the beautiful package, I assumed it was a computer and was eager to know if it was made in China. After they left, I opened the package and discovered assorted tea packs beautifully arranged. What a surprise package.
Chinese culture is rich and diverse. Living with the Chinese people offers the chance to immerse yourself in thousands of years old culture, rich with history, traditions, festivals, and unique culinary practices. Using chopsticks on the dining table requires practice; sometimes, you wonder why people eat rice with chopsticks. Living in China can enrich the educational environment for anyone open to learning about the culture. Chinese people love to teach others their culture, which they are always proud of. Collectivism and Cooperation are other virtues of the Chinese. The Chinese are masters of group dynamics, value collective action, and sound and work harmoniously with others. They often emphasize group cohesion, leading to smooth Cooperation in shared living situations. Chinese people are known for their adaptability and resilience, especially given the country’s long history of overcoming challenges. Working together can create a stable and positive environment, even in difficult situations.
Another essential attribute of the Chinese is their respect for leaders and heroes. They adore and almost worship leaders, inspiring young people to aspire for leadership. A leader’s speech is usually accompanied by loud applause throughout. Respect for the law is another important attribute in China. The saying “no one is above the law” is practiced in China. Every resident and visitor in China must respect the law, and when contravening it, one must bear the full consequences. Respect for the law has drastically reduced criminal activities and has made crimes unattractive. The society is at peace with itself.
These Chinese attributes are great lessons for Nigerians. First, we are religious people (Muslims, Christians, and traditionalists). Our religions teach and encourage us to adopt all these qualities (hospitality, generosity, hard work, respect for elders, law-abiding, etc.). We need a sane society to develop our country and be at peace with ourselves. Otherwise, we may remain in a decadent and chaotic situation.
