This week I was given two insights: (1) East West and North South negotiations are being challenged by South South cooperation and (2) while the Chinese Government still controls when the heating will be turned on in the city, there are parts of life here beyond the administration. “I wish that the Chinese would realise that interminable meetings that last for hours and 12 course banquets don’t impress a foreign CEO,” exclaimed an exasperated client, just one more example of the mismatch of expectations between western and eastern business people. “You have to negotiate hard for the Chinese to respect you,” a French woman told me in part complaining about the fatigue and length of time that it had taken to buy fake branded T-shirts for a couple of Euro’s. What seemed galling to her was that these T-shirts were obviously being sold at different prices to different customers, and that the teenage girls battling for the extra RMB had not paid much for the merchandise. There is a conflict inherent in many of the transactions that take place between westerners and the Chinese, not least because of the expectation that motivations will be the same and in particular that China is somehow exploiting foreigners. This was a stark contrast to the opening address by the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi at the China-Africa Cooperation Forum held this weekend in Beijing. The heads of 48 African countries converged on Beijing, the latest meeting of developing nations first initiated by Zhou En Lai in Bandung Indonesia in 1955, but not again until 2000. “Africa and China have both suffered from the effects of Imperialism,” Zenawi claimed, calling on African nations and China to engage further in South-South relations. After the meeting in 2000, China cancelled US$10bn of debts. Intercontinental trade meanwhile has grown to US$39.7bn. Trade deals valued at a further US$1.9bn were signed this weekend. China is despatching 38 sports coaches to assist 12 African nations in preparations for the Olympics. At the table next to mine at a popular Chinese restaurant, I heard an African delegation talking amongst themselves in French and ordering in Putonghua. According to the much publicized progress of the talks, the African nations see the development model of China as a guide for their own future, turning their focus away from America and Europe in search of a path that they apparently view as more compatible with their own development. Issues of desertification, sustainable development and treatment of illnesses (although AIDS was not mentioned in any reports that I read) and technology transfer were all on the agenda. I wondered if these delegates had read an interview with Lester Brown, head of the Earth Policy Institute, who claims that 3,000,000 people die each year in China from air polution, that a calf was just born with a 5th leg growing out of its back, and a recent report suggesting 98,000 people are injured each year in car accidents in China. In spite of these records, African leaders appear to see China as their mentor and South-South collaboration as a route to sustainable development. That China is in the northern hemisphere and has never been under foreign rule (except of course Genghis Khan) seems to be less of an issue. They use ‘south’ as a synonym for nations developing in the face of the declining influence of ‘western’ powers. For my own part I decided to follow the advice that US President George Bush gave to the people of China this week -- “not to hoard the money they have” -- by buying myself a scooter. But my purchase will not improve the balance of payments. The shiny blue 125cc Chinese made unbranded low rider cost me RMB2,400 (US$300). I asked about the registration plates but was told it was preferable to not have any on the grounds that if police stopped me I could claim that I had just purchased it and the records were being updated. I noticed that the odometer read 000km and my friend Wei observed wryly that the mechanics know how to reset them. There is no insurance for motorcycles nor apparently a registration system which I find hard to believe when even bicycles are supposed to be numbered. In stark contrast to anything that I do with registering myself for a visa or for the company, my passport to roam the city at low speed comes complete with anonymity. When I first mentioned that I was writing a diary a friend of mine told me that after several months of living in Beijing, the absurdity and contrast no longer became noteworthy, and to some extent I feel that I am growing accustomed to Beijing and EASTWEST is feeling less like it is a premature baby in an incubation unit. We signed 2 new clients this week and had a visiting CEO from one of the world’s largest satellite companies, all of which have been manageable in a way that 3 months ago would have seemed difficult. I am getting ready to move out of the office to an apartment, and with the new scooter have given myself a new lease on freedom. Winter is drawing in, the nights are getting dark around 7pm, and my fingers are cold when I type because there is no heating until November 15th, which I somehow have accommodated. The benefit of being in China is that while the common culture may no longer be noteworthy, my perspective on South-South collaboration has shifted slightly, even though in essence a westerner, especially after witnessing the tangible goodwill of the China African summit this week.