The bottom-line on making money in China
As soon as we met at the shiny Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital Airport, my American boss Richard told me: "This airport has the fastest customs I've ever experienced!"
It was Richard's first time in China. During our cab ride into the city, his eyes were glued to the window - the busy Sanlitun bar street, the chic Village mall, and the glittering CBD high-rises. He could not stop commenting on how modern the city is. Yes, he had heard about China's hyper-charged development, but "this is like any other Western city with just a different alphabet!"
Such statements used to make me proud - finally Beijing is firmly on the world's stage as a cool cosmopolitan city. There is something to impress everywhere: the airport's dragon terminal, the CCTV tower, the National Center for Performing Arts' egg house, the Bird's Nest, the Water Cube, and the thousands of fancy restaurants and bars, effortlessly blending the latest chic from East and West.
