Re: The Beauty of China, its People, and Accentuated Lessons

 Re: The Beauty of China, its People, and Accentuated Lessons

By

Prof. M. K. Othman

 

China's narrative is not fading, and many people share my view of the country: admiration, envy, and respect. A large population is typically associated with chaotic and undisciplined behavior, as control and regulation become challenging, but this is not the case with China. The population is exceptionally high, representing over 17% of the world’s total, yet the leadership is attentive to every individual in China. Therefore, the citizens are unlikely to misbehave for fear of consequences. Our political leaders need to learn the art of effective governance from the Chinese to guide the nation to its promised future. Some of my readers have shared their thoughts on China, and I am presenting them from a broader perspective. Happy reading.

 

Excellent write-ups about China and the Chinese people, my professor, sir. As represented in their map, there is much to appreciate about the “fat chicken,” as they call China. Sir, I have experience in Chinese hospitality, starting in Beijing in 2005. I attended a course on promoting Chinese technology at the renowned Chinese Academy for Agricultural Mechanization Sciences (CAAMS) in Beijing. There was never a moment of inactivity. After lectures, we had practical demonstrations and visits to various food and beverage factories, farms, business enterprises, markets, famous traditional centers, artifacts, and recreational facilities. These experiences were not limited to Beijing alone; we traveled overnight in their comfortable, educational trains to many modern and remote cities. In 2009, we spent three months in Changsha for another course on comprehensive food technology. The experience deserves the attention of an erudite linguist to write about and describe Chinese hospitality and training methodologies. We were exposed to their revolutionary agricultural practices and research and development laboratories. Most of the technologies we had been taught theoretically were practically demonstrated, and we were instructed on how to refine oils using simple techniques in the workshops. 

In 2012, I was lucky to participate in a training program on storing crops and food processing at the University of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan province, for 8 weeks. Their Storage facilities, both underground, surface, and traditional methods, were awe-inspiring. Food processing techniques and preservation methods almost turned me into a chef. Prof, all three courses were sponsored by the Chinese Government with full allowances, accommodation, and feeding. Please, rhetorically, how can I describe the Chinese hospitality, traditional values, love, and openness to the world at least close to your account?

Best regards and wishes, sir.

Engr Hassan Bawa

 

It's really beautiful China, it looks like our pre-independence stories we heard about Nigeria, especially the north.

Why have we forgotten these social values that empower China and elevate us among all nations, including the so-called First World? Our pursuit of wealth at any cost has positioned us among the most corrupt countries globally. This corruption has permeated all our fundamental institutions: family, religion, economy, education, and politics. No institution has escaped the threat of corruption in Nigeria.

We need to turn back the clock to the times of our nation's founding fathers if we want to initiate something akin to what China has done. They resisted the influence of Western cultures, ensuring their rich cultural heritage remained intact. They embrace the positive aspects and incorporate them into their vibrant culture, growing stronger every day.

We'll learn one or two lessons from these Chinese beauties: best regards and wishes, sir.

Prof Sani Isiaku

 

Salam, Prof. This is an excellent piece about the Chinese. I'm an African-Chinese researcher who considers myself a political scientist. I also run my PhD program at the same place I work: the Department of Political Science and International Studies at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria.

My dissertation topic is 'A comparative analysis of Perception as soft power in China's Aid engagements with Africa: A study of Nigeria's Rigasa Train Station and Ethiopia's Gojjam Berenda Train Station 2013-2023'. 

Prof, since you know Chinese, you could be one of my interview subjects. If you agree, I can send you the checklist of questions. Thank you so much in anticipation.

Best regards,

Mal. Rilwan Omar Massoud

 

Insha Allah, Sir. I want to suggest that you serialize the details of your fascinating visit to China, along with any relevant lessons for Nigeria, in the style of Abubakar Imam's Tafiya Mabuɗin Ilmi, which was serialized in the old Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo and later published as a book. This would provide students of development and related fields with valuable material to reflect on and contemplate. Thank you very much for this intriguing piece, Sir.

Prof Aliyu Ammani

 

Prof Sir, our problems are as you mentioned in the last paragraph. Additionally, we have lost our traditional values that were compromised for 'civilization'. To me, it all started with discarding our mother tongue and, as a consequence, our culture. In his book The Triple Heritage, Ali Mazrui of blessed memory gave an exegesis of how African nations lost everything culture and values in exchange for anything European. Probably our diversity would have issues with cultural integration compared to the Chinese, the Indian, and the Korean, whose conservatism with cultural values never seem to retard their technological advancement. In all areas of human endeavor, the 'traditionalist' adherents surpassed the supposed Westernised nations who have lost a sense of purpose and identity: Babu tsuntsu Babu tarko! The only thing that binds and guides us as humans is adherence to our religious teachings, which keep shaping our morality until eternity since the teachings are eternal. Allah shi kyauta my Prof.

Prof Mohammed Makeri

 

Dear Prof. This is a milestone in diagnosing African problems or diseases, illuminated in your masterpiece of columns. These columns highlight the reality of our time, our African leaders, and prosperity alongside the ardent solutions. My Prof., you have done a herculean task and uncovered gleams and beams that will lead to greater development in the entire African continent. However, the hullabaloos on the African continent are far away from the roads, about a million miles.

Dr Yakubu Yunusa Sakpe