Friday, June 8, 2012

Migrating to the Middle Kingdom: Globalization (cont'd)

An article on the website chinasmack.com tries to look at 'what will China be like in the future?'.
It discusses, with humour, the Laowais [foreigners] as migrant workers in 2050 China.
The answer is shown by the French photographer Benoit Cezard who recently traveled across the Middle Kingdom, taking a set of photographs titled “China 2050″.
What is strange, says chinasmack.come is that the people in these photographs are mostly blue-eyed, big-nosed Laowais.
According to Benoit Cezard: "As China rapidly develops, future China’s migrant workers will be replaced by westerners, so they have to get used to it in advance.”

Well it could also be in India.
To start with, the French are now daringly crossing the 'British' Channel.
Last week, a news item on BBC News affirms that London is France's sixth biggest city: "More French people live in London than in Bordeaux, Nantes or Strasbourg and it is now thought to be France's sixth biggest city in terms of population. What is attracting a new generation of young French professionals to the city? ...Today there are French people in every corner of London and their numbers have been growing, with the result that in next week's parliamentary election in France they - along with expats in Scandinavia - will be voting for a candidate to represent them in the National Assembly.
The French consulate in London estimates between 300,000 and 400,000 French citizens live in the British capital - many in London's cutting-edge creative hub, in the East End."

France will next week elect its new National Assembly (Lower House). For the first time, 11 seats will be reserved for MPs representing the French living broad. It shows the importance that the French government gives to its 'migrants'.
It is probably true that poor economic prospects in continental Europe will push more and more young French graduates outside the hexagon.  
But will they move to China as migrant workers?
We shall have to wait for 2050 to know. 
In the meantime, we may have millions of Chinese working on infrastructure projects in Europe.
Globalization seems irreversible.
While waiting for 2050, you can read some of the Chinese comments on Sina Weibo on the new 'migrants':

Wow! These migrant workers are so sharp!

Well, I think they’re thinking of replacing/taking over China, where it becomes all Westerners, right? Their thinking is of a world without China.

Again the “Powerful China” theory…This person has ulterior motives…

Naked mockery…

My ass, [it's because] Chinese people have all immigrated to the USA [by then]…

This is a reminder to white people, what the consequence of high welfare and laziness/complacency are.

There are still tricycles/three-wheeled vehicles in 2050?

Did you not see that he wrote “to get used to it/adapt to it in advance.”? These aren’t renderings of 2050, it’s just photos of them getting used to the [future, coming] situation in the present day.

Laowai, you are flattering China too much…

[They are just] using the opportunity to make fun of us…

Laowai sure are humorous.

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