China Inside Out: 10 Irreversible Trends Reshaping China and its Relationship with the World

Acknowledgment

China Inside Out has been a collaborative project with numerous individuals who have contributed both directly and indirectly over the past decade. More than a few of the insights expressed in the book were born through the countless conversations I’ve had with those who have lived, studied, and worked in China for many years, many of whom were North Americans and Europeans. These discussions often were excavations of their experiences, their observations, and their reflections about the swift and dramatic changes in China they’ve become part of.

In particular, I would like to express my gratitude to longtime China veterans Peter Holmes and Keith Cairncross, who through long hours of conversation, have helped me to put many of my own China experiences and musings in perspective. Other close friends and China veterans also have shared their experiences and thinking, especially Palle Linde, Michael “Mickey” Duff, Mark “Six” Kissner, Doug Wack, and Oscar Hernandez. I also feel a need to sound a note of deep appreciation for my counterparts at the Blue Marlin “Think Tank” in the Suzhou Industrial Park—professionals and their families who have a combined hundreds of years of experience from all over China, and whose warmth and humor have provided me a home away from home.

Certainly, my colleagues Bhavesh Mistry and Basile Waite at TrendsAsia in Greater Shanghai have been invaluable critics and tireless reviewers of the manuscript as well as great listeners when I needed ...