What has been the most uplifting, encouraging story you’ve heard about China these days? What, you mean you can’t think of one? We thought so. As I was explaining to someone yesterday (who also happens to be Chinese), China really gets a bad rap in the United States. This is nothing new…whether politically, socially, environmentally, or most recently, throughout the disastrous summer of lead poisoned toys, even on a parenting level, China seems like a more antiquated and distant country than ever. While we watch a lot of CNN here in Panama - mainly because it’s our main source of English-language news - it’s easy to recognize how negative and one-sided Chinese storylines appear. There may be a lot of needed changes in China, but what most people don’t get is that there are a multitude of individuals worldwide helping to bring China and its citizens into a brighter, more positive spotlight.
The China Business Network is a website and community dedicated to dispelling all the preconceived notions you may have about China, and highlights the entrepreneurs and companies who are making a difference in this complicated country. The CBN is the brainchild of Christine Lu, a Taiwanese-born woman who came to America at two years old, only to find herself going back and finding a passion for her Chinese roots. A successful entrepreneur herself, Christine witnessed the phenomenal growth of Shanghai firsthand, but when she came back to the US, was amazed at the lack of pertinent and important information about business in China. As Christine puts it, the aim of the China Business Network is as a ‘bridge of useful and relevant information between the international business community and those on the ground who know the business climate first hand in China’.
The CBN takes you through the ins and outs of of legal issues, entertainment trends, restaurant and other retail expansions, and yes, even China going green. This week, you can hear an interview with Jill Buck, founder of the Go Green Initiative, a comprehensive environmental education program that has grown like wildfire in the US, and is now expanding to China. Take it from us, you will get totally immersed in The China Business Network, as well as the many personal and business related blogs from China, news, and events linked from the CBN. You can also find the China Business Network on Facebook, an interview show with Christine Lu hosting on wsradio.com Tuesdays from 3-4:00pm PST, as well as podcasts downloads from the website and iTunes. We promise, you won’t look at China the same way again!