Mulberry leaves & silk gowns?

In spite of the fact we’re in Europe again, Mr B and I find ourselves keeping an eye on things in China and India. I suppose this is natural as we enjoyed our Asian time so much and also because from a professional viewpoint we find it an important perspective to bring to the table in EU-centric discussions here in Brussels.

One of the things expats in Beijing like to discuss is how the business environment has changed over the last 5 years as China has developed economically but more importantly in terms of self-confidence.

In both Mumbai and Beijing, it was evident that governments and the national business community had reached the point where they wanted to strike out on their own in terms of management and personnel. In theory there is nothing wrong with this at all – some would argue it is a sign of  successful economic development. Each government has a duty to nurture national economies as they see fit.

The other side of the coin are expat workers who increasingly feel marginalised, dismayed and concerned that companies in India and China are now trying to run before they can walk.

While many companies (both subsidiaries of western businesses and national companies) could demonstrate perfect mastery of technology and business processes, we heard many discussions about limits on critical thinking/the ability of employees to think outside rigid systems they had experienced directly and the problems this often posed for HQ. Most pointed to the rote-based education systems in both India and China that reward memorisation as opposed to abstract reasoning/independent  research more common in the western education system.

I’m well aware of how arrogant this sounds.

Most expats are experienced senior managers, sent to solve problems or set up new businesses and recruit the best local talent. Most of them accept if they do their jobs correctly, they’ll eventually make themselves redundant and either go home or move on to the next posting.  That’s expat life. Always has been.

Even during our short time in Beijing, however, we felt the times a changin’; the real problems friends and trailing spouses had in obtaining or extending visas, the increasing blocks on the internet, the visibility of police and PLA personnel on the streets, the growing frustration and concern of Mr B’s clients about ever changing rules on doing business there and subtle limits imposed on those trying to expand market share.

All this is a very long way of saying yesterday’s Financial Times carried an interesting Op-Ed about changing  business conditions in China which is worth a look. It’s not just Goggle re-considering whether the promise of billions of new consumers is either possible or desirable. I question whether EU-based businesses are the most competitive or those best placed to transfer skills to China but it is an interesting barometer of current thought amongst the expat business community in Beijing.

The Chinese have a proverb about perseverance, “with time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown”. It seems western businesses are increasingly feeling the fruits of their efforts might resemble the “Emperor’s New Clothes”.

Working Girl?

I was asked recently by a reader whether or not expat wives can work in Beijing. The answer is “yes, but”…Let me explain.

If you speak to women who’ve been trailing spouses in China for a while, some of them will tell you they were given an automatic work visa along with their husbands upon entry into China.  That’s certainly what I was told but alas it has proved untrue.

The combination of the 60th anniversary (which raised feelings of invincibility to a whole new level here) and the recession have meant the Chinese government sees less and less need for foreign workers. I’ve been told anecdotally that work visas generally are now much harder to come by, with companies having to provide a lot more detailed evidence of why they want to hire a foreign worker over a Chinese one. Information from the Chinese government on this point is often conflicting and unclear.

If you want to find work here it is possible. Many expat wives set up their own businesses to ensure a portable career. Others decide to start a family. Others find companies willing to take them on under the table (albeit for a token wage – think around EUROs 150-300 a month), and others trawl around for freelance work, the favourites being writing/editing and teaching English. A very good place to start and to seek up-to-the-minute advice is the excellent VIVA network which holds monthly networking meetings and is run by seasoned expat business women. I’d also recommend the national chambers of commerce, specialist Beijing-based groups on LinkedIn and alumni associations.

All of this brings me to the bigger topic of what happens when working women become expat wives. I know from personal experience it is not at all an easy transition to make. Whatever the benefits of taking time out, don’t let anyone tell you there is no loss of identity involved in becoming a tai-tai. Speaking personally, loss of financial independence is a big part of this. I’ve seen firsthand how it can make expat women here in Beijing incredibly lonely, depressed and angry, and take a huge toll on marriages.

There have been a couple of very interesting stories in the media here about this phenomenon over the last few weeks. I’m linking them here so those who are new to this odd trailing spouse life know they are not alone, and more importantly, that there is help out there. Get thee to an expat coffee morning!