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May 2000 Issue 78 |
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May 2000 Issue 78 |
CONTENTS
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China Lover Fears Vanishing Culture “Beijing is developing very fast, maybe a little bit too fast,” thinks an old foreign friend of the city, Dominique Dreyer, Swiss ambassador.Though ambassador to China for only a year, Dreyer is no newcomer to Beijing. As a matter of fact, he embarked on his “Personal relationship” with the ancient capital in 1974, when he was sent by the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs to be the third secretary to the embassy in Beijing, a position he held until 1978. At that time, the Cultural Revolution was winding down and Beijing seemed relatively serene, quite in contrast to the dynamic economic tempo we know today after Deng Xiaoping’s open-door policy and reform. After a spell back home at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Dreyer returned to Beijing for a further four years in 1984, this time as counselor to the embassy. After missions between 1988 and 1995 in Tokyo and then in Paris, Dreyer came to Beijing in 1995 for a third time, as the minister of the Swiss Embassy in Beijing. Last year, he won his appointment as ambassador to China, Mongolia, South Korea and and Korea. Dreyer has come and gone, come and gone from the capital and through the decades become a uniquely qualified observer of the wrenching pace of Chinese change. As an old friend and coming from a country of almost clockwork efficiency, Dreyer advocates Beijing consider its transportation problem, environmental protection and the preservation of its historic character in the rush for development. As Beijing’s surely one of the most important historical cities in the world,” Dreyer feels that frankly nothing like enough preservation is taking place, and wonders aloud if this reflects the different cultural values of Europe and Asia. With a sigh, Dreyer notes the consistent failure to preserve ancient monuments runs throughout East Asian countries, as ancient towns crumble in the face of rapid development. This seemingly careless attitude is a predominant characteristic of East Asian culture, he feels, and he says he noted the same attitude in Japan. A Ph.D in Law from Cambridge, Mr. Dreyer was motivated by his strong interest in Asian Culture and in that of China in particular to be a diplomat. He was particularly interested in the continuity of the development of Chinese culture, which he attributed partly to the stability of the Chinese language, made possible by the use of the Chinese characters. In 1973, one year after he joined the Department of Foreign Affairs, he was sent to Cambridge to attend special course of the Chinese language. Here in Beijing, he has come into the habit of reading major Chinese newspapers every day. Though he prefers not to talk about his personal background and specific experiences, his perfect pronunciation and easy handling of Chinese words and phrases is impressive. Without much exaggeration, the freelance writer from the South of China was so “Brightened” she insisted in doing the interview in English instead. Being very diplomatic in saying that he is only good at a bit of everything, such as the traditional Chinese music and calligraphy and collecting a few antiques, Dreyer has much to say on the character of his native people. Like China, Switzerland is divided into many cultures. Generally speaking, Swiss people are reserved, do not like to express themselves freely. But they tend to be very loyal to their friends and keep their promises. At the same time, they have very strong attachment to their “Canton”, the place they come from. However, since Switzerland is very small, many Swiss had to find work outside. Swiss presence to China goes back to the 18th century, when Swiss merchants and even missionaries come to this country. According to Mr. Dreyer who had watched China for so many years and has made many Chinese friends , the Chinese people are quite similar in being conservative, and sometimes slow to move and make decisions. But it’s very typical in the eyes of foreigners that they like to put much emphasis on personal relationships. Furthermore, “They usually tend to observe the foreigners before expressing themselves,” Mr. Dreyer observed thoughtfully. Asked about the aspirations of the young generations of these two countries, Mr.Dreyer sees no important difference so far as in both countries they look for good jobs and houses, as Europe and China are under the same strong influence of the American culture now, and people are having more and more common languages. A perfect example of the English saying that “Still water runs deep”, Mr. Dreyer likes to go to comparatively remote areas like Miaofeng Mountain and Si Ma Tai Great Wall and prefers light Cantonese food, though he insists on no preference towards any of them. Asked about his personal contribution to the bilateral relationship, Mr. Dreyer returns to his low-key and says that he has benefited a lot from the general good impression of the Chinese people on the clean and neutral Switzerland. With this starting point, he has made plans to develop tourism between the two countries, and first of all, to make Switzerland a destination country of the Chinese tourists. Besides, Switzerland is also very advanced in the technology of the environmental protection. There are many opportunities for these two countries to cooperate more in this field. September this year will see the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and China. The Swiss Embassy has a full program of celebrations under way. Though he prefers not to talk about his personal background and specific experiences, his perfect pronunciation and easy handling of Chinese words and phrases is impressive. Fast
facts: Religions: Christian (44%), Catholic (48%), Others (8%) Total area: 41, 293.1 km2 Total frontiers: 1,881.5 km Highest point: Mt. Dufourt Peak Lowest point: Lake Maggiore Total residents: 6?quot; 500?quot; 000 Administration: 26 cantons, including three half cantons Languages: German (North, Central and Eastern Switzerland), French (Western Switzerland), Italian (Southern Switzerland), Romansh (South-Eastern Switzerland). Climate Under normal circumstances, summer in all regions of Switzerland should be sunny and warm. During spring, summer and autumn it is advisable to take good clothes, including a warm jacket and good walking shoes, as excursions are often to mountains which are snow-covered during summer. A warm jacket, good trousers and shoes are necessary in the winter months. Lakes: 1,484 Iceburgs: 140 50th anniversary events Concert by the Dorian Ensemble (Baroque and classical works), May 28-June 8, Beijing Special Watch Edition, September, Beijing Official ceremony for the celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and China at the Swiss Embassy, September 14, Beijing Call 6532-2736 for more schedule information. |
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